Pregnancy may come with a host of uncomfortable symptoms, but you don't have to suffer. Here are some tips for preventing some of the most common symptoms of pregnancy -- or at least easing some of the discomfort.

Nausea and vomiting: Get up slowly in the morning; movement can make nausea worse. Don't let your stomach completely empty: eat five or six small meals throughout the day. Drink plenty of fluids, get lots of fresh air, and avoid fatty foods that are hard to digest. And trust your instincts. If something smells good to you and the thought of it doesn't make you nauseous, you can probably eat it.

Leg cramps: Exercise regularly, get plenty of fluids, and avoid sitting in the same position for a prolonged period of time. Stretch your legs before going to bed by straightening your leg heel first and wiggling your toes. Massage your legs and apply heat to relieve a cramp.

Heartburn: Avoid greasy or fatty foods, garlic, spicy foods, and drinks containing caffeine. Eat smaller meals, and avoid bending or lying down right after a meal.

Hemorrhoids: Drink plenty of liquids, eat a high-fiber diet, exercise regularly, and avoid long periods of standing or sitting. To relieve hemorrhoid pain, take periodic sitz baths, apply cold compresses, and ask your doctor which OTC creams are safe to use.

Backache: Wear low-heeled shoes with good arch support to avoid straining your lower back muscles. Avoid lifting heavy objects or standing for long periods of time. Make sure your mattress is firm, and that chairs you sit in have good back support (a small pillow placed in the small of your back can help). Don't take medications for back pain unless OK'd by your doctor. Try a heating pad, warm water bottle, or cold pack instead.

Albuterol is usually the primary "rescue" or short-term medicine that is used to help acute asthma symptoms, such as coughing or wheezing. When a patient needs to use albuterol to relieve daytime symptoms more than twice per week, however, it usually reflects the need to use daily "controller" or anti-inflammatory medications. Many people are concerned about possible side effects of inhaled steroids, which are the largest group of "controller" medications available. When used in low- to medium-doses, however, inhaled steroids are very safe, even used on a daily basis for years. They are much safer than either multiple courses of oral steroids OR uncontrolled/undertreated asthma symptoms.

Excellent question. To make a long story short: A serving of alcohol is typically not very high in calories, BUT it is metabolized very differently than our food (90 percent in the liver), which can make weight loss tricky. For example, a light beer is roughly 100 calories and so is a handful of nuts. In terms of calories, this is not much at all, but in terms of metabolism, they vary significantly, partly because you have fiber, protein, and fat in the nut and virtually none of these in beer.

This is why we can't say a calorie equals a calorie. Think of it this way, an empty calorie food or drink is something you can remove from the diet but still maintain optimal physiological function. Do our bodies need alcohol to survive? No. Candy? No. Soda? No. These are empty calories because they don't have a purpose. Do we need lean protein to survive? Yes. Fresh produce? Yes. You get the idea...