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Overwhelmed by all of the "Follow Friday" recommendations on Twitter? Each week AOL Health's Twitter alias Healthpop and That's_Fit search the Twittersphere for the greatest diet and fitness Twitterers, and each week, we'll highlight the best-of their best tweets (no Twits here). Got any great advice for our Fit Follow Friday post? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!

Photo: Nike

Complicated GPS devices, heart monitors and sensors are staples of many a runner's wardrobe. But for those of you who want to pound the terrain without being hooked to too many gadgets, there's one running accessory that you might want to try: The Nike Sportband.

It's pretty simple, really -- it looks like a watch and, by communicating with a small sensor that you insert in or attach to your shoe, it measures you mileage, pace, time and calories burned. Once you've logged a few miles, you hook it up to your computer, and it downloads your workout data to the Nike Plus website, where you can monitor your progress, set goals and keep tabs on how many miles you've covered, giving you grounds for major bragging rights. And at $59, it's not as expensive as buying an iPod and Nike+ Sport kit combination.

Photo: Joshua Rappeneker, Flickr

We know fatty foods can take a toll on our waistlines and our health. But how bad is just one unhealthy meal? It's a nutritional trainwreck, as Yunji De Nies and Jon Garcia from ABC News found out.

De Nies and Garcia set out to determine the effect just one meal has on the body. So they headed to the University of Maryland Medical Center, where their blood was analyzed and their arteries were examined before and after they ate a meal consisting of deep fried macaroni and cheese, quesadilla burger and monster-sized deep dish sundae. Pre-meal test results: Both were perfectly healthy.

Things didn't look so great after they each worked at consuming nearly 6,190 calories and 187 grams of fat (the USDA recommends 2,000 calories and no more than 20 grams of saturated fat per day). While neither could finish their massive portions, what they did manage to eat made them both feel tired and sluggish, and Garcia got a severe headache. Then, after two hours and post-meal testing, Garcia's blood samples were very cloudy -- the fat was literally flooding his system. De Nies' blood sample was not as startling, but the ultrasound of her arteries revealed her heart was working so hard to pump blood through her narrowing arteries, she could actually hear the difference -- you can hear it too, in this video.

Jonny Bowden, author, nutritionist and weight loss coach cuts through all the misconceptions about diet and fitness to help you transform your body, your health and your life.

Photo: TheBusyBrain, Flickr

I've ranted about high sugar cereals for years. Even those masquerading as "healthy" cereals are usually high-glycemic (meaning they raise blood sugar quickly), and they contribute to weight gain, cravings and ultimately, lower energy.

And most of these cereals are fiber lightweights, despite the fact that we're constantly being sold on the notion of cereals as "high fiber" foods. With the exception of Fiber One, UltraFiber, Bran Flakes and a few others, most commercial cereals only contain a gram or two of fiber, which is one of the reasons they're so "high glycemic" in the first place.

Now a new study has shown that high-glycemic foods like cornflakes are not only bad for the waistline -- they're also bad for the heart.

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Today is National Start! Walking Day, and if you ask me, that's as good an excuse as you're ever going to find for starting a walking program. Whether you're doing it to lose weight, become a little more fit, or just because it feels good to get moving, you can't deny that walking has tons of benefits. And now, there are some great ways to get started.

The American Heart Association's Start! Walking Program and ExerciseTV have teamed up to offer everyone the instruction they need to get started with the Start! Walking at Home With Leslie Sansone videos, which are available for purchase on DVD and for download on the ExerciseTV website. The videos start from the beginning, with a short intro, and build up to a three-mile walk.

By walking less than a half hour each day, you can improve the health of your heart, which I think we can all agree is fairly important. Not sure walking is for you? Consider these statistics:

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How's this for alarming stats -- an astounding 80 percent of us are eating more than the recommended daily intake (RDI) of saturated fats every day. That's pretty shocking -- I expected the number to be high but not that high. Considering February is heart health month, I think it's time to face the facts about our saturated fat intake. For the record, the RDI of sat-fat is 20 g per day. Keeping that in mind, consider this:

• One croissant has 20 g of saturated fat
• Eight ounces of cashew nuts has 30 g. So does one-third of a roast chicken.
• If a food has 5 g of sat-fat in a serving, avoid it.
  
• Soft cheese has less sat-fat than hard cheese.
  

Want to know the sat-fat content of some of your favourite foods? Here's a pretty thorough list, and click here for more facts and myths on sat-fat.

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February is heart month, so take care of your ticker with this easy tip: The bridge pose. The bridge pose, which basically involves raising your hips to the ceiling while lying on your back with your feet flat on the floor, will help increase blood flow to your heart and gently help make it stronger. And, as an added bonus, you'll give your glutes a workout too.

Of course, don't stop there -- the entire yoga workout will benefit you in some way. And, also in honour of heart health month, make sure you're watching what you eat and adding some heart healthy fish and nuts into your diet.

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Time to get all red in the face while sporting your red running shorts, red sneakers, red iPod, maybe even your red hat and gloves if you prefer an outdoor workout but are buried in snow lately. February 6 is the day reserved for red. Are you ready? Andie MacDowell is. She's lending her support to the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign.

This Friday is National Wear Red Day. Why not band together with workout partners, co-workers and family members to draw attention to women's heart health?

Wearing red on the 6th is a great idea, but it's even more important to show your support for heart health on a daily basis, through a clean diet and and a good amount of exercise. The American Heart Association has lots of tools including heart-healthy recipes and a fitness plan.

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We all know that people tend to use time as a so-called "legitimate" reason to eat poorly. Those people never like me much. Why? Because the excuse is lame and doesn't hold water, and I'm fairly upfront about it. The truth: Bananas are quicker to peel than any package can be opened. Apples don't even need peeling!

Cooked food can also be insanely quick. In fact, I always keep giant bags of various frozen vegetables in my freezer so I can toss them in a bowl and heat them in the microwave in under five minutes. Is it gourmet? Not really. Do I care? Hell no!

What matters most is that we choose fruits, veggies, lean meats and whole grains. Those are a few of the things that are vital not only to weight maintenance, but they support a nourished, energetic and disease-free body. If you are hell-bent on eating poorly than just get on with it. But if you truly want to make fitness happen and change your life, you're going to have to kick excuses to the curb.

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Hunched over at a desk all day? Here's a quick and easy way to undo hours of bad posture.

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Pour yourself a piping hot cup of cocoa if you get the chance today. There's nothing better for warming your spirits on what might be a chilly day in your neck of the woods. Just two rules: Make it sugar-free, and go easy on the creamy toppings.

The great thing about hot cocoa is that while you sip your way to a toastier spirit, you'll also be helping your heart. Just ask researchers from Yale, who say that downing a cup of the chocolate stuff causes blood vessels to temporarily dilate so the heart doesn't need to pump as hard. The end result, says the crew at Ladies Home Journal: A blood pressure drop to the tune of six points (only three points if your cup contains sugar). Opt for naturally-processed cocoa powder over the Dutch-processed variety, and you'll get even more antioxidants for even better blood flow.

Go ahead -- indulge. It's Christmas. You deserve a treat. And a healthy heart too.

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During the holidays, the wine flows freely at my house. Wine's the best of the alcohols, right? That's what we tell ourselves anyway. But one has to wonder, considering recent reports that the metals in wine are linked to Parkinson's and cancer. Plus, apparently, wine drinkers are most likely to drink too much. Egads.

And yet, it's still true that wine is healthy for your heart. What's a wine lover to believe?

I, for one, believe in moderation -- living healthfully 90 percent of the time and giving myself a break that other 10 precent. I also believe that if we abide by every study on every food that causes whatever disease or condition, we're not really enjoying ourselves. I believe in enjoying the good things in life, all at once -- good food and libations with good family and friends. I believe in making up for indulgences with an extra long run on Monday.

What's your take?

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It's a well-known fact that vitamin D is important for bone health. But it's important for other reasons as well.

Low levels of vitamin D can increase the risk of heart-health issues, including heart attacks and strokes. While you do obtain some vitamin D through diet, the best source is sunlight. So now, while the evenings are short, it's important to make a concentrated effort to get some exposure to the sun.

Ten minutes of sun exposure is enough for people with light skin -- those with darker skin will need a little extra time. Try going for a walk during your lunch hour -- it's a perfect way to get your daily dose of sunlight while getting a little extra exercise as well.

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After years of having low-fat and no-fat foods pushed at us, it's no wonder that some people are a bit confused over the concept of a healthy fat. The American Heart Association has a fun way to clear up the confusion; meet the Better Fats Sisters:

• Mon. Short for monounsaturated fat, Mon is found in fish, seeds, nuts, avocado, and vegetable oils. Mon offers some heart health benefits but, as all fats are high in calories, it's important to practice moderation.
  
• Poly. Short for polyunsaturated fat, Poly is a heart helper like her sister; she can help lower your bad cholesterol.
  
  

Nutrition labels usually only list total fat grams, saturated fat and trans fat. To estimate how much monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats are in a product, just subtract the saturated and trans fat from the total fat. Want more of the skinny on fats? Check out AOL Health.

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All fruits and vegetables are good for you, but grapes are getting some additional props for their heart-healthy benefits.

A recent study divided mice who were specially bred to be susceptible to high blood pressure into diet-defined groups -- one got a low-salt diet, another got a high-sodium diet, a third got a high-sodium diet with the addition of a grape mixture, and a fourth got a high-sodium diet with a small dose of hydrazine (a common blood pressure medication). At the end of the study, the mice who got the grape mixture came out on top with lower blood pressure, better heart function, reduced inflammation, and less heart muscle damage.

Grapes make a convenient and healthful snack as is, but there are lots of other ways you can enjoy grapes. Freeze them for an alternative to other frozen treats. Top your salad with some red or black grapes. Or sip on a few ounces of 100% grape juice.

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