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Last week, That's Fit reported on the results of a Japanese study that found that vinegar may be able to suppress body fat accumulation. While the research was conducted on mice, not humans, and the findings are preliminary at best, injecting a healthy dose of vinegar into your diet isn't necessarily a bad idea.

"Eating salads and tossing them with a lot of oil and vinegar is a wonderful part of a well-balanced diet," says Keri Gans, registered dietitian and spokesman for the American Dietetic Association. "[Using vinegar] is a really healthy, low-calorie way of cooking, and if people get used to using vinegar instead of a lot of heavy fats, they could lose weight."

But if you rarely use vinegar when cooking or frequently suffer from heartburn (vinegar slows digestion and increases acid activity in the stomach), proceed slowly.

Photo: Photodisc

Good news for tubby mice everywhere: Vinegar might help keep the pounds off.

Japanese researchers gave mice a high-fat diet along with acetic acid, a main component of vinegar, while a control group was given the same diet along with water. The mice that were given the acetic acid gained weight, but less than their water-fed counterparts.

What does this mean for humans looking to keep up a high-fat diet but pack on fewer pounds? Not much right now. The study is still very preliminary and it is not known whether the same genes might be activated the same way in people.

It's inevitable. You go to the gym before work, shower, and put on your slip-on shoes. But then, halfway through the day, there's a distinct funk coming from beneath your desk -- you've got some stinky feet!

There are plenty of solutions, like wearing shoes with socks, or pouring powder into your shoes. However, I've found something better -- Verikira's Paraben-free Fresh Feet Foot Crème. It's 82 percent organic and contains vinegar, which is one of the best cures for funky feet you can find. But your feet won't smell like vinegar -- it also uses essential oils of patchouli, tee tree, thyme, basil, geranium, and cinnamon.

The best part? It totally works! I put it on in the morning, and then, whether I work outside, sweating in my dirty sandals, or hit the gym, soaking my gym socks with sweat, my feet don't stink. And, at the risk of entering TMI territory, let me say that this has never been the case for me.

Every day I swim, I end up with two ears full of water. Stuck water. Water that won't drain on its own. Water that makes me feel like I'm in a tunnel. I've found a remedy -- a little bottle of something from my local drugstore that works wonders. I insert a few drops into each ear and instantly, I feel a warm sensation, followed by a release of that water, which runs promptly onto the side of face and smells a lot like ... alcohol.

Alcohol. That's the exact ingredient in my perfect potion. Nothing magical about it. And nothing I need to buy from the store.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Natalie Coughlin tells Real Simple magazine (August 2008) that she has a do-it-yourself method for freeing the water that fills her ears. Here's what she does.

• Combine equal parts rubbing alcohol (to dry ears) with white vinegar (to disinfect).
• Place in an eye dropper.
• Put a few drops in the ear canal.
• Wait 30 seconds.
• Drain.
  
  

Nothing complicated about that. Nothing I can't do. How about you?

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I love eating veggies, but most store-bought salad dressings leave me cold. They rarely live up to my expectations -- they're either too sweet, too salty, too tangy, too rich, too fatty ... well, you get the point. For me, simplicity is king. I like combining just a few ingredients, and it often seems like manufactured salad dressings try too hard to be overly flavourful.

But the solution is simple: Make your own dressings. It's surprisingly easy to do. Mark's Daily Apple recently published a list of top DIY Salad dressings. Why not give some of the recipes a try?

Love Caesar salad? Combine these ingredients for a homemade caesar vinaigrette: White wine vinegar, olive oil, freshly grated parmesan, freshly ground pepper, freshly chopped garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice and a few finely-cut anchovies.

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Whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack, salad is one of the healthier options out there. But these days, salads are so rarely made up of only healthy stuff -- now once-healthy veggies are drenched in things like cheese and fat. But the most offensive salad ingredient? Too often it's the salad dressing.

Not all salad dressings are bad for you--vinaigrettes, for instance, are tangy and low in fat. But creamy dressings like ranch, Caesar, blue cheese and thousand island will pack a calorie wallop. In fact, some salads have a many calories as a cheeseburger, and it's all down to the dressing.

How can you dress up your salad without negating its health benefits? Make healthy dressing choices. Creamy ones are out -- instead, opt for vinegar and oil-based salad dressings. Noshtopia has a bunch of great ideas that you can check out here. And if in doubt? Make your own home-made dressings -- that way, you can control what goes in to your salad.

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There are some diet gimmicks that just don't seem worth it. Such as? Well, the Tapeworm diet comes to mind. And the baked bean diet. Not to mention using leeches to detox.

Here's another one: Superstar singer Fergie (real name: Stacy Ferguson) says she does shots of vinegar. Why would she do something so heinous? Apparently, it helps cleanse the colon, reduce bloating and cut cravings. Still, is it worth it? I'm still not sure about that.

Here's what Fergie herself has to say about it:
"I do vinegar shots. It has to be organic apple cider, unfiltered. Two tablespoons. For some reason I've noticed a difference on my stomach."

What do you think of this? Does it work, or is it just another one of those silly diet gimmicks?

(For more celebrity diet secrets, check out AOL Body)

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12 "healthy" foods that really aren't:

Why? Click to find out!

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Salma Hayak is human -- she gained a lot of weight while pregnant due to gestational diabetes and hasn't lost it all just yet, but she's not too concerned. As for the weight gain, she said, "This is just what it takes for me to have this baby, and I really want it!" She might not be quite back to the nearly-impossibly hourglass figure she had before becoming pregnant, but she looks healthy and happy.

OK! Magazine did a cover story on how Britney Spears lost 15 pounds -- find out how! Oh, wait ... she didn't. They just used a picture from five years ago to make it look that way. Now, honestly, if she loses weight or not isn't really the issue for Brit right now -- the girl seems to be making some progress mentally and emotionally, and it seems to me like that's where her focus should stay. Keep it up, girl!

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Each week, we'll be offering original recipes and unique ways to use those Super Foods that pack nutritional power. After all, you are what you eat -- make it count!

If vinegar isn't on your shelves, then reserve a space for it. What shelf you place it on -- a kitchen shelf, a bathroom shelf, a garage shelf -- is up to you. The stuff is useful for so many purposes you may even want to stash it in several locations.

Since we're all about health here on this site, let's uncover some of vinegar's magical healing properties.

First, make sure you don't use white distilled vinegar for medical purposes since the distilling process removes all nutrients. Make it apple cider vinegar or brown rice vinegar and you can treat both the inside and outside of your body. Don't use any vinegar if you have kidney problems, though, because of its high potassium content.

Medicinally, vinegar has three major uses: Antiseptic, nutrient supplement, and digestive aid. As an antiseptic, it can treat boils, acne, minor scrapes, and some fungal infections. It can be used to clean wounds -- although it may burn -- and it can be used as a preventative medicine, to wash hands after cleaning bathrooms, and for clean-up after cutting poultry or fish. Nutritionally, apple cider vinegar contains potassium, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron. It has no saturated fat, no cholesterol, and no sodium. It does have acid, though, and can help you digest food and perhaps even alleviate heartburn if caused by a lack of stomach acid.

Got a bee or jelly fish sting? Need some sunburn relief? Dream of fighting off dandruff once and for all? Vinegar is what you need. It also helps with toenail fungus, arthritis, morning sickness, itching, warts, and rough feet. Take a peek at this site for specific remedies and recipes. You'll also spot other uses for vinegar during your visit -- learn how to keep your potatoes white, freshen your veggies, tenderize meat, and get rid of cooking smells.

This site lets you in a few favorite vinegar secrets -- like how to remove coffee stains from your favorite cup and misty spots from your glassware, how to deodorize a stale lunch box, and how to prevent cracked hard-boiled eggs. Make a stop here if you wish relieve a sore throat or an upset stomach or even lose a few pounds -- vinegar apparently helps to remove fat from the body.

Reader's Digest even recognizes the merits of vinegar and offers 175 uses for this super item. RD experts say vinegar can help you purge bugs from your pantry, get rid of berry stains, freshen your breath, and banish bruises.

Are you a fan of vinegar? If these sources have it right, you should be.

If you find you're weight is slowly creeping up these days, fear not; there are things you can do to stop it. The first, and most obvious, solution is to start working out. What if you already are working out, but the weight keeps creeping in? Then the problem most likely lies somewhere in your diet.

Here are four simple ways to cut back on some calories and hopefully nip that weight gain at the bud.

Eat Slowly. Sit back, relax, and savor the food you're eating. Research shows that people consume around 67 fewer calories per meal when they take their time.

Take Off Your Top. Calm down, fellas -- I'm talking about the top half of a sandwich. Skipping the top slice of bread will save you around 70 calories. If you eat a sandwich a day for lunch, you'll save yourself 490 calories a week.

Go Pro. Try to consume more protein if you don't eat enough already. Protein digests very slowly (especially casein protein, which is found in dairy products), so it requires a great deal of calories to be expended in order for it to be processed.

Vote for Vinegar. Because many popular salad dressings contain about 75 calories per tablespoon, you can save yourself about 150 calories per salad by substituting in vinegar.

I am a sucker for expensive hair care products. Pricey shampoos and conditioners, any kind of serum that promises shiny results and expensive visits to the salon for a new color are all part of my hair routine. But I also know that fancy packaging and a big price tags don't necessarily guarantee quality, and that there are plenty of inexpensive alternatives.

Many of these can be found at home -- in your refrigerator. A couple of years ago I embarked on my only little adventure wherein I tried out a few of the food products that I'd heard were great on your hair to see if they really worked. I was surprised and impressed that most of them did! Although I didn't stick with any of them (lets face it -- hair that smells of mayo isn't as enticing as hair that smells like Aveda), I still think they're worth giving a try if you're curious.

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For many people--myself included--sore throats are a common occurrence when the snow flies. But instead of reaching for over-the-counter cold medicine and pain relievers, why not try a natural remedy first? Fitsugar recently came up with a long list of things to try:

• Gargle several times a day with warm salt water
• Or, try warm water with a pinch of cayenne pepper. It sounds painful but apparently it will numb the pain
• For the ultimate home remedy, try combining a teaspoon of apple-cider vinegar with a teaspoon of honey, a pinch of cayenne pepper and a few squeezes of lemon. Drink four times a day.
  
• Drinking tea with honey can help a scratchy throat and a cough.
  
• Cold food helps too. Try a Popsicle.
  
• A humidifier will help keep a dry throat moist.
  

Want more tips? Click here, or feel free to share your own.

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My grandma was a sucker for vinegar. She used it for everything, even had a listing of how to fix just about any ailment with a touch of the stuff.

While modern medicine may not endorse my grandma's practices, vinegar does have a long history of alleged healing. Believed to help cholera, urinary infections, heartburn, brittle nails, and more, vinegar has quite a reputation.
Among its powers, it can potentially reach those stubborn aches and pains. Here's how.

Backaches: A tub full of hot water, two cups of vinegar, and 30 minutes is all you need to relieve a minor backache. It will soothe sore muscles too.
Headaches: Lie down, apply a compress dipped in a mixture of half warm water and half vinegar to the temples, and feel that headache slip away.

Leg Cramps: A soft cloth soaked in full-strength vinegar and used as a compress can ease the pain of a leg cramp.

Muscle Sprain: A paste of white wine, vinegar, and bran can help a recent sprain.

Of course, if any such health issues persist beyond your vinegar treatments, please see your physician. If they do not persist, however, perhaps vinegar is all it's cracked up to be.

For more vinegar cures, click here.

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Although jellyfish stings aren't exactly a regular occurrence at the beach unfortunately they're not completely uncommon either, and knowing the best way to treat one could save you or some poor member of your family a lot of suffering. So what's the best remedy for the misery of a jellyfish attack? Vinegar. Straight up, in-your-kitchen-cabinet vinegar should stop the injection and spread of the poison and provide some relief for the pain.

On the flip side remedies you don't want to use (and that in some cases can even make things worse) include rinsing the area with fresh water, rubbing alcohol, ammonia, meat tenderizer, and (yuck) urine.

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When you think of indigestion you think of stomach acid. In most cases it is not the stomach acid creating the indigestion but a lack of it. Hydrochloric acid and pepsin, an enzyme working in an acid environment are needed to break down food effectively. A shortage of the two will result in sluggish digestion of food and indigestion. In this pill popping era we live in, getting rid of indigestion could be as simple as a shot of Apple Cider Vinegar after a meal to get rid of the bloating and indigestion we sometimes experience. Now I am not a doctor and this is just my personal experience, but for the last 5 weeks I have been using natural organic Apple Cider Vinegar with "Mother" that I bought in a health food store and it has worked wonders for me. So much that I recommended it to a friend and it is helping with their indigestion problem also.

Vinegar is a popular folk remedy to be sure, and there is limited science research behind it. One thing doctors agree on is that in limited doses, vinegar will not hurt you and it just might work. So you can be the judge.

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