Special Reports

G It might seem glamorous to pick up the fixings for each days meals at the market that same day, whip- ping up healthy gourmet meals from fresh ingredients like characters do in romantic comedies. But lets face it: In the real world, sometimes dinner comes out of a can or a box. The easi- est meals to make are those assembled from foods readily at hand-such as the contents of your kitchen pantry. But if your pantry is stocked with canned goods high in sodium and packaged foods packed with refined grains and added sugars, those meals you throw together could throw your healthy- eating plans for a loop.

New research makes the choice clearer than ever: Physical activity is key to living healthier longer, while inactivity shortens your life. If you need a push to get off the couch, a flurry of new research should provide plenty of motivation. The findings about the negative effects of inactivity and the benefits of physical activity couldnt be more stark: Sitting too much is dangerous for your health, while getting fit helps protect everything from your waistline to your brain

Inside Tufts HNRCA Laboratory of Nutrition, Exercise, Physiology and Sarcopenia-on the front lines of the fight against frailty. At 711 Washington Street, in the heart of downtown Boston, you will find the worlds largest research center on nutrition and aging. With over 300 scientists, the Tufts Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) has been advancing the knowledge of human nutrition since 1979

Quenching your thirst for answers about sodas and your health. Soft-drink lovers who thought they were doing something good for their health got a jolt-not the highly caffeinated soda kind-earlier this year when a report linked diet sodas to greater risk of stroke and heart attack. The surprising findings captured headlines and blared over the nightly news: In a study of 2,564 people

If youre 50 or older, Uncle Sam says yes. Heres why and how best to get it. When the latest federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released earlier this year with the recommendation that people age 50 and older should get extra vitamin B12 through fortified foods or supplements, one expert commented, Its not very difficult to anticipate the sudden spate of fortified with vitamin B12 as recommended in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines messaging that will populate the fronts of boxes and bags. Before the hype hits the grocery stores