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Martha Edwards

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Beer Calories Sink To a New Low

Diet & Weight Loss

Photo: Getty

Nobody wants to be the bearer of an unsightly beer gut, and beer makers are working hard to prove to consumers that they're belly-friendly. If the 100-calories in your average bottle of light beer is just too much for you, some of the big breweries are introducing ultra-low calorie beers. MillerCoors' Miller Genuine Draft 64 and Anheuser-Busch InBev's Select 55 have -- you guessed it -- a mere 64 and 55 calories in a bottle, respectively, meaning they have almost 100 fewer calories than a regular bottle of beer. There's a trade-off though: the alcohol is about as low as the calorie count -- less than 3 percent in both, making it little more than water with a beer flavor.

So is it a good idea? Beer manufacturers seem to think so, so when you consider that Miller Genuine Draft 64 sold twice as much in a year as its predecessor, Miller Genuine Draft Light, it seems they're onto something. And for those looking to have one or two brews and still stick to their diet, this ultra-low beer seems like the perfect solution-- if they can handle the watered-down taste. However, those who are drinking to get drunk will likely end up drinking more bottles -- the only thing that will shrink in size is their wallet.

Think you know your nutritional values? Find out for sure -- Test your calorie knowledge.

Hula-Hooping To Lose Weight

Fitness

Photo: Corbis

It might be an activity that's done more for fun than fitness, but make no mistake -- hula hooping can be quite a workout. In fact, as CafeMom recently posted, it can even be used to help you slim down.

You can tone your tummy with a Hoopilates class or pick up a hooping DVD that will show you the ins and outs of getting fit with the hula hoop. Make sure you're using a weighted one for an extra challenge, and check out these easy moves that can get you started. Keep in mind that you don't always have to use your hula hoop in the traditional manner -- it can be used to tone all your muscles, not just the abs.

So it's no wonder Hula Hooping is catching on all over the place -- even Michelle Obama is doing it!

Eat For Energy

Nutrition & Supplements

Energy levels low? What you eat can make a difference.

VO2 Max

Fitness

VO2 Max -- also known as maximal oxygen consumption, maximal oxygen uptake or aerobic capacity -- is a measure of the maximum oxygen capacity , or how much air an athlete can use. The name is a combination of volume (V) and oxygen (O2). VO2 Max is considered to be the most accurate indication of an individual's aerobic endurance and cardiovascular fitness.

Calculating VO2 Max is done in a controlled environment such as a sports performance laboratory. The athlete is required to perform an exercise at maximum effort, such as running on a treadmill, while their oxygen uptake is recorded. The point at which oxygen consumption levels out is known as the VO2 Max. Their values vary depending on gender and age -- values can typically range from 17.0 (very poor performance) to 60.0 (very superior performance.)

Your VO2 Max is largely determined by your genetics, but research indicates that you can increase it through training. The most effective method for increasing VO2 Max is by engaging in continuous exercise that raises the heart rate to at least 70 percent of your maximum rate for 20 to 60 minutes three times a week.

Once you know your VO2 Max, be sure to check out other highly recommended online calculators.

How Lance Armstrong Stays Fit, Foods That Will Destroy Your Mood and More

Fit Links

Check out some of the links we're loving right now.

Shine
Don't let your diet get you down -- Do your best to avoid these bad-mood foods.
Health.com
Losing weight is one thing -- but how do you keep it off as well? Here are some tips from health bloggers.
Thatsfit.ca
Weight loss supplements can be dangerous and ineffective, but here are nine natural ones that may actually help.
ExerciseTV
How long does it take to change your body? You're only a 40-minute workout away from a body makeover.
Fit Bottomed Girls

Read any good Tweets? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!

Stretches: Don't Forget Them

Fitness

Think stretching is a waste of time? Don't -- it's an essential aspect of fitness.

Exercise: Can You Workout Too Much?

Fitness

Regular exercise is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle, but is there such a thing as over-exercising? You bet -- and according to Sarah Brown, fitness expert for ThatsFit.ca, it's more common than you think. What's more, it can be harmful to your health.

If you think you might be guilty of over-exercising, ask yourself a few important questions. Do you seem to spend most of your free time at the gym? Have your sleep patterns changed? Do you seem to be more susceptible to illness than others? Do you suffer from more aches and pains than usual? If the answers to most of these are a yes, it could be your body's way of telling you to slow down.

Instead of working out more, work out better with tips from this celeb trainer.

Make Cycling Part of Your Commute

Fitness

Bikes aren't just for fitness - they're great for getting where you're going too!

Fast Food Can Cause Depression

Diet & Weight Loss

You might assume that nothing would make you happier than polishing off that super-sized double cheeseburger meal with a large milkshake, but actually the opposite is true -- recent studies suggest that eating junk food actually makes you depressed. Researchers at the University College London in England found that people who regularly indulged in processed, high-fat and sugary foods were 58 percent more likely to suffer from depression than those who eat a healthy, balanced diet.

"There seem to be various aspects of lifestyle such as taking exercise which also matter, but it appears that diet is playing an independent role," Dr. Eric Brunner, lead author of the study, told the Daily Mail.

So is a healthy diet really that much better for you? The study, which appeared in the British Journal of Psychiatry, concluded that all the nutrients found in wholesome food compared to fast food affect mental health. High levels of antioxidants, folate and omega-3s are being credited with the positive mental health of those with a balanced diet. On the other hand, unstable blood sugar levels contribute to high levels of depression in junk food eaters.

The bottom line? Junk food won't make you happy. Keep that in mind next time you're weighing up the merits of a salad versus a Whopper at lunchtime.

In fact, poor eating may send you to therapy -- it did for Kevin Federline.

Cindy Crawford Is Too Curvy, Playboy Yoga and More

Fit Links
As fabulous as we at That's Fit think this blog is, the truth is there are hundreds of wonderful blogs on healthy living to be seen all over the blogosphere. So in this feature, Fit Links, we'll introduce you to some that have caught our eye.
Thatsfit.ca
Huffington Post
Here's a great way to get men interested in yoga -- introducing Playboy Yoga.
Fit Celeb
She's one of the most gorgeous women on earth, but Cindy Crawford doesn't think she'd make it as a model in today's fashion industry.
Fitsmi
What do you do when your daughter wants to look like Keira Knightley ... and doesn't? Ask Fitsmi addresses this tricky question.
US News

Read any good Tweets? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!

 

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