Generally, it's safe to continue breast-feeding while pregnant — as long as you're careful about eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of fluids. However, breast-feeding can trigger mild uterine contractions. Although these contractions aren't a concern during an uncomplicated pregnancy, your health care provider might discourage breast-feeding while pregnant if you have previously miscarried or have a history of premature birth.

If you're considering breast-feeding while pregnant, be prepared for changes your nursing child might notice. Although breast milk continues to be nutritionally sound throughout pregnancy, the content of your breast milk will change — which might change the way your milk tastes. In addition, your milk production is likely to decrease as your pregnancy progresses. These factors could lead your nursing child to wean on his or her own before the baby is born.

Your comfort might also be a concern. During pregnancy, nipple tenderness and breast soreness are common. The discomfort might intensify while breast-feeding. Pregnancy-related fatigue might pose challenges as well.

Brominated vegetable oil (BVO for short) is a food additive sometimes used to keep citrus flavoring from separating out in sodas and other beverages. Controversy has long surrounded the use of BVO. It's banned as a food additive in Europe but not in the U.S.

Health concerns about BVO stem from one of its ingredients, bromine. Bromine can irritate the skin and mucous membranes (the moist lining of the nose, mouth, lungs and stomach). Long-term exposure can cause neurologic symptoms such as headache, memory loss, and impaired balance or coordination. In the past these symptoms were seen with chronic use of bromide salts as sleep medications. Fortunately, these drugs are no longer widely available in the U.S.

However, there have been reports of people experiencing memory loss and skin and nerve problems after drinking excessive amounts (more than 2 liters a day) of soda containing BVO. While few people are likely to drink such large quantities, concern exists because bromine appears to build up in the body.

Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) originally categorized BVO as "generally recognized as safe," the agency later reversed that decision. The FDA continues to allow the use BVO in small amounts while it performs additional toxicology studies.

So what should you do? Check ingredient labels and don't drink large amounts of BVO-containing beverages. Better yet, take it one step further and cut back on all sugary drinks. Opt instead for healthier choices, such as water, low-fat milk and an occasional glass of 100% fruit juice.

Resilience is the ability to withstand and bounce back from adversity. Studies in people with diabetes have shown that high resilience levels are related to lower A1C levels, indicating better glycemic control.

Some people are lucky enough to be born with a high resilience level, but even if you're not one of them, you can still boost your resilience. Resilience can help you reduce stress and anxiety and improve your coping skills. Here are some tips to get you started:

• Make connections. Maintain good relationships with close family members and friends. Accept their support, and offer it in return.
• Accept that change is part of life. Accept circumstances that can't be changed. Instead, focus on what you can change.
• Take action. When there are situations you can change, take action. Don't cut yourself off from problems and wish they would disappear.
• Keep things in perspective. When you're facing difficult circumstances, think about the problems in the big picture. Have a long-term perspective — such as thinking about whether it will matter in five years. Avoid making a small thing a bigger problem than it really is.
• Keep a positive and hopeful outlook. Cultivate an optimistic outlook. Think that good things will happen in your future and life. Picture what you want in the future instead of worrying about your fears.
• Take care of yourself. Get regular exercise, eat a healthy diet, get enough sleep and practice self-care. Consider meditating or joining a faith community. Get involved in activities that are fun and relaxing for you. You'll be better able to cope with challenges when you're mentally and physically strong.

Disks act as cushions between the vertebrae in your spine. They're composed of an outer layer of tough cartilage that surrounds softer cartilage in the center. It may help to think of them as miniature jelly doughnuts, exactly the right size to fit between your vertebrae.

Disks show signs of wear and tear with age. Over time, disks dehydrate and their cartilage stiffens. These changes can cause the outer layer of the disk to bulge out fairly evenly all the way around its circumference — so it looks a little like a hamburger that's too big for its bun.

A bulging disk doesn't always affect the entire perimeter of a disk, but at least a quarter if not half of the disk's circumference is usually affected. Only the outer layer of tough cartilage is involved.

A herniated disk, on the other hand, results when a crack in the tough outer layer of cartilage allows some of the softer inner cartilage to protrude out of the disk. Herniated disks are also called ruptured disks or slipped disks, although the whole disk does not rupture or slip. Only the small area of the crack is affected.

Compared with a bulging disk, a herniated disk is more likely to cause pain because it generally protrudes farther and is more likely to irritate nerve roots. The irritation can be from compression of the nerve or, much more commonly, the herniation causes a painful inflammation of the nerve root.

If an imaging test indicates that you have a herniated disk, that disk might not be the cause of your back pain. Many people have MRI evidence of herniated disks and have no back pain at all.

Probably not. Head trauma from play or sports is a common concern for parents, but rarely does a bump on the head result in serious injury.

The forehead and scalp have an abundant blood supply, and injury to these areas often results in bleeding under the skin. When the bleeding is in just one area, it causes bruising and swelling (hematoma).

Keep in mind that even a minor head bump can cause a large swelling. And the speed, momentum and size of the people (full-grown adolescents versus young children) and the forces involved (such as impact with a concrete floor or other hard surface) may increase the possibility of serious injury.

When to see a doctor

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that you call your child's doctor for anything more than a light bump on your child's head.

If your child doesn't have signs of a serious head injury and remains alert, moves normally and responds to you, the injury is probably mild and usually doesn't need further testing.

Occasionally, a blow to the head may be severe enough to cause bleeding in or around the brain. This type of bleeding can cause an intracranial hematoma, a serious condition that puts pressure on the brain.

See a doctor within one to two days of a significant head injury with ongoing symptoms, even if emergency care isn't required.

Seek emergency medical attention if your child experiences:

• Unconsciousness, confusion or disorientation after a head injury

Also seek emergency attention if your child exhibits the following signs or symptoms after a head injury, which could signal a concussion:

• Persistent or worsening headache
• Imbalance
• Vomiting
• Memory loss or confusion
• Mood changes, such as irritability

Margarine usually tops butter when it comes to heart health.

Margarine is made from vegetable oils, so it contains unsaturated "good" fats — polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These types of fats help reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad," cholesterol when substituted for saturated fat.

Butter, on the other hand, is made from animal fat, so it contains more saturated fat.

But not all margarines are created equal — some margarines contain trans fat. In general, the more solid the margarine, the more trans fat it contains. So stick margarines usually have more trans fat than tub margarines do.

Trans fat, like saturated fat, increases blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. In addition, trans fat lowers high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol levels. So skip the stick and opt for soft or liquid margarine instead.

Look for a spread that doesn't have trans fats and has the least amount of saturated fat. When comparing spreads, be sure to read the Nutrition Facts panel and check the grams of saturated fat and trans fat. Limit the amount you use to limit the calories.

The cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) blood test isn't recommended for women with an average risk of ovarian cancer.

While women with ovarian cancer often have an elevated level of CA 125, an elevated CA 125 level doesn't always mean you have ovarian cancer. Some women with ovarian cancer never have an elevated CA 125 level.

Many other conditions also can cause an elevated CA 125 level, including:

• Endometriosis
• Liver cirrhosis
• Normal menstruation
• Pelvic inflammatory disease
• Uterine fibroids

For these reasons, doctors don't recommend CA 125 testing in women with an average risk of ovarian cancer.

Women with a high risk of ovarian cancer, such as those with mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, may consider periodic CA 125 testing. But even in these high-risk situations, there's some disagreement about the usefulness of the CA 125 test.

A study of 78,216 women ages 55 to 74 randomly selected to receive either an annual CA 125 test and pelvic ultrasound screening or the usual medical care showed that CA 125 testing and ultrasound screening did not reduce ovarian cancer deaths. The study also found that false-positive tests led to additional testing and procedures that sometimes resulted in serious complications.

If you're concerned about your risk of ovarian cancer, ask your doctor about your screening options and ways to reduce your risk.

The cabbage soup diet is generally considered a fad diet. As the name suggests, the diet requires that you eat large amounts of cabbage soup for seven days. During that time, you can also eat certain fruits and vegetables, beef, chicken, and brown rice, according to a set schedule.

Proponents of the cabbage soup diet say it's a good way to quickly lose a few pounds. You may lose weight on the diet because it drastically limits calories. But it is not only fat that you'll lose. Any weight that you lose is likely to be a combination of water and fat, and may even include muscle.

Because the cabbage soup diet is low in complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals, you shouldn't stay on it for more than a week at a time.

The cabbage soup diet has other disadvantages. Depending on the recipe for cabbage soup, the diet can be high in sodium. The large amounts of cabbage also can make you more prone to flatulence.

Because you're not getting proper nutrition, you may feel weak or tired while on the diet. And once you stop the diet, it's easy to regain any weight that you lost.

Fad diets like this one may be tempting, but keep in mind that long-term weight loss depends on making lasting healthy changes in your eating and exercise habits.

There's no clear link between caffeine intake and depression. However, caffeine intake and depression may be linked indirectly for people who are particularly sensitive to the effects of caffeine or who have too much caffeine.

• Caffeine can cause sleep problems that affect mood. Caffeine can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. Lack of sleep can worsen depression. If you have trouble sleeping, don't drink caffeinated beverages late in the day. Some people need to limit caffeine to the morning or quit drinking caffeinated beverages completely to avoid sleep problems. Also, anxiety and depression often occur together, and caffeine can worsen anxiety.
• Stopping abruptly can worsen depression. If you regularly drink caffeinated beverages, quitting can cause a depressed mood until your body adjusts. It can also cause other signs and symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue and irritability.

If you have depression, consider limiting or avoiding caffeine to see if it helps improve your mood. To lessen these withdrawal effects, gradually reduce the amount of caffeinated beverages you drink.

There does appear to be a link between caffeine use and certain menopause symptoms — namely, hot flashes and other symptoms related to the body's regulation of the diameter of blood vessels (vasomotor symptoms).

Research studies on caffeine and menopause symptoms generally provide conflicting results. But, in a recent study, researchers established a link between caffeine use and bothersome vasomotor symptoms. The researchers found that postmenopausal women who regularly drank caffeinated beverages — such as coffee, tea or soda — experienced more bothersome vasomotor symptoms than did postmenopausal women who didn't use caffeine. The same association wasn't seen in premenopausal or perimenopausal women.

If you regularly consume caffeine and you're troubled by hot flashes, you might consider cutting back on or eliminating caffeine from your diet to see if that eases your symptoms.