Many people are secretly hoping for a breakthrough discovery of a pill they can take that will replace the need to exercise and eat a healthy diet. While that isn't likely to happen, there are some supplements that can provide some — but not all — of the benefits of exercise and the right type of diet. A few months ago, I told you about how vitamin C can have some of the same beneficial effects on your body as exercise — though this isn't an excuse to skip the gym. But what about diet?

If I asked you to list all the hormones that you can think of, I bet some of the first to come to mind would be estrogen and testosterone. You might be able to list a few more. But I bet very few of you, if any, would name adropin. This peptide hormone isn't very well-known. In fact, it was discovered only a few years ago by a professor at Saint Louis University. But that doesn't mean it isn't important. In fact, it may play a key role in lipid metabolism and metabolic diseases.

You've probably heard of a "cheat day" when it comes to dieting. Some think it's a good idea; others worry that you can do too much damage in just one day to make it wise. But what if I told you that you could not only have a "cheat day," you also could have multiple days a week when you eat what you like and still lose weight? And what if this could even help you experience cardiovascular benefits? Interested?