If you ever purchase fresh fish, you absolutely need to check out this video from the Active Health Network on SportsHelathExercise.Org. Chef Laurie divulges the sneaky tricks used to disguise bad fish and guides you on how to choose the good stuff. Watch this quick clip and save yourself from ingesting bleach. Yeesh!

To view more quick, fun, and functional tips and recipes from degreed experts ...

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What's the lowdown on buying organic? It's pretty hard to tell, with the mixed messages we are getting as consumers these days. The definitive study, though, tells us that not only is organic more nutritious, but it is better for the ground water and soil.

A few facts on organic foods:

• they contain up to 90% more antioxidants than conventionally grown food
• they've got higher levels of minerals
• as cancer-fighters, they win the race

Seems as though we should always buy organic, with those stats. Due to availability -- and our budgets! -- buying everything organic may not be an option, and if we're looking to do a real service to the environment, buying what's available locally is a better choice.

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Since my return to working in an office (at least on a part-time basis,) I've been giving some consideration to lunches. The consensus, at least among most of my co-workers, is that bringing your own lunch is not only healthier for the wallet, but healthier for the waistline too. But these days, it seems like healthy choices are available everywhere -- even fast foods joints have some sort of customizable salad option, and with nutritional information often available, it's easy to make a healthy choice. And considering I don't spend every day at the office, eating out two times a week isn't such a financial burden.

But I'm curious -- is it more common to buy a lunch or bring one? Judging by the line-ups in the food court, I'm inclined to say that bringing your lunch is a thing of the past, but then again, the microwaves at work come with their own set of line-ups. So what about you?

I don't buy snacks from check-out lines. That's only because I haven't been eating candy and chips and drinking soda for the past year. Otherwise, I'd surely be reaching for those perfectly-placed diet spoilers. I'd likely be gaining weight too.

Women eat 14,300 calories a year thanks to impulse buys at check-out counters, according to IHL Group, a global research and advisory firm providing market analysis and business consulting services for retailers. All those impulses equal about four pounds per year for the female persuasion. For men, indulging in line translates to roughly three pounds. Although women have an overall higher average of impulse buying, men under 25 are the biggest consumers of caloric items. This group actually consumes enough to gain eight pounds per year.

If you an impulse indulger and just can't seem to help yourself, opt for self-checkout systems when available. IHL's study showed that impulse purchases drop dramatically at these stations. Why? Because self-checkout lanes are not as heavily merchandised as staffed lanes. There are usually shorter lines too which minimizes the opportunity for a captive and tempted audience.

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As someone who's passionate about healthy living, grocery shopping can be infuriating -- sometimes I was to steal a person's cart and replace it with my own, or at the very least, chuck out those chips and throw in some veggies. But change has to come from within, so it's important to makeover your own shopping cart. Everyday Health has some tips:

• In the dairy section, make sure to pick up low-fat versions of your favourites like yogurt, milk and cheese.
  
• In the cereal aisle, look for one that have whole grains, more than 3 g of fibre per serving and little to no sugar
• In the bakery, check the labels on bread and pitas; if whole wheat isn't one of the first few ingredients, skip it
• In the meat section, look for white, lean meats like chicken and turkey breasts. Also consider picking up some fish -- the non-battered kind, of course.
  
• In the freezer section, head for the frozen fruits and veggies.
  

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