In this issue: Fun with food, Kombucha tea, insect bite first aid, germ defense, cavities and more.

Liven up your meals with these 10 easy tips. Manage my newsletter.   HOUSECALL Vol. 15, Issue 37 | June 12, 2014   THIS WEEK'S TOP STORIES     Healthy eating: Jazz it up with these tips Healthy eating doesn't have to be boring. Here are 10 ways to add pizazz to your meals and snacks.     Germs: Understand and protect against bacteria, viruses and infection   What's the best way to stay disease-free? Prevent infections. Learn simple tactics to help you stay healthy.           EXPERT ANSWERS   Bladder outlet obstruction: Causes in men? Discover possible causes and treatments of this condition that can lead to trouble with urination. Kombucha tea: Does it have health benefits? Find out if kombucha tea lives up to its reputation as a health tonic and if it has any adverse effects.   PLUS ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS ... Essential thrombocythemia Cavities/tooth decay Fitness basics Insect bites and stings: First aid     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.   BMI calculator Heart disease risk calculator     NOW BLOGGING   Stress: Your attitude affects your reality Your attitude impacts your mood. So why choose to be negative?     MAYO CLINIC PRODUCTS & SERVICES   Arthritis? Lead a more comfortable and active life Did you know arthritis is the leading cause of physical disability in the United States? The good news is there are things you can do to both lower your risk of getting arthritis and control the progression of pain if you have it. This new book can show you how. Try Mayo Clinic on Arthritis today, and discover how you can lead a more active, comfortable life. Learn more.     HEALTHY RECIPES   Lasagna Polenta with roasted Mediterranean vegetables Italian flags (tomato and mozzarella salad) Strawberry balsamic sorbet   HEALTH TIP OF THE WEEK   Applying sunscreen? Don't be stingy Most people use sunscreen too sparingly. If you're wearing swim gear, it takes about 1 ounce (28 grams) of sunscreen to cover all exposed parts of your body. That's the amount in a standard shot glass. If you're only using a dime-sized drop of sunscreen, you're not using nearly enough.   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, wahdaz.5stepquitsmoking@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.