Here are 3 interesting tips from the September 2011 issue of Self magazine.

Eating 2 apples a day lowered people’s LDL (bad) cholesterol by 23% and raised HDL (Good) by 3% a year. (research from Florida State University in Tallahassee).

Missing a night of sleep can slow your metabolism by up to 20% the next day. Running your body all night wears it out, so it’s less efficient at burning calories. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition)

A compound in parsley, apigenin, may fight a type of breast cancer by curbing tumor growth. (Animal research from the University of Missouri in Columbia). (Parsley also improves breath so why not just throw it into your salads or smoothies.)