Several years ago when I still worked in an office environment, we went through a pretty rough stretch. We were all working long hours and were stressed beyond belief. We all pitched in and when we got the job done, my boss gave each of us a six-pack of fancy-schmancy beer and a big bar of chocolate. Hands down, he was the coolest boss in the world.

We never had the dreaded candy bowl at that office, but we did have our fair share of bagels for breakfast and pizza for lunch. Though it was awesome that our boss liked to treat us once in a while, the treats were never very healthful.

Enter The Fruit Guys. This service delivers a box of fresh fruit to the office once a week. What a great idea. (All of you bosses out there, take note!) Not only will this improve employee morale, it will also contribute to better health and weight management which, in turn, improves employee productivity.

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How does actress Brooke Burke, pregnant with her fourth child, stay so fit and trim during and after the rigors of pregnancy? It's an on-going process, the 36-year-old says. And she works darn hard at it.

Pilates is one of her secrets -- she's been doing it for eight years and believes the core work involved in these workouts is great for the abs and the back. It also makes her deliveries so much easier.

Another secret: Burke wraps her post-delivery belly in a compression wrap called Taut. She credits this invention for getting her back to her pre-pregnancy size.

Overall, Burke, who is engaged to actor David Charvet and gained 30 pounds during her last pregnancy, says exercise is key.

"The more fit you are during your pregnancy, the quicker you're going to bounce back," she says. "I probably started up two weeks after delivery and I felt I could handle that."

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Most mothers I know have a horror story about the incredibly lengthy, painful delivery of their baby -- but just the opposite is true for Susannah Kendrick.

The 29-year-old was casually preparing dinner one evening when she felt a contraction. Seeing as she was only eight months pregnant, this was a little unexpected, so she went to phone the doctor. Nurses told Kendrick to come to the hospital, but before she had time to get her shoes on and take dinner off the stove, another massive contraction came.

While a friend called the emergency services, Kendrick's husband helped her onto the bed. The friend relayed instructions to the husband, who successfully delivered the baby -- two contractions later.

The couple's 6lb, 1oz baby, Trinity, may have been born via the easiest pregnancy in the history of the mankind.

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A few years ago a friend of mine was preparing to have her first baby. As most women understandably are, she was pretty freaked out about the thought of labor. During one late night phone call she casually blurted out that she thought she would have a c-section. I asked why. She replied that it was less frightening to her and she just thought it would be better all around. I was so surprised. I had no idea that women could request a c-section; I thought they were only performed when there was a known medical reason or there were complications with vaginal delivery.

It turns out my friend isn't the only one requesting a c-section. A growing number of women are opting for the procedure for the sake of convenience. (Although, if you ask me, a c-section doesn't sound very convenient.) As of 2004 (the most recent data available) c-sections accounted for 29% of all deliveries -- a record high. The "convenience" factor isn't in the surgery itself -- it's major abdominal surgery and can be a difficult recovery, particularly when caring for an infant. But being able to pick the time and date of delivery is tempting for parents. For physicians, a shorter, controlled procedure allows them more flexibility in their already jam-packed schedules.

International studies have shown that a more acceptable rate of c-sections is about 10-15% of births. To combat the growing rate of c-sections in the US, doctors are instructing women in the inherent risks of the procedure.

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Going on a diet plan that includes having food delivered right to your door is becoming very popular these days, which means it's also becoming big business. And with big business comes all kinds of people trying to get in on their corner of the market. So with so many companies offering diet food delivery services, how can you tell which one is for you? Well Epicurious.com was curious too, so they recently tested 5 of the most prominent weight loss food delivery plans looking for who had the best taste and nutrition overall, as well as a few other factors. So who came out on top? eDiets! Congrats to them for getting "3 out of 4 forks" on the Epicurious rating system. The total ranking of 5 looks like this:
1. eDiets
2. Zone Chefs
3. Pure Foods Low Carb
4. Jenny Craig
5. Nutrisystem

Did your favorite make the list?

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Swedish grocery shoppers can now go organic and save time running errands with just a few clicks on their computer. The company Ekoladan (translates to "The Organic Box") offers an online subscription service to the residents of Stockholm -- they can order organic produce over the internet and have it delivered right to their doorstep. Options include boxes of fruit, veggies, mixes of both, or a box of basics in either large or small sizes. Deliveries can be set for every week or twice a month, and the website offers a sneak peak at the upcoming week's new assortments. And if all that isn't convenient enough, you can add other organic staples to your order like bread, eggs, rice, and pasta.

Ekoladan's service is focused mainly on the residents of Stockholm, although they will deliver outside that area if at least 10 households order at once. Prices average 180-225 SEK ($24-$30), so it can't be that hard to get enough neighbors together. Managed by a wholesaler with a 30 year history of organic and biodynamic products, Ekoladan is a non-profit company that supports biodynamic education, research, and other eco-friendly ventures.

I'll definitely be on the lookout for something like this in my area -- I picture the American version as a sort of Schwann's-gone-organic. Sounds good to me!

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