How would you like to get rid of your fat cells in a matter of a few hours? Sounds perfect, right? Well, you can. It's called liposuction, but it comes with painful side effects and risks of complications. But if lipo sounds like your kind of miracle cure, there's another procedure in the works that could potentially be even more successful at helping you lose the fat.

This procedure, developed by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard, is called cryolipolysis, and it works by freezing fat cells and in turn breaking them down without damaging other tissue like skin. It's currently undergoing clinical trials, but results are promising.

Still, it's not without its critics. As one leading expert warns: "These kinds of treatments are never going to be an excuse for not getting round to dieting. Nor is it going to be a treatment for obesity."

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Add strawberries to your grocery list, ladies, because according to Harvard Medical School researchers, the nutrient-packed fruit may offer extra protection against cardiovascular disease.

Seems women who ate two or more servings of strawberries a week were 14 percent less likely to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) than those who hadn't eaten the berries in the past month. High levels of CRP can indicate a higher risk of heart attack.

Prepare to arm yourself. With strawberries. And some literature on just how great these berries are -- check out these fun strawberry facts, refresh yourself on a previous That's Fit strawberry post, learn why strawberries are considered one of the world's healthiest foods, and get the lowdown on the nutritional stuff from which strawberries are made.

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Perhaps I'm being a bit presumptuous, but I think it's safe to say that most women wouldn't exactly mind having a body like Jessica Biel. Similarly, I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a guy that would scoff at having Jason Statham's physique. Well, in order to build a Hollywood-worthy hard body of your own, you have to be willing to enter into the iron age.

While cardiovascular exercise is a must for people looking to reduce their BMI, adding a weightlifting program to your weekly workout is vital for movie star muscle. My suggestion is to focus on calorie-torching compound exercises that target major muscle groups, rather than trying to isolate individual muscles with detailing exercises. For those of you who fear becoming big and bulky, you truly have little to worry about. By using light weights and performing a high number of repetitions (anywhere from 12 to 20) per set, you'll be able to stick to your goal of looking slim and toned.

In addition to the aesthetic benefits of resistance training, it also offers a number of benefits to your overall health. Not only have studies shown that it can help cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but Harvard researchers found that lifting weights can greatly improve the mood of a person experiencing depression.

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If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: the jury is still out on whether or not caffeine is good for you. As a matter of fact, I should have actually put it this way: if I've said it once, I've said it 21,000 times -- because that's how many studies have been conducted on the effects of caffeine, yet the last word on the matter has yet to be spoken.

Until now. No, I'm just kidding. I have new information, but certainly nothing that can be considered the last word. In typical caffeine-related fashion, the new information I have is contradictory; one study shows its benefits, while the other its detriments.

Let's start first with the good news. A new study from Harvard found that women who consume at least 500mg of caffeine daily were 20 percent less likely to develop ovarian cancer than those who consumed far less. Now for the bad news. A Duke University study revealed that people with diabetes (type 1 and type 2) who consume 500mg of caffeine daily witnessed an average increase of eight percent in their blood glucose levels.

Like I said, it's new information. Does it get us any closer to a verdict? Not really. Just the same, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on whether or not you think caffeine is good for you. Feel free to weigh in on the issue in the comments section.

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Parkinson's disease affects far more people under the age of 60 than people realize. While it is considered by some to be a disease for the elderly, statistics show that this is far from being the case.

The good news is that scientists have discovered ways to reduce the risk of developing this debilitating disease, for people both young and old. Recently, Harvard researchers found that engaging in moderate or high-intensity exercise on a regular basis for five to six hours per week is enough to make a person 40 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's than people living a sedentary lifestyle.

For more information on Parkinson's disease, visit the National Parkinson's Foundation website at www.parkinsons.org.

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I take a daily Centrum multivitamin. Chewable, because for some strange reason, I have trouble swallowing pills. But there's some new research out of Harvard that many people may find just as difficult to swallow.

According to an article in the March edition of the Harvard Men's Health Watch, people who take a multivitamin may be at a greater risk of developing prostate, breast, or colorectal cancers. Researchers posit that an overabundance of folic acid found in bread products, when combined with the amount found in a multivitamin, can leave people consuming an excess of 1,000 mcg or more of folic acid per day. This amount, say researchers, can increase cancer risk.

However, this report has received a great deal of backlash from the scientific community. The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), in response to the Harvard findings, released a statement saying that there was no reason to stop taking multivitamins.

Andrew Shao, CRN vice-president for regulatory and scientific affairs, said: "The issue raised on folic acid from a scientific standpoint is one that warrants follow-up, but it is not something isolated to multivitamins. He further stated that "The majority of Americans don't eat well... and multivitamins are an important component to the diet."

What do you guys think about these findings from Harvard? Personally, I think I need to see more conclusive evidence showing a link between multivitamins and cancer risk before I'm convinced, but that's just me. How about you?

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Unless you've taken a dietary (or even ideological) stance against dairy, you'd do well to include it into your diet every day. Worried that it may get in the way of your efforts at weight loss? No need to fear, say researchers from Harvard Medical School. No need at all, in fact.

Researchers found that people who consumed three servings of dairy per day (providing them with around 1,200mg of calcium) were 60 percent less likely to be overweight. This is because calcium-rich foods actually burn many calories during their digestion.

Just don't go ruining things by getting too fancy with flavored dairy products. Many of them, especially flavored milks, are typically high in simple sugars, which will cause fluctuations in blood glucose levels.

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Using a special "drug cocktail," researchers from Harvard University have stopped the destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells in mice, and have also regenerated cells.

Translation? They've found a potential cure for type 1 diabetes.

Previously, this same team of Harvard researchers were only able to stop the destruction of the cells. However, with the addition of one more ingredient to the drug cocktail -- an enzyme called alpha 1 anti-trypsin -- a significant rise in the number of beta cells occurred.

Incredibly, the diabetic mice started producing their own insulin after taking this new drug mixture. Researchers hope to start human trials in the very near future.

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People living on mainland Panama face a 1,280 percent higher risk of heart disease and a 630 percent higher risk of cancer than the indigenous people living in the Panamanian island of Kuna.

Incredible, isn't it? Seems to be true, too. This comes from Harvard Medical School researcher who has studied the Kuna Indians of the islands of Panama, and how their low-levels of heart disease and cancer seem to come as a result of their daily consumption of cocoa.

Along with the researchers from Harvard, a number of scientists have touted the benefits of consuming cocoa, a primary ingredient in dark chocolate. Rich in flavanols, a naturally occurring nutrient abundant in fresh cocoa, specially designed dark chocolate may improve blood vessel function. What's more, scientists believe that this known benefit of dark chocolate may actually effect blood flow to the brain -- which could have important implications for learning and memory. This could potentially lead to new solutions for preventing cognitive decline and dementia.

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Generally speaking, a healthy lifestyle involves a three-prong approach: Eating right, exercising regularly, and (here's the lesser known part) getting adequate amounts of sleep. Then again, maybe the importance of sleep is widely known. For one, it has been shown that countries that have regular "siesta" times in the middle of the day tend to have lower rates of heart disease. And, there is plenty of research showing that not sleeping enough can lead to weight gain. Okay, I stand corrected. Nevertheless, sleeping remains an important aspect of staying healthy.

How important? Thanks for asking (I was really struggling for a segue). It seems very important, as evidenced by the results of a 2006 study conducted at Harvard. Scientists found that people who sleep for 5 hours or less a night were 32 percent more likely to gain weight than those who were able to get at least 7 hours. And, on top of that, a study out of Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health revealed that a lack of solid sleep can increase a person's risk of developing high blood pressure.

So, as you read this blog and become bored with some stats about how much more fat is burned during a session of rowing than biking (about 40 to 50 percent more), or the amount of calories in a Nacho Bell Grande/Cinnamon Twist/Large Pepsi lunch from Taco Bell (1,230), feel free to take a nap. It may help your overall health just as much as the other two prongs.

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Head hurt? Is it a passing headache, or is it a migraine? And, if it's the latter, is it related to your heart? If you thought it wasn't, you may want to think again.

A Harvard research study revealed that migraines can signal an impending heart attack in men. Unlike some studies that are based on sample sizes as large as a baseball team roster and take place for about the length of two Led Zeppelin songs, this particular study followed 20,000 men over 15 years. The resulting information showed that migraines sufferers are 42 percent more prone to heart attack than those who do not experience headaches of this kind.

Migraines have also been linked to high cholesterol, hypertension, and inflammation. Add heart attack to that list, and just thinking about it can give you a headache. Doctors suggest that if you suffer from migraines, have your cholesterol, blood pressure and C-reactive protein tested.

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Based on two separate studies on the preventative effects of vitamin D and calcium, researchers posit that these two nutrients may help ward off cancer.

In one of the studies, Harvard researchers examined the diets of 30,000 women, finding that those who had diets rich in vitamin D had a 39 percent lower risk of breast cancer than women who consumed the smallest amount of the vitamin.

The second study, which was conducted by researchers at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, revealed that supplementing with calcium and vitamin D reduced the risk of developing cancers of all kinds by 60 percent, compared to a placebo group.

Talk to your doctor about cancer prevention and see if he or she thinks supplementing with vitamin D and calcium is right for you.

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Since we were kids, we heard from parents, teachers, and even PSA characters like "The Hanker For a Hunka Cheese" guy that we need to get nutrients from food. But, what happens when we are getting too many? Couple that excess of nutrients and caloric intake with a lack of exercise, and you run the risk of an inflammatory immune response.

Sort of like a dam, if the body is overloaded with nutrients, it will eventually give out. However, unlike a breached dam, an overwhelmed body will result in low-grade inflammation characteristic of obesity and other metabolic diseases. This is why researchers from Harvard have been trying to come up with a treatment to reinforce this barrier, and they are doing so by paying close attention to a protein, enriched in fat cells, called STAMP2.

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It's more than mind over matter. In your mind, you matter. That's the basics of the mind-muscle connection, really. You and your health is important, so focusing your mind on the efforts being made to keep you healthy will actually have a physical affect.

In a 2007 study conducted at Harvard, participants who believed they were getting a good workout had a greater reduction in body fat than those who engaged in the same exercises but didn't believe that they were getting much out of it.

If you're convinced that your melting away fat and building lean, toned muscle, your body will respond to your mind's directives and make these very things happen much faster than they would if you thought your efforts were useless. A little mental toughness and push goes a long way.

As a follow-up to my very recent post, offering some tips on how to get some sleep, I felt it was critical to reinforce the importance of adequate sleep.

According to the Harvard Women's Health Watch, here are 5 reasons why you should not scrimp on sleep:

1. Cognitive Function and Memory. Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation.

2. Metabolism and Weight. Lack of sleep may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies store and metabolize carbohydrates, as well as altering hormones that affect our appetites.

3. Mood. Sleep deprivation may lead to irritability, impatience, inattention and general emotional malaise.

4. Cardiovascular Health. Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, irregular heartbeats, and increased stress hormone levels.

5. Disease. A lack of sleep can interfere with immune function. Conversely, studies have shown that adequate amounts of sleep may help reduce cancer risk.

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