That's Fit

There's been all kinds of stories circulating around lately on what a ridiculously huge amount of calories Olympic athlete Michael Phelps consumes every day while still managing to be totally ripped and toned. Talk about efficient calorie-burning! But you don't have to be on a crazy athletic training schedule and headed for the Olympics to learn how to burn calories better (although that certainly helps, I'm sure!), just try these 5 tips:

• Eat breakfast
• Tune in to your body's hunger cues
• Drink plenty of water
• Encourage healthy bacteria (take probiotics, eat yogurt)
  
• Go heavy on the spices (cayenne pepper, paprika, chili peppers)

Halitosis, the technical term for bad breath (aka oral malodour, apparently), can be an embarrassing and touchy subject. Let's face it, nobody wants to repel people with their breath. There are a range of potential causes for bad breath, some of which are medical and may be helped by a simple visit to the doctor. Others though, have more to do with what you eat and various habits.

If you know you suffer from halitosis and want to try to remedy the situation, it might be worthwhile to take some (or all) of the advice suggested here. Avoiding food like garlic and onions might help, but apparently not eating at all may cause bad breath, so make sure eat a regular, healthy diet. Other tips include staying hydrated as dry mouth can cause foul breath, giving up cigarettes and looking after your mouth and teeth by brushing, flossing and gargling with mouthwash.

As mentioned, if none of these things seem to work, it's probably a good idea to make an appointment to discuss the situation with your doctor.

Depending on how long you workout and exactly what kind of exercise you're doing, your body needs different things from you. Hydration is important across the board, but when it comes to drinking fluids there's a big difference between water and sports drinks. Do you need the calories and electrolytes? What about protein? Is plain water better in some situations?

Experts say that if you're exercising for an hour or less at one time all you really need is water. Only when your body is subjected to long endurance-type activities for more than an hour is it in need of a calorie boost and electrolyte replacement. If you're drinking calories during or after a shorter workout you're really just canceling out all the energy you just burned!

The last really long flight I endured took a lot out of me. I get nervous on airplanes so I'm happy just to land safely and in one piece, but I have to admit that it would be nice to arrive not feeling totally bagged. There are a few lucky people who get to spend their time lounging in luxury in first or business class, and for them, these voyages probably aren't so bad.

But for the rest of us squished back in coach, 10-plus hours in the air can be tough to take. And with new 15-, 16, and 17-hour flights becoming more common, it's more important than ever to find ways to get through it. If you've got a long plane ride ahead, here are a few tips that might make things more bearable:

• Try to get some sleep. It helps pass the time and even a few hours will help you arrive feeling rested.
• Walk around the cabin and find a spot to do some simple stretches. Light exercise will keep you from getting stir-crazy, and will also help prevent the deep-vein thrombosis that can be caused by sitting for hours.
• Pick a good seat. It is worth paying extra or checking in early to make sure you get the additional legroom provided in an emergency exit row, or the added freedom of an aisle seat. Sitting in the middle is not an option.
• Read a good book. You've got a lot of time to kill, so use it wisely and enjoy a novel you haven't had the chance to get into.
• Wear comfortable clothing. If your feel swell and you get a bit bloated, tight clothes and shoes will only make you feel worse.
• Drink lots of water. It's easy to get dehydrated when eating airplane food and breathing recirculated air. If you stay hydrated by drinking lots of water, you'll feel better overall throughout the flight.

Want a few more ideas? Take a look here for more suggestions that will help you stay happy and feeling good on your next long-haul flight.

I sprained my ankle about a year ago and one of the hardest things to get used to (besides using crutches) was taking a break from my workout routine. Most people would welcome the imposed laziness but I was really into going to the gym and when I'm tin the mindframe to go to the gym, I don't want to mess with that -- fore soon, I'll be a full-blown couch potato if I don't keep up with my workouts.

My sprain was a result of my overwhelming clumsiness, but it's surprisingly easy to injure yourself while working out. Don't let an injury sideline you -- here are some tips for avoiding injuries:

As much preaching as we all hear about not drinking enough water and how most people live life chronically dehydrated, it's interesting to know that it's possible to drink too much water -- especially when exercising -- and more people do it than you might think. Endurance exercisers are the only ones really at risk, and the problem (called hyponatremia) happens when you drink in more water than your kidneys can excrete. Potentially fatal, it's not something to take lightly, but it is easy to avoid: just respect your own personal "thirst" meter and drink only when your body says you need to.

Is your breath reaching people before your words? Has a dear friend or family member politely leaned into you to tell you that you have bad breath? The first thing you do is cup your hand to your mouth and blow in it to check your breath. Instead keep a pack of gum in your pocket or purse and pop it into your mouth. Chewing gum after a meal, when you can't brush your teeth, will freshen your breath and the chewing action of the gum mixed with your saliva will clean your teeth.

Two other helpful hints to keep bad breath at large is to lightly brush your tongue after you are finished cleaning your teeth. Your tongue holds a ton of bacteria that can get rather smelly. Drink your daily requirement of water. Water is a cure for practically everything including bad breath. By keeping yourself well hydrated, your bad breath will surely reduce.

In some cases bad breath may be the sign of a local infection in the respiratory tract, chronic sinusitis, postnasal drip, chronic bronchitis, diabetes, gastrointestinal disturbance, liver or kidney ailment. If your dentist determines that your mouth is healthy, you may be referred to your family doctor or a specialist to determine the cause of bad breath.

Postnasal drip is a singers worst nightmare. While touring the US, different regions flare up my sinus and allergy problems and I have to pay close attention to when the "drip" starts so I can kick it in the butt before it attacks my respiratory system. One of the first things I pack when I go on tour is a small humidifier. I have a travel one that I can put different scents in like lavender that also helps me sleep. This keeps the air moist and keeps my sinuses from drying out. I make a salt water mixture that I can gargle with and flush out my nose with. The recipe for this mixture is a half teaspoon of salt in about 8 ounces of warm water. I use it to gargle with or to pull up into an aspirator such as an eye dropper and put the tip into your nose while you tilt your head back.

Always remember to gently blow your nose because blowing your nose hard will only result in blowing some of the "drip" back into your throat and sinus cavities. When I start feeling that "drip" coming I also stop drinking milk and eating dairy products and start drinking hot teas with lemon and honey. Since I am a natural remedy person as much as possible, I avoid nasal decongestants, nose drops, etc. because in the long run, they will cause you more trouble than they are worth. Drink lots of purified water to keep your system hydrated and cleansed. Believe it or not stress can also create sinus and postnasal drip problems so learn to relax more often to stay away from "the drip".