After indulging during Thanksgiving dinner, a slice of pumpkin pie may seems out of the question if you're watching your waistline. Think again! Did you know that pumpkin pie can actually be good for you?

Pumpkins are rich in vitamins and minerals including fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium and vitamins C and E. Pumpkins also contain carotenoids, a phytochemical responsible for the orange-red color of certain fruits and vegetables. Carotenoids have been shown to lower the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by preventing oxidation of cholesterol in the arteries. The two carotenoids found in pumpkins are alpha and beta-carotene, which convert vitamin A in the body and are essential for normal growth, immunity and development.

Who knew pumpkin pie could really be so sweet? I have created a delicious version with half the calories of the classic. I use Fiber One cereal to make a crunchy crust instead of a pie dough. I also use a fat-free egg substitute to give the filling a creamy texture and a slice with 200 fewer calories than a traditional recipe.

Try this delicious pumpkin pie!

In addition to jazzing up dishes, cinnamon is a spice with many health benefits.

Cinnamon has anti-inflammatory properties, helping reduce chances of both stroke and heart disease. The spice also has antifungal and antibacterial properties that can help fight infections and lice.

Cinnamon appears to have a positive effect on blood sugar levels and according to the USDA's Human Nutrition Research Center, cinnamon seems to make insulin more efficient at taking glucose out of blood and converting it to fuel for your body.

Studies also claim anti-viral benefits for a special cinnamon extract against Avian Flu H9, the Sendai virus, HIV and Herpes Simplex 1, Newcastle disease (in chickens) and the flu. The extract not only fights viruses, but it will also immunize against them.

To top it all off, cinnamon is an excellent source of manganese, dietary fiber, iron and calcium.

Cinnamon can be toxic in large doses. And please note that large, doughy cinnamon buns are not an ideal source of cinnamon.

Read more about this sweet spice on That's Fit:

Cinnamon is Good for You

Scents of the Season

Cinnamon Keeps Blood Sugar Down

Photo: Jupiterimages

From your bra size (large may indicate diabetes, ladies) to the width of your calves (skinnier is the problem here -- it may signal heart trouble), body characteristics can indicate a wealth of information about your overall health. Discover your body's 10 weirdest health clues this week on AOL Health.

We at That's Fit and AOL Health know you've got a lot going on in your lives besides staying in great shape, and we realize that more than just diet and exercise goes into feeling your best every day. That's why we're sharing some of the exciting reporting going on at AOL Health.

Lower back pain is a common complaint among adults -- but the good news is staying active can help. This week on AOL Health, we cover which exercises can help reduce lower back pain.

You've probably heard it from us before, but your (good) diet and exercise habits are keeping you young. Knowing the healthier answer to something as simple as "Soup or salad?" could add two years to your life. Continue reading to learn how to had 22 young years to your life.

Avoiding the scale, lifting weights and flossing are just a few of the health mistakes smart women make. Read all 14 -- and why they matter in the long run -- at AOL Health.

Photo: Darren Hester, Flickr

For years, fat carried around the abdominal area has been regarded as the detrimental by-product of our fast-food consuming, activity-loathing society -- and not just because it looks awful hanging over the edge of your low-cut jeans. Belly fat is just plain bad for your health. In fact, it's the worst kind of fat to have. Or so we thought.

Recent findings from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are suggesting that our obsession with belly fat is misguided -- it's actually the fat that's collected in the liver that we should be concerned with. "Visceral (abdominal) fat tracks closely with liver fat," lead author Dr. Samuel Klein says in a press release. "We have found that excess fat in the liver, not visceral fat, is a key marker of metabolic dysfunction. Visceral fat might simply be an innocent bystander that is associated with liver fat."

The bad news? Unlike belly fat, you can't really tell if your liver is fatty (well, not in a mirror, anyway.) But there is good news. "Fatty liver disease is completely reversible," says Klein. "Even two days of calorie restriction can cause a large reduction in liver fat and improvement in liver insulin sensitivity." So what are you waiting for? Help that liver of yours slim down.

Can make-up help? Find out if lip balm can lead to weight loss.

Whether you want to slim down, shape up or simply stay healthy, walking will do the trick.

Photo: a.drian, Flickr

Jonny Bowden, author, nutritionist and weight loss coach cuts through all the misconceptions about diet and fitness to help you transform your body, your health and your life.

Even a modest reduction in carb intake might be enough to stabilize blood sugar, reduce insulin and, in the long-run, facilitate weight loss, says a new study from the Department of Nutrition Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Jonny Bowden, author, nutritionist and weight loss coach cuts through all the misconceptions about diet and fitness to help you transform your body, your health and your life.

Photo: TheBusyBrain, Flickr

I've ranted about high sugar cereals for years. Even those masquerading as "healthy" cereals are usually high-glycemic (meaning they raise blood sugar quickly), and they contribute to weight gain, cravings and ultimately, lower energy.

And most of these cereals are fiber lightweights, despite the fact that we're constantly being sold on the notion of cereals as "high fiber" foods. With the exception of Fiber One, UltraFiber, Bran Flakes and a few others, most commercial cereals only contain a gram or two of fiber, which is one of the reasons they're so "high glycemic" in the first place.

Now a new study has shown that high-glycemic foods like cornflakes are not only bad for the waistline -- they're also bad for the heart.

Source

Photo: Pool/Getty Images

There's little doubt that the Obamas care about their own personal health. They eat light -- Michelle is known for asking White House chefs to cook cream of broccoli soup without the cream. They're champions of local foods, and they're committed to exercise, despite heavily scheduled lives. But their concern for health and fitness goes far beyond their own family -- they want America to shape up too.

Obama's health reform bill is expected to be heavy on prevention: Workplace wellness, money for bicycle and walking trails, obesity screening, grocery stores in poor neighborhoods and improved nutrition and exercise in schools. "He has expressed more interest in preventing diseases and promoting health than any previous president. It is not a breath of fresh air. It is a tornado," Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, recently told Politico. "That contrast is breathtaking. This is really a rare opportunity to make progress on so many issues."

Source

Photo: athleteoutfitters.com

Who among us hasn't used our personal gym towel to wipe a bit of sweat off a piece of equipment at the gym and then used the same towel to wipe our faces? Not only is that completely gross -- it's also dangerous. Just ask Matt Barker, who contracted a staph infection that entered his lungs and caused pneumonia from a public gym. And so, he founded Athlete Outfitters and invented the Safe Side Towel.

The Safe Side Towel has a clearly marked GYM side and a FACE side, so you always know which side is safe. In addition to nasty things like staph infections, it's easy to catch things like a cold and the flu if you're not careful with your towel. And now, you have a chance to win three Safe Side Towels of your own!

• To enter, leave a confirmed comment below telling us what your favorite piece of equipment at the gym is.
  
• The comment must be left before 5pm ET on Friday, June 19, 2009.
  
• You may enter only once.
• Four winners will be selected in a random drawing.
  
• Four winners will receive a 3 Pack of Safe Side Towels in White, Pink, and Coffee (valued at $29.80).
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• Click here for complete Official Rules. Winners will be notified by email, so make sure to check next week to find out if you've won!

Source

Today is National Start! Walking Day, and if you ask me, that's as good an excuse as you're ever going to find for starting a walking program. Whether you're doing it to lose weight, become a little more fit, or just because it feels good to get moving, you can't deny that walking has tons of benefits. And now, there are some great ways to get started.

The American Heart Association's Start! Walking Program and ExerciseTV have teamed up to offer everyone the instruction they need to get started with the Start! Walking at Home With Leslie Sansone videos, which are available for purchase on DVD and for download on the ExerciseTV website. The videos start from the beginning, with a short intro, and build up to a three-mile walk.

By walking less than a half hour each day, you can improve the health of your heart, which I think we can all agree is fairly important. Not sure walking is for you? Consider these statistics:

Source

We take care of the kids -- shuffling them to school, to practice and taking them out to fun places whenever there's a quiet moment. We take care of our spouses and homes and jobs and extended families. But most moms have one major flaw -- we don't slow down to take care of ourselves.

As busy as you might be, it's important to take care of your own health. CafeMom has five better health tips for busy moms.

Calling all moms: Do you make your health a priority?

Source

Every couple fights from time to time, but I think it's safe to say we all wish we would fight less. "CafeMom" reports that sex may be the surprising answer. What's more, when you stop focusing on the little things that annoy you and ask yourself how you can put sex back in your marriage, you'll reap the other benefits of a healthy sex life, including reduced stress, improved immunity, better cardiovascular health and higher self-esteem. All that, plus you're burning calories!

Source

When it comes to eating a healthy diet and staying fit, what's your biggest motivator? Is it feeling good? Staying active? Fitting into your jeans? Maybe it's all of the above. Those are all good reasons for staying fit, but here's maybe the biggest one of all: Being obese could cut your life by 10 years. I don't know about you, but I'm suddenly feeling very motivated.

This finding comes from an analysis of 57 different studies that included almost 900,000 people. The short story is this:

• A normal BMI is 18.5 to 24.9.
• Death rates were lowest among people with a BMI of 23 to 24.
• A BMI of 30 to 35 could potentially take two to four years off life.
• Being morbidly obese, or having a BMI of 40 to 45, could shorten life by eight to 10 years.
• Being underweight, with a BMI of less than 22.5, was also associated with a shorter lifespan.

Source

Unless your man collects teddy bears, the usual Valentine's fare just isn't going to cut it for him. You could get him a nice watch or some cologne, sure. Or you could show him how much you love him by giving him a gift that encourages his healthy diet and fitness habits.

What's sentimental about new running shoes? you're thinking. Well, nothing. But unless your guy is the romantic type, sentimental probably is more important to you than it is to him. Giving a fit Valentine's gift not only shows that you support his interests, but that you care about his health, too.

Get some ideas in the gallery below, and don't forget to check out our fit Valentine's Day gifts for her, too.