While perusing the bottle shop for libations to enjoy with old friends, Bethenny Frankel's much-touted Skinnygirl Margarita ($19.99) was staring me in the face. I love a good margarita as much as the next person, so I took the plunge and brought two bottles to a friend's house.

Photo: Lizzie Fuhr

Bottled margaritas are what I would call a caloric nightmare. A 295ml margarita can run upwards of 700 calories. The high calorie count paired with the fact that bottled cocktails are generally made with high fructose corn syrup, yellow dye #5, and preservatives are what led to Bethenny creating a low-calorie, all-natural prepared margarita. And that she did. With only 100 calories in a four-ounce serving of Skinnygirl Margarita, you can get your margarita fix without consuming all those calories. Keep reading to learn how this low-cal beverage tasted.

While perusing the liquor store for libations to enjoy with old friends, Bethenny Frankel's much-touted Skinnygirl Margarita ($13) was staring me in the face. I love a good margarita as much as the next person, so I took the plunge and brought two bottles to a friend's house.

Photo: Lizzie Fuhr

Bottled margaritas are what I would call a caloric nightmare. A 10-ounce margarita can run upwards of 700 calories. The high calorie count paired with the fact that bottled cocktails are generally made with high fructose corn syrup, yellow dye #5, and preservatives are what led to Bethenny creating a low-calorie, all-natural prepared margarita. And that she did. With only 100 calories in a four-ounce serving of Skinnygirl Margarita, you can get your margarita fix without consuming all those calories.

Keep reading to learn how this low-cal beverage tasted.

Stop going nuts, and turn to seeds! Just like nuts, seeds are full of protein and fibre and will give you an energy boost when snacked on throughout the day. Here are five types of seeds that are delicious and good for you.

• Pumpkin seeds: Pumpkin seeds aid in lowering cholesterol, promote good prostate health, and are high in plant sterols and phytochemicals. And they're a good source of not only protein and fibre, but also potassium and magnesium. Here's a recipe on how to roast them to perfection.
• Chia seeds: Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fibre, and calcium. Throw them in your cereal, porridge, yoghurt, muffins, or smoothies, or add them to a salad or potatoes. Try chia in any of these chia seed recipes.

Learn more about other healthy seeds and see their full nutritional breakdown.

Stop going nuts, and turn to seeds! Just like nuts, seeds are full of protein and fiber and will give you an energy boost when snacked on throughout the day. Here are five types of seeds that are delicious and good for you.

• Pumpkin seeds: Pumpkin seeds aid in lowering cholesterol, promote good prostate health, and are high in plant sterols and phytochemicals. And they're a good source of not only protein and fiber, but also potassium and magnesium. Here's a recipe on how to roast them to perfection.
• Chia seeds: Chia seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, and calcium. Throw them in your cereal, oatmeal, yogurt, muffins, or smoothies, or add them to a salad or potatoes. Try chia in any of these chia seed recipes.

Learn more about other healthy seeds and see their full nutritional breakdown.

Halloween has finally arrived! For those with celiac disease or a gluten allergy/sensitivity, Halloween can be more of a trick than a treat; deciphering which candies contain traces of the gluten protein found in wheat, rye, and barley can be downright tough.

Good news my friends. Although most cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and doughnuts are filled with gluten, most candy bars and hard candies are gluten-free — but stay away from Twizzlers, because they surprisingly do contain gluten! Now we're not saying to go crazy with the candies, but when a majority of "fun size" bars are only 100 calories, a little indulging might be necessary. Keep reading to see which candies made the cut for being g-free!

Ever wonder why some days you feel like an energizer bunny and can keep running and running, while other days your legs feel like lead and you have zero stamina? Certainly the amount of sleep you got the night before, stress levels, and diet play a role in how you perform during your runs, but how you regulate your breath during your jogging session also effects your energy levels. Here's how to power your muscles with fresh oxygen on each stride.

1. Learn to breathe deeply: Your lungs are just a bit smaller than your ribcage, but we all tend to use just the top third of the lung. One reason being that, like all muscles, the intercostals, which run between the ribs, can get tight and inflexible, limiting the expansiveness of your lungs. When you take a deep breath, you are expanding the lungs, pressing down the diaphragm, and causing your abdomen to expand as your lungs fill with air. Learning to breathe this way helps you take in lots of oxygen while running, preventing dizziness and nausea. With a little training and some stretching you can breathe to your full potential to increase your endurance. Cross-training with noncardio workouts like yoga and Pilates can also help you learn to breathe from your diaphragm. Here are some tips for how to conquer diaphragmatic breathing.

Here's what else you can do to control your breathing during runs.

Maybe you're like me, and when you hear about all of the health benefits associated with wine — like how one glass a day can increase bone strength and reduce your risk of having a heart attack — concern about calories fades into the distance.

The good news: if you are looking to indulge in an after-work aperitif, wine is one of the most waist-friendly libations you can choose, unlike other happy hour bevvies, which can contain a ridiculous amount of calories. Per ounce, wine is lower in calories and also free of cholesterol, sodium, and fat. But keep in mind the sweeter you go (I'm talking about you, dessert wine), the higher the calorie content.

Keep reading for a calorie breakdown of all your favorite types of wine.

If the 2012 Summer Olympics has you glued to your TV, that doesn't mean you're also stuck sinking into your couch. Be inspired by the athletes, get off your tush, and do these quick and easy exercises.

• Couch Triceps Dips: Sit on the edge of your couch or coffee table and rest your hands on the edge so your fingertips are pointing away from you. Walk your feet out so your pelvis is hanging out in the air. Slowly bend your elbows backward to lower your hips to the floor and then slowly straighten your arms. Do two sets of 15.

Keep reading to learn some more TV-friendly exercises!

If improving your sleeping habits made the list of your 2012 resolutions, then let's get to it! There are simple things you should and shouldn't be doing to get some quality shut-eye, but what about the person who sleeps to your right (or left)? Do you ever look at your partner as a roadblock to your sleeping success? If your significant other is interfering with your sleepy time, here are some helpful tips to get you back on track . . . no separate rooms required!

1. Some like it hot, some like it cold: If your partner likes to keep the heat cranked throughout the night, while you prefer to keep it at a lower temperature, use scientific evidence to win this battle. Like it or not, room temperature has a significant impact on sleep. To get proper, quality sleep, the body needs to reach an internal temperature of 65 to 72 degrees F. If he (or she) is still set on sweating it out, load up the blankets on their side of the bed and have them wear socks and a sweatshirt to bed.

Keep reading for more tips.

When January rolls around, the festive fun has come to an end, and we resume our regular day-to-day routines . . . good times, right? This month can be especially difficult for some because the party is over, the temperatures are dropping, and the days are awfully short. If you're experiencing any symptoms that feel like major depression, you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that is cyclical and seasonal, meaning that it comes and goes at the same time every year. If you suffer from SAD, symptoms may include irritability, a drop in energy level, and possible weight gain. Various studies have shown that four to six percent of the population has been diagnosed with SAD at some point in their lives, while 10 to 12 percent have shown symptoms related to SAD. Fortunately, there are some easy remedies you can try at home to help get you through the next few months.

Keep reading to see what they are!

Don't just sit there! A little exercise goes a long way. A recent study led by the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University in Canada found that just 30 minutes of exercise a week can lower the risk of a heart attack by about 30 percent. Fighting heart disease might not be your biggest concern, but the power of even a bit of physical activity is certainly motivating.

The study followed over 24,000 men and women of all ages, from 52 countries, and compared the work and exercise habits of the participants, 10,043 of which had already experienced a heart attack and the other 14,217 had no history of cardiovascular disease. The research found that any level of physical activity can lower the risk. The data, which made its way into the European Heart Journal this week, notes how the risk drops 13 percent for mild activity like yoga or slow walking, 24 percent for moderate activity like biking, and 30 percent for more strenuous physical activity like running. Surprisingly, the percentage didn't increase if the duration of physical activity went up — although 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a week was the sweet spot — which can be spread out over each day.

Now we all know how good exercise is for our overall health, which is why it's important to make sure you are exercising at least 60 minutes each week. And if you are looking to lose and maintain a certain weight, you'll want to engage in moderate exercise for five days a week. And by moderate, I mean "slightly breathless," making sure you get your heart rate up.