That's Fit

Are you snacking today? Are chips, dips, cookies, and candies consuming you? Need to get a grip? If so, check out these seven tricks for successful snacking.

1. Create your own snacks. Don't buy the ready-made ones -- they're low in vitamins, nutrients, and protein and high in calories, fat, sugar, and sodium. While sports and protein bars might be an exception, it's best to craft your own snacks. Try crunchy apple slices or celery sticks with natural peanut butter. Mix up a colorful bowl of fresh fruit. Prepare bags of nuts and seeds and grab them when you're on the go.

2. Balance your snacks. The ideal slow-burn snack has carbohydrates, protein, and surprisingly, a bit of fat. Try a pear, a chunk of cheddar cheese, and some low-fat yogurt and you'll be set for a few hours.

Have no fear. Swallowing gum won't muck up your insides. It passes through the digestive system just like everything else you eat. It's digested like celery and other roughage, which is pretty much not at all. Still, it makes its way through and won't stick around any longer than normal. Gum can be a choking hazard, however, so keep it away from kids five and under.

Don't worry about your knuckles either. Cracking them won't damage your joints. Here's what happens when you hear that crack, snap, and pop: Each joint is lubricated by a gummy substance that absorbs air and creates a vacuum. When you pull, the seal breaks and gas bubbles pop. In 20 minutes, the vacuum re-seals.

One more: Drinking coffee. Is it a vice? Nope. Unless you are pregnant, there's almost never a health reason for adults to give up their coffee habits. Some studies show that drinking coffee can better your health -- one study of a bunch of nurses suggests two cups of coffee per day lowers the risk of women developing diabetes.

Got a "bad" habit you suspect isn't all that bad? Tell us what it is and we'll investigate.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens, April 2008

All of us, men and women alike, need sleep. But one of us needs it more. Any guesses?

Women.

Doctors are discovering that poor sleep habits make women more vulnerable than men to heart disease and diabetes. Controlling for age, race, and smoking and menstrual status, researchers found there's no changing the the fact that women -- all women -- are at risk for these illnesses when their sleep patterns are disrupted.

My first grade kid brings home a folder full of completed worksheets every Monday. Some of his work I toss. There is so much of it. And some of it I save. I can't wait to pull out his handwriting samples when he's a teenager.

One crumpled-up piece of paper came home with my seven-year-old yesterday, and I'm definitely throwing it in the "Joey's First Grade" box I have stuffed in a hallway linen closet. It's all about health -- Joey wrote out seven good health habits -- and so that makes it a keeper. Here are Joey's tips for good health:

1. Take a bath
2. Drink water
3. Exercise
4. Get plenty of sleep
5. Eat healthy foods
6. Keep cuts clean
7. Bruch (he meant brush) your teeth

Finding a way to thwart death and live forever is the stuff of movies and legends -- how many characters have gone in search of the fountain of youth? That's all just fiction and fun, of course, but in real life there are real things you can do to help not only get the most years out of your life as possible but also the most quality years out of your life. A good start to a solid fitness plan is implementing healthy (i.e. life-extending) habits. So try these on for size:

• Get enough sleep, but not too much! Studies show that people who sleep too much (generally 8+ hours per night) have shorter life expectancies, but then again so do those who don't get enough sleep (less than 6 hours). It seems there's a magical number of just enough sleep, which for most people lands somewhere between 6 and 8 hours.

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!

You've heard the news and seen the headlines. Apparently us Americans are walking zombies getting less and less sleep every year. This is what organizations such as The Sleep Foundation will lead you to believe. But a study out of the University of Maryland counters this argument saying that citizens in the USA are actually getting plenty of sleep.

Whereas the myth of sleep deprivation claims we're getting less than seven hours of shut eye, the UM research says Americans are getting a healthy dose of eight hours. Why the discrepancy? Well interestingly enough, it may have more to do with funding than results.

The Sleep Foundation gets its money partly from pharmaceutical companies that manufacture sleep aids. See the connection? The University of Maryland, however, funded its research using tax dollars. Not only that, but the myth is dispelled using far more numbers -- there was a difference in over 30,000 individuals between the two surveys. It just goes to show you that not everything you see in the media is 100 percent accurate!

Yesterday, I shared a few tips to help you reach and keep a state of thinness. Of course, the five ideas I revealed won't work all on their own. So here are five more to add to your list. Combine all ten tips and you'll be on your way to a slimmer and trimmer body.

• Start with soup: Order a clear soup instead of a salad soaked with a creamy dressing and you'll save twice the calories. You'll feel fuller too.

• Ditch the cheese: Order your next pizza without cheese or ask for half of this tasty topping. Supplement with a few tablespoons of Parmesan instead.

• Pick your popcorn wisely: Keep your movie popcorn to a minimum -- most people eat 45% more popcorn from large-size containers -- by ordering a small bag. And skip the butter, which adds more calories than the popcorn itself.

• Go pudding: Instead of a candy bar, try a sugar-free, low calorie Jell-O chocolate pudding snack. Top it with a squirt of nonfat whipped cream topping. Eat it with a baby spoon and savor it even longer.

• Refresh: When waiting in a line, stand evenly on both feet, clasp hands behind your back and squeeze shoulder blades together to open your chest. This is an energizing yoga move that stimulates the nervous system. Hold for 10 to 20 seconds while slowly breathing in and out.

Ever wonder how that certain someone stays slim and trim for all of time? Perhaps said person even eats freely, never appearing to gain a pound. Not fair, is it?

Perhaps genetics predispose some folks toward lean, mean physiques. Adopting a few healthy habits might do the trick too. Check out these habits of "naturally" thin people.

• Eat early: The more you eat earlier on, the less you eat as the day wears on. Add some protein to your first meal of the day -- try a hard-boiled egg or a part-skim mozzarella cheese stick -- and it'll be easier to pass on those office brownies.

• Better your bagel: It takes 10,000 steps to justify a 500-calorie bagel with cream cheese. So try this: low-fat spreadable cheese like Laughing Cow Light on an English muffin.

• Bag the snacks: Bundle your snacks in pint-size zip bags to ensure you eat appropriate portions. Or try 100-calories snack packs -- just don't eat more than one. Did you know that four regular Oreo cookies have 200 calories versus the 100-calorie snack bag version?

• Pick a pita: Opt for one mini whole-wheat pita instead of two slices of white or refined wheat bread for your sandwich. It will save you about 70 calories.

• Work in the workouts: When at the gas pump, do a few calf raises. Just like this: With one hand on your car, stand on the balls of your feet and slowly rise up and down for as long as it takes to fill up your tank. For an SUV, that might be 50 raises. While at work, do some dips using your office chair. Walk a few flights of stairs -- two minutes per day is all you need. And crunch during commercials -- the average 30-minute TV program contains eight minutes of advertisements. Do your crunches every time you see one.

Heart Disease is something few talk about, even though its touched many of our lives. But one notable star has spoken up about how heart disease has affected her life--Marie Osmond. The child star, who recently competed on Dancing With The Stars, talked with Everyday Health about matters of the heart. Here are the highlights:

• (On changing her unhealthy habits) : I started by exercising with my kids - taking long walks, riding bikes, even playing outside games. Then I kicked it all up a big notch by appearing on Dancing With the Stars. My mother told me a couple of months before she passed away (from heart disease,) "Marie, don't do what I did. Take the time to take care of yourself."
• (On passing on healthy habits): My 10-year-old daughter will order a salad instead of pizza. Even my 5-year-old surprised me when she chose an orange once after being offered a bag of chips. They still love their video games, but physical activity is a part of every day.
• (On her advice to other women): Most women spend 90 percent of their time taking care of others, so we put ourselves last on the priority list. I think women have to stop and decide that it's better for everyone in the long run if they take care of themselves in healthy ways every day.
  

Read more here.

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!

For the next two months (at minimum), Everlast will be 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!

Is your pantry a help to your health and fitness goals or a hindrance? Whether you're looking for six-pack abs or a lower cholesterol count your kitchen cabinets are a major player in your quest for success. You can really help yourself or really hurt yourself with the decisions you make when you go grocery shopping. Are you making the right choices?

Obviously step 1 to having a healthy pantry is avoiding a lot of processed foods with artificial ingredients and sky-high sodium levels. It's also a good idea to shop for bright colors (meaning a variety of fruits and veggies) and to ensure you're getting a good balance of everything on the food pyramid, like lean proteins and whole grains. But there's more in your pantry than just the things you bought for this week's menu -- what about all that miscellaneous stuff that just kinda hangs out until somebody is in a scrounging mood? What kind of foods are hiding out in the back corners?

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!

For the next two months (at minimum), Everlast will be 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!

Listen up, men: If good health is a priority you've set your sights on, here are five habits you might want to adopt. Guaranteed to increase your odds of living well, these five -- not the same old diet, exercise, smoking, and drinking tips -- are simple and easy to incorporate into your daily routine.

• Wash your hands. It sounds simple but an alarming number of men don't.
  

• Minimize migraines. Migraine sufferers are at a higher risk for a number of health problems later in life. If you're one of them, get help.
  

• Take an aspirin a day. Aspirin has a number of healthy benefits -- talk to your doctor to see if it's right for you.
  

• Stop snoring. Snoring isn't just annoying for your partner; it's bad for your health, too.
  

• Get to the doctor. Are you one of the millions of men who avoids your MD? Your health could be suffering as a result.

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To someone who's not, fit people seem to be an entirely different species. Those on the non-fit end of the spectrum can't fathom going to the gym several times a week, participating in sports regularly or heading out on active vacations and excursions. I know, because I used to be one of those people. But used to be is the key here -- I would never go back to that way of life.

Being a fit person is not something that comes naturally to some. And being fit is more than just getting into the habit of going to the gym -- it's a lifestyle and a mindset. But you can--and should--start thinking like a fit person. Here are some habits you should consider adopting: