Have you ever unloaded your grocery cart at the check out and wondered how all that junk food got there? Marion Nestle, author of "What to Eat" says shopping the perimeter of the store will result in healthier selections.

Fresh, healthier foods are found on the outskirts of your grocery store. Colorful fruits and vegetables, fish, dairy and meat are all found on the perimeter. When you delve into the center aisles, you're more likely to select unhealthy processed foods.

However, in these tight financial times, what's a person to do? The perimeter of the store may contain fresher and more nutritious foods, but they also tend to be more expensive. Try shopping the perimeter first -- plan your meals and spend the bulk of your grocery budget on the most healthful foods. Then, with specific items in mind, venture into the center aisles and look for inexpensive but healthful foods such as frozen fruits and vegetables, whole grains (like as brown rice and quinoa) and beans.

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With today's economy, most people are feeling a budget crunch. Even though the cost of gas has come down, grocery costs stay as high as ever. But high prices at the check-out counter don't mean you have to eat low-cost, low-nutrition foods. Divine Caroline has a list of 20 healthful foods for under one dollar.

• Oats. High in heart-healthy soluble fiber, oats are a quick and tasty meal. A dollar will get you more than a week's worth of breakfasts.
  
• Eggs. About a dollar for a half dozen, eggs -- once given a bad rap for high cholesterol -- are now back in the good nutrition fold.
  
• Kale. Roughly a dollar a bunch, kale and other dark leafy greens are packed with nutrition.
  
• Potatoes. As long as you don't fry them or slather them in fatty condiments, potatoes can be a part of a nutritious diet. Sweet potatoes have the added benefit of beta carotene.
  
• Apples. Most varieties are very inexpensive and can satisfy a sweet tooth with their crunchy goodness.
  
• Nuts. A great source of healthy fats, nuts might seem expensive, but since their portion size is small, many varieties (such as peanuts, walnuts and almonds) land well under a dollar per serving.
  
• Bananas. High in potassium and fiber, bananas are a nutritious and inexpensive food.
  
• Garbanzo Beans. Beans, in general, are a healthful and ridiculously-cheap food. Plus, they're a great protein-rich replacement for high-cost meat. Garbanzos are a versatile and healthful choice.
  
• Broccoli. Delicious raw or cooked into a wide variety of meals, broccoli is well under a dollar per serving.
  

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When you're crunched for time, you many find it difficult to prepare creative, healthful meals. I know that I resort to my old stand-by meals when I'm really busy. They're stand-by meals because they're quick, healthful, and tasty but after a while, they get a bit boring.

One of my favorite tricks for cutting down on meal preparation time is to cook ahead. For example, if I'm going to be baking some chicken for dinner, I bake an extra piece or two for a different meal later in the week. Self magazine has a great sample menu that uses that same time-saving tip -- and the recipes are healthful, balanced, and sound positively yummy. Give it a try!

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Have you ever been in a house of mirrors with all those wacky, warped things that make you look twisted, short and squat, or long and skinny? It turns out those distorting mirrors aren't reserved for festivals and amusement parks ... many clothing stores use subtle mirror tricks to make you look longer and leaner.

It can be a disappointment when, while shopping, you find clothes that look good on you -- only to find that they don't look so great when you get home. According to one Seattle boutique owner, creating a "skinny mirror" is as easy as tilting it slightly back. Your best bet is to know your own body type and dress accordingly. And maybe bring a friend shopping with you to be a reliable judge of how you look.

For many people, it's hard enough to look in the mirror and have a positive body image. Harder still when the mirrors in stores are playing tricks on you. Learning to love the reflection in the mirror starts with a healthy lifestyle. When you make a habit of exercising and eating healthfully, you know you're doing right by your body -- and that's a positive stepping stone toward confidence in your appearance.

[via FitSugar]

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Over the last few decades, you've probably noticed a shift in your supermarket options. The small-family-run grocery stores of 20 years ago are gone, replaced by sprawling, mall-sized mega-stores carrying a mind-boggling selection of products. But according to the New York Times, expect to see a shift backwards.

That's right, smaller stores are making a comeback, with big names like Safeway, Whole Foods and Wal-Mart opening smaller stores throughout North America. The idea here is convenience -- shoppers wishing to quickly pick up a few items for that night's dinner can do so at a smaller supermarket without having to wander the aisles for hours to find what they're looking for or pay exorbitant prices at a convenience store.

As long as the limited selection is healthy, I think this is a great idea -- I can't stand heading to a big grocery store when all I need is one or two things. Your thoughts?

(via CalorieLab)

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With the start of school just around the corner, it might be time for that annual trip to buy a new backpack for your child. Parent Center has put together a list of tips to help you choose the right backpack, and also to teach your child how to properly use his backpack, to avoid injury.

Some of the tips I found the most helpful and enlightening:

• Backpack loads should be no more than 15-20% off a child's body weight. The means if your kiddo weighs 45 pounds, her lunch, books, and goodies should never add up to more than 9 pounds. That doesn't seem like much, especially on library day!
• Teach your child to bend for his backpack with his knees, to protect from back injury.
• Pack the heavy items toward the middle of the pack, and teach kids to use both shoulder straps.

You can read the full list of backpack safety items on Parent Center, before you head out on your shopping trip.

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I like to think of myself as a fairly educated shopper when it comes to understanding nutrition labels at the grocery store (because I read so much about it) but I still find myself getting confused or overwhelmed sometimes when trying to keep everything straight. "Make sure there are no trans fats and not too much added sugar or artificial preservatives, go for organic as much as possible, how much fiber is considered enough in a serving? And what does 'low-fat' really mean? ... " The list goes on and the makers of food nutrition labels are looking to capitalize on that mess as best they can. See the gallery below for nine of the most common ways food labels try to mislead and confuse us all.

Which ones are the toughest for you to deal with?

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hey Fitz. Yesterday I did two classes in a row - Cardio sculpt and Extreme training, which are both really tough. Two days before that I ran three miles to the gym, did a class and ran three miles home. For the first time in a long time I did not enjoy the exercise one bit. I have been exercising regularly for a long time now - usually I love it. I have been practicing good nutrition habits with the occasional sweet tooth fix, drinking lots of water and STILL the number on the scale is staying the same. I feel like I am on the verge of burning out. I can't seem to lose the flab around my tummy - particularly under my belly button and backs of my thighs, no matter what I do. Plus, short of starving myself and getting very cranky, I don't know how to actually lose the weight. Funny how a number on a machine, the scale, can be so vital to my state of mind. It's ridiculous, really. PLEASE - do you have any advice? Cindy

A. Whoa there Cindy! You need a break! Sounds odd for me to say this, but put your sneakers away and sit the heck down! Fitness is not supposed to make us insane, fitness is supposed to help us maintain our sanity. You are burnt out to the max, and need to just let it go for a while. I'm not suggesting forever, but take at least a week off. I know what you're going through. You already have an elite fitness level, but particular parts of your body are just not responding the way you want them to. You have incredibly high standards for your body. That often leads to frustration. Especially when you're 'starving' and running a million miles a week!

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Need something to remind you to eat your veggies every day? How about wearing some broccoli right smack dab on your shirt?

Check out these witty one-liner t-shirts made by FoodTees and DietDetective.com. Made to fit women, men, children, toddlers, and babies, these super slogan shirts are organically made and benefit non-profit organizations aiming to teach kids about nutritious eating.

Not quite sure about sporting veggies on your front side? Maybe a yoga bag, apron, or tote is more up your alley. To explore your veggie options, head on over to the FoodTee Market and see what you might toss in your virtual shopping cart. Check out this gallery too for available veggies and their catchy phrases.

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I'm a chip in the old stereotype about women and shopping. I loathe shopping with an absolute passion. I hate the crowds, I hate the time it takes weeding through tons of stuff just to find one thing, I hate spending too much money. I will just never understand the draw that so many people have to shopping for hours at a time. But this past Christmas (my first with my adopted son) I had so much fun buying presents for under the tree. Admittedly, I went a bit overboard... but I had such a wonderful time. (I still avoided the crowds, though; I did most of my shopping online.)

A recent study shows that while hikes in income can moderately increase happiness, spending money on others really boosts your mood. Researchers approached the topic in a variety of ways. They surveyed more than 600 people and found that those who spend some money annually on gifts to others and/or donations to charity were generally happier. Additionally, employees who gave some bonus money away in a pro-social manner were also more satisfied.

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We only have one Earth. And one Life. And one chance. So we might as well do things right, like preserving the gifts bestowed upon each one of us, say the powers that be at A.R.E. Naturals, an on-line shop offering products made from materials drawn purely through the generosity of Mother Nature.

This shop has quite an inventory of green items -- stuff for the kitchen, the bed and bath, the garden, the mind, and of course: The body.

Check out these fitness tools. There's a bamboo yoga block, a hemp yoga mat bag, and a hemp yoga bolster. How about a natural rubber fitness ball? Or natural rubber weight balls? These are just some of the finds you'll discover with one swift click of your mouse.

If you're an earth-loving enthusiast who lives and breathes the green life, this may be just the stop for you. If you've located other great green fitness locations, drop us a comment and let us know how to get there.

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These days you've really got to have your game face on when you head out to buy groceries. Supermarkets have quite a few tricks they use to get you to buy what they want to sell, to keep you in the store as long as possible, and to encourage impulse purchases. Here are just a few of the methods they use so you can be ready and shop smart:

• Eye candy Tempting impulse items aren't just located by the cash register. Many stores put the candy/sweets aisle directly opposite the cereal aisle so a must-have (cereal) easily leads to a must-avoid (candy), especially if your kids are along.
  
• End-caps People often assume (I'm guilty of this one) that because something is featured and stacked up at the end of the aisle that it must be on sale or new or on some other kind of special. Rarely the case, but then you've already got it in your head that you want one.
  
• Shelf shuffles Supermarkets often rearrange the order and location of basic items in a blatant effort to keep customers looking longer and spending more time in the store shopping.
  
• Cozy spots to relax By incorporating comfortable places to relax like cafes and coffee shops grocery stores make it easy for you to make shopping almost an all-morning or all-afternoon event. The more time you spend the more you're going to buy.
  
• Tantalizing smells Stores often position the bakery or deli near the entrance so the first thing you smell and think of when you walk in is freshly baked sweets and rotisserie chicken.
  

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Is this true? Do men really have trouble and get confused in the grocery store? According to a new survey 71 percent of men have done some kind of shopping in the grocery store over the past three months (up from 41 percent back in 2002), and they aren't having an easy time of it. They have trouble finding things, are uncomfortable making substitution decisions, and (of course!) don't ask for help when they need it. And because they are so different from women in the way they shop, grocery stores (currently designed for women) often leave them feeling generally confused and even a little overwhelmed.

Unfortunately it's unlikely that stores will be making major changes anytime soon, since women still represent the majority of the shopping market. So, for now anyway, it looks like it's "sink or swim" guys! Good luck!

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Most people, when told they need a major medical procedure or surgery, simply go to whatever hospital their doctor has it scheduled in -- without a second thought. But in the face of a new trend that may no longer be the case in many situations. Washington, in response to state lawmaker's requests, has created a website that makes hospital pricing for medical procedures, surgery, and other information like customer service more easily accessible to the public. The idea being that if you're told you need knee surgery, for example, you can look it up online and see at a glance which hospitals charge more or less, and which have better patient teaching and end-result track records.

Not to say that your doctor isn't referring you to the best hospital in his opinion, but it's just that -- his opinion. I think it's awesome that patient's can now take a more active part in how and when they are treated, and this has to be having a positive impact on how the hospitals manage things. Plus I can honestly say, from experience, that the last thing on most doctor's minds is making sure you get the best deal financially. That's entirely up to you.

Can't wait until this catches on in my area.

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