What's for dinner?

Monday Beef and Orange Stir-Fry

When cutting the beef into strips, slice against the grain (across the striated fibers); the result will be meat that is much more tender. Cutting the orange crosswise allows the connective tissues to stay in place, so the slices are less likely to break apart when tossed with the beef. Serve the dish with white rice.

Tuesday Lemon and Olive Chicken

Wednesday Turkey Quesadillas

Thursday Roasted Ratatouille With Eggs and Cheese

Friday Vietnamese-Style Beef and Noodle Soup

Saturday Blackened Salmon Sandwich

Sunday Pizza With Pesto, Tomatoes, and Feta

America's Most Entertaining Cities

1. New York, N.Y. Restaurants: 35,421 Bars: 3,844 Nightclubs: 400 Museums: 734 Live Theater Venues: 710 Sports Venues: 57 Sports Teams: 7 Forbes' Best Cities For The Outdoors Ranking: No. 21

2. Chicago, Ill. Restaurants: 15,692 Bars: 2,493 Nightclubs: 219 Museums: 275 Live Theater Venues: 261 Sports Venues: 24 Sports Teams: 6 Forbes' Best Cities For The Outdoors Ranking: No. 25

3. Los Angeles, Calif. Restaurants: 23,209 Bars: 983 Nightclubs: 283 Museums: 306 Live Theater Venues: 192 Sports Venues: 26 Sports Teams: 7 Forbes' Best Cities For The Outdoors Ranking: No. 32

4. Miami, Fla. (tie) Restaurants: 9,689 Bars: 734 Nightclubs: 208 Museums: 133 Live Theater Venues: 91 Sports Venues: 18 Sports Teams: 3 Forbes' Best Cities For The Outdoors Ranking: No. 16

4. Washington, D.C. (tie) Restaurants: 7,814 Bars: 477 Nightclubs: 146 Museums: 211 Live Theater Venues: 112 Sports Venues: 15 Sports Teams: 5 Forbes' Best Cities For The Outdoors Ranking: No. 9

Serious Sugar Warning

A spoonful of sugar? Americans are swallowing 22 teaspoons of sugar each day, and it's time to cut way back, the American Heart Association says.

Most of that added sugar comes from soft drinks and candy — a whopping 355 calories and the equivalent of guzzling two cans of soda and eating a chocolate bar.

By comparison, most women should be getting no more than 6 teaspoons a day, or 100 calories, of added sugar — the sweeteners and syrups that are added to foods during processing, preparation or at the table. For most men, the recommended limit is 9 teaspoons, or 150 calories, the heart group says.

The guidelines do not apply to naturally occurring sugars like those found in fruit, vegetables or dairy products.

About 8 ounces of fruit-flavored yogurt has about 6 teaspoons of added sugar; 8 ounces of low-fat chocolate milk has about 4 teaspoons; a cup of frosted whole grain cereal has about 3 teaspoons.

The biggest culprits for the glut of sugar? Soft drinks by far, followed by candy, cakes, cookies and pies.

With about 8 teaspoons of added sugar, a regular 12-ounce soft drink will put most women over the recommended daily limit.

Calculating one's sugar intake can be tricky as the government doesn't require labels to differentiate added sugars from naturally occurring sugars, said Johnson. But she points out that the biggest sources, like regular soft drinks and sweets, are pretty obvious. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a database for the added sugar in some foods.

To check for added sugar, look for a variety of ingredients including sugar, corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, molasses or evaporated cane juice on the label.

The heart group didn't recommend general limits for added sugar for children; a national health survey has shown that boys ages 14 to 18 consume an eye-popping 34 teaspoons of added sugar a day.

2009's Most and Least Affordable U.S. Housing

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1. Kokomo, Ind.

Homes affordable to median-income families: 97.5% Affordable homes in Q2 2004: N/A Median home price: $79,000 Median family income: $61,800 Unemployment rate: 14.4%

Kokomo, the most affordable town in the nation, is about an hour outside Indianapolis and is home to Indiana University at Kokomo, which serves an 11-county area in north central Indiana. The town, which is home to a Chrysler transmission plant that employs 1,800 workers, has seen its unemployment rate shoot up above 14%. But its median family income is still relatively high, while its home prices are low.

2. Lansing-East Lansing, Mich.

Homes affordable to median-income families: 96.2% Affordable homes Q2 2004: 90.6% Median home price: $88,000 Median family income: $67,000 Unemployment rate: 12.7%

3. Mansfield, Ohio

Homes affordable to median-income families: 95.2% Affordable homes in Q2 2004: 87.5% Median home price: $79,000 Median family income: $55,600 Unemployment rate: 14.3%

4. Elkhart-Goshen, Ind.

Homes affordable to median-income families: 94.9% Affordable homes in Q2 2004: N/A Median home price: $104,000 Median family income: $59,200 Unemployment rate: 16.7%

Least Affordable

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1. New York-White Plains, N.Y.-Wayne, N.J.

Homes affordable to median-income families: 21.2% Affordable homes in Q2 2004: 15.2% Median home price: $419,000 Median family income: $64,800 Unemployment rate: 9.6% Manhattan is world famous for its culture and nightlife, but living in or near the city requires most people to stretch their finances. The suburbs include ultra-wealthy Greenwich, Conn.; Alpine, N.J.; and Scarsdale, N.Y. Long commutes are common in the tri-state area because land gets more affordable away from New York.

2. San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, Calif.

Homes affordable to median-income families: 26.9% Affordable homes in Q2 2004: 13.3% Median home price: $580,000 Median family income: $96,800 Unemployment rate: 9.3% San Francisco is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It's also one of the most expensive. It's a progressive city with a vibrant economy, a vibrant arts and cultural scene, and a busy seaport. The University of California at San Francisco is one of the nation's top medical colleges. The city has become a biotech and technology center like neighboring Silicon Valley.

3. San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Calif.

Homes affordable to median-income families: 31.8% Affordable homes in Q2 2004: 10.2% Median home price: $364,000 Median family income: $70,800 Unemployment rate: 9.5% San Luis Obispo, a coastal city located between Los Angeles and San Francisco, is surrounded by mountains and is popular for hiking, biking, rock climbing, boating, waterskiing, and other outdoor activities. The metro is home to California Polytechnic State University.

4. Ocean City, N.J.

Homes affordable to median-income families: 32.6% Affordable homes in Q2 2004: N/A Median home price: $350,000 Median family income: $67,200 Unemployment rate: 8.0% Ocean City is a popular beach resort in Cape May County. It has eight miles of beaches, a 2.5-mile boardwalk, two amusement parks, a water park, and a downtown shopping district.

Editor's Note: The metropolitan statistical areas (click here to learn more about MSAs) included in this story were ranked based on the share of homes sold in the second quarter of this year that would have been affordable to a family earning the local median income. Affordability is calculated by comparing the median household income to housing costs, assuming that a family can afford to spend 28% of its gross income on housing. The housing costs were calculated using new and existing sales records supplied by First American Real Estate Solutions and include principal, interest, estimated property taxes, and insurance. It's based on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for 90% of the sales price. The interest rate is a weighted average of fixed and adjustable rates during the quarter as reported by the Federal Housing Finance Board. The median household income estimates are published by the Housing & Urban Development Dept. Source: National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index

5 Books Pres. Obama Reading

All vacations have their rituals: slapping sunscreen on wriggling kids, eating ice cream after dinner, and hiding the holes in the rental-house drywall. Presidential vacations have rituals, too: peekaboo with the press corps, highly managed casual social engagements, and golf. Always there must be the golf.

Even the news media have their vacation rituals. One of them is overinterpreting the presidential summer reading list. Monday the White House obliged, offering the list of five books president Obama has packed for his trip:

• The Way Home by George Pelecanos, a crime thriller based in Washington, D.C.; • Lush Life by Richard Price, a story of race and class set in New York's Lower East Side; • Tom Friedman's Hot, Flat, and Crowded, on the benefits to America of an environmental revolution; • John Adams by David McCullough; • Plainsong by Kent Haruf, a drama about the life of eight different characters living in a Colorado prairie community.

Obesity Can Shave Years Off Your Life

In case you needed another reason to jump on the treadmill instead of spending an hour on the couch in front of the TV, new research shows that extreme obesity — 80 pounds or more over a normal weight — can cut 12 years from your life.

It’s estimated that about 66 percent of adults in the United States are either overweight or obese. Worldwide, 300 million are obese while about one billion more are considered overweight.

Economists with RTI International, a nonprofit research organization in Research Triangle Park, NC, also found that the effect of extreme obesity appears to be greater for men than women and for white people than black people. Smoking is also a factor. And not only will being obese cause you more health problems and shorten your life span if you’re extremely overweight, but it will also cost you more money, too. USA Today notes that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently said an obese patient has $4,871 in medical bills a year compared with $3,442 for a patient at a healthy weight.

And there’s still more bad news on the battle of the bulge front. Another study this week found that not only do heavier people have less brain tissue, and could suffer from "severe brain degeneration," but they could also be at greater risk for later developing Alzheimer’s.

So, here are just a few more reasons to try to shed that extra weight before it’s too late. And if you need recommendations for how to get started, don’t hesitate to have a good, long sit-down with your doctor. Good luck!

Get Ready for Gruesome Cigarette Warnings

Would a gruesome picture of a cancer-ravaged mouth with rotting teeth make you think twice about buying a pack of cigarettes?

That's the goal of new federal regulations expected to go into effect within three years. The rules will require tobacco companies to cover at least half of the front and back of packages with graphic -- and possibly gruesome -- images illustrating the dangers of smoking.

If U.S. regulations are modeled after those already in place in Canada and other countries, the warnings will be shocking: blackened lungs, gangrenous feet, bleeding brains and people breathing through tracheotomies.

Though hard to look at, the more graphic the image, the more effective in discouraging smoking, said Stanton Glantz, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and director of the university's Center for Tobacco Control, Research and Education.

"The graphic warnings really work," Glantz said. "They substantially increase the likelihood someone will quit smoking. They substantially decrease the chances a kid will smoke. And they really screw up the ability of the tobacco industry to use the packaging as a marketing tool."

Over the last decade, countries as varied as Canada, Australia, Chile, Brazil, Iran and Singapore, among others, have adopted graphic warnings on tobacco products. Some are downright disturbing: in Brazil, cigarette packages come with pictures of dead babies and a gangrened foot with blackened toes.

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7 Secrets your body's trying to tell you

Did you know that your sense of smell or finger length could affect your future health? Neither did I, but scientists are discovering that certain physical traits could indicate an increased risk of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer. If any of these apply to you don’t panic—just take a few precautions: 1. Finger length Women whose index fingers are shorter than their ring fingers may be twice as prone to osteoarthritis in the knees, found a 2008 study in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. Those with this predominately male characteristic tend to have lower levels of estrogen, which may also play a role in the development of osteoarthritis, say researchers.

Take this precaution: Strengthen the muscles surrounding your knees. While sitting, straighten each leg parallel to the floor 10 times; hold each rep for 5 to 10 seconds. 2. Leg length If your legs are on the stocky side, you may need to take better care of your liver. In a 2008 study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, British researchers found that women with legs between 20 and 29 inches long tended to have higher levels of four enzymes that indicate liver disease. Factors such as childhood nutrition may influence not only growth patterns but also liver development well into adulthood, say researchers. Take this precaution: Avoid exposure to toxins your liver has to process, which will keep it healthier, longer. Wear a mask and gloves while cleaning or working with any type of harsh chemical. Limit alcohol intake to one 5-ounce glass of wine or 12-ounce bottle of beer daily. 3. Sense of smell Older adults who couldn’t identify the scent of bananas, lemons, cinnamon, or other items were 5 times more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease within 4 years, according to a 2008 study in the Annals of Neurology. The researchers believe that the area of the brain responsible for olfactory function may be one of the first impacted by Parkinson’s disease—somewhere between 2 and 7 years prior to diagnosis. Take this precaution: Pop a fish oil supplement. Omega-3 fatty acids can boost your brain’s resistance to MPTP, a toxic compound responsible for Parkinson’s. 4. Arm length Have a hard time touching your toes (even though you're flexible)? Women with the shortest arm spans were 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those with longer reaches, found a 2008 study in the journal Neurology. (Find yours by spreading your arms parallel to the floor and having someone measure fingertips to fingertips; the shortest spans were less than 60 inches.) Nutritional or other deficits during the critical growing years, possibly responsible for shorter arms, may also predispose a person to cognitive decline later in life, say Tufts University researchers. Take this precaution: Put your appendages to good use with a hobby such as painting or pottery. A 5-year study from the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Rush University Medical Center found that adults who spent the most time engaged in stimulating leisure activities were more than 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than those who spent less time challenging their brains. 5. Earlobe crease Multiple studies show that linear wrinkles in one or both lobes may predict future cardiovascular events (heart attack, bypass surgery, or cardiac death). A crease on one lobe raises the risk by 33%; a crease on both lobes increases it by 77%, even after adjusting for other known risk factors, found a study in The American Journal of Medicine. Though experts aren’t exactly sure, they suspect a loss of elastic fibers may cause both the crease and the hardening of arteries. Take this precaution: Keep your heart healthy in other ways: Slim down, and exercise regularly, which can lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. 6. Jeans size Adults who have larger abdomens in their 40s are up to 3.6 times as likely to develop dementia in their 70s, even if they weren’t overweight, according to a 2008 study published in the journal Neurology. One possible reason for the link is that, compared with subcutaneous fat (the noticeable fat that lies just below the skin), visceral fat (the dangerous fat that surrounds the organs) secretes more of the inflammatory hormones that are associated with cognitive decline. Take this precaution: Eat a portion-controlled Mediterranean-style diet. Research shows that the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in foods such as olives, nuts, seeds, avocado, and dark chocolate prevent the accumulation of visceral fat. 7. Calf size Though it sounds counterintuitive, a 2009 French study in the journal Stroke found that women with small calves (13 inches or less around) tended to develop more carotid plaques, a known risk factor for stroke. The subcutaneous fat in larger calves may pull fatty acids from the bloodstream and store them where they are less of a risk factor, say researchers. Take this precaution: No need to bulk up your legs, but sip green tea to stay heart healthy. In a study of more than 40,500 Japanese men and women, those who drank five or more cups of green tea every day had the lowest risk of dying of heart disease and stroke. Live Better Longer! Quit smoking, and cut back on alcohol and red meat, and get more exercise.