I just received a few Element Bars in the mail, and instantly knew I'd need to share them with you. If you're a person who likes to have a protein/energy bar on occasion when you can't grab a meal, or uses them as a healthier version of snacks or desserts ... Element Bars are a fantastic choice. Why? You can design them yourself!

The process is really quite fun, and you'd be surprised how personalized these bars can be. You get to choose things like: bar texture, fruits, nuts, sweets, and nutritional boosters. Once you've made your purchase, the bar you receive in the mail will literally be a custom bar created by you!

I ordered a few of the most popular Element Bars and enjoyed them all. My favorite was "Chocolate Nut Pie". I couldn't decide whether this bar tasted more like chocolate chip cookie dough or brownies, but either way ... it was delicious. I'm actually in the process of trying to keep lean for a photo shoot coming up for of all things, my abs. Ugh! But the bars I chose are high in protein and fiber and low in sugars, so fortunately they fit in with my plan.

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A house that makes you lose weight. Wouldn't it be awesome if, just by stepping foot in your own home, you'd be on your way to a healthy weight? It's not so simple, I'm afraid.

But AOL Home has a slideshow of some pretty wacky house designs that surely must help their owners live a healthier lifestyle. How about a ten-story home that's only equipped with stairs? Or a house that's built like a jungle gym? Or a house on an island that can only be accessed by rowboat? The sheer act of getting to and/or around these houses is a workout.

If you look around your home, you'll likely see less extreme ways that it can help you get fit. How about making two trips every time you have to go up the stairs? Or playing a game of basketball with that hoop you have outside? You can also engineer additional fitness opportunities -- like putting up a rock wall in your garage just like one of the families in the slideshow did.

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By now, it's no secret that famous designer Marc Jacobs has been to rehab a couple of times for help with his addictions to alcohol and drugs. But while replacing one addiction with another is usually not considered healthy, Jacobs has found one new addiction that is: Exercise.

In the latest issue of Harper's Bazaar, Jacobs admits that he often goes to the gym for three hours at a time. And he complements his new routine by eating well, following an eating plan prescribed to him by nutritionist Lisa Duncan to rid him of digestive problems. On the menu these days? Nutrient powerhouses like mangosteen, goji, noni, and açaí berries.

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Drinking water is one of the easiest ways to improve your health, as well as one of the most important. However, hydration has gotten a little confusing lately -- what bottles are okay, and which ones will cause cancer or defects or death? I just want some water!

Bev did a great post showing you some options of BPA-free water bottles, and now, Camelbak (one of the options Bev listed) was nice enough to send me some samples of their Better Bottles to review for Fit Gadgets. And so, aside from wanting a bottle that won't cause health issues, I sat down to think about the qualities a perfect water bottle would have:

• One-handed operation. If I have to hold the cap in my other hand, it's a pain to use running, driving, or talking on the phone.
• Large enough mouth for ice cubes. I live in Florida, and if there aren't ice cubes in my water when I go for a run, it's pretty warm by the home stretch.
• Also, large enough for plenty of water. I go through a lot of water at the gym, and I prefer to avoid refilling my bottle mid-workout.
• Easy to hold. There is nothing more frustrating that struggling to hold onto a bottle while running or walking, whether it's because of the size or the shape or the slipperiness.
• Halfway attractive. I mean, I don't need to want to make out with it or anything, but, I am putting my mouth on it -- I wouldn't mind a cute bottle.

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Philippe Starck is a designer famous around the world for his creations of everything from furniture to watches to architecture, but it seems that he's suddenly unsatisfied with his career and is having a "midlife crisis" of sorts. He recently said in an interview that he plans to retire within the next two years because everything he designed was "unnecessary and materialistic" and he's ashamed to have been a part of it. He went on to say that design is dead, on the whole, and that "the designers of the future will be the personal coach, the gym trainer, the diet consultant."

That's an interesting thought, although I would hate to think that if I hire myself a personal trainer and make major progress they're going to get all the "design credit" for my new physique. That glory is all mine, baby.

No word yet on what Starck's future plans might be, I wonder if they'll be health related?

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Have you ever considered joining a training group like Team in Training or TeamChallenge, only to realize that you have no idea how to go about raising the massive amounts of money required? Sure, it's a great idea to use an event that will benefit your body to raise money for other worthy causes, but it's hard to hit up friends and family for donations. But what if you could sell them a cool, unique product, and use the profit for your race?

You can, with spreadshirt.com! It really works -- one runner raised $1000 in just a week this way.

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