I'm writing to you from Jamaica, where I've been enjoying a week at several beautiful Sandals resorts. The sun is bright, the waves are warm, the healthy food is plentiful and the endless amount of free athletic activities mean I'm sure to leave this place at least a pound or more lighter than when I arrived. Am I trying to lose weight? No! Is it likely to happen, though? Probably!

Sandals is a chain of "couples only" resorts located in posh spots around the Caribbean. They're all inclusive too, which basically means you get to eat, drink and play as much as you want without shelling out extra dough. This all-inclusive thing removes lots of vacation-related stress, I assure you.

Most folks believe gaining at least five to 10 pounds per week of vacation is a rule, and my job is to convince you that it's not. Not if you come to a place like Sandals, anyway. As readers of this site, I know you're health conscious and eager to pursue and maintain your fitness levels wherever you go. Sandals allows you to do that.

Fit Vacation: Sandals Resorts(click thumbnails to view gallery)

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Isn't it amazing how chefs make the cutting and chopping process seem so pretty and perfect? I have often wished I had those skills, but now I do ... cause I watched this video. Tune in and let Wellness Chef Laurie Erickson show you how to do it right. Amazing how simple she makes it seem.

SportsHealthExercise.org is jam packed with tons of amazing fit tips, videos and recipes.

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Save time, money and body parts by learning the basics on how to use the right knives properly. Excellent technique ... without chopping your fingers off! Who could ask for more? Chef Laurie dishes on the dos and don'ts of cutting, chopping, dicing and slicing.

For more fun, quick health and fitness tips from degreed experts ...

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Jamie Oliver(click thumbnails to view gallery)

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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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Famous TV chef Rachael Ray wants to get kids cooking, and as the founder of Yum-O, a non-profit organization that helps parents and kids form healthy relationships with food, she's getting kids cooking one tyke at a time, according to the Well Blog over at the New York Times.

And if you ask Ray, the key to developing healthy eating habits in kids (in other words, how to get them to eat more veggies and less junk,) is by making healthy food cool. Says Ray: 'You can make vegetables cool to a kid if you're mixing them up with something a child likes. If a kid says "What's in there?" tell them, "It's boogers and dinosaur guts." Get a giggle out of them ... There are all sorts of ways to build healthy relationships with your children and food. You have to become more kid-like yourself. Think about what excites the child. It's your challenge and your job to make food cool, fun and an adventure for them.'

I for one totally agree ... what about you?

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Are you the person who does most of the cooking in your house? If so, you're at risk for a very serious condition: Food picking syndrome.

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The Active Health Network has just launched and you can find it at SportsHealthExercise.Org. I'm very excited to announce this to you, because I'm one of the several health and fitness experts contributing to the site. Unlike other health and fitness sites, SHE is owned by a fitness expert, Master of Exercise Physiology, Tracy Benham. She has also surrounded herself by other experts (like me) in unique genres of health.

SHE sports a bunch of great text info, and it's full of FITNESS TELEVISION! You don't have to settle for words, when you can see and hear the various experts blabbing about and showing you personally what they want you to know about becoming a better you. General fitness training, yoga, healthy cooking, etc...

So ... I'm stoked! We've done tons of work leading up to this point, and now I can't wait to see how all of that effort pays off for you. So ... what are you waiting for? Stop reading what I say and go listen and see instead.

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It's hard to say which day out of the six we spent a few weeks ago at the Walt Disney World Resort was my favorite, but day three really was special. It was jam packed with a variety of super fun activities that were both totally exciting and totally relaxing at the same time. The majority of day three was spent at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, where we were staying. We capped off a superb day with a glamorous evening at The California Grill, one of Disney's Signature Restaurants located on the top floor of The Contemporary Resort.

If you take your family to Disney, I highly recommend strategically placing at least one 'resort day' in the middle of your stay. The theme parks and water parks are amazing, but can be exhausting. Playing at your Disney resort still offers loads of fun, but doesn't drain. In fact, a 'resort day' is the perfect recharge for tired parents needed a break. The pools are wildly creative, the hot tubs....to die for, and the free organized activities are endless. Yes, you heard me right. Most of the Disney resorts offer planned activities for both children and adults.....FREE OF CHARGE! Whooohooooo!

Fitz's Fit Family Disney Vacation: Day 3(click thumbnails to view gallery)

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Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly, our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

Mmmmmm. Just the mention of Chef Jens Dahlmanns's name puts my mind in ecstasy. His is the name of the man who created what I'd choose as my 'last meal.' He's the premier Chef of Disney's signature restaurant The California Grill, who also oversees a staff of award-winning chefs atop Disney's Contemporary Resort. Chef Jens was classically trained in European kitchens and worked for Le Cirque 2000 in New York City and Cafe 'L Europe in Palm Beach, Florida, before joining Disney in April 2004.

We first spoke on the phone a week before I was to dine at his spectacular grill. From a fitness trainer standpoint, he gave all of the 'right answers.' Not that he was contrived, but his stance on cooking is what I would wish to hear. If you've read my features before, you'll know that I preach the importance of lean fresh foods. Read on to see how dead-on Chef Jens is to that style of eating. From a regular gal's point of view, it was just really exciting and fun to hear Chef Jens talk about food. He described white asparagus the same way most men would describe a beautiful woman. I could imagine what each item tasted like as he described them.

My experience at The California Grill was almost indescribable. Chef Jens and his staff were pampering to say the least. He greeted me with a sample of the white asparagus he gushed about, and I knew I was in for something special. The combinations of flavors and textures were to die for! I relished every bite and cleaned each and every plate that landed in front of me (highly unusual for me). The man knows how to make fresh food taste divine. The advice he gave in this interview is exactly what I, as your online Fitzness Trainer, want you to follow. Chef Jens just knows far better than I, how to make all of the healthy stuff taste heavenly.

Fitz: How much does "healthy" influence the foods you create for your menus?

Chef Jens: Healthy actually has a lot to do with our menu. First of all, Disney has set an initiative for enhancing our menus in a healthy way, so across all of the Disney parks and restaurants you'll find better choices. On my part, I'm always driven by what's fresh in the market. We create meals based on the season. At the California Grill, our menu changes according to what foods are in season. Fresh food equals leaner and "cleaner" food. I never use processed ingredients.

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One elite athlete downs 12,000 calories per day just to keep from dropping weight, reported The Today Show's Matt Lauer the other day. Considering that the average man consumes 2,600 calories per day, this is big stuff. But hey, that's what it takes to keep some Olympic bodies in fighting shape.

What Olympic athletes eat can make the difference between a gold or a silver win. Food is fuel after all, and these folks require top-grade fuel (and lots of it) in order to compete -- and win.

It's up to U.S. Olympic Committee Executive Chef Jacque Hamilton to make sure the 600-athlete delegation gets tasty, healthy food free of butter, trans fats, and lots of sodium. Now that' a high-pressure job. But she's got it down to a science. Check out some of her favorite dishes, made with nutritious ingredients, fit for the finest athletes -- Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Chicken Stir-Fry, and Baja Chicken Salad. Right here they are.

11 snacks under 200 calories(click thumbnails to view gallery)

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Padma Lakshmi

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