Americans are consuming way too much sugar -- about 22 teaspoons a day, to be exact. Since The American Heart Association suggests consuming no more than 100 calories of sugar a day (that's six teaspoons), FitSugar offers some tips for lightening up on the sweet stuff. Even though Halloween may not be the easiest time to lighten up on sugar, the bulk of our fructose and sucrose intake actually comes from our regular diet and beverage choices.

Cut back slowly, they say, and start with weening yourself off the sugar you add to foods. No more spoonfuls in your coffee and less on your cereal, OK? It's also not a bad idea to choose your daily sugar vice -- allow yourself one bowl of ice cream after dinner, but don't indulge during the rest of the day. Watch out for natural sugars, too, like brown sugar and molasses. And steer clear of liquid sugars -- one 12-ounce can of Coke has a whopping 40 grams of sugar!

We know, it's hard to cut back on something so yummy -- sugar is addictive, after all, but maybe this book can help.

If you think running is as simple as throwing on some sneakers and putting one foot in front of the other, you're wrong. To succeed at the run, you've got to invest in technique, just as you would with sports like swimming, golf or tennis. FitSugar knows the drill and shares a great checklist for scoring a good stride and preventing injury.

Lower Body. You'll want to land mid-foot, not on your heel, which can slow you down and jar the body. Relax your ankles and pick up your feet rather than pushing the ground away, which can tire muscles quickly. Shorten your stride for happier knees, and lean forward from your ankles, not your waist.

Upper Body. First, engage your lower abs -- feel them deep, about two inches below your belly button, and pull them toward your spine. Lift your ribcage up and forward to support your torso, and relax your hands (pretend you're holding an egg). Get those arms swinging -- forward and back, not across the body -- and make sure your elbows are at 90 degrees. Finally, let your shoulders fall (exhale deeply, and they will fall away from your ears), and look straight ahead, not at the ground -- looking down closes your throat and makes breathing more difficult.

This is just a start. AOL Health offers some great inspiration for running, too.

Zoning out at your desk? FitSugar suggests aromatherapy to pull you out of that afternoon slump. Get up, stretch and take the cap off rosemary or peppermint oil and breathe in a refreshing pick-me-up.

Oranges might work well for a crave, too. Citrus scents are mood-lifters, so toss a couple oranges in that cubicle fridge. In the end, aromatherapy beats wandering down to the coffee shop for a tempting calorie-filled latte and fresh-baked raspberry bar. C'mon, you're going to eat dinner in two hours. Breathe in, slim down.

Here are more reasons peppermint is a real cravings fighter.

If music is as essential to your workout as sneakers or a sports bra, then you've probably spent a fair amount of time hunting for the best earbuds, earphones, headphones, whatever it is you use.

It can be tough finding something with good function, fit and fashion, but FitSugar has found a winner in 2XL headphones.

2XL offers a few different models, depending on your needs (some wrap around the ear; some fit snugly inside), and there are lots of colors to choose from, too. Best of all, they're cheap, ringing in at only $10 to $15 a pair.

Need some workout tunes to motivate your moves? Try our That's Fit playlist.

Vegetarians and happy-medium flexitarians are celebrating -- October rings in Vegetarian Awareness Month. Even if you shake your head in disgust at a meal that isn't built around a pork chop, honor the occasion and give all vegetables and grains a serious try for one day.

FitSugar reminds us eating veggie can help with weight loss and disease prevention. From a global perspective, dodging meat can prevent deforestation and global warming, and can improve the water supply. Eating plants also feeds the hungry as factory farms and grazing lands are potential farmland.

One reason the French are so svelte? They build their meals around vegetables and grains.

Photo: Bryan Bedder, Getty Images

Lots of celebs are running marathons for worthy causes -- Ryan Reynolds did it, and Edward Norton is training for one, too. Jessica Biel is also charity-minded, says FitSugar, but this star is taking a different path -- up a mountain. Yep, she'll climb Mt. Kilimanjaro (the tallest, free-standing mountain in the world) for the Summit on the Summit, a group dedicated to educating the public about the need for clean drinking water worldwide.

Why a mountain climb? "This is a basic human necessity that needs to be addressed now," says Biel. "[I want] to help any way I can in order to raise awareness toward the life-threatening clean-water crisis happening not only in Africa but around the world."

Think mountain climbing is too much to tackle? Let Zak York inspire you. After surviving childhood cancer, he took on Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the continental U.S., and he plans to do it again.

If you regularly run on flat terrain, it's time to hit the hills. FitSugar recommends hill repeats to jump-start your conditioning. You don't need to kill yourself on a steep, 30-degree hill. Find a medium, 5-6 percent grade incline and incorporate this series of hill climbs, runs, and finally, sprints. Don't forget your warm-up and cool-down.

Not sure there are inclines in your area? Try Map My Run -- a fantastic tool to locate running routes with the nitty-gritty details on elevation, grade and a variety of map views (hybrid, street, terrain, satellite, topo). If you're a Saucony-clad map and compass running freak, this site is for you.

Get ready to burn bunches of calories running hills, too.

Make it your mission to read (and understand) food labels. Photo: Getty Images

Partially hydrogenated oil is a diet no-no. And many companies are replacing this trans fat with palm oil. They say it's a healthier option. But is it? Not exactly, says FitSugar.

On food labels, you might see this ingredient listed as palm-fruit oil (from the fruit of the palm tree) or kernel oil (from the palm seed inside the fruit). Palm kernel oil is the worst of the two, with 86-percent saturated fat (50 percent of the fat in palm-fruit oil is saturated), but FitSugar says both of these oils should be limited. To protect your arteries and heart, look for foods made with canola or olive oils instead.

Another reason to stray from palm oil: Production of the stuff is leading to deforestation, which is driving orangutans toward extinction.

There's also coconut oil -- but is it any better for your body?

Photo: The Pizza Review, Flickr

FitSugar recently polled readers on this very question. Surprisingly, a whole lot of you soak up the grease with a napkin before biting into a fat-filled slice.

Blotting is a bit bizarre when you consider typical pizza is smothered in fat. Is it really saving you significant fat calories?

Jacki says blotting soaks up about 30 calories and 3 grams of fat -- not all that much. And the technique isn't effective on cold leftovers or a heavenly stuffed with sauce on top. Looks like blotting is more a psychological boost than a nutritional one -- but in the game of diet and fitness, every little bit helps.

Except that family race for the last slice.

Photo: Getty Images

Functional foods are hitting the grocery store shelves in droves, and this should cause you some concern, because what it means is that companies are tossing some vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber into many not-so-good-for-you foods and then calling them healthy. But just because your Fruit Loops box says "now added with fiber" doesn't mean they're nutritious.

Functional foods are really just junk in disguise, says FitSugar, and many of them, while claiming to be packed with wholesome goodness, still contain lots of sugar, corn syrup, sodium and even trans fat.

You'd be wise to focus on a diet full of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats and lean proteins. It's really all you need. Well, that, and a good amount of exercise.

Try working out with some friends, and it could make you plenty happy.

Photo: OnTask, Flickr

Drip, drip, drip -- stop sitting on the couch with a leaky ice pack. If you've ever had a back or knee injury, icing these areas is a royal pain in the rear.

FitSugar recently took a look at the Moldable Moji ice packs for back and knee. Moji's compression cells wrap cool around these rough-to-ice areas, and their Moji To Go means you can ice your knee at the office after your lunch-time run. No knee up on a water-stained chair.

The Moji sounds terrific, except for the sticker shock. The Moji Knee is $85, Moji Back is $99 and Moji To Go cooling canister is $55. For longer-term icing needs, this product makes sense. But for a weekend-warrior injury, an ACE bandage around a bag of peas should do the trick.

Better yet, check out these anti-trick knee exercises.

Photo: akunamatata, Flickr

Trail running has lots of perks -- more shade, great hills for the quads and butt, soft dirt for the joints, and now, Fitsugar says research shows that trailing burns 10 percent more calories than treadmilling.

The uneven terrain is what ups the trail workout. All those extra climbs and obstacles pump up the tempo and work all sorts of muscles.

If running isn't your thing, you can walk, jog or bike your way around the outdoors. Just find yourself a trail and get to work -- try charting your courses at TrailLink, Trails.com and Trailrunner.

Another outdoorsy workout: Rock climbing. You can even take it indoors if that's more your speed.

Photo: www.djsteveboy.com

You replace your running shoes regularly, so why not replace your music? Now, there's a reliable MP3 tool to help you fill your ears with music that fits your workouts: Podrunner.

FitSugar has the scoop on Podrunner, free electronica music for a variety of fitness fans. Podrunner's brainchild, DJ Steve Boyett, regularly releases fixed bpm, one-hour mixes anywhere from 130 to 180 beats per minute. All mixes are archived, which means you'll have no trouble finding an hour of music just right to fuel a relaxing walk to a bomber trail run.

And, amazingly, it's free (although Podrunner gladly accepts donations). If you're looking for varied bpm, check out his Podrunner Intervals, which debuted earlier this year.

Sprinkling in walking intervals may just extend your runner life.

Enjoy a bite, then put your fork down. Photo: ~ www.davidleetong.com ~, Flickr

The American Heart Association is now urging everyone to cut back on sugar intake. Easier said than done, since sugar is present in many food items, like commercially packaged bread. Still, you should try, because Americans are consuming an average of 22 teaspoons a day.

FitSugar is talking about slashing sugar from your diet, and if you jump on board, it could save more than your heart -- it could help trim your waistline, too.

Here's what you want to do: Cut back on added sugars -- those found in your favorite soda, that gooey piece (or two) of chocolate cake, the candy that sits in a bowl on your desk. Don't worry about natural sugars found in fruit, veggies or dairy products. Just pay attention to food labels and nix all products that list the bad guys: Sugar, corn syrup, fructose, dextrose, molasses or evaporated cane juice.

Ladies, the AHA recommends you limit your sugar intake to 6 teaspoons (100 calories) a day. If for nothing else, do it to save your skin.

Photo: lululemon athletica, Flickr

When it comes to dancing, Madonna's lyrical advice in the song Vogue says, "Don't just stand there, let's get to it, strike a pose, there's nothing to it." Turn this song up and think proud warrior, FitSugar reminds us September is National Yoga Month.

More than 750 yoga studios are standing by with a free week of yoga just for you. Maybe a studio in your area has a mat ready for you to strike that pose. Because when it comes to beginner yoga, you don't need a limber, pretzel-like body. That comes with dedication. First step is to get your body to a class.

Yoga runs deeper than stress relief and stretching, it also facilitates mindful weight loss.