Cereal is a staple in the houses of busy families. As a breakfast meal, it's easy, it's convenient, kids love it and it's nutritious. Right?

Recent studies show otherwise -- in fact, in recent tests analyzing the nutritional content of cereal, several major brands were found to be made of between 40% and 50% sugar. Yikes! Eating a bowl of sugar is not exactly a healthy start to the day. Post Golden Crisp and Honey Smacks were ranked the most sugary by weight.

But it's not all bad news. Some cereals did fare well nutritionally -- Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Kix and Quaker oats were each found to be low in sugar and high in fibre.

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Do you have a junk food lover in your house? Sometimes it's hard to deny those cravings... especially when they're foods we've eaten for years and years.

Women's Health has a great idea for making some junk foods a little bit healthier. You can mix healthier options in with your not-so-healthy favorites to create a treat that's not so damaging to you waistline. Better yet, when you start adding healthier options in -- like mixing a bowl of half whole grain cereal and half sugary cereal -- you're starting to retrain your taste buds. In time, you'll find you enjoy the healthier foods as much as the junky ones.

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I've written before about my son's love of sugary, sugary cereals. His preferences and tastes have changed a lot since I adopted him a year ago, but having a sugary breakfast is a preference that's been hard to break. To help my son choose healthier foods in the morning, I tend to make oatmeal (which he loves) and other nutritious options. But there are times when we're in a rush and a quick bowl of cereal is the most convenient choice.

Healthcastle recommends mixing your child's favorite cereals with a healthier option. I've actually tried this at home by mixing Fruity Pebbles with Cheerios. At first my son really liked the novelty of it, and gobbled them up. But when I started reducing the amount of the less-healthy cereal in the mix, he caught on and protested. We've finally compromised on the mix (about 3/4 healthy cereal and 1/4 not-so-healthy). He did make me pinkie swear that I wouldn't reduce it further. Your other alternative is to just eliminate unhealthy, sugary cereals from home altogether. This is the best bet all around, and one that I should adhere to as well.

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Research shows that women who drink even small amounts of alcohol can spike their breast cancer risk. But getting enough folic acid can help.

A long-term Nurses' Health Study shows that the proper intake of the B vitamin may reduce breast cancer risk for those who consume more than the equivalent of one glass of wine per day.

Want to get enough folic acid in your diet? Ask your doctor about a multivitamin containing the recommended amount or make a commitment to consuming lots of fortified cereals, leafy greens, citrus fruits, and juice.

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For the moms-to-be out there who are trying to include more folic acid in their diet, the March of Dimes recently created a seal to help finding foods rich in this B vitamin that much easier to spot.

Breads, flours, cereals and other foods must contain at least ten percent of the recommended daily intake of folic acid in order to be given the official Folic Acid for a Healthy Pregnancy seal. The seal itself is quite easy to notice; it's purple and white color scheme make it very different from the labels found on most food packaging.

In addition to helping to ensure a healthy pregnancy, consuming the recommended amount of folic acid can also help ward off stroke, heart attack, anemia, and certain types of cancers.

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Beware of the sneaky diet foods that are looking to sabotage your diet! You'll be left clueless and frustrated why the pounds are creeping on, and that's never any fun. Some items that are often advertised as healthy and good weight loss choices aren't always -- ground turkey for example. Although turkey breast is a super lean choice, that's not what you're likely to get in a turkey burger. Instead dark turkey, and even turkey skin, is likely to shoot the fat and calorie content of that meat patty up so high you may have been better off with a steak.

Other common culprits included enhanced water, juice, and breakfast cereals. Does any of this surprise you? It really comes down to reading labels in the grocery store, and asking questions in restaurants before you order.

See some common dieting mistakes:

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Vitamin D is a nutrient that is crucial to bone health. Older Americans greater than age 50 are thought to have a higher risk of developing vitamin D deficiency. It is found naturally in only a few foods like the oily fish salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines and fish liver oil. It is often added to milk, cereals, and orange juice. But sunlight is the main source for most people. The ultraviolet rays from sunlight stimulate the skin to produce vitamin D. Many Americans don't have enough vitamin D in their bodies.

During the winter, sun exposure is considerably less for the average person and vitamin D blood levels are usually lowest from October to April. Many individuals don't spend much time outdoors, even during the summer, and are using sunscreen as a safety measure for skin cancer. But are we at more risk for vitamin D deficiencies or skin cancer. Sunscreens block vitamin D manufacture and decrease natural production even more. In addition, individuals with darker skin make less vitamin D after the same level of sun exposure as a person with lighter skin. Sunscreens decrease natural production of vitamin D even more.

vitamin D lowers the risk of many autoimmune diseases and also lowers the risk for cancers like colon, breast, lung, pancreatic, and endometrial. Taking a daily 15 to 30 minute walk in the sunshine without sunscreen is recommended for your body to produce natural vitamin D.

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