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    Housecall: Does emotional eating sabotage your weight-loss efforts?

a young woman sitting on a couch eating an entire cake, looking sad or depressed - emotional eating

THIS WEEK'S TOP TOPICS
Weight loss and emotional eating
Emotional eating is eating as a way to suppress or soothe negative emotions, such as stress, anger, fear, boredom, sadness and loneliness. Emotional eating often leads to eating too much, especially too much of foods that are sweet, fatty and high in calories. And this can sabotage your weight-loss efforts. When negative emotions threaten to trigger emotional eating, try these nine tips to stay on track.

Winter fitness: Safety tips for exercising outdoors
Frigid temperatures can discourage even the most motivated exercisers. Without motivation, it's tempting to put your exercise regimen on hold for the winter. But you don't have to let cold weather spell the end of your fitness routine. Stay safe, warm and fit with these cold-weather exercise tips.

EXPERT ANSWERS
Does having a vasectomy increase risk for prostate cancer?
There have been many studies on a possible link between between vasectomies and prostate cancer. The best current evidence indicates no increased risk of prostate cancer after a vasectomy. If you're concerned about your prostate cancer risk, though, you should talk with your health care provider about possible symptoms and screening tests. Learn more from Dr. Erik Castle, a Mayo Clinic urologist.

Can coconut oil cure hypothyroidism?
While there is no cure for an underactive thyroid, there are claims that coconut oil can relieve symptoms of hypothyroidism. Is the claim truth or hype? Learn more from Dr. Todd Nippoldt, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist.

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HEALTHY RECIPES
Baked ziti with vegetables
Roasted potatoes with garlic and herbs
Sweet potatoes and roasted bananas
Fruitcake

HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK
Create a family health record
Prepare for a family emergency by gathering important details about your family's health. For each person, this may include medical conditions, allergies, medications, blood type, insurance coverage, and health care providers' names and contact information. Also include advance directives, which are the legal documents that outline decisions about health care such as whether to use life support machines.

Need practical advice on diet and exercise? Want creative solutions for stress and other lifestyle issues? Discover more healthy lifestyle topics at mayoclinic.org.

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