Gwyneth Puts on 20 Pounds—And We Didn't Even Notice

For Gwyneth Paltrow's starring role as an alcoholic singer in the film Country Strong, she gained 20 pounds by eating fried chicken, according to her trainer Tracy Anderson.

We all carry weight differently, and it's not that I expected a 20-pound pile-on would make Paltrow look like her character in Shallow Hal, but I was shocked when I saw her "after" photo and didn't notice a difference from "before" (or "after-after"—Anderson said she's already lost the weight). Since there was no apparent physical difference—and even after her weight gain, Paltrow still looked thinner than most country stars—I have to wonder why she did it.

Are Energy Bars Your Diet Enemy?

Do you know what you're really eating when you pick up that energy bar?

If there’s one thing in this world I can’t get enough of, it’s a quick fix. Anything that makes my life easier, less stressful and adds some time to my day is a winner in my book. That being said, energy bars can be the perfect convenience food – that is, if you know how to decipher the good stuff from the junk. With so many health and nutrition bars on the market these days, sifting through all the choices has become almost as hard as finding that perfect dress hidden among the racks at a sample sale.

There are gender specific bars, meal replacement bars, workout fuel bars – between all of that and the fancy packaging, it becomes virtually impossible to know whether you’re making the right choice. Top nutritionist to the stars, Dr. Oz Garcia says "the main thing to look for is that the bar is low in both carbohydrates and saturated fats. You also want about 10 to 15 grams of protein. There are so many versions out there these days, so find one that tastes good too." We break it down for you below!

How to find time to run during the holidays

Holidays are certainly joyous, but family gatherings, holiday parties, and office functions can bump running right off your to-do list. Fortunately, you don't need to spend a lot of time to maintain your fitness during this busy time of year. Our advice? Split working out into 20-minute chunks and you’ll make staying on track seem less daunting. The following 20-minute (or less) workouts cover all the bases of strength, speed, and endurance well enough so you can start the New Year strong.

Build Endurance: BREAK IT UP

Stringing together several 20-minute runs across a single day can boost your stamina. Identify a day that’s destined to be booked with chores. Go for an easy 20-minute run, spend the next hour or two running errands or doing things around the house, then head out for another 20-minute run. Do up to three of these segments once per week.

Seven herbs for indigestion

Common causes for indigestion include overeating, eating too quickly, fatty or greasy foods, too much caffeine, too much alcohol, too much chocolate, nervousness, and emotional trauma. Translation: The holidays.

Indigestion, also known as dyspepsia, is a term used to describe one or more symptoms including a feeling of fullness during a meal, uncomfortable fullness after a meal, and burning or pain in the upper abdomen; it may cause bloating, belching, and nausea. One thing is certain, it's no fun!

If that last wafer-thin mint has you cowering on the couch, you may want to try one of these natural aids for indigestion. Herbs have been used for millennia to treat any matter of ailments, and indigestion seems to be one woe that is well-suited for natural remedies.

Your Happiness: 3 Things Every Woman Needs to be 100 Percent Happy

These days, happiness is a big business--authors sell books on the topic, marketers try to get you to buy their products in the name of improved happiness, etc. But when it boils down to it, experts say that for almost every one of us, happiness boils down to three simple things--do you have them in your life?

The happiness trio? Huffington Post blogger Joe Robinson recently wrote about three core psychological needs that stem from past research from scientists at The University of Rochester:

Autonomy: Having independence, control over your home or work environment--the feeling that you are freely choosing things in your life and not being controlled by anyone or anything.

5 Ways Your Job Is Killing Your Body

Do you leave your job every day with a headache? Do you have a large kink in your neck by the end of the week? Is your lower back constantly hurting? Your job is probably trying to kill you.

Ok, so it’s not chasing after you with an axe, but poor conditions at your office can actually take a deathly toll on your body. But that doesn’t mean you have to succumb to your cubicle’s torture. Find out what practices can leave your body in pain and what you can do to prevent those annoying aches.

1. Stress is wreaking havoc on your hormones

Most jobs these days have a high level of demand. Your boss is yelling. Your presentation is due in an hour. You have eight hours of meetings before you can even start to work. It’s like the stress level of a warzone, but you have to deal with it every day. When you are this stressed out, your body is in survival mode.

Why we're cheering the proposed ban on caffeinated alcohol

The writing would seem to be on the wall for Four Loko and other beverages that combine alcohol and caffeine, as the FDA considers an outright ban of the combination. Anyone who is for sanity and safety in marketing should read it and cheer, not weep.

Combining alcohol and caffeine is -- in a word -- crazy. Don't do it! It has an excellent chance of hurting you, and a fairly good chance of killing you. Recent news reports feature tragic victims of this deadly duo. As the companies and federal authorities decide what to do, you can make up your own mind to steer clear of this bad brew.

As I suspect everyone knows, alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. It is certainly possible to drink enough alcohol for it to be lethal -- people have. But the depressant effect tends to limit the damage, because people fall asleep or pass out before they reach a truly lethal level of intake. Alcohol is more likely to kill by impairing judgment, and responses behind the wheel of a car. But here, too, the intrinsically sedating effects of alcohol help limit these incidents- which are horribly too numerous as is.

10 ways to walk off fat faster

Here’s how to boost your calorie-burn big time—without much extra effort.

Get some poles

Using Nordic poles torches an average 20 percent more calories by engaging the muscles in your upper body and torso, says Mark Fenton, author of The Complete Guide to Walking. Plant the pole firmly at a 45-degree angle behind you, then push back forcefully against the ground to propel yourself forward.

Skip killer hills

Don’t assume the biggest inclines are the best for burning fat. “It’s better to maintain your speed on a moderate hill than to slow down substantially on a steeper one,” Fenton says.

Use your arms

The 4 Best Fast-Food Snacks

When we're on a road trip or running an insane amount of errands, sometimes we have no choice but to pull up to a fast-food restaurant for a quick snack. Hey, a girl gets hungry!

While fast food generally isn't the best choice in terms of nutritious eats, there are smart orders that keep calories and fat to a minimum while making you feel full and satisfied.

We analyzed nutritional information provided by major fast-food chains to come up with 4 yummy options that won't break the caloric bank. Remember them the next time you pull up to the drive-thru!

McDonald's Fruit 'n' Yogurt Parfait 160 calories, 2 grams of fat (1 saturated), 21 grams sugar, 85 mg sodium If you have a hankering for something sweet, this mix of low-fat vanilla yogurt, strawberries, blueberries and granola is the perfect quick fix. The berries give you a shot of vitamins, the yogurt is a great source of dairy and granola helps you feel satisfied.

Easy Ways to Turn Your Holiday Shopping into a Workout

Although you simply cannot reap the benefits of a good workout by just shopping, Geralyn Coopersmith, director of the Equinox Fitness Training Institute points out that there are still ways to improve your health while making your rounds at the mall and the supermarket. Learn how here:

* First, walk as much as possible. This means not using your grandmother's handicapped tag for a front space and parking in the back of the lot instead. If your mall has an option to take the stairs, skip the escalator. These are activities that mimic cardiovascular exercise and, therefore, burn calories.

* Just because shopping doesn't have the same effect as running a 5K doesn't mean you should slack off. Carole Carson, author of From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction, says that shopping can often help women reach their goal of 60 minutes of cardio a day — the amount required to avoid gaining weight with age. In fact, the average shopping trip involves walking almost three miles. Add that to the number of times you hit the mall during a given week or month, and you've got yourself a serious workout.

The Best Bets For Pie on Thanksgiving

Yesterday I was asked a tough question - what is the best (as in healthiest) pie to eat on Thanksgiving? Pie by nature is not a very healthy option given the crust and the shortening or butter used to make it but I can give you some advice for choosing wisely when dessert is served later this week!

What would Thanksgiving dinner be without pie at the end of it?! Pie is the customary dessert served in most homes on Thursday. On a day where calories are everywhere, pie would not be the best dessert choice you could make but if that is your only option, here is what you should know.

Any good pie is built on a nice crust. Pie crust is almost always made with vegetable shortening due to its ideal flaky baking properties. Unfortunately this great texture comes with a cost - shortening is a common carrier of partially hydrogenated oils and trans fat. If the crust is not made with shortening, then it's likely made with butter or lard which comes with saturated fat. Both types of fat are hard on the heart so the number one rule with pie is to limit your intake. If Thanksgiving is the one day a year you eat pie then you don't have to fret much over which type to chose but it's always good to know what is in your food so be aware of what you are eating.

How Do You Normally Sleep on Your Pillow? Face Up, Down, on the Side? (One Causes More Wrinkles)

Sleep is supposed to be healing and restorative to the body--and skin! That's why they call it "beauty sleep." But the way you sleep on your pillow could be having the opposite effect on your skin, say experts. One way, in fact, may be giving you premature wrinkles. See if it's the way you snooze...
A word of caution for us gals. According to Michelle Halpern, over at StyleCaster, your sleep style could be bad for your skin:
"If you're a face-to-pillow kind of guy or girl while sleeping, you best change up your habits as soon as possible," she writes. "You know those sleep lines on your face etched into your skin when you wake up in the morning? While they may have disappeared by breakfast time today, over the course of many years, sleeping in the same face-down position will cause permanent wrinkles to form as your skin loses its youthful elasticity. Start sleeping on your back, or at best, switch up your sleep routine from time to time. And while you're at it, get more of it--getting plenty of sleep will decrease under-eye circles, which are never a good look."
I'm in the clear (sort of)! I'm a side and mostly back sleeper. (Joanna, over at Smitten, is adorable: She sleeps diagonally.) And, I just can't understand how anyone could sleep face down. Doesn't this deprive you of oxygen? Seems like it would feel so suffocating! But, I do know people who tell me they love sleeping with their faces smashed into their pillows.
How do you tend to sleep?