Blenders aren’t just for whipping up fruity drinks. You can also use them to make delicious savory recipes such as dressings, spreads and soups, all in seconds. For a tasty black bean dip that’s delicious hot or cold, blend a 15-ounce can of cooked black beans (perfect for helping reach daily fiber goals) with two…  read on >

Mindlessly switching from your smartphone to other media devices and back again might lead to added pounds, scientists say. A small, new study found that heavy-duty media multitaskers also tended to be heavier, weight-wise. It’s possible that these devices are actually changing the brain, theorized lead author Richard Lopez, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology at…  read on >

The concerns about sugar and kids go far beyond the risk of cavities. An extensive research review by the American Heart Association (AHA) found that kids who consume a lot of foods and drinks with added sugar could develop heart disease risk factors — like obesity and high cholesterol — starting in childhood. These risks…  read on >

If you’re looking for a cooking shortcut and a way to make food more economical, consider vacuum sealing. With a vacuum sealer, you can extend the storage life of foods by measuring out the right portion sizes and sealing them in handy bags, either premade or made by you from a roll of special plastic.…  read on >

The brain and other organs rely on vitamin B12 to function properly. For most adults, the recommended B12 dose is more than 2.4 micrograms, says the Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B12 is naturally found in a variety of animal products and is especially high in fish like trout, salmon and tuna. Other sources of…  read on >

Vitamin D is the healthy “sunshine” vitamin, but it can have a dark side, one Canadian man discovered. A team of Toronto physicians reported on the case of a 54-year-old man who developed kidney damage after taking extremely high doses of vitamin D. It’s a cautionary tale for consumers, medical experts say. “Although vitamin D…  read on >

Beef often gets a bad rap, but is it really that bad for you? Here’s the problem: Most cuts of beef tend to be high in the wrong kind of fat. Ironically, though, that saturated fat you see surrounding your favorite cut or those white streaks running through it is exactly what makes beef juicy.…  read on >

Scientists have been cataloging bacteria and fungi inside the International Space Station (ISS), and they say their efforts will should keep astronauts safe and could also have benefits on Earth. The team analyzed samples collected from eight locations on the space station during three flights across 14 months. The samples came from the viewing window,…  read on >