In Mexico, a country-wide initiative called Oportunidades encourages healthy habits in citizens and has been heralded as a model for the rest of the world. Under it, impoverished families were given cash rewards for attending medical check-ups and nutritional counseling -- the aim being, of course, to help the country slim down and get healthy. But recent reports are showing that this is not happening. In fact, it's quite the opposite -- residents are gaining weight.

What gives? It's not clear, but one hypothesis is that the cash rewards given to citizens weren't used to buy fresh fruits and veggies like they were intended. If that's the case, what's the solution? Providing vouchers that are only good for healthy fare? Would the promise of free fruits and veg be enough to entice low-income families to visit health professionals? What do you think?

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How much you eat is just as important as what you eat, says the man narrating this Cleveland Clinic video. True. I'm thinking cashews right now -- good for me but not if I throw them back mindlessly.

Ah, portion control. A wise concept. Not always easy to manage, though. Back to the video -- it's a great one for helping to visualize appropriate serving sizes, like the following.

A serving size of cheese is equal to four dice. A baked potato: the size of a computer mouse. Meat, the palm of your hand. Peanut butter, the tip of your thumb. Veggies -- think one fist. Starches and fruits -- half a fist or a cupped hand.

Want a actual look at these suggestions. Click here. In a mere four minutes, you'll be educated on serving sizes, portion control, and you'll walk away with a few great tips for slimming down on snacking -- hint: don't eat from the bag, serve up a small portion in a bowl.

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Want healthy skin? Then you need to be proactive, say the Mayo Clinic experts.Why? Because skin becomes thinner and more wrinkled as we age, oil-producing glands grow less active, and the number of blood vessels decrease.

Skin becomes more and more fragile with the passage of time. Here's how you can keep it looking youthful.

• Avoid the sun during high-intensity hours -- that's 10 AM to 4 PM -- and wear protective clothing, and use a sunscreen with an SPF greater than 15. Be sure to apply 20 minutes prior to going outdoors.
  
  

• Don't smoke if you want to minimize aging and wrinkling -- smoking accelerates both.
  
  

• Wash skin gently with warm, (not hot) water and minimize your time spent bathing. Avoid harsh soaps -- my dermatologist recommends Dove -- and irritating additives. Pat your skin dry.
  
  

• Moisturize regularly to maintain moisture levels. Moisturizers provide a seal over your skin to keep water from escaping.
  
  
• Shave carefully to avoid skin irritations. For a smooth shave, press a warm cloth on your skin before shaving to soften the hair. Apply shaving cream, lotion, or gel to protect and lubricate skin. Shave in the direction of hair growth, not against it. Rinse skin afterward with warm water. If shaving leaves your skin irritated, avoid alcohol-based products.

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All of my friends in the so-called "allergy capital of the country", Gainesville, Florida have allergies. I mean ALL of them. Growing up on the beach in South Florida, I didn't know a sole who spoke of the evils of allergies. Now, everyone on my speed dial is speaking with a raspy voice and choking up a lung.

Winter can be especially rough. If you're dealing with the aggravations of allergies or worse, the brutal side-effects that come with asthma...Women's Health magazine has a pretty great resource for you. The Women's Health Allergies and Asthma Clinic offers the full scoop on breathing easy through this winter.

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You may not be in the low-fat camp -- perhaps you blame carbohydrates more than fat for the whole weight-gain issue -- but if you're one who tries to keep fat grams to a minimum, I've got just the website for you.

The healthy recipes found at this Mayo Clinic destination all contain less than three grams of fat. Neatly organized into categories, including appetizers, beverages, desserts, main dishes, salads, and side dishes, these 100+ recipes might be all you need to build a lifetime of low-fat menus.

Got a taste for some smoked trout spread, a strawberry banana milkshake, a few slices of mango salso pizza, or a peach crumble? The Mayo Clinic has the scoop on these tasty treats and more. Stop by when you get the chance.

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Yesterday, I published a post citing the fact that 95 percent of those who successfully lose weight somehow go on to regain the unwanted pounds within a few years. Now I've happened upon this statistic: 50 percent of people who start an exercise program quit within the first three to six months.

Hey, it happens. I know. In my combined 37 years on this planet, I've cycled in and out of exercise programs more times than I care to count. And while I seem to be doing OK right now -- I do something fitness-related every day -- there's just no telling what might throw me off my course. That's why I always try to remember why I exercise.

I exercise for energy -- even when I'm tired, I force myself to do something. Inevitably, I feel recharged when I'm done. I exercise for strength -- I want strong bones, strong muscles, arms powerful enough to hoist my littlest growing boy into the air on occasion. I exercise for a lean body -- I've seen results, and I don't want to lose them. I exercise for a healthier heart -- my low resting heart rate always tips off my doctors that I'm challenging myself aerobically. I exercise for peace of mind -- I need to escape the madness of my family unit now and then, and I always feel invigorated when I return home. I exercise to boost my mood, ease my worries, diminish my stress, refocus my thoughts, recharge my spirit, and perhaps most important: To keep breast cancer from paying me a return visit. Recent research links five weekly hours of strenuous exercise to a pretty significant cut in breast cancer risk. That's reason enough for me to keep huffing and puffing.

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Anti-fat shots, better known as lipo-dissolve in most cases, are growing in popularity around the country -- but people may be making unsafe assumptions about both the risks and the results. In a strange circumstance of loopholes people are being prescribed and given these injections despite the fact that the FDA has not approved any injections for the purpose of dissolving fat. Experts have serious questions about things like where does the fat go? Is it really being flushed completely out of the body or just moved elsewhere (i.e. increasing cardiovascular risks)?

Of course there are also those out there who love this procedure and swear by it. Where do you fall? I'm not a big fan of cosmetic procedures anyway so it's no surprise I think people should wait until we know more.

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I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. Specifically, I think that basically any unusual or unexpected ache, pain or swelling is cancer. Fortunately, for my doctor especially, I am usually pretty good at deciphering which symptoms actually need to be checked out and which are likely just random and normal body fluctuations.

There are symptoms, however, that according to the Mayo Clinic should not be ignored. For example, if you lose 5% of your body weight within a month or 10% in 6 to 12 months and you can't explain why, you should have a chat with your family doctor. Unexplained weight loss can be an indicator of a range of conditions including cancer, liver disease and depression.

If you've injured a joint and it has become hot, red and/or swollen, you need to seek help as you may have a joint infection that could eventually lead to the loss of a limb. Other warning signs you should never ignore include shortness of breath, severe headaches, flashes of light and feeling super full when you've hardly eaten anything. To see the rest of the symptoms as well as the reasoning behind why you need to get then all checked out, take a look here.

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Even for people who read label's religiously, it's not always easy to figure out the best and worst foods to consume (or not consume). Everybody out there is obviously interested in finding out as is evidenced by Adams' incredibly popular post on the top 10 terrible foods to always avoid. But what about the good stuff?

A dietician from the Mayo Clinic has made a list of what he feels are the top 10 best foods to eat based on a number of factors including:

• Whether the food is a good source of fibre, vitamens and minerals
• Whether the food can reduce the risk of heart disease and other conditions
• Whether the food is high in vitamens A and E, as well as beta carotene
• Whether the food is readily available and,
• Whether the food is high in calorie denstity (ie. larger portions with less calories)

To be eligible for the list, the products had to meet three or more of the points on the list. So what came out on top? Fruits and veggies like apples, broccoli. blueberries, spinach and sweet potatoes. Salmon also made the list as did almonds and red beans. To see the rest of the top 10 and find out why all of these foods are so fabulous, take a look here.

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