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.

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People who wolf down their food are more likely to be overweight and suffer from digestive problems. Here are some tips from the Life Extension Foundation (an organization dedicated to exploring ways to live long and healthy lives naturally), expanded on by me, to help you not do that!

These days, we all want to save money, even when it comes to fitness. Maybe you're trying to make your running shoes and sports bras last a little longer, or maybe you've even had to cancel your gym membership. Just because your wallet might not be as fat as it once was, doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your skinny midsection.

"RecessionWire" has some brilliant suggestions for getting fit on the cheap, no gym required. And no, I'm not talking about parking far away at the grocery store, or running more outside. As the article points out, if that worked for you, you probably wouldn't have joined a gym in the first place, right?

For the full list, you'll need to visit "RecessionWire," but I'm excited to share some of the more surprising (to me, at least) suggestions here!

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For many, it's not always so hard to find time for a workout -- what's hard is finding time to get ready for something else immediately following a workout. You can certainly work up a sweat in 20 or 30 minutes, but how do you get your face looking fresh and fabulous for work, or for lunch with your friends, in the few minutes remaining after you take a shower? Not to mention the fact that, even after the shower, you're still feeling a little hot and sweaty. Or, at least, I usually am.

5 Minute Post-Workout Beauty from Kristen Seymour on Vimeo.
Because I care about you so very much, I've done a video (on which I appear with absolutely no makeup) to show you how you can go from completely barefaced to fully fabulous in less than five minutes. Aside from the "how-to," I have some tips for streamlining your beauty routine when you're on the go.

• Keep everything you need together, and remove everything else. I have tons of "fun" makeup, but all of that stays in a separate makeup bag. I only have a few products I use every day, and all of those products live together in their own makeup bag, so if I have to take it with me to the gym, it's easy.
  
• If you're getting ready somewhere other than your home, avoid bringing more tools than necessary. I have a nice set of makeup brushes, but for my "on the go" beauty routine, I only use products that come with their own applicators so I have less to remember.
• Do the maintenance when you have more time. Things like well-groomed eyebrows are important, but try to take care of that at night before bed so you don't have to worry about it when you're rushing. Additionally, do your deep-cleaning routine on days when you have more than five minutes to get out of the house.

Fast food restaurants have finally realized that everyone needs a convenience meal now and then, but not everyone loves greasy, fatty food. If you eat out on a regular basis, here are some tips for choosing well at a fast food restaurant, including:

• Avoid foods that are described as fried, battered, creamy, or crispy.
• Avoid combo meals, which usually come with a soda. Drink water instead.
• Watch your dressings -- order sandwiches plain, salads with dressing on the side. That way, you get to choose what and how much you add.
• Choose smaller portions. The 12-inch sub might be on sale, but if you know you'll eat the whole thing, order the six-inch instead.
• Opt for the Kids menu -- another option for smaller portions. If you really, really want that burger, order a junior with a salad on the side.
• Ask for extra veggies on your sandwich to up the nutritional value.

Panera was recently named the healthiest fast food restaurant, a good choice if you have one nearby. And GoodFoodNearYou is an online tool that finds local fast food restaurants and offers healthy suggestions. Finally, here's some more tips on enjoying fast food without going overboard.

Have you ever tried choosing a healthy fast food meal? What kinds of tips and tricks can you share with our readers to make this healthy habit stick?

Got a Walking the Walk idea you'd like to see Bethany try for seven days? Share it with us in comments!

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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Isn't it amazing how chefs make the cutting and chopping process seem so pretty and perfect? I have often wished I had those skills, but now I do ... cause I watched this video. Tune in and let Wellness Chef Laurie Erickson show you how to do it right. Amazing how simple she makes it seem.

SportsHealthExercise.org is jam packed with tons of amazing fit tips, videos and recipes.

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If you're training for a race, chances are you have some sort of game plan. Unless you're like me, of course -- I read the game plan, take it into account, and then do something that suits me better. Perhaps that's why I'm not competing for top spots in most races.

Still, whether you follow a training plan closely or do your own thing, it's important that you find a way to train that allows you to improve, yet avoid injuries. And who better to learn from than a man who is still running some of his best times at the age of 52?

Tom Ryan, 52, completed a 5K in just over 16 minutes last year. By running smarter, not longer, he's remained injury free, and he shared his tips with Active.com. Check out the gallery for a few tips on how to have a perfect week of training, and see the full article for specifics on training for your chosen distance.

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Welcome to Walking the Walk, a feature that takes a deeper look at commonly shared diet and fitness advice. Every other week, I'll choose one piece of advice and practice it for seven days. Then I'll report back on what I discovered about making it work in real life and how it affected my own personal fitness -- and how it ultimately can affect your own efforts.

January is the perfect time to try something new, isn't it? That's why I was clicking around over at AOL Health's America Takes it Off, looking for something inspiring to try this week on Walking the Walk. I've created a pretty good routine for myself -- limit my calories, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and be as active as possible -- but still, there's always room for improvement, right?

When I saw this tip from Jillian Michaels, I was intrigued. To get cut, she says, cut the salt ... and that doesn't mean just removing the salt shaker from your dining room table. Instead, she says, to beat the bloat, get your sodium intake down under 500 mg a day.

But salt makes things so tasty, you're thinking (or am I the only one?). Is it really that important to keep an eye on it? According to Jillian, yes. And her take on sodium has the support of top health organizations such as the American Heart Association. Our bodies need about 200 mg of sodium a day, but in reality, most of us eat much, much more than that.

Jillian's 500 mg a day is considerably lower than the 1,500 to 2,400 mg a day that most health organizations recommend. Because my blood pressure tends to fall into the "wow that's low, are you sure you aren't feeling dizzy" category, I've decided to split the difference and stick to 1,000 mg a day this week.

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When it comes to cutting calories, you're usually better off making your meals at home. But there's one area where a restaurant may have a leg up on the home chef. Salad dressing.

It's not that restaurant salad dressings are lower in calories ... more than likely, they're not. But if you're pouring your salad dressing on top, you're probably getting more dressing than you really need. And, no, I'm not suggesting you dip your fork in the dressing before each bite because -- let's be honest -- that's annoying and just doesn't give you enough flavor.

The New York Times recipe tester has spent a lot of time working in restaurants and she says that if you're dressing your salad, you're dressing the wrong thing. Surprising, isn't it? It's kind of like finding out you're supposed to wear your shoes on your hands. After all, it's called salad dressing. Restaurants usually put dressing in a squirt bottle and then -- once the salad is mixed and in the bowl -- squirt a ring or two of dressing on the bowl. They toss the salad against the sides of the bowl until it's evenly coated.

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The treadmill is a great tool for walking and jogging, but have you ever tried to use it for anything else? (Besides drying clothes on it.) You might be surprised to learn about all of the things you can do on a treadmill to get a tremendous upper body and abdominal workout. Check out this video of my wicked workout partner Anthony Field of The Wiggles and me as we take your training to the next level.

This type of innovative training is so fun and effective, it may just get you past working out because you "have to" and take you to working out because you "want to." Those are two completely different things. For more cool videos, recipes and other fun fit tips ...

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answers. 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 one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, I just bought a fairly fitted dress for a party this weekend and am desperate to avoid a poochy tummy. I'm in pretty good shape but often get bloated. I can not wear this dress if I'm bloated. Help! Andrea

A. Hi Andrea, Bloating is a bummer, but I can definitely help you avoid it. You're just going to have to be smart about what you eat and drink for the few days prior to your event.

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Beware of the holiday party -- it can bring out the pig is all of us. Maybe we grab at goodies because we're nervous. Or we're starving. Or we have a crush on the server mingling with the appetizer tray. Or we're faced with treats that are just too tempting. Divine Caroline to the rescue, with a few tips for helping us survive the seasonal soirée.

• Tell yourself the food isn't that good. It's just filler food drenched in butter. You don't need it.
• Park your patootie at the fruit bowl. If you binge on fruit all night, you'll simply be loading up on nutrients and cleansing your system.
• Nix the creamy, fruity drinks. They're loaded with calories and sugar and will head you straight for a hangover. Wouldn't want them spilling on your spiffy dress either.
• Take three bites -- only. It's all you need to satisfy your craving for sweets.

Some final divine words of wisdom: Dance, chat, drink lots of water, and then go home.

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A while back, we told you about Gwyneth Paltrow's new website, called GOOP, on which she provides tips and inspiration on how to live healthfully. You can even sign up to receive Emails from Gwynnie herself. Over at The Daily Mail, one columnist did just that -- here's what the Oscar-winning actress has to say about living your best life.

• Do your own cooking, rather than relying on take-out, delivery or fast food. It only takes a few minutes to make something delicious, and Gwyneth has lots of recipes to share.
• Get lots of sleep, at least eight hours a night. Having trouble going to bed that early? A warm cup of chamomile tea will help.
• Eat well by choosing only foods that can be dug from the ground, cut from a tree, hunted or fished. Avoid white flour, sugar, caffeine and dairy.
• Police your thoughts, and make sure you 'redirect' any negative or judgmental thoughts, especially when they're about yourself.
• Walk and do yoga every day.
  
  

These are some great tips (there's more here and here), but are they practical for us common folk? What do you think?

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Thanksgiving is a day filled with diet derailers. Fatty foods are available all day long for munching, and you're basically encouraged to overeat. Plus, you're so busy that it's really easy to let your fitness routine fall by the wayside. What can you do?

Active.com has seven tips for avoiding weight-gain on Thanksgiving, and believe me when I say that these are tips you might actually be able to follow. Nobody's suggesting you just have a salad at dinner when everyone else is loading up on turkey and gravy, but there are a number of ways to avoid adding five pounds to your frame.

Check out the gallery for these tips, and if you have other suggestions, leave them in the comments!

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Day 1: The leftover Halloween candy is the first thing to go, followed by the homemade chocolate chip cookies. I suspiciously eye the few other treats left in the cupboard that belong to my husband and kids. They don't tempt me now, but if they start to ... they're out of here.

What I notice almost immediately is that telling myself I can't have sugar makes me want it more. I'm not used to telling myself no. Whether sugar is physically addictive remains up for debate, but it certainly feels like a psychological addiction to me.

Fortunately, I'm pretty sure I have enough willpower to see me through my cravings.

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