6 Health Mistakes Smart People Make

The little things you can fix right now to keep your body healthy and happy in the long run.

MISTAKE 1: Dropping pounds with diet drinks.
A University of Texas Health Science Center study found that people who sipped one diet soda a day for seven years were 41 percent more likely to be overweight than non-soda drinkers. The reason: Diet drinks often lead to overeating as people "spend" the calories they just saved on a second slice of pizza or a cookie. There's also evidence that artificial sweeteners may whet your appetite for more sweets.

THE SOLUTION: Sip water, coffee, or unsweetened tea. If you crave a sweet taste, add a half teaspoon of sugar (just 7 calories) or natural agave syrup (10 calories) to coffee or tea. If plain water is too bland for you, try a flavored unsweetened water.
MISTAKE 2: Skipping the second opinion on a major condition.
It could alert you to alternatives your first doctor never mentioned or even correct a dangerous misdiagnosis. The best plan is to find an experienced doctor affiliated with a different hospital or practice.

THE SOLUTION: Sign up for an online consultation service. Try the Cleveland Clinic's MyConsult (eclevelandclinic.org) or Johns Hopkins University's Remote Medical Second Opinion (jhintl.org/for-patients).