Today it seems like every grocery item has a low-fat and nonfat counterpart, from dairy products and frozen foods to sweets and even junk food. With nine calories per gram, fat has become the evil scourge of dieters everywhere who are gobbling down low-fat foods, convinced that they are treating their bodies right.

It happens, even when we swear it won't — the winter weight creeps on like a hideous reindeer and snowflake design Christmas sweater. Those indulgent bites of fruitcake and sips of eggnog haven't quite left your system yet and now all of a sudden you're feeling like calling your thighs the F word — as in "other than slender." Sigh.

Ancient sages said it and lived by example. And now, modern scientists are corroborating it, while Deepak Chopra champions it on Dr Oz. Meditation is one of the most powerful tools for transformation that we have. And while the potential effects of a meditation practice on one's life can be myriad, one important place surrounds our seemingly insurmountable stress levels.

Staying healthy seems to get more and more complicated as each passing day brings new updates about what to eat and what not to eat, what diet to follow and what's yesterday's news. It's enough to drive a professional nutritionist crazy, much less the average person who is trying to decide what to have for lunch, and how to lose a couple of lbs!

Raw foodists have been saying it for years; the sprout - all hail the sprout. This light, wiry fare is the cornerstone of "living foods," as it truly is alive at the time of consumption. Many believe sprouts impart their life energy and vitality to our bodies when we eat them, and while that may sound a bit esoteric to some, scientific research has substantiated their claims - in part.

Your intake of fresh produce need not diminish during the winter. Growing an indoor garden is one of the best ways to stay healthy (and happy!) in the colder months and it'll save you money and trips to the market when there's a million feet of snow outside. Here are some tips to get your greens growing within the comforts of your own, cozy little home.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is not just an entertaining way to spend a Sunday afternoon looking at marine life. Built on science and research, the institution is also a leading voice in sustainable fishing methods and environmental practices.

Ladies hate when it happens... but it almost always does. Right after your earth-shattering lovemaking, your man is out, asleep in a matter of minutes. But really, it's not his fault. And ladies, sex actually has the same effect on you, even if it just takes a few extra minutes to kick in.

Just when you thought food sourcing couldn’t get any better than the farm-to-table movement, in comes an even more radical movement: the community-supported kitchen. If you’re into buying local foods, you’ve got to learn about this new phenomenon. And if you get in on one while they’re in these initial formative years, you may even be part of a revolutionary food movement.

As the local food scene bourgeons, one man takes the concept to completely new heights. Chef John Mooney is one of the few notable chefs in NYC that doesn’t get most of his produce from the local farmers’ market. Instead, he is growing 60 percent of his produce on the rooftop of his new West Village restaurant, Bell Book & Candle, a pioneer in his own right. 

Even if you flunked math and don’t know your calculus from your trigonometry you can still enjoy this mathematical wonder: Rev’d Up Pi adds locally-sourced, organic ingredients + probiotics, antioxidants, and fibers to = one healthy and yummy piece of pizza.

Not simply the infamous diet food (though it certainly is!); consider featuring the delectable grapefruit in salads, drinks, condiments and desserts. It's signature tart and tangy, yet mild sweetness make this fruit explode on the palate like no other. The name of this citrus fruit comes from the fact that it grows in grapelike clusters. Most likely, you will come across the Marsh variety with its yellow skin and pale yellow or brilliantly pink flesh in your hunt for grapefruits (and its many offspring). The other - Duncan variety - is jammed with seeds and used mostly for juicing.

As a parent of three active, energetic young children, I have one automatic outlet that saves my sanity: open a door and send them outside. In spring, we splash in puddles and make mudpies. In summer, we turn on the sprinkler or hide out in the shade of the woods. In fall, we hike our trails and rake leaves. I can be totally involved or just nearby, but they can run, jump, yell, and get that energy out without destroying our house.

Then comes winter.

When looking for something to warm you up on a cold winter night, perhaps dips and spreads aren't the first dishes that come to mind. Well, perhaps it's time to amend that soup and stew stockpile of cozy fare with these delectable cooked dips and spreads - especially as folks step from the frigid cold into your welcoming cocktail party or for a cozy evening in with a loved one. You can serve them with your favorite chips, crackers, or vegetables.

Any way you hack it, coughing is no fun. But the conventional cough medicines sold over the counter can be intensely loopy, causing you to feel like a drunk and drowsy zombie. However, you can conquer a cough without resorting to bright purple syrups with dissociative hallucinogens like dextromethorphan in their lists of active ingredients. Just consider that Vicks VapoRub has recently been linked to pediatric respiratory problems, and switching to natural cough cures will bring peace of mind along with relief.