5 WORST FOOD FOR YOUR BODY: DRIVE-THRU

How much time did you spend in your car last week? Ten hours? Fifteen maybe? Wow, that sounds like a lot. But it's still probably an underestimate: As it turns out, the average American now spends 21 hours per week stuck inside a mobile metal box.

No wonder the drive-thru is so appealing. All those hours spent in traffic leaves scarcely any time to sit and eat. Add to that the stress of daily life and the desire to feel like you're accomplishing something while you drive, and you've got a pretty good case for turning the center console into a dining table.

But that convenience comes at a cost. A 15-year study published in the British journal Lancet found that those who ate fast food two or more times per week gained an average of 10 more pounds than those who ate fast food less than once a week. But it doesn't have to be this way. In my latest book, The Eat This, Not That! No-Diet Diet, I teach you how to navigate fast-food menus and make sure the meal coming at you through your car window won't necessitate a loosening of your seatbelt. The first step: Avoid the 5 foods on this list.

1. WORST SIDE DISH

Taco John’s Potato Ole’s (Large)

770 calories

46 g fat (6 g saturated, 1 g trans)

2,200 mg sodium

Interspersed throughout the menu in various permutations, these glorified tater tots pack a serious one-two punch. The combination of saturated fat and sodium puts a heavy strain on your heart, and the 770 calories test the durability of your belt buckle. Not even the indulgent Meat and Potato Burrito touts numbers this abysmal. Instead, opt for a side of Refried Beans. Order it without cheese and you'll cut 60 calories, but you'll hold on to the amazing 11 grams of fiber and 15 grams of protein.

Eat This Instead!

Taco John’s Refried Beans (without cheese)

260 calories

1.5 g fat (0.5 trans)

940 mg sodium

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2. WORST DESSERT

Dairy Queen Double Fudge Cookie Dough Blizzard (Large)

1,350 calories

58 g fat (28 g saturated, 1.5 g trans)

133 g sugars 

This dessert ought to be served with a life insurance application. The problem is, the rest of the Blizzards aren't much better—even the smalls tend to hover around 500 calories. Splitting one of those isn't so bad, but if you prefer to have your own treat, go for a sundae instead. The best approach is to pick the ice-cream flavor of the Blizzard you wanted, and then ask to have that topping added to your sundae. That way you get all the flavor, none of the belly.

Eat This Instead!

Dairy Queen Chocolate Sundae with Cookie Dough Topping (Small size)

360 calories

14 g fat (10.5 g saturated)

45 g sugars

Bonus Tip: Our take on dessert? Eat it! Just know what you're eating and limit your indulgence. You can find the best Eat This, Not That! options right here: 15 Desserts That Burn Fat!

3. WORST BURGER

Hardee’s 2/3 lb. Monster Thickburger

1,320 calories

95 g fat (36 g saturated)

3,020 mg sodium  

At one-third pound of beef, the original Thickburger offers plenty by way of gluttony, but compared to this thing it appears positively conservative. Mashed between beef and bun are 4 strips of bacon, 3 slices of cheese, and a big gob of mayonnaise. That's how it earns nearly twice the saturated fat you should consume in an entire day! Go with the Little Thick Cheeseburger to you'll eliminate 65 percent of the calories.  

Eat This Instead!

Hardee’s Little Thick Cheeseburger

450 calories

23 g fat (9 g saturated)

1,180 mg sodium 

Bonus Tip: Some burgers are lean and healthy. Others are excessive and dangerous. See if any of your favorites made our list of The 15 Worst Burgers in America. And check out Cook This, Not That! to learn how to make delicious 400-calorie burgers (and hundreds of other delicious weight-loss meals) in minutes at home.

4. WORST BREAKFAST

McDonald’s Big Breakfast with Large Biscuit, Hotcakes, and syrup

1,330 calories

60 g fat (20 g saturated)

2,280 mg sodium

49 g sugars

This is the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink breakfast made popular by diners such as Denny's and IHOP. Consider these stats: This meal has as much saturated fat as 2 Sausage McGriddles, more sodium than 6.5 large orders of french fries, more sugar than 3.5 Hot Apple Pies, and more calories than 3 Double Cheeseburgers. We're all for eggs at breakfast, but not when they come flanked with pancakes, sausage, hash browns, and an oversized buttermilk biscuit. Pair a Parfait with an Egg McMuffin for 22 grams of belly-filling protein in fewer than 500 calories. Now that's a great way to start the day.

Eat This Instead!

McDonald’s Egg McMuffin with Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait

460 calories

14 g fat (6 g saturated)

905 mg sodium 

24 g sugars

Bonus Tip: Smart snacking can work wonders on your waistline, curbing your cravings so you order less at the drive-thru. The key is finding snacks that are low in sugar and high in protein and fiber. Try any of our 50 Best Snack Foods in America—they'll help keep you lean and full all day long!

 5. WORST SANDWICH

Quizno’s Large Tuna Melt

1,450 calories 

98 g fat (20 g saturated, 1 g trans)

1,910 mg sodium

Tuna ought to be a healthy source of lean protein, but Quizno's suffocates its with so much mayonnaise that the original fish has been relegated to a mere texturing agent amid a wet slurry of fat and calories. We've called Quizno's out for this sandwich before, and we'll keep at it until they decide trim back on the excesses. In the meantime, go with the Honey Bourbon Chicken Sub. For the regular-size sandwich, you could eat a dozen without hitting the fat load of the Large Tuna Melt. 

Eat This Instead!

Quizno’s Regular Honey Bourbon Chicken

520 calories

8 g fat (3 g saturated)

1,470 mg sodium

Bonus Tip: Learning which restaurants make it easiest to eat healthy can have a big impact on your body, and we've done the grunt work for you. Check out Eat This, Not That's list of America's Best and Worst Restaurants: 2011—and discover how to order your favorite foods, at your favorite restaurants, and still lose lots of weight without ever dieting again.

5 TIPS TO PREVENT SNORES

Snoring isn’t just a nighttime annoyance; it can be a serious health issue, disrupting normal sleeping patterns and disturbing partners as they try to sleep through the noise. Snoring affects more than 90 million adults and their partners. One British survey found that if your spouse snores, by your 50th wedding anniversary you'll have lost about 4 years' worth of sleep.

Besides just feeling tired all the time, people who don't get enough sleep can develop memory and mood problems; they're even at a greater risk of car accidents. Moderate snorers include people who snore every night, but perhaps only when on their backs or only for part of the night. Heavy snorers should see a doctor to make sure they don't have a serious sleeping disorder called sleep apnea.

For light or moderate snorers, here are home remedies that can help you—and your partner—sleep better.

1) A Tennis Ball

If you snore mostly when on your back, put a tennis ball in a shirt pocket cut from an old T-shirt and sew it to the mid-back of your tight pajama top. The discomfort forces you to roll over and sleep on your side, without waking you up. Expert: Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, a board-certified internist and medical director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers

2) Extra Pillows

Try propping your head up with an extra pillow to stop snoring. This opens your airway more, which prevents the back of the throat from collapsing and causing snoring. You can also raise the head of your bed by putting a couple of bricks under the legs of your bed, for example. Expert: Philip Westbrook, MD, founder and former director of the Sleep Disorders Center at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, former president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and former editor of the journalSleep Medicine Reviews

3) A Humidifier

If a cold or congestion is behind your snoring, one way to unstuff your nose is to run a humidifier in your bedroom at night. This encourages your sinuses to drain, shrinking nasal mucous and improving airflow to reduce snoring. Smearing some Vicks VapoRub on your chest at night will help open your nasal passages too, easing your snoring. Expert: James Herdegen, MD, medical director of the Sleep Science Center at the University of Illinois

4) Nasal Strips

If you snore but don't have underlying sinus problems or coughing, you can relieve some of the snoring by wearing an OTC nasal strip, such as Breathe Right. These adhesive strips pull open the nasal passages so they're less narrow, giving you better airflow. Expert: James Herdegen, MD, medical director of the Sleep Science Center at the University of Illinois

5) Mouth Guard

A mandibular advancement device, also known as an oral appliance, is shaped like a mouth guard for you to wear at night. It helps keep the lower jaw pushed out, widening the airway and reducing snoring. Studies show it is 90% effective at reducing noise from snoring. It costs $500 to $1,000 and lasts for at least 3 years. Your dentist can fit you for one. For a less expensive option, you can buy an OTC device called a snore guard. You boil it and then fit it into your mouth to create an impression of your teeth and dental structure. The goal is the same: to bring your lower jaw forward a bit to make the back of your throat less crowded. Expert: James Herdegen, MD, medical director of the Sleep Science Center at the University of Illinois

How to Slim Down without Dieting

With all the diet fads out there it can be quite difficult to tell how to lose weight healthily if you are are not a fan of some of the most popular diets of the moments. However, going on a diet to lose weight is not entirely necessary if you are looking for a long term weight loss. Forming a few sensible eating habits and sticking to them can be a great way to lose weight and keep it off. Check out a some useful strategies to accomplish your goal. 

Even though fast fixes might have become a part of the mainstream culture, the truth is that going back to basics is often a better solution, especially when it comes to healthy eating. Although popular diets often can deliver the promised results, once we go back to our habits and old way of eating the problems reappear and even worsen.

Since sudden, drastic changes don't last as they are often too restrictive, gradual changes are often a much better strategy. There are various small strategies we instantly dismiss thinking they have no real value over the long term the truth is that small habits can really add up and make a difference over the long term. Here are a few ideas you can use to get started:

Control your cravings
It can be easy to give into cravings without really understanding what they really mean. Food cravings can often signal certain nutritional deficiencies we have. Understanding the message and finding healthy substitutes is often a smart idea as it will help us feel less guilty when we choose to satisfy cravings. If you find it hard not to feel guilty when indulging make a promise to yourself to compensate by moving more and stick to it.

Eat more mindfully
Although the choices you make at the dinner table have the most noticeable effects over your waistline, mistakes at the dinner table could be making the problem worse than it needs to be.
Habits such as chewing slowly, opting for a slightly smaller plate, catching the eating pause or stopping when you are about 80% full can really make a difference over the course of a year. None of these changes are very complicated yet they can help you slim down a bit without making too much effort.

Cut 100 calories a day
Drastic calorie restrictions have countless negative effects on our health such as lowering the basal metabolic rate, lowering energy level as well as depriving our body from several important nutrients. On the other hand, cutting 100 calories a day or burning 100 extra calories a day could translate 36500 calories less contributing to a significant weight loss over the course of one year.
Cutting calories can be something as simple as selecting lean ham over bacon, putting half the cheese on a pizza slice, choosing red sauce over white or opting for a medium portion instead of a large one. When it comes to beverages opting for tall glasses instead of large small ones can help you cut calories almost without noticing.

Try more vegetarian dishes
Vegetarian food can be an enchanting culinary experience if you are just willing to give it a try. Many vegetarian and vegan dishes tend to be lower in saturated fat compared to the conventional varieties and, if you opt for healthy versions, chances are will get a better variety of nutrients as vegetarian dishes often use a greater variety of vegetables and legumes. Aside from avoiding being stuck in the same nutritional routine you will also reduce your carbon footprint in the process.

Beware of emotional eating
When food becomes a reward or a source of comfort it is quite easy to accumulate unwanted extra pounds. Moreover, if this behavior becomes a habit it can prove quite hard to break.
It is extremely important to recognize a pattern early on and to do our best to find healthier alternatives to deal with our emotions. Aside from exercising self discipline it is also important to be able to get enough rest as fatigue can weaken our willpower to a great extent, making us more vulnerable to stress and wrong dietary decisions.