That little tiny bottle promising five hours of energy without the crash you'd get from coffee or soda? It may actually be linked to other, much more worrisome side effects. FDA records show that over the past four years, 13 deaths have mentioned the 5-Hour Energy drink as a possible factor. And that's not all: According to The New York Times, the caffeine-vitamin shot has appeared in 90 FDA filings since 2009, more than 30 of which were tied to serious conditions ranging from heart attacks to a spontaneous abortion. Whoa! Crazy!

Nonetheless, the producers say they're "unaware of any deaths proven to be caused by the consumption of 5-Hour Energy." Hmm ... Still, this news has got to be enough to give even a casual energy drink consumer pause -- especially in the wake of last month's report that the Monster Energy drink could be potentially linked to five deaths, one of which was 14-year-old Anais Fournier who drank two Monster drinks in a 24-hour period.

Do you ever look at those people in the supermarket with a cart full of soda and wonder if they're throwing a party or if they're really going to drink all of that? That used to be me. It was diet soda, but still, every week I'd pull up to the register with some 10 to 12 bottles of soda in my cart. I was a diet soda addict and caffeine addict, all in one little 5'4" body.

Yes, you can be addicted to diet soda, and I'm living proof. At one point I was drinking two a day. Two liters a day, that is. I did the math once, and that's about 193 gallons of diet soda a year.

Any woman who's ... well, any woman who's ever been a woman knows that our wonderful menstrual cycle affects a lot more than most people (men) realize. For example, a recent study found that asthma symptoms get worse around the time of ovulation. (Which, if you have asthma, is probably something you've known for a long time.)

The usual period-related suspects (cramps, bloating, moodiness, breakouts) are bad enough, but those havoc-wreaking hormones are to blame for a slew of other very unpleasant symptoms. The good news? Once you know what those crazy ch-ch-ch-changes are actually doing to your body, you can figure out a way to cope. (Leaders of the asthma study suggest adjusting women's medication during ovulation.) Here are some more ways your menstrual cycle messes with you (and helpful tips to try):

So, do you like your neighborhood? I mean really like your neighborhood? Because according to the latest research, NOT liking your neighborhood could be hazardous to your health. Seriously! Researchers discovered that people who like their community (or think it's on the upswing, at least) "report better physical health" than people who don't like their community (or think it's going downhill).

Chronic pain, obesity, fatigue, diabetes, and sleep disorders were just a few of the specific complaints associated with not liking one's nabe. Makes perfect sense, really. Think of all the reasons why a person wouldn't like their community and you'll see how every issue can be linked to potentially unhealthy behavior ...

If you're reading this right now, you already know: staring at a computer screen or a smartphone can be a real pain in the neck. Literally. The way we're always slouched over, head way in front of our shoulders ... it's not good. In fact, it's dangerous. More and more people are seeking medical attention for what some physical therapists are calling Text Neck.

It's when, um, your neck hurts from texting.

God, we really are pathetic, aren't we.

It's so easy to let things pile up around you. It's hard to take the time to go through your house and make sure everything is clean and clutter-free, especially if you have a number of small people running around breaking stuffs.

Did you know that having extra clutter around your house can cause you stress and actual harm? It's true. There are a number of health benefits related to simplifying your life and reducing the amount of clutter in your life.

Working out. Sigh. Sometimes I need it. Most of the time, actually, I crave it. Running, I could go on for hours if I didn't think my family and friends would worry about me not answering my phone. But shoot -- TRUST ME, there are many times I dread it. Actually, dread isn't a strong enough term. Despise, ahhh. That's a tad more fitting.

You've been there, haven't you? Long day, three pizza slices down -- you know you should head to the gym or for a long walk or, shoot, maybe just get off the couch and stretch, but you just can't. Physically. It's impossible. It involves changing. Gathering things. Too much effort already.

So what do we do? Avoid it. Heck, making excuses is SO much easier than putting thoughts to action, ain't it? Yeah it's easy to make excuses when we wanna lose weight, but it's even EASIER to come up with a crock of bull to avoid working out.

Thus I present you with 10 common (and ridiculous) exercise excuses, coming atcha:

Do you find yourself yawning right about 4 p.m., exhausted and ready to go home? I do (excepting that I work from home, which complicates matters). Turns out, my energy is exceptionally low because I've been doing all of the wrong things to boost it.

Drinking a pot of coffee or eating a candy bar may help in the short-term, but both caffeine and sugar highs are met with the inevitable crash. So that's not working - what DOES work to bolster your energy level? Turns out it's shockingly easy.

Here are some easy tips to kick-start your energy!