Your gastroenterologist may recommend following a three-day protocol in preparation for your colonoscopy. Following a low-residue diet before your colonoscopy improves bowel cleansing, allowing a more thorough exam, according to Gastroenterology Associates of Tidewater.

The amount and types of protein you consume may affect the symptoms of arthritis. Protein is made of amino acids and every cell, tissue, and organ in our bodies contains protein.

If you're like most Americans, you consume 22 teaspoons of added sugars per day. Corn syrup, whether liquid or solid and with or without fructose, is an added sugar that may contribute to obesity and heart disease.

Alcohol cravings are likened to the urge of hunger, which varies in intensity as well as symptoms. A report from the American Psychological Association says that alcohol cravings occur as a physiological response to internal or external cues, such as pleasant memories of drinking or the scent of alcohol.

While there is no puffed rice diet, this nutty-tasting, low-calorie cereal makes a good choice if you're trying to lose weight or limit your sodium intake. But its high-glycemic index means it may not keep you feeling full for too long.

While both soy and rice milk are good choices if you're trying to limit your intake of animal products or have an allergy or intolerance to cow's milk, they're not necessarily healthy for everyone. Side effects may include allergic reaction, impaired fertility or difficulty maintaining a healthy weight.

The energy content of a food is a measure of how many calories the food contains. Your body needs a certain number of calories each day -- the required amount varies with your age, gender, weight status and activity level -- to maintain itself.

Everyone experiences gas and bloating at one time or another, or even daily. Other than vitamin B-6 helping reduce bloating caused by fluid retention, no other vitamin helps reduce bloating caused by gas directly.

The glycemic index of a food indicates how a food will affect blood sugar and insulin after you eat it. A low glycemic index number, or less than 55, means that the food will raise blood sugar and insulin levels less than one that is higher on the index scale of 0 to 100.

If you have a special event or a beach vacation coming up, losing 10 pounds in a week on the three-day diet with grapefruit sounds like the way to go. But this very low-calorie diet, also referred to as the Military diet, may help you lose more water and muscle than fat.

The traditional diet of the Japanese residents on the island of Okinawa may contribute to a lower risk of cancer, heart disease and all age-related diseases and may extend lifespan, reported a 2009 study published in the "Journal of the American College of Nutrition."

Although a vegetarian diet may be best for reducing your blood pressure, this doesn't mean you need to cut all meat, fish and poultry out of your diet. Red meat, in particular, is associated with increased blood pressure, but you can still eat at least small amounts of lean, unprocessed red meat.