Blog Posts by Marie Claire

Jeffrey WestrbookStop focusing on consuming less of the "bad" foods. Instead, aim to incorporate more of the good foods into your diet. Not only will you feel less deprived, but you'll also end up being too full to crave the junk. Try these nutritional superstars for a result that's even greater than the sum of its wholesome parts:

1. Apples
Eating an apple a day can keep all kinds of doctors away, from physicians to dentists. Apples contain both insoluble and soluble fiber, which not only make them filling, but also work double time to reduce cholesterol. Some doctors even recommend drinking apple juice after eating a fatty meal to reduce the food's negative effects on your body.

Apples have been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease. And if that's not enough to make you bite into a Fuji or McIntosh, consider this: Chewing apples stimulates saliva, which scrubs stains off your teeth and freshens breath instantly.

Serving ideas: Spread peanut butter on sliced apples for a yummy taste of

Digital Vision/Getty ImagesA lighter wallet is no excuse to turn date night into a luxury. Get out of your sweatpants, put down the cold pizza, and check out these budget-friendly date ideas that will get you off the couch and into each other's pants.

1. Get on thin ice. Depending on the weather, head to an indoor or outdoor ice-skating rink - it's the perfect excuse to hold hands, "accidentally" fall on top of each other, and grab a cup of hot chocolate and cozy up to each other to keep warm.

2. Grab a cup of coffee and check out a local coffee shop's open mic night. You might luck out with a great show, or you may find a mixed bag of angsty guitar solos and bad poetry - either way, you'll have something to talk (or laugh) about on the way home.

3. Check the play and musical schedules at local colleges and high schools. Schools usually have a spring and a fall show, and it's a great way to see a version of your favorite plays and musicals for a fraction of the cost.

4. Look into the future. Go together for a

31 Things You Don't Know About Jessica SimpsonThat hair, the romances, the stage dad, those sky-high platform heels, and the football jinx - you probably think you know the whole Jessica Simpson story. So we asked her family, colleagues, and most important, her hairstylist for the things you don't know about the indomitable pop star-turned-country crooner.

1. SAX APPEAL: "Jessica played the saxophone for three years in junior high school. It was when The Simpsons had just come out, and she would stand in the kitchen and play 'Do the Bartman' on her saxophone, while Ashlee would dance. It was pretty hilarious." - Tina Simpson, mother

2. CRY BABY: "Her tears in 'I Belong to Me' were real, not makeup." - Matthew Rolston, video director

3. TRUNK SHOW: "A few years ago, we were going to Eva Longoria's house for dinner, and Jess said, 'I don't want to go to Eva's house for the first time and bring the paparazzi with us! That's so lame!' I was like, 'Fine, then get in the trunk.' I don't know if her blonde hair was sticking out of the

In California, private-security companies have reported a spike in the purchase of "safe rooms" - chambers that protect owners from nuclear, biological, and chemical attacks - that can include pizza kitchens, movie theaters, and putting greens, so leisure time won't be held hostage to the apocalypse.

An epidemic of kidnappings has led affluent Mexicans to pay $4000 to have secret transmitters implanted in their arms, which can pinpoint their location by satellite.

Harrods now sells bulletproof shirts, blazers, raincoats, leather jackets, and ties, and a $12,000 polo shirt that can resist shots from a Mini Uzi.

Russian oligarchs are buying up houses in a walled compound outside Moscow (prices start at $13 million), with a security team and housing for residents' bodyguards just outside the gates.

Thanks to widespread fear of robberies and violence in Brazil's cities, in the second half of 2007, an estimated 7500 bulletproof cars were sold in that country.


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• 100+ Christmas

When you've dragged the Christmas tree into the kitchen so you can decorate it while baking cookies for your neighbors, it's time to take a step back and de-stress.

Check out our no-fail stress-busters for the holiday season.

1. Vent
All that holiday cheer coupled with the non-stop Christmas music on the radio might make you want to scream - so go ahead and scream. Grab your best friend and a cup of coffee and have a b---- -session while you do your last-minute shopping. Chances are, you're not the only one that feels like you're going to crack if you have to string one more Christmas light.

2. Just Say No
Your cousins want to stay with you in your one-bedroom apartment the week before Christmas, and they're bringing their newborn triplets? "No." Your mother's friend needs a ride to the airport at 2 AM? "No." Set boundaries and stick to them. Feeling a little stressed and having extra responsibilities during the holidays is normal, but don't let yourself be the go-to person for

Kevin Russ/iStockI look like a wreck in photographs. My arms are flabby, the small pooch beneath my waist is suddenly a gut, and my face turns a pasty shade of eggshell. But worst of all is that damned double chin - the one that makes me look like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. What will all the high-school and college friends I just reconnected with on Facebook think? Will ex-boyfriends wonder why I've let myself go?

It's not that I'm ugly. When I do a once-over in the mirror before a night out - wearing my favorite blue tank with the plunging neckline, just a little smoke around the eyes, and a hit of blush - I'm generally satisfied. So why is it that the next day, when I'm flipping through the pics mass e-mailed from my friends' Shutterfly accounts, I look like I could pass for Jack Black's twin sister?

"The camera often lies," says celeb photographer Patrick McMullan. "For the bad and for the good, there's always a subtle distortion." So, how do I distort my image for the better?

YOUR PHOTO CHEAT

Ruven AfanadorThis much we know about Jennifer Connelly: She's devastatingly pretty. She won an Oscar for her work in 2001's A Beautiful Mind. Her latest, The Day the Earth Stood Still, with Keanu Reeves, opens this month; He's Just Not That Into You premieres in February. She has two sons - Kai, 11, and Stellan, 5 - and she's married to British actor Paul Bettany. About to turn 39, she is the face of the Balenciaga campaign. And she is remarkably private and classy for someone who works in Hollywood.

But what tickles Jennifer Connelly? What gets those green eyes glinting? We had to know, so we decided to just ask. Jennifer Connelly, what do you love?

Pink Lady apples. "Three a day. I eat so many apples, it's stupid."

Home. "I became a mom before I became a wife. When I had kids, I felt I had a home like I'd never experienced before."

Doing crafts. "I have a Bedazzler! The last time we whipped it out was for Stellan's birthday. I sewed capes for all the kids, and then they decorated them with

Before you liberally pour gravy on those mashed potatoes, put the utensils down and test your holiday eating IQ.

1. A typical Thanksgiving meal contains how many calories?
A. 500
B. 1,000
C. 1,500
D. 3,000
Get the answer here

2. What percentage of your extra holiday calories likely come from fat?
A. 10%
B. 25%
C. 40%
D. 70%
Get the answer here

3. How does eating with friends and family affect how much you consume?
A. You eat half of what you would normally eat alone
B. You consume 10% more than you would if you were alone
C. You eat about the same as you would if you were dining alone
D. You consume about 50% more than you would alone
Get the answer here

4. What should you eat before the big Thanksgiving feast so that you're less likely to binge?
A. Nothing - you should skip breakfast and lunch the day of Thanksgiving so you're not loading up on extra calories.
B. Soup
C. A slice of pecan pie
D. Some dairy, like a few slices of cheese or a glass of milk.
Get the answer here