Weight-loss diets that keep your heart happy

People should be cautious about weight-loss diets that restrict a specific category of food (such as carbohydrates, fats, or even animal products) without focusing on the overall quality of the foods. Diets with lots of ultra-processed foods or red meat may contribute to poor heart health. But people can lose weight on less-extreme versions of either low-carb or low-fat diets, as long as they focus mostly on unprocessed or minimally processed foods.

Can you avoid macular degeneration?

Age-related macular degeneration can be slowed or treated. There is hope for future treatments, and many approaches are being studied, such as gene therapy and stem cell therapy. For now the only advice to help ward off AMD is to practice healthy lifestyle habits such as exercising, not smoking, controlling blood pressure, and eating a healthy diet. Getting regular, comprehensive eye exams is one of the best ways to detect eye disease early and save vision.

What’s for dinner?

Even people who enjoy cooking sometimes need inspiration for heart-healthy dinner ideas. But there are many options, including those for people who follow a vegan, pescatarian, or omnivorous diet. The two main guidelines: include plenty of plant-based foods (especially fruits and vegetables), and choose mostly unprocessed or minimally processed foods.