Lots of people have lots of different feelings about yoga. Some absolutely love it, and can't go a week (or a day) without it. Some people enjoy it, but only find time for it once in a while. And, quite a few others might not have tried it, but are definitely curious about it.

Regardless of where you find yourself on the yoga spectrum, this Saturday, you can join in the history-making celebration of yoga -- Yoga Day USA.

Yoga Day USA is an annual event in which hundreds of yoga teachers and schools all over the country offer free or extremely affordable yoga workshops. Sometimes the classes raise money for a local charity, and sometimes they're just used to introduce the joy of yoga to the community. Find a Yoga Day USA class near you on the official website.

Yoga is a great way to look and feel your best, but be sure to check out America Takes It Off for more fitness tips!

There's something to be said for not allowing your age to slow you down. After all, if you've been alive for 60 years, but still feel like a 30-year-old, you should act the way you feel. However, Madonna is taking things a step further -- for her 50th birthday celebration, her guests are under strict instructions to not mention the number 50 in any way, shape, or form, because the singer believes her "spiritual age" to be 36.

The high priests of Kabbalah have calculated Madge's spiritual age to be 14 years younger than her actual age by channeling her energy. And, truth be told, she certainly has the energy and, dare I say, the aura of someone much younger. So if she feels like she's 36, that's great. But, I have a problem this refusal to acknowledge 50.

By doing this, Madonna is sending a message to women everywhere that it's not acceptable to turn 50, when we know that's far from the truth, especially these days. Instead of being a fitness inspiration to women hitting the big 5-0, Madonna is running away from it, yet still marking it with a big celebration.

What about you? Do you think Madonna should embrace 50 as fabulous, or would you follow her lead and go with the youngest age you can get away with?

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Tomorrow is the Fourth of July and chances are you'll be celebrating with family, friends and a big ole' plate of food. But Independence Day doesn't have to mean diet disaster!

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Like many families do, my family always gathers at my parent's house for a Memorial Day grill-out. Unfortunately, the ribs, potato salad, cole slaw, and brownies can leave us feeling a little weighted down. If your family or friends get together for a grill out, too, why not try some healthier Memorial Day fare? Some ideas:

• Marinade chicken in low-fat Italian dressing before grilling.
• Grill skewers of shrimp and veggies.
• Cut thick wedges of zucchini and summer squash, lightly brush with olive oil, and grill.
• Make cole slaw with shredded red and green cabbage, a little salt, a little sugar, some rice vinegar, and a little olive oil.
• Serve sliced veggies with low-fat dip.
• Make hummus and serve with whole-wheat pita wedges.
• Slice peaches and plums in half, lightly brush with olive oil, and grill. Sprinkle them with cinnamon and serve by themselves or with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• Instead of soda, sweet tea, or sugary lemonade, serve ice-cold water but make it fun for the holiday by freezing melon balls and using them as ice cubes.

For more healthy Memorial Day recipes, check out these ideas from Cooking Light.

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My sister visited her daughter's preschool class just recently for her little one's third birthday celebration. It's customary at this school for parents to bring in a birthday snack for classmates to share. My sister was all too happy to participate in this ritual, and she went armed with her camera, a bunch of Halloween-inspired sugar cookies, and a healthy helping of grapes.

You'd think the kids would gobble up those cookies, right? That's what I thought. Until my sister told me they scarfed down the grapes instead. They couldn't get enough of them, in fact, and some children passed on the sugary treat altogether. How great is that?

Sometimes, I don't think we give kids enough credit. We label them picky eaters and believe they'll only consume dry cheerios, goldfish crackers, and other packaged snacks. But when it comes down to it, I suspect kids might choose what's good for them if given a chance. So why not give them the chance? Go ahead. Try. Call it an experiment. Place some fruit or crunchy veggies in front of your kiddos at snack time and see what they do. Make it exciting and smear some peanut butter on an apple -- tastes a bit like a caramel apple -- or spread some low-fat cottage cheese on a cucumber slice. You might be surprised at what passes as a legitimate snack in your household. And if you work in a preschool, I urge you to introduce whole foods into your program. Ditch the Oreo cookies, the Skittles you use to reward your students, the loaded-with-sugar fruit juice. It's simple really. Healthy stuff is better. Even three-year-olds know it.

For an extra kick in the right direction, pop in here at Meals Matter for some smart snacking tips.

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Since October is breast cancer month, I recently wrote a post on some of the best websites about the topic and asked readers to contribute their own favorite sites. One response I received directed everyone toward the Survivor Celebration site.

Part of what I like about the site is that it gives information on the 2007 Survivor Celebration Tour, a 23-day cross-country adventure that began in New York on September 23rd and reaches its final destination in Los Angeles on October 15th, after stops in a range of cities including Philadelphia, Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix and Las Vegas.

A team of doctors and experts traveling in a pink Survivor Celebration bus are making the trek to raise awareness about breast cancer. If you'd like more information on the tour, visit the website, which also offers survivor stories, personal blogs and photos, information on local support groups and much more.

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I posted two blogs a while back, Hey Smokers! This is what your friends won't tell you! part 1 and part 2, and got a firestorm of comments. Lots of defenders of smoking, and of course the ones who despise it. One interesting thing I've pulled out of it, is that people are comparing it to drunk driving. To me, the topics are two different beasts with some similarities. I 'm one of the despisers of smoking, and now even more than ever before, I am a despiser of drunk driving.

Two weeks ago, Lieutenant Corey Dahlem, our family friend and hero from the Gainesville Police Department in Florida was hit by a drunk driver and killed. Corey was on a street that was closed for the University of Florida National Basketball Championship celebration. The festivities were winding down, and Corey was on the road to make sure none of the student and local partiers were. A drunk male, age 20, drove through the police barricades and struck Corey. Two motorcycle officers had to jump from their bikes to avoid being struck as well. A few blocks away, the driver was stopped and had no idea why he was stopped. He later blew a 2.4 on his breathalyzer test. Almost three times that of Florida legal limit. (Corey, far right, was photoraphed the night he was struck, congratulating UF students on their teams victory).

Corey was a humble man, hard worker, and spectacular father, friend and husband. If he and the other officers were not on that road at that time, dozens of civilians would have been killed before the drunk stopped. Hero is an understatement. Two thousand people mourned his loss and celebrated his life at his funeral. A lesson on parenting was preached by the stories of how Corey ate lunch at school with his kids several times a week when they were little. At 18 and 21, he was still cooking them meals and driving his daughter to college.

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