Did you watch the Dancing With the Stars season premiere last night? I couldn't watch all of it, as it falls right during my son's bedtime. But I did catch a few dances, including Cody Linley and Julianne Hough's cha-cha. Linley, an 18-year-old actor, is the youngest star to show off his footwork on DWTS so far. While he admitted his concentration wavers because of his dancing partner's "hotness," Linley managed a relatively solid first-week performance.

Linley, who has appeared on Hannah Montana and is starring in the upcoming Hardy Boys movie, may attribute some of his success to a change in diet. He says he's swapped his Cap'n Crunch and frozen pizza for foods like fruit and health bars. The nutritional change gives him the added energy he needs to hoof his way through DWTS practice sessions and performances.

I'm sure his partner, two-time DWTS champ Julianne Hough, can give him some fitness and nutrition pointers.

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I have to admit, I don't see the draw in energy bars. Personally, I'd rather have a handful of almonds or a piece of fruit if I want a healthful pick-me-up. But many people are fans -- evidenced by the sheer variety that have sprouted up on store shelves everywhere and the fact that Americans spend more than $1.8 billion on bars per year.

If you're a fan of energy bars, you want to be sure that what you're getting is healthful and not just a candy bar in disguise. Many of the energy bars are packaged in ways that make them appear healthful when they're really just high in sugar and calories.

Shape Magazine sampled 17 different energy bars and picked their top five based on taste and nutrition value. So look for these next time you want an energy bar. (Though I still think some natural foods would serve you much better.) As another option, try making your own energy bars.

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I've long ago gotten over the bar scene. But there was a time when my weekends (read Thursday, sometimes Wednesday) through Sunday) were spent in a bar every night. How I ever survived my college years, I'll never know. Back in the day, the louder the music the better. Sometimes the music was so loud you could barely think, much less talk to your friends. According to French researchers, when the music is too loud to even think... you just may be partaking in a little more drink.

This small-scale study worked with local pubs and studied the customers' reactions when the music was at different levels. The louder the music, the more people drank. The average amount rose to 3.4 drinks per patron with loud music, compared to 2.6 drinks when the volume is turned down. In addition, the length of time to consume a drink dropped more than 3 minutes when the music was loud.

So if you're heading out to the bar soon, be sure to pace yourself. It's great to have rhythm on the dance floor -- but there's no need to stick to the beat when it comes to your drinks!

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I love multitasking! Any opportunity I get to kill two or more birds with one stone gets me giddy. I'm a busy woman with far too much to do, and when things get done in an efficient and pleasing way...I feel elated. Where am I going with this, you ask? Women's Health recently published this Park Workout and I thought you may need to see it as well.

If you have kids, I'm guessing there is a 99.9% chance that they like to run around and play at the playground. If this is true, then I'm talking to you. Let your kids and their buddies have their fun while you get a workout. No use sitting on that park bench anymore....use it for a glute training! Utilize the swings, monkey bars, and more.

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In the spirit of this brand new year, let's usher in some good health by ridding our lives of the habits that compromise our overall well-being. Small changes are all it takes. How about starting with these seven, featured in this article.

• No more energy bars. They contain too many calories and too few beneficial nutrients that come in fresh food. Stick with apples, pears, oranges, grapes, and bananas -- they're portable, high in water content, low in calories, and great for a swift energy boost.

• No more heavy duty vitamins and mineral supplements. They can cause imbalance in our bodies and can sometimes be toxic. Try eating a range of whole foods -- and lots of veggies and fruits -- and see if you can get what you need without supplementation.

• No more meal replacement drinks. They just aren't a permanent solution for weight loss -- they quickly lose their appeal and can cause us to go overboard on solid food when we allow it into our diets. Try keeping a food diary to track calories and see if this isn't a better option.

• No more restaurant entrees. They are far bigger than necessary and unless you split one with a friend, you're better off with a small appetizer, salad (no creamy dressing), and a side.

• No more specialty water. You're paying more for these when good old tap water in refillable bottles will serve you best.

• No more fast food. It can clog your arteries, cause constipation, boost blood pressure, and make you fat. Opt for a bowl of cereal or two pieces of whole grain toast instead for breakfast, a healthy brown bag lunch, and whole dinner at home.

• No more outdoor grills. Why? Experts say we just don't need that much meat and if we grill it, we're cooking up all sorts of cancer-causing chemicals. Go for veggie burgers and meatless hotdogs and cook them in a conventional oven or microwave.

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I didn't overindulge this Christmas. No big breakfast, a simple lunch, the standard turkey dinner, and a serving, well two, of sugar-free strawberry pie. Now I may have gone a bit overboard with the sinful biscuits served for supper and I did have some mashed potatoes but in all, I did pretty well on the diet front. I exercised on Christmas too -- I ran for 3.5 miles -- and best of all, I got some great fit gifts.

I got my very own BOSU this year -- I can't wait to bounce and stretch and crunch on this coveted piece of fitness gear -- and I got my very own food processor too, complete with every ingredient necessary for my favorite healthy fruit and nut bars. I also got an awesome pair of Nike track pants and a sporty LIVESTRONG t-shirt. My kids got scooters, skateboards, soccer nets, and a ball. So we're set for a great year of great fitness, thanks to our great family members who have our good health in mind.

What fit gifts did you get this Christmas?

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I'm asking Santa for a food processor this year so I can whip up all sorts of delicious, nutritious treats. Here's one I can't wait to make.

The credit for this Fruit and Nut Bar recipe goes to Canyon Ranch, a health and healing destination in Tucson, Arizona. Let me be the first one to tell you these are absolutely scrumptious -- I gobbled down several while at Canyon Ranch in April -- and the best news of all: they are good for you too.

Fruit and Nut Bar

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
1/2 cup chopped almonds, lightly toasted
3/4 cup honey
2-3/4 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup dried chopped apples
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sliced dates, about 10 medium
1 teaspoon cinnamon

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Of any of the many food-focused holidays coming up over the next few months, I find Halloween is the most dangerous when it comes to packing on the pounds. All of those chocolates and candies are delicious, but they're not exactly healthy. Sure a few are OK, but Halloween treats tend to be consumed in large quantities.

If you're throwing a Halloween party for your kids and their friends and want to offer some healthy food alternatives, or if you're just looking to find some non-candy food ideas, take a look at some of the simple snacks offered here. The page includes recipes for healthy treats like Spooky Honey Popcorn Balls, Spicy Pretzels, Caramel Honey Apples and Spicy Roasted Soybeans.

The kids will have plenty of opportunities to chow down on mini-candy bars and other sweets this Halloween, so it's not a bad idea to make sure they get something nutritious too.

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When looking at convenience foods these days, there are hordes of choices to make. In many cases, those quick and easy "energy bars" are perfect for most of us. They are individually packed, easy and quick to eat and 'can' be healthy.

The operative word there is "can." When examining the ingredients of several energy bars recently, I was quite shocked to see how many filler and junk ingredients many of them have. Want some fillers? How about anything with the word 'rice' or 'apple?'

Now, I am not saying apples are bad, but when used for filler ingredients in an expensive energy bar, that's contrary to the whole point of trying to pack in concentrated nutrition into a bar. The same goes for frozen convenience meals -- many of them appear healthy and convenient, but the ingredients tell a different story.

Moral of the story is this: as always, it pays to do your homework on ingredients, then make the most informed choice that fits your budget -- then, stick with it. A favorite of mine for frozen meals are Kashi's products, for example. They are healthy and delicious, although you pay more for that.

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Getting up early enough to cook a healthy breakfast full of protein and whole grains can be tough for those who have to get to work early or get their kids to school in a hurry. It's also tough for those of us who aren't natural early risers and are basically willing to skip any part of the morning that isn't an absolute necessity if it means a few extra hours of sleep.

Breakfast is still the most important meal of the day though, so it's not something that you can just skip. The trick is finding something that is fast, filling and healthy. Breakfast bars can be a great solution for those who need a quick meal on the go but unfortunately not all are created equal, and even those that sound healthy could mostly just be full of sugar and high in calories.

The next time you're shopping for a healthy cereal bar, be prepared to read the nutrition label and keep these tips listed on AOL Body in mind. Bars should contain at least 5 g of both protein and fiber, less than 15 g of sugar and at least 25% of your minimum daily requirement of calcium. As the article says, pair a healthy bar with a piece of fruit, a handful of nuts and a glass of soy or low- or no-fat milk and you'll enjoy many of the benefits of a full breakfast.

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While the majority of cities in North America have butted out over the past few years, many places in the world are currently counting down the days until smoking is no longer allowed in any public spaces. England is one of the next places on the list and, knowing how many smokers there are over the pond, I think it will be interesting to see how things go down on July 1, the day the ban comes into effect.

I have somehow ended up visiting a number of cities in the days leading up to their own imminent smoking bans, and in each one, the major concerns were expressed by pub and bar owners. Many seemed to think that smoking customers would choose to stay at home rather than smoke outside on a night out and business would sink like a cancerous lung. However, I think that in most cases, the draw of going out and socializing has far outweighed the inconvenience of having to move outside for five minutes to go for a quick ciggy. No matter how much fuss both smokers and bar owners made, in every place I've been in the aftermath of a smoking ban, the pubs are still full and there are still lines out the door at the nightclubs. Even in tiny, rural prairie villages, all of the local farmers and oilfield workers head outside for their nicotine fix.

So what is the plan in England, where there are approximately 60,000 pubs and even more bars and nightclubs? Having worked in a pub in London where customers were notorious for trying to "wind up" -- aka tease -- the staff about everything, I really don't see things going as smoothly as they have in other places. According to this, at least 200 publicans (owners and managers of pubs) are planning on flouting the ban on the first day, and continuing to do so as long as patrons still want light up. Some are claiming that it's not about health issues but rather about personal freedom issues. They say that smokers should have the right to smoke wherever they'd like without having Big Brother telling them to butt out. But what about all of the non-smokers out there who would like to enjoy a night out without breathing in toxins from cigarettes?

Where do the rights of one group begin and the other end? I think that as a bartender in a London pub, I had the right to not have customers lean over the bar and blow smoke in my face (which happened constantly) and I think the owners of the 19th-century pub I worked at had the right to not have cigarettes put out on the pub carpets and upholstered furniture. I suppose in the end it doesn't matter which side you're on if the British Government is serious about enforcing the new law, as other governments have been. No matter how big a fuss the public has kicked up in other cities and countries, the smoking bans have held. So what do you think? Is this simply a healthy issue or is it a matter of personal freedoms at risk?

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Luna bars are delicious, as far as nutrition bars go. They're formulated for women -- which is probably why I took more than a passing glance at them when they first came out -- but they are suitable for anyone and come in great flavors. Who could pass up a Chocolate Pecan Pie or Caramel Nut Brownie? Luna bars are great to have before or after a workout, or as a quick lunch on a particularly hectic day at work.

The new Luna Sunrise bars extend the concept of on-the-go meal replacement bars to breakfast, since not only is Caramel Nut Brownie not the first thing that comes to your mind in the morning, but over 30% of women regularly skip breakfast. The new bars are organic and come in Blueberry Yogurt, Strawberries & Creme and Vanilla Almond flavors, all of which are appealing A.M. foods. They have only 180 calories each, 8g protein and 5g fiber, in addition to being fortified with calcium, vitamins A, C, D and E, folic acid and iron. They're a much better option than a muffin from the coffee shop and, if you couple them with a piece of fruit in addition to your morning coffee, your day is definitely going to get off to a better start than usual.

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