Blog Posts by Healthy SELF, SELF Magazine

While we at SELF prefer "eating clean" to juice diets, fasts, and other trendy cleanses, we can't help but be curious about these passing fads -- and the people who swear by them. It seems like every day there's another celebrity touting the wonders of the latest "cleanse" -- including first lady Mi

By Jenny Everett, SELF magazine

We often look to other cultures for healthy living inspiration--French women don't get fat! The Brazilian butt workout!

Related: Beat the heat with these no-cook dinner recipes

The latest health-minded country to catch our attention: Japan. For the 25th consecutive year, Japanese women have proven to have the highest life expectancy in the world: 86.44 to be exact. Of course, Japan has made great leaps in terms of treatments for cancer, stroke, and heart disease, but their longevity can largely be attributed to a healthy diet, minimal obesity, and the ability to manage stress.

Here are 6 live-longer strategies to steal:

1. Eat this: Seaweed. Literally a multivitamin, it contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, iodine, vitamin C, fiber, beta-carotene, and more. And the rest of their diet is largely packed with plant-based eats such as fruits, vegetables, and soy.

2. ...and this: Fish. The Japanese favor tuna, mackerel and salmon, which contain

By Emma Aubry Roberts, SELF magazine

Can't find the time or budget for a tropical vacation? Don't throw up your hands--unless you're dancing the hula! Invite friends to spend this Saturday sipping frozen margaritas while watching one of our favorite beach-themed shows.

Related: Beat the heat with these no-cook dinner recipes

For the full effect, turn off your AC and don the teeny-weeny bikini you've worked so hard to look like a bombshell in since our SELF Challenge began back in March. Can't you almost feel the sand between your toes?

• Gilligan's Island. Nothing will make you relieved to be in the comfort of your own home quite like a show about a tour group stranded on an uncharted island. Whether you're a Ginger or a Mary-Anne, you're sure to get a chuckle out of this corny, retro romp.

• Baywatch. David Hasselhoff and Pam Anderson created a whole new brand of seaside hottie--one who was strong, sexy and CPR-certified. Next time you feel like hopping off the treadmill

Looking back at our first grade self, we remember a bratty, generally awkward kid who could drive her parents crazy with non-stop questions and chatter.

Related: Find out how to shed years and pounds in just 7 days

So when we heard about a new study in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science that found that certain personality traits--including talkativeness, adaptability, impulsiveness, and self-minimizing behavior--are is essentially set by first grade, we thought, "Uh oh, are we still that same pig-tailed little girl?"

Thankfully, according to Robert Sobut, MD, a psychiatrist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, while the template of our personality is formed by early experiences (even before we're 2 years old!), there are ways to tweak the less positive aspects of our personas--say, negative self-talk or the tendency to give up when faced with obstacles--as we age.

Related: Beat the heat with these no-cook dinner recipes

"Change is absolutely possible, but it takes

Getty ImagesBy Jenny Everett, SELF magazine

As we move into the dog days of August, that going-to-get-my-best-body-ever summer motivation starts to wane, and we're more likely to skip a few days or weeks worth of workouts.

This often leaves us wondering just how much damage we've done. I mean, if we take two weeks off, are we (gulp) back where we started?

Related: See how to shed years and pounds in just 7 days

For a little morale boost and a dose of reality, we called on Craig Rasmussen, a fitness coach in Newhall, Calif.

Obviously, just how quickly you lose fitness depends on your starting fitness level, as well as other factors such as age and genetics. But Rasmussen's general take is this:

After two weeks off... "We will probably start to see a decline in general fitness levels," says Rasmussen. "These can occur at different rates in the muscular and cardiovascular systems." At this point, it's probably safe to jump back in at the same intensity you were cranking at before the hiatus.

By Jenny Everett, SELF magazine

More than ever before, employers are recognizing that there is a big benefit to offering up healthy resources to their employees. Some are even going so far as to hire a trainer to lead midday in-office workouts.

It's a smart move. A quickie sweat session (think: interval-style) can boost mental sharpness and, obviously, working out in the office is a lot quicker than darting off to the gym at lunch (time is money, boss!).

Can't leave the office today? No prob. Try this desk workout!

Recently, we crashed one such workout at Leapfrog public relations in Charleston, S.C. (they do it every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon). In the common area of their office, Mixed Martial Arts instructor Frank Waszut, co-owner of Exact Impact in Charleston, led us through a series of moves.

Do it: Each set has two moves (labeled "a" and "b"). Half of the group starts with move "a" and half with "b." After 30 seconds, switch. Continue until you've done each move in that

By Ashley Mateo, SELF magazine

Step Up is back on the big screen this Friday and watching the trailer reminded us what rockin' bodies dancers have. We rounded up tips from some of our favorite dancing stars (and their trainers!) for workout inspiration.

Jealous of that six-pack? It belongs to Sharni Vinson, the female lead in the franchise's third installment. When she visited SELF in April, the star - who trained for the movie by practicing capoeira three hours a day, three times a week for six weeks - told us, "Dancing brings out this passion inside of you. Plus, you don't even realize you're exercising!"

In honor of the flick's release, try incorporating some of these ideas and moves into your regular gym routine - you'll be stage-ready in no time!

1. Beyonce burns 300 calories for every thirty minutes onstage (We wonder how many she burned learning that "Single Ladies" dance?). Try her trick to torch calories in the gym: "I'll put on a song I really like and do [bicep curls with]

By Jenny Everett, SELF magazine

Women tend to gain weight as they age (thanks for nothing, metabolism!), and it starts as early as our 20s. Recently, researchers at Harvard University quantified just how much: In a study of 18,000 premenopausal women that began in 1989, women put on an average of 20.5 pounds over 16 years.

Thing is, the study showed that certain lifestyle choices made women significantly less likely to pack on unhealthy pounds. Here are some habits to steal:

1. Get a bike: According to the study, women who rode more than four hours a week were 26 percent less likely to gain more than 5 percent of their starting body weight over the course of the 18-year study. Bike to work or, if that's not possible in your town (sounds like someone needs to start a bike-rights petition!), sign up for a Spin class.

Bonus: Beat the heat with one of these no-cook meals tonight

2. Lift weights. Numerous studies have shown that lifting weights can rev your metabolism. In fact, research