Excessive sweating can be embarrassing and uncomfortable, but it could be more than just the weather that's causing you to perspire.
We received this question from a viewer:
Dear Dr. Manny,
I'm a 34-year-old man and I sweat more than normal all the time - even when it's not hot outside. It's really embarrassing and deodorant just doesn't seem to work. Is there anything I can do?
Thanks,
Nick
Well Nick, you're not alone. The condition is called hyperhidrosis and it affects more people than you know. But don't worry, there are several effective treatments including:

• Over-the-counter antiperspirants that contain aluminum chloride;
• Oral and topical medications;
• Ionophoresis, which is a procedure that delivers a low current of electricity to the sweaty areas while a patient is immersed in water;
• Botox injections to paralyze the sweat glands;
• And in severe cases, even surgery to remove sweat glands.

But make sure you talk to your doctor because he or she can help you determine your best options based on your medical history.

Do you have health questions for Dr. Manny? Send them to DrManny@foxnews.com.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/02/19/sweaty-all-time-here-are-some-treatments/?intcmp=HPBucket#ixzz2LMA6wUEZ

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Buying chocolates for Valentine's Day is a good idea, but why is buying chocolates with almonds even better? What fruit was banned by priests for being too sexy? And what turn-on food is known as "happy berries" in China? If you're planning a special meal for two, add these Top 10 Romantic Foods to your shopping list. Some you may know, while some may surprise you. According to experts, these foods can help excite your partner. The rest is up to you.
Chile Peppers
Chile peppers score near the top of love's leader board. Their ability to release endorphins can cause a boost in mood and surge in energy as good as a runner's high. Chile’s heat warms the body from the inside out, and has the potential for sending an urge to tear off clothing. Capsaicin, the compound that causes chile's burn, will make the tongue tingle with a need to be kissed and cause lips to swell with desirable plumpness. Most famously, chile was used as a key ingredient in the fortifying chocolate drink the great ruler Montezuma consumed to make his tongue dance and his pulse quicken in preparation for his daily visit to his beautiful concubines.
Goji Berry
These tiny, nutrition-rich fruits are known as "happy berries" in China, where they are held in high regard for their aphrodisiac powers. It is in this nation that the berries are most often found, worked into both savory and sweet dishes and even used as the base of wine. However, as word of goji berries' nutritional prowess spreads, they are becoming increasingly available around the world. It is now known that goji berries offer a higher concentration of beta carotene than most fruits. Also, clinical tests have shown their potency for treating metabolic syndrome, a precursor to erectile dysfunction.
Chocolate
Why does eating chocolate make us so happy? It's a chemical thing. The "food of the gods" contains theobromine, a stimulating alkaloid similar to caffeine. Chocolate also helps the brain produce feel-good serotonin. Be sure to indulge in the dark variety — it contains incredible amounts of antioxidants, whereas milk chocolate is just that: milk and sugar with trace amounts of cocoa.
Oysters
These mouthwatering mollusks are the classic aphrodisiac. And, there's research to support it: raw oysters are very high in zinc, which raises sperm and testosterone production, thus increasing libido. Like some fish, oysters contain omega-3 fatty acids, considered to increase one's overall well-being and even fight depression. They are also a source of dopamine. No wonder Casanova ate 50 raw oysters every day.
Eggs
The egg is one of the most ancient fertility symbols. Eggs are high in B6 and B5, which help you balance hormone levels and fight stress. Raw chicken eggs eaten before sex are considered to enhance one’s libido. But we’re talking eggs of all sorts, fish or fowl. Think of the way caviar gently bursts in your mouth or the delicacy of little darling quail eggs.
Asparagus
Our love affair with this member of the Lily family dates back hundreds of years. Asparagus "stirs up lust in man and woman," wrote English herbalist Nicholas Culpepper in the 17th century. In 19th-century France, bridegrooms were served three courses of the sexy spears at their prenuptial dinner. Apparently for a good reason: asparagus is a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin and folic acid. The latter is said to boost histamine production necessary for the ability to reach orgasm in both sexes.
Avocado
Avocados are va-va-voom! But despite their voluptuous and feminine shape (here's a Rorschach question: without the pit, an avocado resembles a ... ?), they have been associated with male sexuality. In fact, the Aztecs' name for the avocado tree was Ahuacuatl, "testicle tree." And indeed, we can agree with the ancients who thought the fruit hanging in pairs on the tree resembled a dude's "crown jewels." But not everyone was cool with the idea. The Spanish, in fact, found avocados so obscenely sexy, that Catholic priests prohibited their consumption. Be sure to load up on the nutrient-rich fruit (guacamole, anyone?). While the creamy, cancer-fighting goodness packs in the calories, it's also high in folic acid, vitamin B6, potassium, omega-3 fatty acids and oleic acid, which fights "bad" cholesterol. Yes, the green-skinned delight is high in fat, but guys, you need fat for your body to make testosterone!
Bananas
This shapely and nutritious fruit is a complete meal, loaded with potassium, magnesium and B vitamins. It also contains chelating minerals and the bromelain enzyme, said to enhance the male libido — maybe that’s why Central Americans drink the sap of the red banana as an aphrodisiac, while Hindus regard it as a symbol of fertility. A banana left on a doorstep indicates that a marriage is about to take place. Bananas made an early appearance in the Garden of Eden; according to Islamic myth, Adam and Eve covered themselves not with fig but banana leaves.
Figs
Said to be Cleopatra's favorite food, the sweet, purple fruits are sexy in both appearance and texture. For obvious reasons, they've been a synonym in erotic literature for female sexual organs. To the ancient Greeks, they were "more precious than gold" and many cultures associated figs with fertility.
Almonds
We are nuts about almonds! Although they don't look particularly sexy (although almond-shaped eyes certainly do), they have been regarded as fertility symbols throughout antiquity. And we suppose, there's something about these dry little nuts that recalls, well, testes. The aroma of almonds supposedly arouses passion in females — or so thought the poets and scribes of bygone eras. French writer Alexandre Dumas, the author of The Count of Monte Cristo, dined on almond soup every night before meeting his mistress. And Samson wooed Delilah with these tasty nuts, which lower cholesterol and provide abundant doses of vitamin E, magnesium and fiber to improve your general well-being. So you can keep going, and going, and going....

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Deep-fried foods may be causing trouble in the Deep South. People whose diets are heavy on them and sugary drinks like sweet tea and soda were more likely to suffer a stroke, a new study finds.
It's the first big look at diet and strokes, and researchers say it might help explain why blacks in the Southeast - the nation's "stroke belt" - suffer more of them.
Blacks were five times more likely than whites to have the Southern dietary pattern linked with the highest stroke risk. And blacks and whites who live in the South were more likely to eat this way than people in other parts of the country were. Diet might explain as much as two-thirds of the excess stroke risk seen in blacks versus whites, researchers concluded.
"We're talking about fried foods, french fries, hamburgers, processed meats, hot dogs," bacon, ham, liver, gizzards and sugary drinks, said the study's leader, Suzanne Judd of the University of Alabama in Birmingham.
People who ate about six meals a week featuring these sorts of foods had a 41 percent higher stroke risk than people who ate that way about once a month, researchers found.
In contrast, people whose diets were high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish had a 29 percent lower stroke risk.
"It's a very big difference," Judd said. "The message for people in the middle is there's a graded risk" - the likelihood of suffering a stroke rises in proportion to each Southern meal in a week.
Results were reported Thursday at an American Stroke Association conference in Honolulu.
The federally funded study was launched in 2002 to explore regional variations in stroke risks and reasons for them. More than 20,000 people 45 or older - half of them black - from all 48 mainland states filled out food surveys and were sorted into one of five diet styles:
-Southern: Fried foods, processed meats (lunchmeat, jerky), red meat, eggs, sweet drinks and whole milk.
-Convenience: Mexican and Chinese food, pizza, pasta.
-Plant-based: Fruits, vegetables, juice, cereal, fish, poultry, yogurt, nuts and whole-grain bread.
-Sweets: Added fats, breads, chocolate, desserts, sweet breakfast foods.
-Alcohol: Beer, wine, liquor, green leafy vegetables, salad dressings, nuts and seeds, coffee.
"They're not mutually exclusive" - for example, hamburgers fall into both convenience and Southern diets, Judd said. Each person got a score for each diet, depending on how many meals leaned that way.
Over more than five years of follow-up, nearly 500 strokes occurred. Researchers saw clear patterns with the Southern and plant-based diets; the other three didn't seem to affect stroke risk.
There were 138 strokes among the 4,977 who ate the most Southern food, compared to 109 strokes among the 5,156 people eating the least of it.
There were 122 strokes among the 5,076 who ate the most plant-based meals, compared to 135 strokes among the 5,056 people who seldom ate that way.
The trends held up after researchers took into account other factors such as age, income, smoking, education, exercise and total calories consumed.
Fried foods tend to be eaten with lots of salt, which raises blood pressure - a known stroke risk factor, Judd said. And sweet drinks can contribute to diabetes, the disease that celebrity chef Paula Deen - the queen of Southern cuisine - revealed she had a year ago.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, drugmaker Amgen Inc. and General Mills Inc. funded the study.
"This study does strongly suggest that food does have an influence and people should be trying to avoid these kinds of fatty foods and high sugar content," said an independent expert, Dr. Brian Silver, a Brown University neurologist and stroke center director at Rhode Island Hospital.
"I don't mean to sound like an ogre. I know when I'm in New Orleans I certainly enjoy the food there. But you don't have to make a regular habit of eating all this stuff."

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Everyone has his or her own personality – and when it comes to doctors, each one has a certain style.
Choosing a physician that you mesh with is important and can make a huge impact on your health.  Vitals.com, an online database that connects patients to the medical world, conducted a survey and found there are five kinds of doctors.
“The most important point is that not each type fits the different patients,” Dr. Todd Rosengart, the chief medical officer for Vitals, told FoxNews.com. “It becomes very important to make sure you are connected with the right doctor, because that ultimately translates into your being more compliant with medicine (and) listening to what the doctor has to say.”
Rosengart said the favorite type of doctor is called “The Sage,” with 30 percent of those surveyed preferring this type.  These doctors are typically older and have more experience.
“Sort of the good uncle who you could really sort of trust and develop a personal relationship with,” Rosengart said.
People who typically favor The Sage are older individuals.  Younger patients who prefer quicker appointments may feel that Sage doctors take up too much of their time.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are “Dr. Data” or “Dr. Digital.”  In stark contrast to The Sage, this kind of doctor delivers cold facts, gives you what you need to know and is not very compassionate.
“Not many patients in our survey like ‘Dr. Data’ or ‘Dr. Digital’ – about 8 percent,” Rosengart said. “But again, he's very competent, he will do a good job, but he’s not really going to hold your hand.”
Rosengart predicted that as health care changes, people may see more and more “Dr. Digitals” than they want to see.
Similar to Dr. Digital was Dr. No Nonsense, who is a little bit closer to The Sage, but will still not spend the amount of time a patient might like to spend discussing his or her ailments.  These doctors thrive on getting to a precise diagnosis and starting a regimen fast – but their bedside manner is a bit lacking.  About 18 percent of survey respondents preferred Dr. No Nonsense.
The second favorite kind of doctor type was “The Idealist,” with 24 percent of patients preferring this kind of doctor.
“The Idealist is a young Dr. Sage,” Rosengart said. “So he might not have the experience of Dr. Sage, but he's Dr. Sage as a youngster, if you will.”
The last type of doctor was “Dr. Whole You” – the down-to-earth alternative medicine doctor.
“(They’re) fairly unusual, but again very important for patients who are looking for that kind of out-of-the-box treatment,” Rosengart said. “(It’s a) very important role, but again, is usually less and less frequently seen because there isn't the time to offer that kind of alternative medicine.”

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For most of the working world, the blaring of the alarm clock isn't a happy sound. So why not turn that rude awakening into an opportunity with a roll in the 400-thread-count hay? After all, scientists say that people who start their days by having sex are all-around healthier and happier than those who don't.
MORE: 10 Secrets of Super Happy Couples

"Having sex in the morning releases the feel-good chemical oxytocin, which makes couples feel loving and bonded all day long," says Debby Herbenick, author of Because It Feels Good. It makes you stronger and more beautiful too: Morning sex can strengthen your immune system for the day by enhancing your levels of IgA, an antibody that protects against infection. And climaxing releases chemicals that boost levels of estrogen, which improves the tone and texture of your skin and hair.
Want to max out the morning love? Follow these tips:
Give Him a Sexy Wake-Up Call
Set your alarm to play soft music, and as soon as you're roused, quietly slip out of your pj's. Then try this trick: If he's lying on his back, place your hands on his thighs with your thumbs pointing toward his genitals, suggests acupuncturist Alexis Arvidson. Move your thumbs in a slow, firm circular motion, two inches in diameter. According to the ancient teachings of acupuncture, rubbing this thin-skinned area will get the blood flowing straight to his nether regions. Well, isn't that convenient, since that's where you're headed next!
MORE: 17 Health Benefits of Sex

Enjoy the View
Part of what makes morning sex so deliciously primal is that, in the light of day, it's difficult to hide your so-called flaws. So let your insecurities take a backseat to pure, unadulterated pleasure, and instead of covering up under the blankets, throw them off so you can both get a visual thrill. He'll bask in the eye candy, and you will too: Studies conducted by Emory University found that women are just as visually aroused as men during sex.
Take Advantage of Nature
Your guy's body is hardwired to want sex first thing in the a.m.
"While he sleeps, the testosterone he'll use for the upcoming day accumulates," says Gabrielle Lichterman, author of 28 Days. "From the time he wakes up, he has a three-hour window when he's brimming with peak levels." Don't let them go to waste.
MORE: 5 Ways to Prevent Relationship Weight Gain

Boost Your Animal Lust
As soon as you're awake, snuggle up to your guy and take a whiff. Because he hasn't showered yet, you'll feel extra turned on by his au naturel scent. According to scientists at the University of Pennsylvania, a man's musky underarm odor is a proven libido booster. Really, you can't make this stuff up!
MORE: 5 Easy Ways to Strengthen your Relationship

Install a Double Showerhead
Taking a shower together sounds romantic and all, but let's get real: There's room under the water for only one person at a time. Fix that by getting a double showerhead (available at any home-goods store). Then crank up the water temp; heat brings blood to the skin's surface, making it more receptive to touch. And soap each other up with peppermint shower gel; the scent wakes you up as it triggers the same nerves that are activated by smelling salts, says research from Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/02/01/increase-your-morning-intimacy/?intcmp=HPBucket#ixzz2JwFgKH6g

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Fact or fiction? Sex burns a lot of calories. Snacking or skipping breakfast is bad. School gym classes make a big difference in kids' weight.

All are myths or at least presumptions that may not be true, say researchers who reviewed the science behind some widely held obesity beliefs and found it lacking.

Their report in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine says dogma and fallacies are detracting from real solutions to the nation's weight problems.

"The evidence is what matters," and many feel-good ideas repeated by well-meaning health experts just don't have it, said the lead author, David Allison, a biostatistician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Independent researchers say the authors have some valid points. But many of the report's authors also have deep financial ties to food, beverage and weight-loss product makers - the disclosures take up half a page of fine print in the journal.

"It raises questions about what the purpose of this paper is" and whether it's aimed at promoting drugs, meal replacement products and bariatric surgery as solutions, said Marion Nestle, a New York University professor of nutrition and food studies.

"The big issues in weight loss are how you change the food environment in order for people to make healthy choices," such as limits on soda sizes and marketing junk food to children, she said. Some of the myths they cite are "straw men" issues, she said.

But some are pretty interesting.

Sex, for instance. Not that people do it to try to lose weight, but claims that it burns 100 to 300 calories are common, Allison said. Yet the only study that scientifically measured the energy output found that sex lasted six minutes on average - "disappointing, isn't it?" - and burned a mere 21 calories, about as much as walking, he said.

That's for a man. The study was done in 1984 and didn't measure the women's experience.

Among the other myths or assumptions the authors cite, based on their review of the most rigorous studies on each topic:

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