When it comes down to it, we all share a common craving: to feel good. University of Oxford neuroscientist Morton Kringelbach knows this. It's why he's writing his new book The Pleasure Center and why he shared with Reader's Digest (August, 2008) some of his revolutionary research. Check this out.

Asked RD: What do people find most pleasurable in their lives? Sex, says Kringelbach. Second is being with friends. Most everything we find pleasurable -- like eating and drinking -- is so much better when shared with someone else.

Another question: Can you help us cure addictions such as overeating? It hasn't been tested yet, reports the scientist, but deep-brain electrodes may help restore the balance of selective satiety mechanisms in the brain -- these are the signals that tell us enough is enough. Obese people may not have the selective satiation that thin people do.

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Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria believes in indulgence, sensuality, and yes, chocolate. This makes her new side job quite a fit for the 33-year-old actress.

Longoria is the new face of a chocolate campaign soon to be featured in ads shown in the U.K. and Europe. The chocolate lover will promote Mayan Mystica, a chocolate ice cream covered in milk chocolate flavored with cinnamon, honey, and nutmeg and Magnum Minis, small chocolates available in a variety of yummy flavors. The good thing about the minis is that they are well, mini. Yes, they are small. Which means you can enjoy one or two here and there. If you can get your hands on one of these minis, then, give it a try. Just don't go overboard.

After your indulgence, stop over here at AOL's Celebrity Diet and Fitness site and see what the stars do to stay in shape when they're not endorsing chocolate.

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Here at That's Fit, we're constantly telling you what we think about things, but sometimes it's nice to know what you think. So from time to time, we'll ask you a question. Don't be afraid to speak up -- we love feedback.

I'm willing to bet that all of us will indulge in something this holiday season, even if it's as small as biting the end off a mini candy cane. Typically, the holidays are all about indulgence -- a time when we splurge on gifts, sleep in, allow ourselves to give the gym and miss and eat more than we should. And though I should be preaching moderation and healthy habits, I'll be honest and say that I don't see anything wrong with indulging a bit. After all, it's only once a year, right?

So I'm wondering what everyone is allowing themselves to indulge in this year -- for me, it's egg nog and ginger snap cookies. I'll also be using the time to catch up on sleep -- workout be darned. What about you?

Junk food in tempting. It really is. We know it's not good for us, but tell that to our cravings. They want what they want and nutritional value plays no role in that. The best we can do is try to find a healthy alternative that will satisfy the cravings and keep us on track too. Mark's Daily Apple has some suggestions:

• Instead of french fries, try homemade yam fries!
• Instead of chips, try nuts
• instead of ice cream, try frozen yogurt
• Instead of candy bars, try dark chocolate
• Instead of soda, try seltzer water with a squeeze of lemon or lime.

For more suggestions, click here.

What's your favourite junk food alternative?

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The truth is, despite all our best intentions, we're all bound to splurge at some point or another. My splurge was the other day -- my birthday -- on which I treated myself to some of my favourites ... pizza, milkshakes and sushi, to be exact. And man, did I ever feel sick afterwards -- going from a healthy, low-fat diet to an all-out grease binge doesn't sit well.

So if you're going to splurge, here's my advise -- go slowly and splurge wisely. Chances are, your splurge foods won't be healthy, but that doesn't mean there aren't things you can do to make the healthier. Check out this quiz from AOL for some insight into what's a smarter splurge and what will set you back.

What's your favourite splurge?

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While many generations before us have struggled with famine, one of the biggest problems that plagues our generation is over-indulgence. We're a culture that can get too much of a good thing -- we overeat on a regular basis. Blogsoop has uncovered the top reasons why we overeat:

• We let visual cues tell us how much to eat
  
• Proximity and visibility of food doesn't help either; it's always there, tempting us.
• We're affected by the volume of food -- if our food had more air in it, it might make a big difference in how much we actually eat
• We accept that the serving size that something comes in is the optimal amount
• We ignore the influence that outside influences have on how much we eat

For more helpful information, including studies to back up these claims, check out the full article.

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Nachos. Jenny McCarthy's secret diet splurge is none other than nachos -- she even calls them her "once a month nachos" because that's about how often she has them. Obviously Jenny works hard at her figure, but she's still pretty down to earth and has a lot of the same "vices" many women do. In this article she confesses to not only using her home gym equipment for hanging and drying clothes, but also to the indulgence of enjoying room service at hotels and often ordering eggs benedict in the morning.

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When dieting -- or simply deciding to cut back a bit on some of your guiltier indulgences -- there are always foods that are hard to give up. If you have a sweet tooth, these foods might include cookies and ice cream. If you favor salty items, potato chips or bacon might cause a danger zone. From donuts to egg rolls, there are foods that should be limited to "once in a while" or "occasional" ingestion. But how often is that?

The answer is: it depends.

For something that is small and you are likely to eat frequently, it might mean a few times a week, like going from a few cookies a day to one every other day. When your weakness is fried tortilla chips or chocolate cake, your "once in a while" could be once or twice a month. If you can't stop yourself from eating those unhealthy foods once you start (a half-dozen of those donuts for breakfast?), "once in a while" might have to mean once or twice a year until you can overcome that urge.

It all boils down to being able to eat a small or reasonable amount of your favorite foods -- no matter what they are -- without having to give them or your diet up completely. And after a while, that "once in a while" will no longer be a wait; it will just be.

How long is your "once in a while?"