Blog Posts by Redbook

These packaged eats are bad for your waistline and your health. Shelve them, and substitute in these nutritious swaps. By Holly Corbett, REDBOOK.

Flavored yogurt
A typical container container of flavored yogurt can easily contain 24 to 30 grams of sugar, as much as the entire recommended daily allowance for most women. Buy it plain to cut down on sugar and cost.
Healthier swap: Flavor plain Greek yogurt, which has more protein than the regular kind, with honey, cinnamon and sliced bananas.

Cookies with added fiber
Though fiber counts may look the same on nutrition labels, not all fiber is created equal. Getting fiber from packaged foods like yogurt and cookies probably won't offer the same health-boosting benefits as eating the unprocessed, intact kind found in whole grains, beans, and produce. That's because most processed fibers don't have the gummy texture or bulk that helps non-processed fiber slow digestion, lower cholesterol, and keep you regular.
Healthier

After 73 years of marriage, 94-year old Barbara Cooper knows how to get through matrimony's rough patches. The author of Fall in Love for Life shares her hard-earned wisdom. By Holly Corbett, REDBOOK.

On making time to make love
"I don't understand couples who say they are too busy or too tired to sleep together. Unless they are building roads all day or running a multi-national corporation, I expect they have just lost sight of priorities. If you wish to stay connected and happy in your marriage, my advice to you is to never be too tired or too busy to feel love for your partner. When your life is nearly over, you will regret it if you look back and recall too many nights when you made excuses instead of making love."

On bickering
"The most important thing for any couple trying to get along is to think before you speak. If you are bickering and find that you are getting angry, take a deep breath and change course, and ask your partner to do the same. Try saying

A recent study found the average adult consumes 100 calories a day of alcohol - with six percent drinking 300 or more. Who needs that? These skinny cocktails will keep you satisfied until spring…and then some. By Alyson Penn, REDBOOK.

More from REDBOOK:

• The Top 50 Date-Night Ideas of All Time

• 100 Hot Celebrity Hairstyles For Every Hair Type

• Date-Night Dresses Under $100

From student loans to credit crunches, financial woes can shake even the strongest of relationships. We asked a professional money manager to sort through some of readers' major money concerns. By Lauren Le Vine, REDBOOK.

"Food and gas are such a money drain!"
For recurring expenses, you and your spouse should work together to make the money you spend work harder. "To save on gas, look for online tools that can help you find the best prices in your area. The GasBuddy app, for example, shows you prices from all the stations in your area, as well as the distance to each," says Linda Descano, the president and CEO of Women & Co., a service of Citi that provides multi-faceted information about all things money-related. You should also look for credit cards that offer rewards points (which you can use for gas cards) and cash back on items like gas and groceries. To save money on food, make a weekly menu, not just a shopping list. Shopping for only what's on your menu will save both time

These four moms got a fitness and food makeover thanks to Equinox trainer Lashaun Dale and dietitian Keri Glassman. Whether you're looking to drop 10 pounds, tighten your tummy, or lay off the diet soda, these experts have a plan to suit you. By Jane Bianchi, REDBOOK.

The Health Nut
Name: Lorre Youngblood
Age: 39
Location: Newalla, OK
Family: Married with two kids (Lacy, 12; Lane, 11)
Work: Full-time land associate at an energy company

"My dad had a heart attack at 45, and I don't want to be in the same boat," says Lorre.

Goal: To do more endurance exercises to boost her cardiovascular health.

Current weekly routine: Walks/jogs on a treadmill or uses fitness apps on her iPad to do full-body strengthening moves at home for 20 to 45 minutes at a time, four times a week. "I'd like to be more consistent - sometimes I have to help my kids with homework and I end up skipping my workout," says Lorre.

Fitness fix: Amping up aerobic exercise in spurts is key to strengthening Lorre's

Whether you love or hate the frigid weather, the darkest season brings its own set of health challenges. Here's what you need to know to stay healthy and happy when the mercury drops. By Jennifer Conrad, REDBOOK.

Heart attacks are more common
Fifty-three percent more so in winter, according to one large-scale study. "We're more likely to be out of shape. Then, when we take on strenuous activities, we are more likely to bear down and hold our breath," says American Heart Association spokesperson Tracy Stevens, MD. This makes us more prone to "popping plaque," a situation in which loose plaque in the arteries can lead to a heart attack. If you're planning to exercise outdoors or take on a task like shoveling snow, warm up first, dress appropriately, take frequent breaks, and don't drink alcohol right before or after breaking a sweat. Those with diabetes, a history of heart attacks, or other risk factors should be especially careful.

Related: 50 Knockout Date-Night Hairstyles

Winter

Can you love your kids - and loathe their tea parties and Candy Land games? One honest mother confesses why she doesn't like playing with her kids. By Jennifer Steinhauer, REDBOOK.

I don't indulge in a lot of mommy guilt. But here is one thing I sadly must confess: I don't like to play.

I detest throwing balls, climbing trees, or pushing little trains across the kitchen floor, calling out "Woo woo!" Rarely have I been that mom standing at the top of the slide in the playground, wind in the face, gleefully ready to take a ride. When I am forced to race tiny dolls from room to room of their little bitty house, I find myself plotting my grocery list in my head.

Don't get me started on Candy Land. I'd rather get a bikini wax. One time, while playing a game of Battleship, I snuck my computer under the table and furiously tapped away at emails until I was busted.

Let me be perfectly clear: I love spending time with my two daughters. On my commute home from work each night, I begin to

The newest batch of eco-friendly anti-aging skincare are as tough on fine lines as they are gentle on the planet. Meet the natural, worry-free guide to younger skin. By Ning Chao, REDBOOK.

Natural skin care has come a long way from its hemp-soap origins. These days, dermatologists say, eco-minded products are giving regular old wrinkle cream a run for its money. "Some natural anti-agers can actually do more for your skin because they contain extracts that tackle more than one sign of aging," says Jeannette Graf, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. The challenge is telling which products truly are earth-friendly, since a label may say it's "natural" when it actually contains harsh chemicals (there's no regulation by the FDA on the use of the word). "Check the ingredient list," says dermatologist Ellen Marmur, M.D., president of the American Society of Cosmetic Dermatology and Aesthetic Surgery. "The more words you