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Sip your way to a stronger immune system, a better mood and more. By Tamar Schreibman When you think of good-for-you beverages, water immediately comes to mind, but there are others worth adding to your diet. "Some drinks have tremendous health benefits, from relieving minor ailments like indigestion to protecting against serious ones like osteoporosis," says Dan Nadeau, M.D., medical director of Exeter Hospital's HealthReach Diabetes, Endocrinology and Nutrition Center in Exeter, New Hampshire. Here, eight choices that are packed with disease-fighting nutrients. Now that's easy to swallow. Green Tea The Benefit: Helps reduce risk of osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease and cavities. Green tea contains a rich concentration of flavonoids and polyphenols, natural antioxidants that may protect cells from carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) and inhibit tumor growth by helping to neutralize free radicals in the body. The tea's antioxidants may also guard against hea...

by: fitnessmagazine The secret to shedding pounds isn't saying no to guilty pleasures, it's learning how to say yes without causing diet damage. "Cheating should be planned and deliberate," says Ann Kulze, MD, author of Dr. Ann's 10-Step Diet: A Simple Plan for Permanent Weight Loss and Lifelong Vitality (Top Ten Wellness and Fitness, 2004). "Avoiding favorite foods can lead to bingeing, followed by regret and abandonment of all your efforts." Allowing yourself the occasional splurge helps you truly enjoy the treat -- and that makes it easier to take a pass on little extras the rest of the time. Fortunately, you can indulge and still keep calories in check by substituting an equally gratifying and decadent yet more diet-friendly alternative for the food you're craving. (Would you believe cheesecake is an option?) Try these 10 trade-offs and we promise you won't feel the least bit deprived.