CN Digital Studio

by Lexi Patronis, Glamour

Reading labels on the foods you're about to eat or buy is a good thing, right? It's an important step in understanding what's could be in (or shouldn't be in) there, so you know what's about to go into your bod.

Related: 10 Wardrobe Essentials Every Woman Should Own

But recent studies are pointing to the fact that the calorie counts on said labels are actually probably just guesstimates. It seems that the process of calculating the number of calories in foods comes from the early 20th century, and scientists say that it's antiquated. How we prepare food--slicing, mashing, and even chewing--can affect the number of calories we end up with; other calories are "locked up" during digestion and remain unused in our bellies; and there are bacteria that live in our guts that skim calories off the top, too.

The differences between what's on the label and what's actually in the food can be quite small in some cases, say experts, but can be as much

Maharry PhotographyOne lucky lady crowned "Bacon Queen" will make an appearance at the 6th annual Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival at the State Fairgrounds in Iowa on Saturday. Kim Pfannebecker, from Des Moines will wear a dress made entirely out of raw and cooked bacon created by a designer in East Des Moines who made the frock over the course of 15-20 hours using 20 pounds of bacon and 48 ounces of glue.

Pfannebecker was crowned on Thursday night after passing a Q&A from the Bacon Fest organizers and performing in a talent competition. On Friday she tweeted that she was attending a ceremony to pardon a pig at the Iowa Governor's Mansion at Terrace Hill led by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad. 

Bacon has become serious business in Iowa as 8,000 tickets for the Bacon Festival at $35 a pop were sold out in three minutes flat. "It all happened by complete accident like anything wonderful; electricity, penicillin," said Marshall Porter, Chief Bacon Officer for Bacon Fest.

The festival began as a oddball sideshow

by Jay Cardiello

Work out like a supermodel!Fashion Week, a bustling and hectic time in New York City, just kicked off. Have you ever wondered what workouts those super-svelte models do to get runway-ready? I've worked with some of the most celebrated catwalk queens and know just what moves they love and which ones they need. The key is to perform exercises that trim and tone while strengthening the posterior chain (back), enabling models to stand tall all day long at a photo shoot or down the runway.

Below are the moves I have my model clients perform pre-show. Now you can do the same moves at home-because everyday is your own fashion show!

Directions:
• This workout can be performed in sneakers or barefoot
• Perform as many repetitions as possible in 60 seconds
• Do not rest between exercises
• Perform the first cycle on your right Leg. Repeat on your left leg for the second cycle
• Complete 1 to 3 cycles on each leg, depending on your current fitness level
• Perform the workout two to three times a

Fake ingredients, deceptive labeling, cheaper food substitutes-sounds like something you'd expect from a fast food meal, right? Turns out, you could encounter food fraud with many of the everyday items you toss into your grocery cart.

MORE: Eight Ways to Make Grocery Shopping More Sanitary

That's because inferior-and sometimes unhealthy-ingredients in our food has reached an all-time high, according to researchers at the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP). In the last two years, the USP added nearly 800 items to their food fraud database. Everything from lemon juice to olive oil to seafood could be a big phony, based on their findings.

So what exactly is food fraud?

"It's defined as the dilution or substitution of a food ingredient without the knowledge of the purchaser, typically for economic gain by the manufacturer, so one does not get the quality or quantity that they think they are getting," explains Markus Lipp, Ph.D., senior director for Food

MIT's charm school is celebrating 20 years of teaching techies good manners. (Photo: Getty Images)Tech-savvy students, faculty, and staff members at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology may be super-advanced when it comes to science, but a campus-only charm school -- where mega minds get to hone their social skills -- is one of the most-popular things on campus right now.

Forget high-end etiquette like whether Americans need to curtsey to queens (they don't). In the MIT program, students who usually spend their lives in the labs learn about social niceties like how to shake hands properly, how to make small talk, and the basic dos and don'ts of table manners.

Related: 25 Manner Every Kid Should Know by Age 9

"The classes we teach are designed for everyone, and we feel that we all have something to learn about etiquette, manners, communication, and personal skills," the school explains on their website. "The nerd stereotype is not only misleading, it does not begin to capture the diverse, dynamic community that we have here at MIT. The bottom line is that not everyone

A healthier diet will help you get more zzzs.Eating a balanced diet is not only good for your waistline, it's also good for your sleeping routine (which is, in turn, good for your waistline). Go figure.

By Natasha Burton

According to a study done at the University of Pennsylvania, people who eat a large variety of foods-which other research shows is an important indicator of an overall healthy diet-have the healthiest sleep patterns. Why? Certain nutrients and food may effect our snoozing habits.

In comparing people's diets to how long they slept each night, researchers found that people who get too little shut-eye ate more calories, but typically drank less water and ingested less vitamin C and other important nutrients than people who slept the normal seven to eight hours a night. Not surprisingly, people who slept too much typically consumed more alcohol than the "normal" sleepers. And, both the too little and too much sleep groups also had less food variety in their diets.

So, if you're having trouble getting enough rest

Diets aren't just for weight loss - although for plenty of people, they are precisely for that. No, just being on a diet might mean you're looking for a healthier way of life. Or perhaps you have high cholesterol that needs lowering, heart disease that needs some TLC or blood pressure that could stand to be under less pressure. If you're in the market to shed a few pounds, the U.S. News and World Report has released a list of the top-rated diets that might work for you! According to U.S. News, "to be top-rated, a diet had to be relatively easy to follow, nutritious, safe, and effective for weight loss and against diabetes and heart disease." Here are their best 7 - along with their pros and cons - as ranked by a panel of health experts: - By Meredith Caroll

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CN Digital Studio

by Lexi Patronis, Glamour

You know what's especially cool about Lauren Conrad's "Get Fit Quick" plan? It's actually really sensible and doable, which--let's face it--can't be said of every star's method of dropping a few LBs.

And if you're still plugging away on your New Year's fitness goals but feeling like you might need an extra push, or maybe just something a little different in order to shake up your routine a bit, this could possibly do the trick.

Related: 10 Wardrobe Essentials Every Woman Should Own

Lauren breaks things down into categories, starting with some ground rules, such as:

1) Stay focused and remind yourself daily of why you want to get fit and healthy! Flex that willpower.

2) Drink lots of water. Aim to drink an ounce for every pound you weigh.

3) As soon as you wake up, have some lemon water. Try to do this at least 3 times a week. (If you do it every single day, it can make your teeth a bit sensitive.)

4) She has a list of