The beauty of a "before" picture is that it allows you to really appreciate how far you've come. Not there yet? Are you walking around in the body you'll one day refer to as your "before"? Watch this video and get a move on. Life is too short to spend one extra second in your "before" body. Pay close attention, take action and zoom on into your "after" body.

For fabulous cooking tips, creative workouts and more fun quick information from degreed experts in health and fitness, visit SportsHealthExercise.org.

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I realize you're probably not dying to perch yourself at your microwave and stare aimlessly through the glass while your food cooks. But if you find yourself waiting on that popcorn to pop and you happen to watch the bag as it inflates, rest assured: You will do no harm.

Microwave ovens have been engineered not to leak anything dangerous, says Lou Bloomfleld, Ph.D., professor of physics at the University of Virginia, and author of How Everything Works.

This physics expert says the only way micro-waves can reach you is if there is serious damage to the unit or the door is open while you cook -- which is impossible really, thanks to designers who know this would be a risky oven feature. Keep in mind too that microwaves emit thermal radiation which is quite painful. If your microwave was spitting rays at you, you'd know it.

If you're not so sure about the effectiveness of your nuker, take it to a repair shop and have it screened for leakage with an FDA-certified meter.

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WebMD offers a neat interactive tool, which will help you find out how many calories you burned during various activities. Even though most tools like this offer an average guesstimate, not able to take in consideration your exact muscle/body fat ratio......it's pretty close and provides a reasonable guideline.

Use it not only to see how many calories you just burned, but also use it to see how much more you can burn if you take things up a notch. Inspiration is everywhere!

Losing weight with no exercise and binging on junk food one day a week seems like a plan that's too good to be true. It's a fact that regular exercise has a number of benefits, but Tim Ferriss who is an adviser to more than 30 Olympic and professional world record holders has written a post about a diet which lost him 25 lbs. in 30 days. Of course no one is saying to throw away your jogging shoes, but if you already work out on a regular basis, try supplementing your regimen with this diet.

His first bit of advice says NO to "white" carbs. We've heard this one before, and many health-conscious people have already kicked this particular food. For everyone else, he classifies white carbohydrates as bread, rice, cereal, potatoes, pasta, and fried food with breading. If you need bread, it's not hard to get hooked on the healthier wheat alternative.

Another rule he has is to avoid drinking your calories. This is sound advice, especially for someone like myself who can be a sucker for outrageous coffees. Water, unsweetened tea, and diet sodas are perfect for getting you through the day without sneaking in unneeded calories. Tim has more to offer from his diet plan, and it seems to work well for him. Remember to find out how your body vibes with these changes, or discover your own perfect diet!

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As someone who can relate to all the challenges of getting a hearty meal on campus, I find the tips in this article about eating healthy in college spot on. When you have three or four classes back-to-back with no time for lunch, a vending machine can look mighty convenient. But whether it's for the money or quickness, Twinkies and fast food don't always make the best college meal.

If money is an issue (and when is it not?), these pointers could save you more than just time. For starters, try bringing your lunch to school. I'm never without a four pound tub of extra crunchy peanut butter and wheat bread, so whether it's hot or cold outside I can still enjoy a healthy lunch on-the-go. But don't procrastinate; begin eating smarter now, not tomorrow. It's all too easy to get caught up in the swing of things and let health take a back seat.

Sure, we're young, broke and desperate college kids spending more time in the library than in the shower. But that's no reason to eat like a pig, is it? Be selective and your body will love you for it.

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A common challenge of exercise is figuring out how hard you should work. There are a few options to calibrate the ideal effort you should be putting forth, but most require too much math to make them great mid-workout options. I like the Keep It Simple Stupid version called the Talk Test.

For the average healthy individual who is trying to improve overall fitness, including cardiovascular and lung capacity, these are the rules.

• If you can have a full blown conversation during an aerobic workout you should be working harder.
• If you can't talk at all, even to scream "help!", you are working too hard.
• If you are huffing and puffing, but still have enough wind to tell your partner or trainer, "I can't wait to get this over with"...your pace is juuuuuust right.

It is no news flash that there are many rewards in trying to stop smoking. After smoking bans started popping up all over the place, the urge to spread the health benefits to those already hooked seems just as important as ever. That appears to be the same reasoning behind why this author decided to convey how he feels at the end of one month of being completely smoke-free.

After trying to kick the habit many times before, he prefaces the article by saying he's been an ex-smoker in his past, but that it takes a mental transition to finally curb the habit. Now he is psychologically prepared to be a non-smoker for good, and this is how he feels.

Mentally he says he feels stronger, relaxed, more confident and more attentive. He's also more efficient since he doesn't get caught going outside every so often for a smoke. Socially speaking, the author says he is now able to better interact with people since he doesn't reek of fumes. On the physical side of things, he doesn't get out of breath as easily and his frequent coughing is all but gone.

Like it's been said before, these are only a few of the reasons to kick the routine of nicotine. This guy seems to have all of the pros for going cold turkey. Although it probably won't be as easy as just dropping it so abruptly, even a slow transition to a smoke-free life is better than leading one fueled by lighting up daily. Don't believe it? Read on for more.

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Headaches are absolutely no fun. On busy days with a packed agenda, migraines can be debilitating. Sometimes people are prone to getting them more than others. But quite often you can find your head splitting due to a trigger like certain foods or emotional stress.

This health website points out migraine triggers and how to identify them. I was surprised to see that chocolate, coffee and even red wine could possibly cause a headache! Also interesting to note is that a migraine can set in during a post-stressful time, like on vacation or another type of break that would normally be relaxing.

Avoiding tyramine helps too (we're looking at you cheesy foods). So how does this information help? Well, since everyone reacts to these triggers differently, you can scan over and see if they match your history of migraine patterns. Avoiding specific foods or getting more rest could be the answer. Remember to consult a doctor though if a headache seems to persist over a long period of time.

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