With just a few weeks until Thanksgiving, many of us are already bracing ourselves for a season of eating, drinking, and as a result, stretchy pants. But even with the frequent festivities, do the holidays really doom us to an additional five or ten pounds of body weight?

Whole grains and legumes (beans and lentils) are generally considered to be healthy foods, but they are also known to contain high levels of “antinutrients” that can prevent the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals. Many popular diets claim that soaking, sprouting, and fermenting beans and grains is necessary to prevent nutritional deficiencies, but will it really make these foods healthier?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a way of eating that involves short periods of fasting (between eight and 24 hours), punctuated by regular eating periods. IF has garnered lots of attention as a way to improve metabolic, cardiovascular, and neurological health, but are the benefits real? 

Proponents of alkaline diets believe that what you eat can affect the pH balance of your body, and that a higher pH is healthier and can reduce your risk of heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer. But is there any evidence to support these claims?

Coconut water is the most popular health food trend in recent memory, and it has been branded as a healthy, low-calorie alternative to commercial sports drinks. But is there any science behind all the hype?

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has been touted as a mode of exercise that can improve health and fat loss in a fraction of the time of typical moderate-intensity workouts. But does HIIT really live up to the hype?

Milk and dairy products are widely considered the best dietary sources of calcium, but are people who drink the most milk really more protected from bone diseases like osteoporosis?

The benefits and dangers of soy are hotly debated, but one of the more disturbing accusations is that soy promotes the development of breasts in men. Should guys avoid eating this little green bean, or are the rumors overblown?

Proponents of the fermented kombucha drink claim it can do everything from help with weight loss to prevent cancer, but what do we really know about the health benefits of kombucha tea?

As we rev up for bikini season, it’s also time to start thinking about skin protection. UV radiation, specifically UVB radiation from the sun, is a known risk factor for the most common kinds of skin cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and, to a lesser extent, basal cell carcinoma. UVB is also what creates sunburns, suntans, and enables your skin to create the essential vitamin D.