That's Fit

How often have you seen an ad or read about a new makeup trend in a magazine, only to think, "That looks great on her, but I'd never pull that off with my skin tone?" While it's true that some trends look best on women of particular ages or with certain skin tones, if there's a trend that intrigues you, there's probably a way to make it work for you.

Click through the gallery to see how Fitnessmagazine.com tailored five current makeup trends for specific skin tones -- you might find your new favorite look!

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.

My guest this week is one of those people who really puts me in awe. Desmond Howard has scooped up two of the most impressive and revered awards in the entire sport of football, a Heisman Trophy and a Super Bowl MVP. As I sat with Desmond on a sunny and breezy day in the University of Florida football stadium, The Swamp, I wondered what if felt like to achieve such greatness. Most boys feel lucky to make their high school JV football team. To play in college is an honor. To do what Desmond's done ... indescribable.

I love talking to professional athletes because they have had access to the best of the best opportunities in fitness. They have been trained for perfection and have proven to have mastered the art of discipline. Surely, they have something to share!

ince retiring from playing football, Desmond now works as a color analyst for ESPN's College GameDay. He doesn't have the luxury of an aggressive coach barking at him each day to maximize his potential. He trains because he loves being fit, and just like you and me, he has had to find creative ways to work it into his schedule.

On a personal note ... for someone with so much success in one of the most testosterone-driven sports in the world, Desmond was one of the most down-to-earth non-egotistical men I've ever met. He maintained a gigantic smile (with ridiculously perfect white teeth) throughout our entire conversation and was just a pleasure to spend time with. He's smart, funny, and everything I would want my son to become if he followed in a similar athletic path. Plus he praised his Mom, and of course, I want my baby to do that too. If you haven't been able to keep up with Desmond's success in sports, but would like to achieve great fitness as an adult ... read on.

Fitz: You've retired as one of the most successful football players in both the NFL and NCAA. What do you do now to stay fit?

Desmond: I usually try to work out four-five times a week, but it's kind of difficult when I travel a lot. When we do a lot of college football games, I'll ask the Sports Information Director of the university where we'll be if we can use their weight room. Sometimes the hotels we stay in have pretty nice weight rooms too. We really don't need a lot. I try to do cardio. I like the elliptical machine a lot, because it's low impact on my knees. If they don't have that I'll do the stationary bike. I always get in at least 35-40 minutes of hard cardio, work my core, and then work some other muscle group.

The fitness equipment, apparel and boxing giant Everlast was so impressed with our That's Fit Fitzness Fiends that they're ready to start rewarding people. Not only am I, your loving online fitness trainer, proud of you all, but Everlast is proud of you too!

Everlast is rewarding an Everlast Fitzness Fiend of the Week with one of their hot new tank tops from their Spring collection. They're absolutely gorgeous, totally comfy, and of ridiculously high quality.

I'm thrilled with the grand response from those of you who've already participated as a Fiend, and even more excited to meet the rest of you!Presents aside, the Fitzness Fiend feature is a great way to share much that you've learned on your way to becoming more fit. We've all ventured down so many paths to better health, it'd be a sin not to share our secrets and successes with others!

About 20 years ago, Nike introduced the Air Max Light shoe, which was fairly popular for a while until it was overshadowed by a newer version, the Air Max 90.

Well there are now more than 25 versions of the Air Max, all of them available in various colors for men and women. But, Nike is going back to its Air Max roots with the Nike Air Max Light Retro Running Classic shoes.

A couple of versions, like the ones pictured, are available exclusively through JD Sports. However, there are plenty of other versions from which to choose. Check out the gallery and see which ones you want to collect next!

The University of Copenhagen out of Denmark has managed to trace the genetic lineage of blue-eyed individuals all the way back to a single ancestor. By studying various people from distinctly unique countries like Jordan and Turkey, they discovered that everyone had brown eyes in the beginning.

However, at some point in our history, a switch was triggered which caused brown eyes to transition to blue. The way this happened was that the amount of melanin in the iris became "diluted" as they put it. This switch appears in the same genetic spot for each person, linking back to a common ancestor. The scientists referred to this as a mutation of the "OCA2 gene" which toned down the amount of melanin produced.

It just goes to show you that mutations such as these can produce beautiful results!

I am a hair dye enthusiast -- I love to color my hair. While some do it to cover gray or because they've always dreamed of being a blond, brunette or red head, I do it because I love that it's a non-permanent way to considerably alter the way I look. Well that, and also due to the fact that my normal hair color is an extremely unappealing shade of mousy, ash-brown.

While I'm happy to shell out a fair-sized amount of cash to have my hair done professionally for special occasions, I can't afford to pay expensive salon prices every time I decide I need a change. I imagine this is the case for most of you fellow dye fans out there. I know that many hairdressers will try to persuade all of us that home hair-coloring kits will forever destroy our hair, but I also know of a few who will admit that many of the products currently on the market do a pretty decent job at a much lower price.

Having said that, if you do decide to try the DIY method, it is important to do a little research beforehand as the onus is on you to get it right. A botched at-home job will end up costing even more when you have to go to a professional to fix the splotchy, orange mess you've made of your former crowning glory. With this in mind, it's important to think about the four things listed here before you start the process.

If you're looking for ways to improve your mood, concentration, and even give your creativity a boost then consider taking a hint from the ancient Chinese philosophy of feng shui. Part of feng shui is using colors to improve life by recognizing what effects certain colors have on how you feel. By strategically incorporating colors into your environment and decor you can help boost areas that may have been lacking. Purple, for example, can help foster creativity, blue can calm stress, and red stirs passion. What do you need more of in your life? Experiment with different shades and different combinations in your home, your office, and other places -- even just a well-placed accent, like a bold photo frame or arrangement of flowers, can make a difference.

Most of us know to take care of our hands and faces in order to keep a youthful look but do you ever think about how your hair may make you look older? It's not something that I had really considered until I saw this piece that gives advice on how to keep your hair looking as young as the rest of you.

After age 30, women's hair begins to get thinner so help keep your mane strong and think by eating plenty of protein and limiting the amount of time it's braided or in a ponytail, as these styles can cause breakage and damage hair roots. Always use conditioner when you wet your hair in order to prevent dryness and only use dryers, curling irons and straighteners a few times a week, as the high heat can cook your hair.

Finally, be willing to take the time to find a cut that looks good on you (just because a style is current and looks hot on a model in a magazine doesn't mean it will suit your face), and make sure to cover gray with an appropriate color. If you're not sure what will work for you, pay a professional to help you pick a color and style -- it'll be worth the cash.

Here's an interesting thought -- maybe the colour of your tablecloth can affect your eating habits. According to this post on Fitsugar, tablecloths in bright shades of red, orange and yellow are conducive to overeating, while tablecloths that are navy, coffee-brown or forest-green help curb your appetite, supposedly because they are unappetizing colours (I don't know if I agree with that, however. Brown reminds me of chocolate.)

I've hear that colours can affect your mood and behaviour but honestly, I think this is going a bit far. What do you think?

I don't know many people who don't eat more salads during the summer -- you have to pretty much hate them to completely avoid them this time of year. So as long as you're having salads, and especially if you love them like I do, you might as well make them colorful!

Of course bright fruits and vegetables generally have more antioxidants and necessary nutrients, not to mention throwing some extra fresh items on your salad will both help you feel fuller (so you're less likely to indulge on unhealthy snacks later) and get your daily servings in of fruits and vegetables. Pretty good deal if you ask me.

Looking for a great recipe? There are literally millions out there, but this Spinach and Strawberry Salad from Whole Foods looks awesome!

It's the stoplight of the nutrition world. Schools in Charlottesville, Virginia are implementing a color-coded system designed to help kids quickly know if a food is a healthy choice or not. The system, which codes foods with red, yellow, or green colors, was originally implemented by the University of Virginia Medical Center. The system, called "Signals for Health" ranks the foods into the three color categories based on the food's calorie, fat, and sodium content.

I'm 100% behind any program that helps kids eat more healthfully. Hopefully Signals for Health will take away some of the guesswork, and help steer kids toward the green light choices.

Ever thought about color coding your food to gain optimum health benefits? As a past chef we always emphasized making plates appealing to the eye as well as the taste buds. Now it seems that a rainbow array of food colors daily not only is pretty to the eyes inviting pleasures of the pallet but eating 5 or more servings of colorful fruits and vegetables a day can give you the benefits of better health. So the next time you are making that platter of food for a party, or special gathering, keep these food colors in mind to not only make a beautiful table but to give your guests some healthy choices to eat. Remember to buy organic foods for the healthiest intake of nutrients and vitamins.

Blue and purple foods like blueberries, raisins, plums, and eggplant help with urinary tract health, memory function, and healthy aging. Green foods like avocados, green apples, cucumbers, and honeydew help your vision and give you strong bones and teeth. White, tan, and brown foods such as bananas, garlic, mushrooms and ginger keep the heart healthy and help keep cholesterol levels normal. Yellow and orange foods such as cantaloupe, peaches, sweet potatoes, and lemons help boost the immune system and also help your vision and keeping a healthy heart. Eating red foods like strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, and tomatoes keep the urinary tract healthy and aid in memory function and also a healthy heart.

What season are you? If you don't know what I'm talking about then keep reading. Whether it's through official color therapy, or the difference in how you feel between putting on a red or a yellow sweater, color can have a significant impact on your life -- whether you like it, or believe it, or not.

Based on a lifetime of getting dressed every morning, most adults have a general idea of which colors look good on them and which ones don't. But not everybody takes that knowledge into consideration when clothes shopping or when picking out an outfit for work. Making a conscious effort to wear your best colors can help you feel and look younger and more vibrant, while taking emphasis off your imperfections and highlighting your assets.

Bottom line: next time you feel drab or dull take a look at your outfit, could it be partially to blame? If you think so, but aren't sure what colors you should be wearing (or what "season" you are), answer these questions to find out.

Color therapy, simply put, is using intense exposure to specific colors to affect health. Some big believers in color therapy insist that being exposed to certain colors can affect specific internal parts of the body, for instance yellow is supposed to have healing properties for the digestive track.

While I'm skeptical to many of these claims, I definitely do believe that color can affect mood, and therefore emotional health and stress levels.

Here one small thing anyone can do to benefit from the effects of color in your daily life: The colors red and orange have been shown to boost energy levels, so try wearing these colors when you're having trouble getting energized for a workout. For more hints on using color to benefit your health, check out the Natural Holistic Health Blog's article on color therapy.

These days, it seems like every fruit and vegetable out there has been linked to number of benefits, so it can be hard to figure out just what item does what. If you're feeling confused, refer to this easy guide, which outlines the primary benefits of many fresh items based on its color. For example, white foods have been know to lower risks of heart disease. What is a white food? Thinks Bananas, garlic and cauliflower.

There's no doubt that this is handy stuff to know. I'm going to use this tidbit of information on my next trip to the grocery store. What about you?