HealthyWeek

Normally I wouldn't work a book review into Fit Beauty, but this is just too perfect. I recently read Nina Garcia's The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own , and just like watching an inspirational sports movie makes me want to hit the gym, this book made me want to shop. But with a purpose. It seems like each season, I look in my closet and think, "Holy crap, I have nothing to wear." I know that's completely untrue, but I also know I'm not alone. And while that might not seem like a big deal, it really can take a toll on you emotionally when you can't find anything to wear, and you know you spent a bit of cash on clothes just a year ago. With some help from this book, I now feel confident that I can shop in a way that will be productive and stay relevant from season to season, year after year. Let me explain.

For Maggie, it's her thighs -- the area she most wants to tone and firm. I'm with her on this problem area but right now, I'm on the hunt for exercises that will make over my butt. I don't have any huge issues with it but I think I could definitely target the area a bit more. Here , About.com features the top 10 butt exercises. Many of them, I already do -- squats, lunges, biking, running, and walking. I want more. Prevention.com likes these -- All-Fours Kick-Back, Dog Walk, Side-Lying Side Kick, and Standing Press Back -- and I do too. There's more here , from womens-health-fitness.com. And our friends at AOL Health offer these step-by-step instructions for building a better butt. I'm armed. I'm ready. I'm starting tomorrow. Maggie, you tell me how your thighs shape up. And I'll report on the state of my butt. Anyone else want to join us in our quest for better body parts?

The leaves are turning, the days are shorter -- it's impossible to ignore the fact that fall is coming ... er ... make that already here. Despite the fact that it means the impending doom of winter is just around the corner, I like fall -- the colours, the clothes, the warm food and the selection of produce at my local farmer's market. Mark's Daily Apple Recently counted down the top veggies for fall -- next time you go shopping, stock up on these: Endive Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Cabbage Cauliflower Celery root Onions Pumpkin Spinach Zucchini Want to know more about these awesome veggies, including how to eat them? Head over here for more info.

Jennifer Lopez's much-anticipated triathlon occurred this weekend, and the singer/dancer/actress/new mom completed the race in two hours, 23 minutes, and 28 seconds, smiling the whole time. She wasn't the only celebrity taking part in this year's Nautica Malibu Triathlon -- Matthew McConaughey and Anna Kournikova also competed in the half-mile ocean swim, 18-mile bike ride, and four-mile run. Lopez received plenty of encouragement -- she was cheered on my hubby Marc Anthony as well as McConaughey. However, the cause she was running for might have been encouragement enough, seeing as how she raised $127,000 for the Children's Hospital of L.A . But, if you know JLo, you know that drama tends to follow her, and this is no exception. She pulled out of a guest judging stint for the finale of Project Runway the day it was set to film, just days before the triathlon. Her excuse? A foot injury. I'm thinking (well, hoping, actually) that she was just experiencing a little

Would you want your kid running on a treadmill to stay fit? More importantly, would your kid be interested in running in one place? One toy manufacturer says yes to both questions and has developed a couple of new fitness products designed with little ones in mind -- Fitness Fun's My Treadmil l and Glide-a-Stride . But the exercise machines are causing quite a stir, according to Boston.com . On one hand, something has to be done to combat childhood obesity and inactivity. On the other? Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life Clinic at Children's Hospital Boston, says, "We have to remember that children are not just little adults. Kids' bodies and their minds are not designed to spend 20 minutes on a treadmill. [This] reflects, I think, a misguided mentality, where we're trying to make physical activity for children a commodity rather than a natural integrated part of their lives." (You can read more of the debate here .) A few decades ago, ki

Our CSA Farm has begun to produce an abundance of tomatoes these past few weeks. Aside from eating them like apples, as my three-year-old often chooses to do, you can make fresh tomato salad, salsa, or fresh tomato sauce. Our very informal uncooked recipe goes something like this: Chop a bunch of tomatoes and put them in a bowl. Add enough balsamic vinegar and olive oil to cover them. Stir fresh minced garlic and chopped fresh basil into the tomato mixture. Season with seas salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Let marinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving. This is such a refreshing summer meal when served on pasta with a green salad, or a tasty snack as a bruschetta topping.

Two good diet foods: Fruits and veggies. They're low in calories and high in fiber, which makes them great ammunition in the battle of the bulge. They have a pretty super side effect too -- they're loaded with antioxidants to boost your health. Next time you're shopping for your diet goods, pick up these five colors, each featuring unique antioxidants to keep you healthy while you whittle away at your weight. Red: Pink grapefruit, red bell peppers, tomatoes, and watermelon all contain lycopene, a lung and prostate cancer fighter. Purple: Concord grapes, blueberries, and prunes have anthocyanins to ward off heart disease and lower the risk of cancer. Green: Spinach, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, and bok choy come with lutein, great for reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and macular degeneration. Orange: Carrots, mangos, pumpkin, and oranges are the keepers of beta carotenes, the stuff that prevents cancers of the lung, esophagus, and stomach and keeps

You exercise, you eat right, you get a good night's sleep, and you try to stay organized; you're doing everything you can to manage your own stress . But what if you work with someone who isn't managing stress well? Regardless of where you might work, there are a lot of reasons for stress in today's workplace -- threats of layoff, increased workload due to reduced staffing, and so on. When you add in all the non-work-related causes of stress, it's no wonder some people aren't managing the pressure well. And, no matter how well you handle stress, when a co-worker is stressing you'll be affected by it. So what can you do to help a stressed out co-worker? As long as you don't take on the reasons for their stress (e.g. taking their workload), it's a good thing to help out. And, if you happen to be the boss, it's imperative that you do so in order to maintain a positive workplace and to prevent productivity from slipping.

To truly make the most of your weight loss and fitness efforts, it's best to follow a program that covers all the bases. Resistance training is a great way to build lean muscle and reduce fat, but it may not be enough by itself to produce the results you're looking for. Therefore, be sure to also include regular cardio sessions in your workout and spend some time stretching, as well. The same logic applies for doing cardio by itself; you will drop pounds, but not as fast as you would if you also weight train. And, without resistance training, you will not put on any considerable amount of lean muscle. But, what do you do if you don't have any weights at your disposal? Simple - use your own body weight. This article, from the popular fitness website iLookLikeFit.com, offers some great tips on how to get a solid body weight workout. The solution? Take a moment to reevaluate your workout. Be sure to include both resistance training and cardio sessions throughout the week. And,

According to a report by the Society for Women's Research , seventy-four percent of women ages 18 to 44 don't have even a clue as to what their cholesterol numbers are. Clearly this is a problem, as high cholesterol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease, the number one killer of women. So, what should your numbers be? I'd suggest that you talk to your doctor to find out the answer to this question. In the meantime, here's a pretty good guide: Total Cholesterol (HDL + LDL + Triglycerides) : You should aim to keep it less than 200 mg/dL. Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) : Try to keep this bad cholesterol at a level of less than 100 mg/dL. High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) : Keeping this good cholesterol at around 50 mg/dL or higher is a good idea. Triglycerides : Keep these energy-storing fatty acids at a level of less than 150 mg/dL.