In this issue: Cholesterol advice, echinacea and colds, portion control pics, mumps and more.

Can taking certain supplements benefit you? Manage my newsletter.   HOUSECALL Mayo Clinic named America's #1 Best Hospital by U.S. News & World Report Vol. 15, Issue 93 | December 25, 2014   THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES     Supplements: Nutrition in a pill? Before taking vitamin and mineral supplements, understand what they will and won't do for you.     Managing your cholesterol   From fitting in fitness and eating well to choosing medication, learn how to keep your cholesterol in check.           EXPERT ANSWERS   Echinacea: Is it effective for the common cold? Echinacea may slightly reduce the duration and severity of cold symptoms, but the effect may be too minor to notice. Can you outgrow food allergies? Learn which food allergies are more likely to fade with age and which tend to persist into adulthood.   PLUS ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS ... Slide show: Guide to portion control for weight loss Mumps Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress Chickenpox     TRUSTED HEALTH TOOLS   Use our Symptom Checker to explore possible causes of your symptoms based upon Mayo Clinic's patient care experience.   Use these simple calculators and self-assessments for personalized health tips.   Mayo Clinic healthy weight pyramid Heart disease risk calculator     NOW BLOGGING   Nutrition-wise: Weight gain: Inevitable as you age? Weight gain doesn't happen automatically with age. A range of lifestyle choices — not just total calories — influence how much you gain as you get older.     MAYO CLINIC PRODUCTS & SERVICES   Reduce the impact of stress on your health Have you ever driven several miles without noticing anything on the road or read a page in a book without registering any of it? Do the day's worries and disappointments crowd your mind as you're trying to fall asleep at night? Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living provides practical skills to help you find joy, peace and contentment in your life. Learn more.     HEALTHY RECIPES   Fettuccine with clams, basil, tomato, corn and garlic Fresh tomato soup with crispy herb toasts Sauteed zucchini coins Warm chocolate souffles   HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK   Want healthier recipes? Swap ingredients! A simple switch of ingredients can turn fatty family favorites into healthy dishes. Substitute turkey bacon or lean prosciutto for bacon. Replace sour cream with fat-free plain yogurt. Try lean ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef. And use applesauce or prune puree for half of the called-for butter, shortening or oil in baked goods.   Need practical advice on diet and exercise? Want creative solutions for stress and other lifestyle issues? Discover even more healthy lifestyle topics at MayoClinic.org.   Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit organization. Proceeds from website advertising help support our mission. Mayo Clinic does not endorse any non-Mayo products and services. Advertising & Sponsorship Policy    |    Opportunities     Create hope and healing Create hope and healing with a gift to Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization, and every dollar of your gift goes to funding the lifesaving research, outstanding patient care and critical medical education our patients and their families will be counting on this year. Please consider making a gift today.     Connect with Mayo Clinic For more of our reliable health information and tools, visit us at MayoClinic.org. Or add us to your social network!   Like us on Facebook Follow on Twitter Follow on Pinterest   Watch on YouTube Patient Stories View More Newsletters       Thanks for joining our mailing list, sononui.cancer@blogger.com, for Mayo Clinic HOUSECALL.   REMOVE me from this list | Add me to this list | Customer service   © 2014 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905. All rights reserved.