On-again, off-again romances may seem hard on the heart, but sometimes an intermittent affair ends up fueling a healthy relationship. Take Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin, who dated off and on fro...

On-again, off-again romances may seem hard on the heart, but sometimes an intermittent affair ends up fueling a healthy relationship. Take Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin, who dated off and on from 2015 to 2016, then happily tied the knot in September 2018.

Intermittent fasting turns out to deliver happy endings, too -- especially for folks who are having a rocky time managing their diabetes or heart disease. A study in Endocrine Reviews reveals that if you consistently eat your calories within an eight-to-10-hour window (say from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.) you can prevent and manage metabolic and cardiovascular conditions effectively. That schedule also improves sleep quality, say the researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. In contrast, eating at random times disrupts your body's internal clock, making you prone to chronic diseases.

Step it up even more. If you combine intermittent fasting with a plant-based diet, you're supercharging your ability to reclaim your health and stay healthy. This has never been more important. A new report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that in 16 U.S. states, at least 35% of residents have obesity, and it affects 22.4% of kids ages 2 to 19.

Luckily, it's easy to do intermittent fasting, and a plant-based diet can become second nature if you add a serving of fruit and two servings of veggies to each meal. That'll be the start of a long, happy relationship with your health, as you clear your arteries and stabilize your glucose.

* * *

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer Emeritus at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into "The Dr. Oz Show" or visit www.sharecare.com.

(c)2021 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

"Great ideas," declared Thomas Edison, "originate in the muscles." He meant that inspiration actually comes from hard work. Well, researchers from the University of New South Wa...

"Great ideas," declared Thomas Edison, "originate in the muscles." He meant that inspiration actually comes from hard work. Well, researchers from the University of New South Wales have a great idea -- about how fat loss can originate in the muscles, too.

For years, the myth has been that you do aerobics to burn fat, resistance training to build muscles. But the researchers found that in addition to improving bone mineral density, lean mass and muscle quality, strength-building exercise improves body composition in ways previously thought to come only from aerobics.

Their research, published in Sports Medicine, looked at data from 54 studies and more than 3,000 people and found that doing between two and three sessions a week for 45 to 60 minutes was enough to convey fat-burning benefits comparable to aerobic exercise. This gives you some additional workout choices when it comes to aiming for a leaner body composition.

Important tips:

-- Warm up on a bike or treadmill for 10 minutes before starting.

-- For resistance exercises that burn fat and build muscle using your own body weight, try "10 Strength-Training Moves for Beginners" at DoctorOz.com.

-- Dr. Mike is a fan of stretchy bands (hand weights, done with poor technique, can wreck your shoulders). Check out "Should You Try Resistance Bands for Strength Training?" for the lowdown on benefits and instructions at health.clevelandclinic.org.

-- If you use resistance machines at the gym, start low (weight) and slow (motion). And to get max muscle-building, ultimately, work with a resistance/weight that's 70% of your max capacity.

* * *

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer Emeritus at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into "The Dr. Oz Show" or visit www.sharecare.com.

(c)2021 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Swap meets were originally places where folks could exchange unwanted household items for someone else's unwanted stuff! But today, lots of such bartering is online -- there are sites that swa...

Swap meets were originally places where folks could exchange unwanted household items for someone else's unwanted stuff! But today, lots of such bartering is online -- there are sites that swap clothes, games, books, even houses (temporarily) and cars! However the transactions take place, the benefit is the same: Out with the old and in with the new (to you).

The same can be said for food swaps. You clear junk out of your pantry and fridge and replace it with something of greater value, in terms of your health and wellbeing. Here are some favorites.

Swap white rice for barley, quinoa, farro, brown rice, etc. These grains are great when served with stir-fries and roasted vegetables or as an addition to soups and casseroles. They reduce your risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal problems and even some cancers.

Swap croutons for walnuts. In soups and salads, use walnuts in place of white bread, fat-soaked cubes. When they replace refined carbs, they help lower lousy LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels and ease insulin resistance. You'll gain walnuts' anti-inflammatory powers and ability to increase heart health and weight loss.

Swap ground meat for lentils and other legumes. Make a veggie burger: A quarter cup of cooked lentils delivers as much protein as an ounce of beef, lamb or pork and is loaded with fiber, vitamins (folate), minerals (potassium) and polyphenols. Lentils and other legumes (black beans and chickpeas, for example) also work as meat substitutes in chilies, tacos and pasta sauces (for pasta e fagioli).

* * *

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of "The Dr. Oz Show," and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer Emeritus at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into "The Dr. Oz Show" or visit www.sharecare.com.

(c)2021 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.

Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.