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Sweat Summary: Founder and instructor Stacey Lei Krauss combined her background in dance classes and fitness to create a 60-minute fun, full-body fusion workout (performed barefoot!) that incorporates mind-body training with heart-pumping cardio. Sweat Factor: Medium: Leave time for a post-workout shower Mood: Energizing What We Liked: No equipment needed! What We Didn’t Like: Our only request—more push-ups (yes, you read that correctly) and varied upper-body exercises would have made this a more well-rounded workout....

That’s the message from new research published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine, which examined the connection between a person’s fitness level at midlife and their risk of chronic illness after the age of 65. “We’ve known for years that if you exercise, you’re likely to live longer,” says Jarett Berry, MD, an assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and senior author of the study....

The Workout 0:00 Walk at a comfortable pace to warm up.3:00 Walk briskly (as if late for an appointment). 6:00 Lunging Press 7:00 Walk briskly. 10:00 Squat and Row 11:00 Walk briskly. 14:00 Plie and Reach 15:00 Repeat minutes 3:00 to 15:00. Use opposite leg or arm for exercises when appropriate. 27:00 Walk at a comfortable pace to cool down. 30:00 Finish. Amp up your workouts with expert walking tips Trim and firm your lower body with this fat-blasting workout for walkers

YOUR WEEKLY PLAN MONDAY, WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY Morning Refresh: Stretch out the kinks and start the day energized with feel-good standing postures that strengthen and tone, too. Hold each pose and stretch for 20 seconds. Side Garland (Garland Pose into Side Bend)Media Platforms Design Team Start in Garland Pose (feet slightly more than hip-width apart and toes facing out, palms in Prayer position). Hold 20 seconds, then stand up, straightening legs, and reach your left arm overhead as you lean your torso to the right, feeling a stretch along the left side of your body....

Work time: 15 minTotal time: 35 minServings: 4 1 vegetable combination (on the next page) 8 tsp reduced-sodium chicken broth or water 4 boneless, skinless salmon fillets (6 oz each), 1-1 1/4" at thickest point HEAT oven to 450°F. PREPARE one of the vegetable combinations. TEAR 4 sheets of foil, each 14" long. Place on a work surface. Spoon one-quarter of vegetable mixture on half of each sheet, leaving a margin of about 2" on the 3 outer edges....

Native Americans teach their children to wake up being thankful for each new day. Their philosophy has greatly expanded my well of gratitude. I try to find something new and precious to appreciate in nature every day. Even the cycle of planting a seed, watching its progress to full bloom and then its decline to sleep beneath the earth, fills me with thanks for the privilege of being part of nature’s miracles....

But it’s gross, say consumers. Which is why at least three national supermarket chains are jumping on the anti-pink slime bandwagon. Among the list: Supervalu, which owns Acme, Albertsons, Cub Foods, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher’s, Jewel-Osco, Lucky, Shaw’s/Star Market, Shop ’n Save, and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy; Food Lion; and Safeway, which operates the Genuardi’s and Dominicks chains as well as Safeway stores. This move by grocery stores comes after the US Department of Agriculture announced that beginning in the fall, the National School Lunch Program will let school districts decide whether to buy ground beef that contains the filler....

No-Guilt Guacamole Recipe Savvy Substitutions

Happify is both a website and mobile app geared towards improving people’s emotional well-being through scientifically-proven activities and games. MORE: So This Is Why Food Makes You So Happy

Defeating Diabetes Outsmarting Osteoporosis

To call the holiday season hectic would be an understatement. We over-commit ourselves to social obligations, and more often than not, we overextend our bodies by indulging in unhealthy meals or snacks because it’s Thanksgiving, or because you’re stressed out from shopping, or because the kids are driving you crazy. Whatever it is, there’s always an excuse to stray from the healthy lifestyle you’ve established and embraced—until now. This year, keep yourself sane and satiated at the same time by preparing ahead with simple, organic meals and snacks your whole family can enjoy from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, and into 2013....

According to a new study published in the Social Psychology Quarterly, dispositional optimism—the idea that good things are yet to come—is a better trait to rely on than, say, self-esteem. Why? Because self-esteem fluctuates, says lead study author Matthew A. Andersson, a doctoral candidate in the department of sociology at the University of Iowa. And it can lessen when we’re overcome with a sense of rejection or unacceptance, he says....

Until now, medical science has been unclear whether people who have had heart attacks should drink alcohol. But a new study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health adds some powerful new information to the equation.Researcher Jennifer Pai studied the health history of nearly 2,000 men who were moderate drinkers. Among those who had heart attacks, if they continued to drink in moderation after the attack, their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease declined 45 percent compared to those who stopped drinking....

More from Prevention: 9 Ways To Bring Sexy Back “Reading erotica can be a great way to get in the mood,” says Steph Auteri, co-author of 52 Weeks of Amazing Sex. It can also be a means of exploring the types of scenarios that turn you and your partner on, she says. In other words, if your sex life is slacking—whether due to a dipping libido or ho-hum intimacy routine—reading about sex can help you talk the talk in the bedroom, so to speak....

Can you test your own eyesight? While most docs say you should see your eye doctor at least once every 2 years—even if you have 20/20 vision—many of us don’t. In fact, Census data says Americans are making fewer doctor’s appointments—just 3.9 visits a year per person, down from 4.8 visits a year per person 10 years ago. And while a routine eye exam doesn’t just test your vision, but your eye health, too (sometimes the first indicator of diseases like diabetes), these three DIY eye tests from Glenda Secor, OD, a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, could give you insight into your sight....

Scientists have long been keen to prove that love gives us health benefits, too—beyond the obvious advantage of always having a date for New Year’s Eve. Researchers can’t say for sure that romance trumps an affectionate family or warm friendships when it comes to wellness. But they are homing in on how sex, kinship, and caring all seem to make us stronger, with health gains that range from faster healing to living longer....

The good news? You can protect yourself. Here’s how. Tune it outWhite noise can reduce your sympathetic nervous system’s response to minor but disruptive noises. Try the free White Noise Lite app for iPhone and Android. Get geared upFor louder noise, invest in sound-blocking gear, such as Bose QuietComfort 15 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones ($300; bose.com), which “cancel” noise by producing a counteracting sound wave. Take deep breathsDial down your body’s response to racket by taking slow, deep breaths—each lasting 10 seconds—for 10 minutes at work or during a noisy commute....

During the week of April 10, 2013, marketing research firm Harris Interactive asked participants to agree or disagree with statements, like “I have positive relationships with my family,” and “My work is frustrating.” The results showed that not only are only a third of Americans “very happy,” but these Americans were more likely to be women and over the age of 50. Which, it turns out, is consistent with prior research, says Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD, author of A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription To Happiness....