You don't want to look down and see your stomach getting bigger, but sometimes, it happens. As life gets hectic, a healthy diet and lifestyle start to take a back seat, and the number on the scale creeps up.

A severe burn is not only painful and traumatizing, but it’s extremely stressful to the body. According to a 2012 report published in the “Surgical Clinics of North America,” the increased metabolic response associated with a severe burn surpasses that of any other disease state.

Too much of a good thing is not always good, as the saying goes. A pescatarian diet includes fish but no other meat, along with fruits, vegetables and grains. The American Heart Association recommends you eat two servings of fish a week for heart health.

The ingredients list on food packages often includes additives and preservatives. Food manufacturers mostly use such ingredients to prolong the shelf life of food or to enhance its color, texture or flavor.

Inflammation plays a role in many health conditions, including cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis and heart disease. Thus, eating more anti-inflammatory foods may help lower your risk for these conditions, notes an article published in the "International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research"

Nutrition experts are divided on whether or not starches are a good thing for those trying to lose weight. Proponents of low-fat diets usually recommend getting a significant portion of calories from starches, while proponents of low-carb diets recommend severely limiting or avoiding starches.

Wheatgrass is a nutrient-packed member of the cereal grass family, which includes rye, barley and oats. Wheatgrass powder is made by freeze-drying, oven-drying or air-drying fresh wheatgrass.

Made from grapes, balsamic vinegar is known for its rich flavor and velvety black color. It's fermented in wooden barrels, much like wine, and the taste of balsamic vinegar intensifies the longer it is aged. The thicker and more intense the flavor becomes, the less you need to use to provide a taste boost.

It can be discouraging to step on the scale and see the number has jumped up several pounds in 12 hours. But such a sudden weight gain is most likely fluid retention, and you may be able to lose it as quickly as you gained it with a few tweaks to your food choices.

Your body requires a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to function optimally. Vitamin B-6 and vitamin B-12 are two of eight B vitamins your body needs. While these vitamins work together, they also provide their own benefits individually.

Isoflavones, found abundantly in soy products, reportedly have many health benefits, including protection against breast and prostate cancer, menopausal symptoms, heart disease and osteoporosis.

What you eat is just as critical as how much you eat. When it comes to losing body fat, not all calories are created equal. Calories that are empty and provide no nutritional value can cause the body to store extra energy from food as fat.