Smoking in hotels leaves a trail of tobacco pollution in the air and on surfaces in both smoking and nonsmoking rooms, researchers Georg Matt and colleagues at San Diego State University found. New hotels should enforce total smoking bans to protect their guests and employees, said the study authors, who also advised people to avoid hotels that allow smoking in designated areas.

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“Our findings demonstrate that some nonsmoking guest rooms in smoking hotels are as polluted with [third-hand smoke] as are some smoking rooms,” the researchers wrote. “Moreover, nonsmoking guests staying in smoking rooms may be exposed to tobacco smoke pollutants at levels found among nonsmokers exposed to secondhand smoke.”

The study involved 40 budget-priced to mid-range hotels in San Diego. Of these hotels, 10 had complete smoking bans. Thirty hotels had partial smoking bans with designated nonsmoking rooms. The findings appeared online May 13 in the journal Tobacco Control.

The researchers examined the hotel rooms’ surfaces and air quality for evidence of nicotine and 3EP, a marker of tobacco smoke. Urine and finger wipe samples were also taken from nonsmokers who spent the night at any of the hotels to assess their exposure to nicotine and a carcinogen found in tobacco smoke known as NKK.

Nonsmoking rooms in hotels with partial smoking bans had evidence of air pollution. These designated nonsmoking rooms had levels of surface nicotine that were more than twice as high as rooms in hotels with total smoking bans, according to a journal news release.

If you’re headed to a barbecue this weekend, have fun! Eat well! But…know that you can enjoy yourself and manage to still fit into those shorts and cute summer dresses.

Here are a few healthy Memorial Day tips:

READ: Guilt-Free Diet Tips For Memorial Day

1. Snack before you go. Why? Because if you show up starving, you’ll overeat. Not only that, but you’ll more than likely choose the higher-calorie and higher-fat foods.

READ: Beyonce Second Pregnancy Confirmed

The rumors have been swirling for weeks that the singer was pregnant after she canceled her Antwerp concert on Tuesday due to dehydration and exhaustion. She returned to the stage the day after.

Beyonce, who gave birth to her first child in January 2012, has been very open about her desire for more kids.

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“I would like more children,” she said earlier this month during an interview on “Good Morning America.” “I think my daughter needs some company.”

Pregnancy: What To Expect During The First Trimester

No matter how well you prepare for your pregnancy, you may not be able to fully anticipate all of the different changes that are about to take place in your body. During the first trimester (the first three months after your last menstrual period), these changes will help your baby develop and prepare your body to nourish the baby.

Knowing what to expect can help you get ready for the months ahead and learn to distinguish between symptoms that are just uncomfortable and signs that there might be a real problem with your pregnancy.

Body Changes

Pregnancy is different for every woman. Some women glow with good health and vitality during those first three months; others feel absolutely miserable. Here are some of the changes you might experience, what they mean, what you can do to relieve any uncomfortable symptoms, and which signs warrant a call to your doctor.

Bleeding. About 25% of pregnant women experience some bleeding during their first trimester. Early in the pregnancy, light spotting may be a sign that the fertilized embryo has implanted in the uterus. However, if you have significant bleeding, cramping, or sharp pain in your abdomen, call your doctor. These could be signs of a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy in which the embryo implants outside of the uterus).

Breast tenderness. Sore breasts are one of the earliest signs of pregnancy. They’re triggered by hormonal changes, which are preparing your milk ducts to feed your baby, and will probably last through the first trimester. Going up a bra size (or more) and wearing a support bra can make you feel more comfortable; you can go back to the lacy bras after your baby is finished nursing.

Music icon and actress Janet Jackson is known for her catchy songs, beautiful voice and incredible dance moves. While it’s no secret that she’s battled with her weight in the past, today she looks better than she ever has, thanks to key lifestyle changes.

Here’s how Janet makes her fitness routine a little bit more “pleasurable.”

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1. Change Up Your Routine Often

“I don’t like to work out, and I get bored easily,” Jackson says. “Tony [her trainer] is great. He comes up with something new all the time. When I’m getting ready for a tour, I’ll work out with the dancers to build my endurance. He’ll put us in teams, and we’ll do all sorts of drills and races. Everybody is drenched with sweat before we start one dance step.”

2. Slim Down With Sports

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Now, if you eat out more than once a day, these excesses can make restaurants incredibly unhealthy places to eat, adding to the obesity epidemic and increasing diners’ risk for heart disease. Recent studies have found that typically ordered restaurant meals contain more than half the calories the person would need per day. Your average serving — just an entree, no drinks, no appetizers, no desserts – can be virtually a whole day’s calories on one plate.

One study found 73 percent of the meals ordered had over half of the 2,000 daily calories recommended for adults by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and 12 meals contained more than the full daily recommendation. Large portion sizes seemed key, because prior research has shown that people tend to eat what is placed in front of them. When restaurants provide these [large] portions — which are far more than the human body can process — they are very directly contributing to the terrible epidemic of obesity we have today.

Meals with the highest average number of calories included those from restaurants specializing in Italian (1,755 calories), American (1,494 calories) and Chinese (1,474 calories) fare. Meals with the fewest average number of calories were from Vietnamese (922 calories) and Japanese (1,027 calories) restaurants, the researchers said.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are human genes that belong to a class of genes known as tumor suppressors. Mutation of these genes has been linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer, and the risks of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is greatly increased if the BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations have been inherited.

Both men and women who have harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations may be at increased risk of other types of cancer.

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Genetic tests are available to check for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. A blood sample is required for these tests, and genetic counseling is recommended before and after the tests.

According to Cancer.gov, people with the below types of family medical histories can benefit the most from BRCA testing:

• Two first-degree relatives (mother, daughter or sister) were diagnosed with breast cancer, one of whom was diagnosed at age 50 or younger;
• Three or more first-degree or second-degree (grandmother or aunt) relatives were diagnosed with breast cancer regardless of their age at diagnosis;
• A combination of first- and second-degree relatives were diagnosed with breast cancer and ovarian cancer (one cancer type per person);
• A first-degree relative with cancer was diagnosed in both breasts ( bilateral breast cancer);
• A combination of two or more first- or second-degree relatives were diagnosed with ovarian cancer regardless of age at diagnosis;
• A first- or second-degree relative was diagnosed with both breast and ovarian cancer regardless of age at diagnosis; and breast cancer was diagnosed in a male relative.

How Likely Is It That I’ll Test Positive For The Mutation?

In all, between 0.125 and 0.25 percent of women will test positive for the BRCA mutation, and it varies by ethnicity. These women have an increased risk of getting breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

YES!

Even though it’s higher in fat, the health benefits of peanut butter enough to convince you to embrace it, and spread its deliciousness on breads, waffles, bagels, toast, crackers, apple slices, celery, carrots…and so many other foods.

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Peanut Butter 101

Did you know that the peanut, otherwise known as Arachis hypogea, is actually a legume, similar to a bean?

The calorie breakdown for peanut butter is:

• 71% calories from fats
• 14% calories from carbohydrates
• 15% calories from protein

As you can see, yes, most of peanut butter’s calories do come from fat. However, most of these fats are monounsaturated, and have been shown to improve the cholesterol profile by lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol. The unsaturated fat content in peanut butter helps reduce the risk of heart disease by 25%.

So what can this healthier-than-you-thought food do for you?

But never fear!

There are ways to stick to low-calorie dressing and highly nutritious toppings, without losing a salad’s tasty appeal. It is also important to note, that though you could opt for the light or low-fat options found in the grocery store aisles, those options almost always add more sodium, carbs or cholesterol to make up for the lack of fat and sugar. Again, this is no better for you in the long run.

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So why settle for a “healthier” dressing when you can make simple substitutions to make your own at-home light salad dressings? Here are five ingredients you can use to make your own at-home dressings that are healthy, light and have more flavor than store-bought ones.

1. Vinegars

When you take out a lot of the fat in salad dressings, you need to add strong flavors. Vinegars, like balsamic, raspberry or white wine vinegar, add a pungent and sharp touch to any vinaigrette salad dressing. Add these vinegars to extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper for a light dressing to toss in your salad.

2. Citrus or Fruit

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Something that another star, Wanda Sykes, knows very well.

In 2011, during a recent Ellen DeGeneres show taping, Wanda Sykes made a shocking confession:

“I had breast cancer. Yeah, I know it’s scary.”

READ: The Food That May Lower Your Breast Cancer Risk

Sykes admitted that while lab work was being performed after her breast reduction in February 2011 (“I had real big boobs and I just got tired of knocking over stuff,” Sykes joked), doctors discovered she had DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), a stage zero cancer, in her left breast.

Because she has a long history of cancer on her mother’s side of the family, Sykes opted to have a bilateral, or double, mastectomy.