We've all seesawed between depriving ourselves then binging on cravings, usually because we crave things that we know we should avoid. According to Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D., founder of The Natural Gourmet Institute and prominent author and lecturer on natural health and holistic medicine, we should listen to some cravings. They are the body's signal to search for nutrients it needs to operate Read more

This morning, Michelle Obama and the US Department of Agriculture revealed a new symbol for a healthy American diet. The food pyramid, which has been around since 1992, has been replaced with MyPlate. The color-coded guidelines call for a fruit- and vegetable-heavy diet with grains and proteins consumed in smaller quantities. The government recommends that Americans switch to low-fat or fat-free Read more

Eat your fruits and veggies is a catchphrase we always hear. But if you had to choose between fruits or vegetables, what would you pick? When I think of fruit I think of it as more of a treat rather than an important food group, whereas with vegetables, I eat them because I have to, not because I particularly want to. Fortunately, I've managed to marry the two into my diet quite successfully. Read more

I'm not going to lie, I was starting to worry about Lady Gaga. Her demanding tour schedule, frequent workouts, and numerous public appearances seemed to be taking a toll on the singer: in March, Gaga almost collapsed while performing. The singer later told fans that she was dealing with exhaustion from jet lag and lack of sleep. But things are looking up. Since then, Gaga has been making her Read more

This reader has a tough situation with a good friend, and could use your thoughtful advice. Dear Fit, I've been best friends with someone for over a decade, and within this past year, she's gotten on a major health kick. We're talking meeting with a personal trainer, exercising at least five times a week, buying only organic foods, and not eating a drop of junk. She won't even drink alcohol, not Read more

I visited my mom a couple weekends ago, and was appalled to discover that as her daily afternoon snack, she devours an entire Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar With Almonds. No, not a regular-sized 210-calorie bar. With her insane sweet tooth, she said that isn't enough. The bar she gobbles down contains over 600 calories. I felt like her mother when I said, "Do you think this is healthy?" And her Read more

Japanese women have an average lifespan of 86.44 years, topping the world's longevity records for 25 years in a row, the government said on Monday in a health ministry report. This is also the fourth year in a row that life expectancy has risen in the country. The increase reflects better medical treatment in areas of cancer, cardiac disorders, and strokes — the three main causes of death Read more

Even though I was bummed to find out that eating extra fruit and veggies won't prevent cancer, there is a silver lining. As if we needed to give you another reason to exercise, researchers say that up to a third of breast cancer cases can be prevented if women exercise more and eat healthy. These findings come from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), who shared them at a Read more