If you're heading out to eat, you might think Chinese is a healthier choice than most ethnic foods. After all, there are lots of of vegetables in Chinese food, right? True. But, depending on your selection, your Chinese food might also have lots of sodium and/or sugar. And many foods at Chinese restaurants are deep-fried as well.

But with a savvy eye, you can select the healthiest of fare at your local Chinese restaurant and enjoy without guilt. Some tips:

• Opt for stir-fried foods, such as vegetables, shrimp or chicken.
• Skip the fried rice and choose steamed rice instead (brown rice if they have it).
• Avoid fried egg rolls, crab rangoon and deep fried beef, chicken or shrimp dishes.
• Go veggie. Choose dishes with a high vegetable content.
• Fill up on soup. Egg drop, won ton and hot and sour soups are all relatively low cal. Just don't top them off with the little fried crispy strips.
  
• Go Japanese. While sushi is a Japanese food, some Chinese restaurants have started offering some sushi options as well.
• Slow down on the soy sauce. Soy sauce is very high in sodium, so go lightly. In fact, most dishes will be flavorful enough without the addition of extra soy sauce.

Keep in mind that many restaurants will accommodate special orders. For example, you can ask that your stir fry be prepared with less oil and more vegetables than normal. Want to see how your favorite Chinese foods stack up? Try this fun interactive Chinese meal to total the calories, fat, sodium and other nutrition information.

Is Chinese not on the menu tonight? Check out these tips for eating healthfully at a Mexican restaurant.

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After all the overindulgences of the holidays, you're probably trying to watch what you eat. Good for you -- but in order to successfully 'watch what you eat,' you need to know what you're putting into your mouth, horrendous calorie counts and all. So listen up.

Let's imagine, for instance, that you went to PF Chang's for dinner one night with friends. You decide to get an appetizer. You know that won tons and spring rolls are deep fried, so you opt for a healthier-sounding dish, the lettuce wraps. They're tasty, that's for sure, but are they healthy? What do you think?

Recently I told you about the five worst things you can order at a Chinese restaurant. But if you love a good Chinese feast, don't despair. I come bearing hope. There are healthy (well, healthier) options. According to eDiets, these are the five best things you can order at a Chinese restaurant:

• Soup. Hot and sour, egg drop ... most Chinese soups are (relatively) low-cal and high in protein. But avoid the soups with noodles.
• Veggies. Order any of the veggie dishes -- steamed veggies in particular are low in calories and are very filling.
• Dim Sum, Steamed dumplings are a great choice, especially veggie or tofu dumplings.
• Steamed anything. Steamed fish, chicken, tofu ... are you seeing a pattern here? Steamed is best.
• Stir-fry. Order a stir-fry loaded with veggies and lean meats or tofu, and ask the chef to go easy on the oil.

Another tip: Order healthy green tea with your meal instead of soda or alcohol.

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Chinese food is a rare indulgence for me, but there's no denying that when I go for Chinese, indulge I do. Noodles, deep-fried chicken balls, sweet and sour sauce -- I love a good Chinese feast. But it's not the most calorie-conscious cuisine. eDiets recently counted down the five worst Chinese choices:

• Crispy anything. It's just another way of saying 'deep fried.'
• Egg rolls. Again, just another way of saying 'deep fried'
• Spare ribs. The meat is fatty and slathered in sugary, salty sauce. Enough said.
• Sweet and sour anything. Whatever mystery meat they're serving is deep fried and slathered in sugary sauce. Skip.
• Fried rice. White rice alone is not a great choice. White rice fried in fat and served with bits of mystery meat is about 100 times worse.

What do you skip at the Chinese restaurant?

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When I'm trying to lose weight but I'm having dinner with friends, I often suggest ordering Chinese food. It's easy for me to order steamed broccoli and shrimp with sauce on the side -- it's so delicious that I don't feel deprived, and many of my friends have picked up on the habit, too.

But how often do you prepare Asian food at home? You might be surprised to find that there are quite a few diet-friendly Asian foods you can easily prepare on your own. Honest!

Think about it -- Asian men and women tend to be on the thinner side, and you know it's not from eating General Tso's Chicken every night. Click through the gallery to find six foods you should be eating, courtesy of the Asian Food Grocer blog.

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When my family heads our for Chinese food, one of the things we always end up ordering is a plate of noodles. It's mostly my influence -- they're my favourite. Being a flexitarian, I don't eat a lot of meat, so carbs are my go-to meal. Plus Chinese-style noodles are just plain tasty

Noodles with veggies and sauce is a typical dish for me. But I'm not blind to the fact that noodles are high in calories -- particularly when they're covered in a sweet sauce. But still, I'm wondering ... how bad can they be? What do you think?

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I was watching the Olympics the other day and saw a piece where a reporter went and received acupuncture treatments. It was interesting to hear about this particular practitioner who was influential in acupuncture's acceptance into Western culture. After the piece, the reporter mentioned that Nastia Liukin, gold medalist in the women's all-around gymnastics competition, has weekly acupuncture treatments.

She's not alone. Acupuncture is widely used as a method to aid and speed healing from sports-related injuries. Though the thought of multiple metal needles being inserted into your body is daunting, to say the least, proponents of the traditional form of medicine sing its praises. In addition to aiding in healing, acupuncture is said to help athletes by boosting energy, improving circulation, and ensuring the body gets the most out of nutrients. In addition, acupuncture is said to help improve the quality of sleep and boost immunity.

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When it comes to fitness opportunities China is doing something right. I recently read a blog post that discusses the public fitness centers that are available there and how many of the people that frequent the sites are older. In some cases -- like for one 82-year-old woman -- they spend hours each day taking advantage of the free community fitness equipment.

When I think of the public parks in my community, they're very kid-oriented. Which isn't a bad thing, of course, but what about the adults that live in this community? There are basketball hoops which are obviously appropriate for any age, and there is a sidewalk running around the perimeter of the park for running or walking. Other than that, the equipment is of the playground variety.

This makes me wonder, if fitness equipment geared toward adults was provided in local parks, would you take advantage of the opportunity? I know I would. When my son and I visit our favorite park in the area, I often circle around the park to try to squeeze in a little fitness while he's playing.

[via SmarterFitter]

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Kinoki Detox Foot Pads claim to remove your cellulite through a pad you tape to the bottom of your foot while you sleep. When you awaken, it will be covered with icky brown junk -- these are the toxins your body needs to eliminate (apparently in the same way a tree eliminates toxins through its roots). In addition to removing cellulite, they are supposed to cure headaches, depression, and insomnia by helping your body detox through "Kinoki's Natural Power of Nature."

I'm not convinced. Not at all.

While there might be some merit in the ancient Japanese (or Chinese, depending on whether you're watching the infomercial or reading the website) secrets upon which these are based, they're not going to remove cellulite. This is one product I won't be spending my hard-earned cash on -- I'd rather use it toward a new set of running shoes or a healthy meal, both of which are more likely to yield real results.

12 "healthy" foods that really aren't:

Why? Click to find out!

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After several reported deaths and illnesses, the blood-thinner heparin was recalled and has been under intense FDA scrutiny for several months. Federal drug regulators revealed this week that they have found the contaminant in the medication. An inexpensive and unapproved ingredient was included in the medication; it eluded detection until recently because the ingredient mimics the proper component.

At this point federal officials are not certain if the contaminant (an altered form of chondroitin sulfate) was introduced accidentally or if it was included intentionally. The contaminated heparin was sourced in China; traders and producers there say that the chondroitin sulfate is significantly cheaper than heparin -- as little as 1/20 the cost of heparin.

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Americans eat out on average four to five times per week, says a survey conducted in 2000. Once a special treat, going out to eat is now routine, which makes it more important than ever that we're careful about what we consume. Keep these guidelines in mind when enjoying your favorite cuisines.

Italian

• Don't go overboard on portions that come with the names pesto, creamy tomato, alfredo, carbonera, pancetta, sausage, pepperoni, parmigiana, stuffed, or frito -- this means fried.
• Cut down on your servings of pasta dishes stuffed with cheese, like manicotti and lasagna. Instead choose noodles with a sprinkling of cheese.
  

Chinese

• Watch out for sauces. They are generally low in fat but high in sodium or sugar. Examples are: Black bean, hoisin, oyster, plum, and sweet and sour.
• Steer away from the words fried, crispy, or golden brown. It means the food has been battered and fried. Think egg rolls, egg foo young, spring rolls, pot stickers, won tons, and sesame noodles and you'll know what I mean.
• Beware of MSG (monosodium glutamate), a flavor enhancer that may come with sensitivity issues. Ask for your food to be prepared without this additive.
  

Japanese

• Minimize your sodium intake by passing on some of these: Miso, soy sauce, and teriaki. Try balancing these items with a lot of fruits, veggies, and water.
• Be mindful of the amount of cream cheese, avocado, and fried foods that are packed into your sushi rolls.
  

Mexican

• Choose your sides wisely. Most Mexican meals automatically come with chips, beans, rice, and tortillas. Forgo some and pick only what you really love.
• Order a side salad instead of either rice or beans for added nutrition and fiber.
• Take black or pinto beans over the refried variety -- these are higher in fat and some restaurants still use lard when preparing them.
• Use salsa and pico de gallo -- they are loaded with nutrients -- to add flavor without adding fat.
  

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With Super Bowl Sunday only two days away, I'm sure the corporate execs at Domino's, Papa John's, and Pizza Hut are hoping for the usual delivery madness. Inasmuch as these pizza giants rule the delivery game on Super Sunday, plenty of folks may want to keep their diets in check by eating something healthier. A popular solution may be Chinese food; you still get the convenience of having it delivered, but you don't have to worry about all those calories. Or do you?

A new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) reveals that Chinese food is ... well, suffice it to say not much better for you than the pizza!! That's because most Chinese food entrees contain between 1,000 and 1,500 calories -- and that's without taking rice, crispy noodles, and other extras into account. Not to mention that fact that some dishes were found to contain two days' worth of sodium.

But, if you're still bent on ordering Chinese food, ask for your sauces to be kept on the side, avoid deep-fried foods altogether, and keep the serving sizes small. To find out which Chinese dishes truly are healthy choices, visit www.dietdetective.com and do a little food sleuthing.

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It looks like China is using Mattel's apology to reinforce the feeling around the world that Chinese exports are generally safe. While I applaud the effort, it's hard to see how China sees exports as being safe.

While trust may change on that topic after a period of time without some kind of product recall, the fact is that too many recalls have come out of that country in the last year. Albeit, these were from American firms many of the time, but the actual product maker or producer was a Chinese company or firm.

Are both American companies and Chinese exporters to blame here? You bet -- and it will take a while for the trust level to be built back up in countries around the world.

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Chinese food isn't exactly known for being healthy -- at least, the Western translation of it isn't -- but it appears as if strides are being taken to make it more waistline-friendly, and they're starting with a sweet treat: Traditional mooncakes.

Made with sugar-infused lotus-bean paste and duck eggs, mooncakes are a traditional pastry given and eaten at Autumn Feast in China each year. But at 975 calories and 46 grams of fat, they're far from a healthy choice. So forward-thinking bakers are coming up with healthier versions -- including a diabetic-friendly one that uses a sugar substitute. Others are filling the pastry with fruit and yogurt, and some are cutting our refined white sugar and flour. You can even find organic mooncakes. But while these versions might sound healthier, they'll pack a calorie wallop no matter what and should be consumed in moderation.

What do you think -- is calorie-cutting a positive global initiative?

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Kids are not often kind. From what I remember of grade school, my fellow students (and I was probably involved too) could come up with pretty much anything to pick on other kids. Almost nobody was safe, and from what I remember of the times I was on the receiving end of a nasty comment, it wasn't fun. The fact that I still remember specific incidents that happened ages ago says a lot.

For this reason, while I think that parents have the right to pick unique names for their children, there is such a thing as going to far because if you give your kids a wacky name, you're giving all the other kids in school way too much to work with. Nasty days on the playground are the first thing that came to mind when I saw this article about a couple in China that want to name their child the "@" symbol.

As the Chinese alphabet is made up of symbols, I suppose it may be less strange there than it would be in North America. The article also explains that the name would be pronounced "Love Him", which is kind of sweet but sweet isn't going to get the kid anywhere when he's 9 and is hearing some mean rhyme about his name for the thousandth time.

What do you think, should parent's be allowed to name their children whatever they like? What's the craziest baby name you've ever heard?

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