Is it possible someone out there doesn't know what a healthy snack looks like? I guess it's possible. I guess it's possible we forget sometimes -- or we choose to forget to make room for snacks we know aren't best for fueling our bodies. OK, so we need some reminding now and then. Nothing wrong with that.

Voila! Here, a visual guide to 15 of the healthiest snacks, first introduced by Martha back in August and now back at you -- in the form of this friendly reminder.

Curious? Here are the 15. But don't stop here. Be sure to make a stop at this site and see for yourself just how yummy these snacks look.

Source

Starting college this year? You're at risk of putting on the dreaded 'Freshman 15' -- referring, of course, to the 15 or so pounds you might put on as you adjust to the life of a student. It's nothing to be ashamed of; you're going through lots of changes -- adjusting to dorm life, making new friends, being out on your own for the first time -- so it's really only natural to find comfort in food, and it happens to lots of us.

But consider this piece of wisdom from someone who's been there: It's a lot easier to gain 15 lbs than to lose it. So nip this weight gain in the bud with these tips:

Running short on time? Try your best not to let a full schedule interfere with your workout. You should schedule your exercise time and give it high priority on your to-do list. Don't look at your workout as something you can take or leave at your convenience. The fact is that staying fit and healthy will help you manage the rest of your chores more effectively -- you'll have more energy to be on the go, go, go.

But we all have those days where we just can't squeeze in a long workout routine. When there's just no way a real workout will work, try a quick 15-minute routine. AOL Health has a great 15-minute strength training routine. Or, if you'd rather, you can design your own workout.

• 10 minutes of cardio. Pick a convenient cardio activity that you can do almost anywhere and with minimal equipment. Walking, running, and jumping rope are all good options.
  

Source

Four of my nieces and nephews are heading back to college this weekend. None of them are freshman this year, but I've certainly noticed changes in all of their health since they went to college. When they were freshman, two of them gained weight by eating too much cafeteria food and not exercising. The other two went on a major fitness kick and really overdid it -- getting far too thin for their frames, consuming lots of unnecessary and potentially unhealthy powdered protein drinks, and ignoring good nutrition.

Maintaining proper health is a challenge for college kids when they first move out on their own. Making poor choices or overeating at the cafeteria, late-night binges, poor sleep habits, and alcohol consumption are just some of the reasons that college freshman don't score an "A" for health. In addition, a lot of high school students play team sports -- when they go to college and that organized activity is gone, their fitness level drops as well.

Healthday offers some tips for avoiding the Freshman 15 (though, according to Jacki, it would be more appropriate to call it the Freshman 5):

• Know your class schedule and plan for healthy foods in between classes. (I remember having a tight time crunch in between classes one year when I was at school. On those days, lunch consisted of a candy bar. When I found the candy bar didn't fill me up, I started buying two. Nice. A much healthier and more economical choice would have been to pack a snack -- like whole-grain crackers and cheese along with a piece of fruit -- in my backpack.)

Source

It once was called the "Freshman 15." Now it's the "Freshmen 5" -- 15 was apparently an inflated number -- and even though the tendency for young women to gain five pounds after embarking on a new college experience doesn't seem so devastating, it's still quite alarming, say Canadian researchers.

It's alarming because the weight is typically gained over six or seven months. Putting on weight at this rate can be very problematic.

While there are limitations to the study of this phenomenon -- women who took part in weight-gain research reported only what they ate during the prior 24 hours, for example -- it's clear that colleges need to do more to incorporate physical activity into the lives of female students. And girls entering college should be advised to eat right and exercise well.

Source

OK, I will admit that I don't think that drinking or smoking in moderation, is a huge deal. As long as you're being considerate of those around you and being responsible (not driving drunk, for example), I figure that you can do with your life what you want. And speaking of smoking, I'm not a marijuana fan but again I think that using it in moderation is probably OK.

Maybe it's because I'm from Canada where the view on cannabis is much more lax than in the US, but I never really believed the suggestion that pot (along with drinking and smoking cigarettes) is a gateway drug that will lead users to try harder, more dangerous drugs. Apparently I'm going to have to revise my position and eat my words though, as a huge Australian study has shown the exact opposite to be true.

The study, which followed 2000 young people from the State of Victoria in southeastern Oz for 10 years, has shown that teens who smoked cannabis at age 15 were 15 times more likely to use amphetamines in their 20s. The study also says that study participants who began drinking and smoking cigarettes at a young age were more likely to try pot in the first place. Considering the size and length of the study, as well as the pretty huge findings, I'm thinking I may have to change my opinion about what sorts of things are OK in moderation.

Source