Blog Posts by SHAPE magazine

By Jennipher Walters

The health benefits of moderate drinking just keep adding up! A new study published in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment says that having one alcoholic drink a day for women (or two a day for men) may help stave off memory problems and Alzheimer's disease .

RELATED: The Benefits of Dark Beer

The new research examined the results of 143 other studies, looking at a total of 365,000 people from around the world. Overall, those who moderately drank were 23 percent less likely to develop memory problems or Alzheimer's disease. Although researchers aren't exactly sure why moderate drinking is so beneficial to our memories, they suspect that alcohol may have anti-inflammatory effects. Inflammation in the brain is thought to play a role in Alzheimer's disease, which is the most common form of dementia. Inflammation has also been implicated in heart disease, stroke, diabetes , rheumatoid arthritis and even some cancers, according to WebMD.

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We promise, it's not what you're thinking! These three women ran, not walked all the way to the altar. Read on to hear about the different ways they incorporated fitness into their special day.

1. Allegra Frolow: "At the end of our wedding, I changed from my wedding dress into a white sundress and running shoes. My husband changed from his tux into a black running outfit and shoes. We made our exit by running out through the tunnel of guests throwing lavender," Frolow says.

"Since it was summer in Texas, we only ran far enough to get out of sight. Then, we took a break waiting for our ride to pick us up and take us to the state capitol, where we put our wedding clothes back on to take pictures. It turned out perfectly. People still tell us how cute our exit was. I wouldn't change a thing!"

RELATED: 10 Stylish Alternatives To Wedding Veils

2. Katie Ingram: "We got married in a surprise ceremony on New Year's Eve. The next morning my new husband and I ran a 5K and then hosted a brunch

By SHAPE.com diet doctor, Mike Roussell, PhD.

Thanks to nearly constant sitting, office gatherings with sugar-packed, high-calorie snacks and the stress of deadlines and big projects, your workplace can be one of the biggest obstacles to overcome on your weight-loss journey.

Here are four common barriers to good nutrition in the work force and easy ways to overcome them.

1. Lack of time. Many people are too busy at work to take the time to eat, yet not too busy to update their Facebook status or get lost in their inbox for a few hours each day. Schedule your meals and treat them like you would any other appointment. Even the busiest professional can carve five minutes out of their mid-morning schedule to have a nutrition bar and 20 oz of water.

2. Limited access to healthy food and water and/or inconvenience. It's true: Eating healthy is inconvenient. Healthy food doesn't last long in your desk drawer, and I have yet to see a vending machine stocked with lean proteins and fresh

We normally think of having a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter's day, but how about having a chilled bowl on a hot summer's day? If you're looking for a new way to stay cool in these last days of summer, read on for three delicious, healthy soups that are sure to fit the bill.

1. Chilled corn and avocado soup: Keep your summer diet on track with this cool corn-based concoction. Make a meal of it with a side of fresh lobster salad, which will complement the flavor of the soup.

Ingredients:
3 ears of corn, shucked
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 avocados
1 lime, juiced
3 tbsp. Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub corn with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast for 15 minutes. Remove corn from cob, but save both cobs and kernels. In a pan over medium heat, sauté garlic and shallots until they're soft. In a large pot, place corn cobs and half the kernels, garlic, shallots, a pinch of salt and enough

Putting on a full face of makeup to go to the gym? No thanks! Still, there's no rule that says you can't look cute while you're working out. We've compiled some of the cutest hair accessories around to wear while you're working out hard. The best part is they're all completely functional, too!

1. Strappy and sweet: Easily the cutest headband we've ever seen, this Gym Double Strap Headband from Lucy Activewear in the Dot Stripe pattern ($1.98 at Lucy.com) wins our fitness-fiending hearts. And the best part is, we love the price tag!

2. Bands with bling: Bring the bling to the gym with these Juicy Couture Multi Thin Elastics with Charms ($25 at Bloomingdales.com). The collection comes with four thin elastic bands that spell out "Juicy" with clear crystals and metallic letters-so fabulous!

RELATED: The Best Sports Bra For Your Cup Size

3. For designer divas on wheels: Next time you ride your bike around town, keep your scalp and eyes protected from the sun's harmful race with the Adidas

By SHAPE blogger Renee Woodruff

When you're living in a city like Manhattan, you get pretty creative with the amount of space you have...which is very little. Here are my five favorite ways to use my bed (get your mind out of the gutter!). What are yours?

1. Eating. Yes, you heard me just fine. When you live in a tiny, shoe-box shaped apartment in the middle of Manhattan, your bed takes on many titles. Multi-tasking becomes a must, and eating in bed happens often. I'm not talking full-blown meals, but I am talking Buttercup cupcake parties with a glass of wine, a paper-towel wrapped peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a snack-pack cottage cheese to comfort a late night growl and of course, snacks of various assortments during movie time (I'd prefer watching a movie in bed over the couch any day).

2. Beauty prep. With just enough floor space to turn around in my old apartment, my bed automatically became a cosmetic counter as I prepped during the wee hours of the morning.

Most of us reach for a pale, light beer at happy hour when watching our calories. But new research shows a nutritional benefit to opting for a heavier, darker beer: iron. The study, which was published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, examined 40 types of beer from around the world and found that, on average, dark beers have free iron content of 121 parts per billion (ppb) compared to 92 ppb in pale beers and 63 ppb in non-alcoholic beers.

RELATED: 20 Chilled Summer Soups To Stay Slim

Iron is an essential mineral that is need to make a part of blood cells. Iron helps carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles and other organs, so when your iron intake is low, oxygen circulates more slowly, which can leave you feeling tired, sluggish and irritable.

RELATED: Bikini-Friendly Beers

While iron is found in meat, beans, grains and some veggies, it's estimated that only 65 to 70 percent of all Americans meet their daily recommended intake. Because of

The days are getting slightly cooler, the sun's not shining quite as bright...yup, summer is slowly winding down! But don't worry, there's still time to hit the beach! Next time you're there, why don't you try these five moves to tone up and get fit?

1. Sand sprints: Warm up by running a few laps up and down in the sand. When you're ready, mark off a distance by using two landmarks or by drawing a line in the sand. Sprint from one to the next-aim to have each sprint last 12-30 seconds, with a ten-second rest between each one. The resistance from the sand makes these so much harder than regular sprints so you'll feel them quickly.

Tip: Running barefoot is a lot different than running with shoes on. Focus on not striking with your heel first.

2. Glute bridge on ball with leg lift: I've never met a curl machine that worked my hamstrings and butt better than this move! Lay on your back with your ball under your heels. Lift your butt as high as you can and pull the ball in towards you.