That's Fit

Greens fit for company -- I'm sure the balsamic makes this delectable, while the sliced garlic is a new technique for me (I usually mince). Do you think it really needs the sugar? I'm betting not. I'd skip the preboil step with chard.

Swiss chard wraps -- Wrap a tomato and a little mozzarella cheese with a chard leaf, bake and you'll have a testy -- and healthy -- new side dish.

When I grow up, I want to be just like the adorable and inspiring 85 year old women I saw following along as best as they could in the back of a cardio kickboxing class today. I stood in awe watching them in their elastic waisted linen pants and button-down collared shirts jabbing and crossing with energy.

I thought about the things I do today to increase my health and preserve my athleticism. Will I be able to do the same things those amazing women were doing today while surrounded by others more than half their age? I bust my butt to ensure a long healthy life, but I when I watch things like that....it just seems like a bit of a miracle as well. That's what I'm working for. With all of my being, I want to be just like them.

Looking great and feeling great often go hand in hand. Partly, that's because good nutrition truly shows -- your hair, your skin, and your nails all look their best when you start by eating the right foods. And so, if your current beauty goal is to grow long, beautiful nails, start at the dinner table by eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to get the necessary vitamins.

Now that you've got the nutrition aspect under control, let's talk about some other things you can do for healthy nails. According to ehow.com, there are five steps you can take to get your best nails ever.

Click through the gallery to learn more about the vitamins you need and to see the steps -- but don't break a nail!

We're going to plant a garden. This is the year. We're really going to do it. Our kids have been begging to plant seeds and watch them grow for a while now and we just haven't made it happen. But a garden is in the works now. It has to be. We made a promise.

John promised Joey and Danny that he'll till up a portion of our back yard so they can bury their seeds deep in the dirt. He even asked his mom, a successful gardener herself, for tips and tricks. And for a quick start, he's decided to buy a strawberry pot and begin this crop while the rest of the garden takes shape. They boys are thrilled and while they experienced a temporary set-back last night when they couldn't locate such a pot at any of our garden shops, they are patiently optimistic that their garden will soon be up and sprouting.

Besides strawberries, we hope to grow tomatoes, zucchini, carrots and if Joey has his way, we'll have pumpkins, sunflowers, beans, watermelon, peppers, and more. He'd buy every package of seeds available if he could. He's that excited.

I'm excited too -- about the prospect of growing our own healthy foods, about saving a few pennies at the grocery store, about my boys witnessing firsthand the wonder of nature. The family time will be a treasure too. What better way to grow together than joining forces and enjoying the fruits of our labor.

If you own a BOSU or have been eying one up at the gym wondering what the heck to do with it, start simple. Pretend it's a step. You know, like the step, we've been using in group exercise classes for decades. Everything you can do on the step, you can do on the BOSU. The BOSU just adds the extra little element of instability, which in the long run will make you more stable.

Go slow at first, because standing on the dome of a BOSU is significantly different. Take a little time just standing on top to get comfortable, and then slowly add on motions you remember from that step class. Besides reaping the benefits of a great lower body workout the step was famous for, you'll engage your hips, abs, and back. Core training. Right?

Seven ideas for step training on the BOSU.

• March on and off.
• Step up lift one knee, step down.
• Jog up, jog down.
• Jump on and off the front and sides of it.
• Lunge on to it.
• Lunge backwards off it.
• Squat on and off.

  For more ideas on BOSU training or to grab one click here.