That's Fit

I'm not a juice girl. Never have been. Don't plan to become one. It comes down to sugar for me. Natural or not, I don't like how much comes packed into juice drinks.

Despite my own personal aversion to juice, it can be a nutritious beverage. Here, Real Simple magazine takes a look at eight different juices and reveals how they stack up healthwise.

• Apple Juice

• Cranberry Juice

• Grape Juice (red)

• Grapefruit Juice

• Orange Juice

• Pineapple Juice

• Pomegranate Juice

• Tomato Juice

Hungry at the ball game? Wave down that snack vendor and order peanuts in the shell. It's your healthiest option. The worst? Nachos with cheese. Tummy grumbling while you're stuck in the airport? Pizza, no pepperoni, is your best bet. There's protein in the cheese, and the tomato in the sauce counts as a veggie serving.

According to the Today Show and Real Simple magazine, a small bag of plain pretzels or whole wheat crackers with peanut butter from a vending machine are tops compared to any variety of chips or candy bars. Headed to the movies? Pick a child's size popcorn -- no butter -- and if you must have a sweet something, Junior Mints have less fat than most other sugary options. Two more tips: Avoid all "Jumbo" choices, and definitely don't opt for Milk Duds. A whole box will fill you with more than 500 calories.

Is a stop at a mall food court in your future? How about the mini-mart? Before you head to these locations, be sure to check out this article.

Buy your cheese in the dairy aisle and not the deli and you could save up to 30 percent since you're not paying someone to slice it for you. Buy your oranges, onions, and potatoes in the bag and not individually and you'll pay half the price.

Real Simple magazine lists some other supermarket-saving tips in their May 2008 issue. Like this: Purchase your seafood frozen, not fresh, and you'll be 20 to 40 percent richer. Remember this: Most "fresh" fish has been frozen for transport so essentially, both options are very similar.

Buy ground beef and chicken in bulk or in family portion sizes. You'll save about 20 percent on beef and 50 percent on chicken by going this route. And don't buy non-grocery items in a supermarket. Pick up your health and beauty items, for example, at Target or other mass marketers. They're cheaper at these locations.

For a quick lesson in smarter shopping, healthier eating, and better living, visit supermarketguru.com.

May is the best time to buy cookware, says Hugh Rushing, executive vice president of the Cookware Manufacturers Association. It's when retailers temporarily mark down prices in time for wedding and college graduation season. May is just around the corner. Ready. Set. Shop.

If you can't make it happen in May, October and November are your next affordable options. Holiday promotions kick in during these months. Any other time of the year? Forget it. Prices typically won't budge.

Mark your calendars for February and March if you're in the market for a bike or outdoor gear. This is when the season's new models come out and stores want to replace their fall and winter inventory.

For more scoop on the best time to buy -- airline tickets, big appliances, cars, mattresses -- take a stroll through this article.

As much as I enjoy splurging from time to time on pricey beauty products, I also really like trying out simple, DIY beauty items. Not so long ago I wrote about home-made hair care -- using foods like mayonnaise and beer to soften and brighten your hair. I think what I like about at-home beauty is that, since the tips are usually cheap, barring any major disasters you can figure out which products you like without having to waste a tonne of money on stuff that turns out to be not so great.

I was pretty excited to find this list of 10 great budget beauty products that you can make at home. They're all really simple, containing only a few ingredients each. In addition, a number of the 'recipes' include a lot of the same ingredients -- like essential oils and rubbing alcohol, so you only have to buy a few things and can still try most of the ideas. All you need is a range of empty bottles and containers and you're good to get started.

FitSpirit explores the mind-body connection and the intangible benefits we gain from our efforts to stay physically fit.

I'm not so good about stretching. I don't stretch for the sake of stretching. I don't stretch for relaxation. I typically don't stretch before a workout. Basically, I don't stretch. But I should. There's no doubt it would help my occasional shin splints. It can also do so much more.

Stretching can loosen my tight ligaments and muscles. It can prevent injury and soothe pain. It can limber my overall body and put me in a more positive frame of mind. Stretching is simple. Yet, for me, it's so hard to accomplish.

Some organizations are offering morning stretching to help employees kick of their days in the right direction. I propose you make stretching a priority early in your days too. If you'll do it, I'll do it too.

Before you flex that body of yours, be sure to stretch correctly so you don't hurt yourself. Stretch slowly and carefully to the point of light tension, not pain, and hold each stretch for 30 seconds. Avoid bouncing during the stretch too.

OK, time to get started. Click here for eight simple stretches to start off the day.

After you kick off those exercise shoes, why not lounge around in something comfy and environmentally friendly? Add a bag, some surf gear, and a hat and you'll be completely decked out in sustainable stuff.

It's a simple concept by a company calling itself yes, Simple. There's nothing over-built or over-hyped about the gazillion products sold by this green group. All items are 100 percent sustainable and are made using a method called Green Toe. It's not a magical formula, or a cure, according the company's website. It's just a compass that points to a bright green future. Using a scale of "good, better, best," each product is rated according to it's contribution to Mother Nature.

It's all very cool, the vision of this company, the trendy eco-sneaks available for men, women, and kids, the fact that these Simple products are made from bamboo, organic cotton, cork, and recycled car tires. Now that's what I call a fashion statement.

There are all sorts of definitions of what's sexy (and when I say sexy, I mean sexy -- not sleazy). Whether you're down-to-earth, funny and easy to talk to, nice but with a naughty side or super confident and flirty, your personality will likely appeal to a range or guys.

Ever wonder if you're the 'Girl Next Door', the 'Seductress' or the "Vixen on the Prowl"? I found this fun quiz from Elle that lets you know where you fit on the sexy scale. Answers to questions about an idea first date, your favored bra and undie combo, your typical bedtime wear, the TV character who is most like you and favorite celeb style, help determine which of the aforementioned categories you fit into.

I ended up with the 'Girl Next Door' label, which I think is pretty accurate considering it's a fun and simple quiz. Why not give it a try and let us know what kind of sexy you are?

Starting today I want you to begin focusing on the big picture in life. The main stream media is so full of nonsense in order to sell sensational stories that normal non-psychotic people don't know what to do with themselves. Fitness is simple. Sweat often and avoid putting too much crap in your mouth. That's it! If you make daily vigorous movement a consistency in your life and seek out healthful foods 90% of the time, you'll be great!

The daily NEWSFLASH findings like "Eat dark chocolate", "Drink wine daily", "Diet soda makes you fat" is nonsense and cruel! Most of my clients end up on my doorstep, because they've become confused. They don't know who to trust and the constant newsflash reports have sent them in circles. Avoid it if you can.

Do what you learned in kindergarten. Eat lots of fruits and veggies, lean dairy, lean meat. Avoid sugary and fat laden sweets. Go play. Sweat, grunt, breath heavy, move your body. It's truly not that confusing......so when a "breakthrough fitness flash" turns up on your TV.....turn it off.

Obesity wasn't a problem when I was a kid. My friends and I spent our days running around, pausing only to have a snack when hunger got the best of us or our moms told us it was time to eat. TV time was restricted and besides, it wasn't as fun as water fights with the neighbours and bike rides to the 7-11 to load up on whatever candy our $.50 could buy. Those were good days.

In this article, Gabby Reece encourages us to channel our inner child, for our physical and mental health. Play. Sleep lots. Say what's on our minds. Eat only when we're hungry. Laugh. Live in the moment. That's what kids do, and I agree that we'd all be happier, healthier and more well-adjusted as adults if we tried to live life as simply as we did when we were young. Underneath all the corporate mumbo-jumbo that comes with being an adult, life really is simple, you know. Most of the time, though, we're too caught up in all the red tape to notice.

How do your kids inspire you?

Ugh! I just read Women's Health magazine today, which I happen to love. I was so annoyed though! The magazine reports on the latest research, and I really felt like they crossed the line with relevance this month. There was this clip about how research shows that when you eat a meal high in trans fats, eating some walnuts with it could be beneficial. What?!?!

What the heck is the world supposed to do with that information? Stash a baggie of walnuts in their glove compartment just in case they go out for a really greasy meal? I suppose they're suggest that on top of eating a really greasy meal, ingesting about 200 calories worth of high fat walnuts would somehow improve the situation. With information like this being published, I'm not surprised the average Joe is totally confused on how to go about getting fit and staying healthy.

Folks, it's really not all that confusing. Make the great majority of your meals and snacks nutritious and low in fat. Enjoy lots of fruits, veggies, lean meat, and some starchy carbs. Sweets and fried foods should be a rarity. Avoid using oil, butter, grease, or fattening sauces. Exercise most days of the week. Huff and puff when you do cardio, grunt when you train for strength, and wince just a little when you're working on flexibility. Carrying nuts around just in case you go overboard on the birthday cake would be majorly OCD.

A common challenge of exercise is figuring out how hard you should work. There are a few options to calibrate the ideal effort you should be putting forth, but most require too much math to make them great mid-workout options. I like the Keep It Simple Stupid version called the Talk Test.

For the average healthy individual who is trying to improve overall fitness, including cardiovascular and lung capacity, these are the rules.

• If you can have a full blown conversation during an aerobic workout you should be working harder.
• If you can't talk at all, even to scream "help!", you are working too hard.
• If you are huffing and puffing, but still have enough wind to tell your partner or trainer, "I can't wait to get this over with"...your pace is juuuuuust right.