Blog Posts by FITNESS Magazine

By: H.K. Jones, RD

Is the drive-thru the fast lane to a heart attack? On the one hand, it's true: One slipup ("okay, sure, I'll take the large fries and apple pie with that") and you can add more than 800 high-in-saturated-fat calories to your takeout. But there is good news. Some of the burgers, sides, sandwiches, and even desserts aren't as bad for you as you might think. In fact, some are downright light! Here are 15 fast-food picks that are all figure-friendly -- unless of course you order them all at once.

Related: "I Lost Weight on a Fast-Food Diet"

McDonald's Picks

• McDonald's Chicken McNuggets with Sweet 'N Sour Sauce (4 pieces, 220 calories, 10g fat, 2g saturated fat)

• McDonald's Hamburger (260 calories, 9g fat, 3.5g saturated fat)

Have you ever wondered about how to handle sticky situations at the gym, in yoga class, or when exercising outdoors? We got expert advice on how to deal with tricky workout issues to avoid an awkward encounter.

Related: The Best Gyms in America for Every Workout

Locker Room Chit Chat

Q. "My boss goes to my gym. Do I say hi or look the other way when I see her half-dressed in the locker room?"

A. The locker room isn't the place for drawn-out conversations or loitering in your skivvies. "Make eye contact, say 'Hello' and 'Nice to see you' and continue getting dressed," recommends Maryanne Blake, a trainer and instructor at the Sports Club/LA in Boston. "Also have a friendly exit strategy in place. For example, 'I'd love to catch up with you. Maybe we could talk after Spinning?' You'll keep awkward moments to a minimum without seeming rude."

Related: 7 Ways to Find a Fitness Buddy

It might seem like an oxymoron, but summer colds are actually fairly common. In fact, depending on the virus floating around they may actually make you feel worse than a winter one! Here, we break down the best foods to munch to help prevent and get over your seasonal bug.

Vegetarian Chili

A spicy veggie chili made with onions, garlic, kidney beans, and tomato paste not only warms up a cold-afflicted body, it may also have medicinal properties! Onions and garlic have antiviral effects, beans have good-for-the-immune-system B vitamins, and the spices can actually help clear sinuses! Related: 10 Ways to Add More Veggies to Your Diet

Recommended serving size: 1 cup canned vegetarian chili

Calories: 160

Clementines

Despite all the controversy surrounding vitamin C's effect on colds, recent research shows that while this powerhouse antioxidant can't prevent them, it can help cut down on the duration and severity of colds. Clementines are a great source of vitamin C --

By: Marisa Fox

Hello, fountain of youth! Stay young with these amazing, completely natural age erasers that boost brain power, stop stress, and smooth skin.

1. Give Yourself a Break

Recent studies show that stress causes physical changes in the body that can accelerate aging. Surges of the hormones adrenaline and cortisol cause blood pressure to rise and the heart to beat faster. These days, when our stressors seem unrelenting (a steady stream of job pressures, traffic jams, money problems), chronic doses of adrenaline and cortisol take a heavy toll on our physical and emotional health. "Sixty to 90 percent of all doctors' visits each year are related to anxiety, depression, obsessive anger and hostility, insomnia, high blood pressure, heart attacks -- all problems caused by stress," says Herbert Benson, MD, author of the landmark book The Relaxation Response and a founder and director emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine in Boston.

The most effective way

By: Stacy Baker

Breaking out of your comfort zone-asking out the cute guy in sculpting class or saying the "L" word first-can pave the way for more meaningful relationships. Here, what you shouldn't think twice about for a happy, healthier life.

1. Devouring dessert. Rather than obsess over a few (hundred) empty calories-and possibly throw in the diet towel for the day-focus on the positive. Indulging in sweets when the urge hits can short-circuit a binge later, says Lisa Dorfman, R.D., a Miami-based nutritionist. "Plus, it's mentally soothing to treat yourself," she says, explaining that carbohydrates produce serotonin, a relaxation-inducing hormone. Sure, scarfing a pint of ice cream may be overkill, but having just a scoop or two? That's just good (and cheap!) therapy. Related: Our Best Low-Cal Dessert Recipes

2. Cutting someone loose. Breaking up with commitment-phobic boyfriends, narcissistic pals or got-their-degree-by-mail shrinks is about self-protection, not selfishness.

By: Hallie Levine

Haven't done a healthy thing all week? If you've had a latte, gossiped with pals or watched Wedding Crashers, you're in luck! The latest research shows that the simple pleasures in life, like going out for lunch, laughing and even having sex, boost your immune system. Here, other simple ways you're improving your health without even knowing it.

You Drink Three Cups of Coffee a Day

So what if the cashier at Starbucks greets you by name? "Drinking three 8-ounce cups of coffee every day slashes your risk of both Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's, by 40 percent and 20 percent respectively. Enough studies have been done that we can say this with confidence," says Michael Roizen, MD, chair of the division of anesthesiology, critical-care medicine and comprehensive pain management at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

Top That: Need an afternoon caffeine boost? Instead of java, drink two or more cups of tea. You'll reduce your risk of ovarian cancer by 46 percent,

By: Julie Meyer, RD

Try these ab-flattening foods to boost your abs routine's effectiveness, control belly bloat, and maintain a healthy metabolism. Here, the top 10 foods for flat abs.

More from FITNESS Magazine:

• 7 Fat-Fighting Dinners

• How Many Calories Do You Really Need?

• 8 Flab-Fighting Moves

• Tone Your Abs on the Stability Ball

• What You Need to Know to Lose Belly Fat

  
  

By: Heather Hurlock

Try just one of these tips each day and you'll feel better and get fitter and smarter in just one month.

1. Reboot Your Brain

Mundane tasks, such as entering data into a spreadsheet, can switch your mind into default mode, making you more likely to mess up within about 30 seconds, scientists say. Feel like you're operating on autopilot? Snap out of it by going for a quick walk down the hall. Related: Strength Train Your Brain

2. Get Sappy

Spending just 30 minutes a day consciously thinking of a loved one can promote mental and emotional well-being, say University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers. Cultivating the feeling of love and compassion stimulates the brain to make new connections and neural pathways. Related: The 7 Things You Should Never Regret

3. Grab Some Garbanzos

People who regularly consume beans typically weigh six pounds less than those who don't, even though they take in more daily calories. Researchers believe this may be because the legume