In Hollywood, it seems skinny is never skinny enough. Unless you're Actress Megan Fox who was told by Transformers II director Michael Bay to gain 10 pounds if she wanted a role in his movie.

Fox, who had gotten pretty darn thin for her role in the upcoming film Jennifer's Body, was deemed too skinny for Bay who just doesn't like skinny girls. So she put on 10 pounds, just as she was instructed to do. How did she accomplish this feat? She eats red velvet cake every night before bed and spends little time working out. Not exactly two very healthy endeavors. In time, though, she might makes some changes.

"I'm kind of naturally fit for now," says Fox, 22. "But I hear when you turn 25 your body changes, so I might be out of luck once I hit that age." Uh, yeah.

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If water isn't enough to quench your thirst, you're in luck. A new UCLA study reveals the top 10 healthiest drinks, and AOL News features the nitty gritty on the whole lot right here. And guess what? Nine of them are fruit based. Here they are.

• Apple Juice
• Tea
• Orange Juice
• Cranberry Juice
• Acai Juice
• Black Cherry Juice
• Blueberry Juice
• Concord Grape Juice
• Red Wine
• Pomegranate Juice
  

What makes these drinks so healthy? Antioxidants, mostly. The more vivid the color, the more antioxidants there are. No wonder so many berry drinks made the cut.

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Brie Cadman over at Divine Caroline gives a humorous and right-on run-down of the 10 worst fad diets. Sure these diets, like Slim Fast, The Cereal Diet, The Subway Diet, and Dr. Siegal's® Cookie Diet™ might work -- try them and chances are, you will lose weight -- but if you're looking for weight loss that sticks around or if you want to just plain enjoy your food, these diets are, as Cadman calls them -- just plain ridiculous.

Cadman says of Slim Fast that yes, you will lose weight, "until you grow so bored and tired of eating the exact same thing for two meals a day you quit, and realize that -- wow -- there are a lot of other foods out there that cost a lot less. Say, fruits and vegetables."

About The Writing Diet, Cadman can't figure out why all writers are not size twos because according to Julia Cameron, author of the new book The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Sized, they should be. Cameron says that people overeat not out of hunger, but because of emotion. Says Cadman: "By writing daily, we tap into our emotions, and put them on the page instead of in our mouths. While I can concede that having your hands on a keyboard will prevent them from grabbing a bag of Doritos, I can't figure out how sitting on your butt is supposed to make it smaller." One of Cadman's readers disagrees, stating that the book does a pretty good job of promoting exercise too.

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Surely, you know by now that there's nothing good about trans fat. Restaurants are abandoning it, food makers are ditching it, and companies are more than happy to report "0 Trans Fat" on their boxes, bags, and packages. Still, it's not gone from everything and if we're not careful, bits and pieces of trans fat might make their way into our bodies. This is bad news -- experts say there's no safe level of this unhealthy fat.

There's good news too, though: Trans fats disappear from your body at a rate of 15 percent a year once you stop eating them. More good news: You can stop eating them by eliminating these 10 foods from your diet. Here they are, Prevention magazine's 10 worst trans fat foods.

• Cake mixes

• Cereal and energy bars

• Chips and crackers

• Dried soups

• Fast food

• Frozen entrées

• Margarine

• Nondairy creamers and whipped topping

• Packaged cookies and candy

• Packaged doughnuts, pies, and cakes

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It's a healthy step, says larger-than-average model Emme -- she wore a size 14/16 at her career high -- of the "plus-size" crowning of 20-year-old Whitney Thompson. But it's still ridiculous, she says. "In our society, she's normal."

What does the big winner have to say about all of this? Here are a few of her thoughts.

• Revenge is sweet, she says, after being called "fat" by mean girls in her Atlantic Beach, Florida hometown.

• Despite teasing, she's never obsessed about her diet. "You don't have to starve to be beautiful," she says. "I made that decision in seventh grade, when my friends were drinking Slim-Fast."

• About speculation that she hasn't always been a size 10 but once fit into size 4 clothing: Never, she reports. She was once a size 6 but shot up to her current 10 in college. She has no plans for slimming down.
  
  

• Thompson also says she was never asked by ANTM staffers to put on weight to fit into the "plus-size" category. Had they asked, she says, she would not have done it.

The world of plus-size modeling may not be large, but here are a few celebs known for strutting their full-figured selves.

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In the market for some new best friends? Women's Health suggests you hand over your loyalty to these 10 friendly foods. They're trustworthy, good for you, and they'll always be there when you need them. These non-toxic friends will never do you wrong.

• Baby Carrots -- Buy them washed and bagged and use them for their vision-improving beta-carotene.

• Black beans -- Buy them canned, low in sodium, and dark and you'll enjoy the benefits of antioxidants, fiber, folate, and magnesium.

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Just heard a weight loss recommendation that goes like this: Jot down 10 small changes you can begin making today.

It's not all about big sweeping changes. The little ones add up too. Often, they are easier to achieve. If weight loss isn't your thing, identify 10 changes related to fitness, nutrition, healthy living, or connecting with others. Let your changes span all of these topics, if you'd like. Here are mine.

1. Drink more water. I don't get enough.

2. Eat less after dinner. I don't need the extra calories.

3. Eat out less. Staying home is healthier and cheaper.

4. Save. I want to be financially fit.

5. Stretch more. I work out every day. I rarely stretch.

6. Rest more. I work out every day. I need more rest.

7. Breathe more. I will take more deep breaths to soothe my soul.

8. Work on my abs. They are weak.

9. Validate. I will validate my kids' emotions, even the ones that drive me bonkers.

10. Stay calm. I will remain calm when people around me are not.

You could crunch you way to abs like Arnold Schwarzenegger's but if you have a layer of body fat over them, they'll never show. It's a myth that crunches will burn the fat off your belly. Modify your diet and start moving on a treadmill. Now that will work.

Fitness professionals Chris Hoover and Jeremy Koerber debunk the crunch myth and nine others in this article. They tell us it's just not true that weightlifting makes women bulky: "Unless they are using steroids, it's not going to happen," says Hoover. These guys also report that there is not actually an easy way to lose weight.

"It's called work. (That person in that ad) didn't get that body in 20 minutes a day, three days a week," says Koerber. "It's just not possible."

What about the belief that workouts must be intense to be beneficial? Nope. Actually, the body burns fat as efficiently when you do low to moderate-intensity workouts. Unfortunately, though, it takes longer to burn calories this way.

Click here to find out what these fitness guys say about sweating, stretching, aging, and workouts that hurt. Then tell us what you think.

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Scientists are finding more and more evidence to indicate there may be more than family history, genetic mutations, and bad luck at play when it comes to who gets cancer and who doesn't. Now, more than ever, we are learning that cancer may have less to do with chance and more to do with lifestyle. That's why many of us -- me included -- jump on the health bandwagon, clinging to the hope that a good diet and a good amount of exercise will keep cancer at bay.

Breast cancer survivor and writer PJ Hamel offers on My Breast Cancer Network 10 recommendations related to breast cancer and nutrition. They cover everything from antioxidants to soy to fat to fiber. Check out the whole list here. And then take a peek at this -- a recipe for cookies Hamel developed using each of the 10 tips she provides. She calls them her Take-10 Cookies.

For more from Hamel -- she blogs about all sorts of cancer and health-related topics -- point and click your mouse right here.

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Sometimes thinking about changing your lifestyle in order to be happier or healthier seems like a daunting task. I know that times when I decide I'm unhappy with my habits and end up on a mission to make changes and improve my overall well-being, I tend to give up easily because I get in the mind frame that I have to change absolutely everything at once.

Of course, overhauling your entire life in a day isn't necessarily the best way to make changes for the better. A few small steps can be taken each day, week or even month to improve your life. Eventually all of these little alterations will add up to some major life changes.

I like this article from the Canadian Living website because it gives a list of 10 things you can do in the month of October to improve your well-being. There's nothing very difficult to accomplish on the list -- suggestions include eating more berries, doing push-ups, taking the stairs and trying out pomegranate -- but I bet if you made the commitment to try them all throughout the month, you'd find that you feel a bit happier, more relaxed and healthier overall.

If you want to see all 10 tips and find out just why they're all good for you, take a peak at the entire article here.

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I'm a firm believer that everybody needs a vacation now and then. Whether it's what some of us refer to as a "mental health day" from school, work or the kids, a couple of weeks of annual holiday from your job or even a sabbatical of a month or more, I really think that if you work hard you deserve to play hard. A bit of relaxation and the kind of physical exercise often involved with a holiday (think walking and swimming) are good for your emotional as well as your physical health.

For those of you out there lucky enough to be able to take a few weeks off and who have the money to splash out on something different, consider one of the 10 incredible vacation destinations listed here.

Located in spots as exotic as Kenya, Turkey and Brazil, and as familiar as Big Sur, CA, suggestions include holistic holidays in Greece, well-being retreats in a Moroccan spa, body-and soul-cleansing programs at Californian ashram and journeys of learning and self-discovery at Outward Bound in New Zealand. These holidays aren't cheap -- I know that I won't be trying one any time soon -- but if you can afford them, each sounds like an adventure for both the mind and body.

(Note: Prices are listed in Pounds and Euro, but are easy to convert using an online currency converter.)

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I'm a bit of a hypochondriac. Specifically, I think that basically any unusual or unexpected ache, pain or swelling is cancer. Fortunately, for my doctor especially, I am usually pretty good at deciphering which symptoms actually need to be checked out and which are likely just random and normal body fluctuations.

There are symptoms, however, that according to the Mayo Clinic should not be ignored. For example, if you lose 5% of your body weight within a month or 10% in 6 to 12 months and you can't explain why, you should have a chat with your family doctor. Unexplained weight loss can be an indicator of a range of conditions including cancer, liver disease and depression.

If you've injured a joint and it has become hot, red and/or swollen, you need to seek help as you may have a joint infection that could eventually lead to the loss of a limb. Other warning signs you should never ignore include shortness of breath, severe headaches, flashes of light and feeling super full when you've hardly eaten anything. To see the rest of the symptoms as well as the reasoning behind why you need to get then all checked out, take a look here.

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I like the view in this piece that we shouldn't rely on a pill to get all of the vitamins and minerals we need to keep our bodies healthy. Many exist in abundance in food so why no make a commitment to include them as part of a regular diet rather than always turning to a multivitamin? I'm not saying they multivitamins are useless, but if it's possible to absorb vitamins in food, why not give that a try too?

For those who are interested in giving it a go, here is a list of 10 essentials, along with one of the many reasons each is so good for you and some of the foods that are packed full of them:

• Iron - Prevents anemia, found in tofu, lean red meat, nuts and seeds, dried fruit and fortified cereal.
• Vitamin C - Helps your body deal with stress, found in orange juice and citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, spinach and bell peppers.
• Vitamin D - Aids in cancer prevention, found in fortified milk and yogurt, salmon and can be absorbed from a small amount of sun exposure.
• Vitamin E - An antioxidant that helps lower the risk of a stroke, found in almonds and sunflower seeds.
• Vitamin K - Aids in blood clotting, found in avocados, kale, spinach and pine nuts.
• Calcium - Essential for bone health, found in milk and dairy products, broccoli, almonds and sesame seeds.
• Folate - Fights cancer, found in peanuts, lentils, corn and spinach
• Selenium - Keeps immune system strong, found in shellfish, Brazil nuts and sesame seeds.
• Magnesium - Helps keep bones strong, found in beans, seeds, nuts and green leafy vegetables.
• Potassium - Works to keep blood pressure level, found in sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, kiwi and bananas.

To find out more about why these are all so good for you, as well as other foods that contain the 10 vitamins and minerals, take a look here. The article even includes a recipe for each, and they all look pretty tasty.

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I admit that I've been busted for assuming that just because someone is thin, they're more fit than another, heavier person. Of course, the truth is that a naturally skinny junk-food addict/perennial couch surfer is likely in way worse shape than someone with a bit of extra baggage who exercises regularly and makes a commitment to eat well.

8 other common myths about fitness are addressed and explained in this AOL Body piece. Based on the article, a lot of us are pretty misinformed about a bunch of work-out related issues. Other truths revealed include that you can't just use aerobic exercise as a way to lose weight. Building muscle is essential because the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at any given time

The piece also talks about whether you really need to stretch before a workout, if you can skip the exercise and lose weight through diet alone and whether you can get rid of tummy fab with crunches. To find out the truth about these and a number of other common myths, take a look here.

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Wow, lets hope not because that would suck! We all have enough trouble with our weight without making it worse with the very makeup we put on to hide flaws -- not point them out. But it works both ways, and by using makeup strategically you can successfully go the other way and look thinner -- as much as 10 pounds thinner! Blush and shadow placed in the right places, like along double chins and cheekbones, can create definition and help extra flab recede into the background. For tips on how to do it see this article on iVillage -- and let us know how it works. Just make sure to practice and do it correctly, or you could easily end up looking 10 pounds fatter!

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