Blog Posts by SHAPE magazine

by Heidi Pashman

Whether or not you have Celiac disease, a gluten allergy, or you just don't like gluten, you'll love these healthy breakfast options!

Gluten-free pancakes1. Gluten-free pancakes: Sometimes you want just want plain ol' pancakes for breakfast-and we get that. Good news: No longer do you need loads of buttermilk and wheat flour to make them. This gluten-free recipe from the cookbook The Intolerant Gourmet: Glorious Food Without Gluten and Lactose uses tapioca, rice, and garbanzo bean flour and coconut milk to replicate the classic recipe so you can enjoy them without the guilt. Sprinkle with berries for extra nutrients.

Click here to get the full recipe.

RELATED: The 20-Minute, No-Running Cardio Workout

Mozzarella tomato basil frittata2. Mozzarella tomato basil frittata: Mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil are one of the most delicious combinations out there. Pair them with eggs in a frittata to make a protein-filled Italian a.m. meal. And although it sounds fancy, you basically whisk, pour, scatter,

by Karen Borsari

Now is the perfect time to master twisted triangle pose. This standing stretch massages digestive organs, alleviating tummy troubles (including constipation) that may result from overeating-something that, admittedly, is more apt to happen this time of year.

Pin the image to your Pinterest boards and use the tips below to perfect the pose and give your metabolism a boost, aid digestion, and detox your body before next week's day of indulgence. Then keep it up to increase flexibility in the hips, shoulders, chest, and hamstrings; improve balance; and alleviate back pain.

Are you doing this pose correctly?

More on SHAPE:
Get Slim Without the Gym
10 Gluten-Free Breakfast Ideas
The 4 New Body Types

by Joe Dowdell, CSCS

Do you have to run to lose weight?Trying to lose weight? First and foremost, if you want to lose weight , you have to expend more calories than you take in. That means your number-one priority should be getting a handle on your diet. It should also be noted that weight loss doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to achieve the body you've always wanted. A much better approach is to focus on losing body fat while building lean muscle mass (or at least maintaining the lean muscle that you have). So, can running help you lose weight? Yes, absolutely. Is it necessary? No, it is not.

RELATED: 7 Ways to Become a Morning Exerciser

Contrary to what many people believe, resistance training (not running) is by far the most effective way to sculpt your body. It's the best way to build fat-burning muscle mass , and if performed in a circuit-like style (resting for only 20-60 seconds between each exercise), it can raise your heart rate and burn a lot of calories during the actual training session, in

by Jené Luciani

Forget Viagra-just eat watermelon! Or skip the lube and get your juices flowing the natural way by consuming more avocados. That's just part of the surprising advice offered up by Doctors Anna Maria and Brian Clement, authors of the new book 7 Keys to Lifelong Sexual Vitality.

The Clements say a diet rich in raw foods positively affects our sex drive and reproductive systems because they contain nutrients that boost hormone production and blood flow. So get ready to stock your fridges with these sexually-charged superfoods…

Here are eight surprising facts about raw foods and sex!

RELATED: 16 Things that Can Sink Your (or His) Sex Drive

Grains help hormones1. Grains help hormones: Forget that low-carb diet. Need a reason to eat more bread? "Sprouted grains and whole-grain breads help your hormone production because they contain b-complex vitamins that relax all systems in the body, increase your libido, and are important to the production of hormones in both women and

by Susan Campbell Cross

How do you deal when stress hits?This article you are reading right now isn't the one I was going to post last week. That one was about stress and how often times we choose it. It started out with me explaining how when my plate is overflowing, I have to stop and realize that I put everything on it myself. I went on to explain how I could take everything back off. I had some really great tips about what to do when you've "yessed" yourself into being over extended. Those tips are really good. And maybe next week I'll tell you what they are.

Last Monday came and went, and that article I meant to post never got posted-because while I was busy writing about how we choose stress, stress was busy choosing me. And while it's true that there are plenty of times when we bite off more than we can chew, there are also plenty of times when we wind up with a mouthful that we never asked for.

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I'm guessing that anyone who had to deal with that

by Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD

Organic food may boost your immunityI'm a big fan of organic produce for many reasons, and now I can add one more to the list: It may enhance your immune system.

In a new study, mice fed organically grown carrots for 30 days experienced a boost in their T cells, which scientists say is a measure of intestinal and peripheral (artery, vein, lymphatic) immunity.

I look forward to seeing more studies of this nature because I believe there's still a lot we don't yet know about how organic foods may protect our health. And while there's been a good deal of public debate lately about a Stanford study that questioned whether organic foods are more nutritious, other research has found that organic is superior. A 2009 report by the French Agency for Food Safety said that organically grown foods contain more minerals, antioxidants, and beneficial fats.

RELATED: 16 Ways to Eat More Veggies

Plus the Stanford scientists reported that organic samples contained 30 percent less pesticide

by Amy Ahlberg

Upgrade your health and feel better by steering clear of these inflammatory foods:

Vegetable oils1. Vegetable oils: Inflammation is a condition that damages healthy tissue, raises blood pressure, and can potentially encourage cancer cells to grow, says Rachel Beller, R.D., president of Beller Nutritional Institute. Since consuming too many omega-6 fatty acids (in relation to omega-3s) can increase the risk of inflammation, swap omega-6-laden soy, sunflower, corn, cottonseed, safflower. and mixed vegetable oils with extra virgin olive oil, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. For higher-heat cooking or a more neutral taste, use organic expeller pressed canola oil (those sold in glass bottles are the best).



RELATED: 10 Easy and Healthy Paleo Recipes


Processed cheeses2. Processed cheeses (such as American): Pass up processed cheeses and enjoy small amounts of natural, hard cheeses for more flavor (and less sodium). If you can find it, cheese made from the milk of grass-fed animals is best, Beller

by Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD

How to lose weight for goodChances are you've tried at least once to eat healthier. And, unless you are super strong-willed, chances are you didn't stay on track. Don't feel bad about it-you certainly aren't alone!

A new survey finds that nearly one in three young people embark on a new diet each month, but 45 percent give up after a week and about half abandon their goals within a month. Studies also show that rather than choosing a plan and committing to it long-term, 48 percent of dieters switch plans every six months.

In my private practice I've seen countless clients over the years struggle with stick-with-it-ness for numerous reasons. Here are the three big obstacles I see and how to overcome them so you can jump of the diet rollercoaster, stay the course, and achieve sustainable weight loss that doesn't feel like a daily struggle.

1. Choosing the Wrong Approach
Even if a weight-loss strategy works, I can guarantee that you will give up and gain all the weight