Exercise and Fitness equipment can be expensive. You see ads in the paper, all over the Internet and on the television about all of these machines that do it all. Of course, the machine may be well made, but in the end, it won't work unless we put it to work. The sad fact is that thousands of people everyday buy these machines, use them for a short time, and then quit because it isn't what they wanted, they thought results would be instantaneously, they developed physical or medical problems and can't use the equipment, or they just gave up. Bargains on Sports and Fitness Items gives you some great information on where you can get the lowest priced, used or barely used equipment.

If you've been to your grocery store lately, you'll notice that yogurt has increased in varieties, types and flavors. You can buy plain yogurt, vanilla yogurt, key lime pie, blueberry, strawberry, lemon, Boston cream pie and so many other flavors. You can buy it in small tubs, large tubs, squeezable sticks, frozen and shakes.

Yogurt has some great health benefits. Calcium is important for good bone health. In order to absorb the calcium correctly, your body also needs vitamin “D”. Real yogurt has both of these. Research also shows that real yogurt has the ability to help lower blood pressure. The effects it has on your digestive system, outweigh any over the counter product you can buy. It helps with constipation, diarrhea, preventions of colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and lactose intolerance.

If you are trying to lose weight, yogurt is the perfect snack, as it make you feel full longer, and helps control your appetite. When buying yogurt, always read the label. Remember that when you buy products that have whole milk, you will be getting more fat and calories. Make sure that the yogurt you buy also states that it has live enzymes. Fake yogurt will not give you any of the health benefits.

If you really want the healthy side, try buying plain yogurt, without all the added sugar and preservatives, and add your own frozen or fresh fruit, or you favorite flavoring.

This is a healthy salad that can be used as a meal. Serve it with buttered bread, biscuits or crackers on the side.

Ingredients: Makes 4 servings

• 2 good sized boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in strips
• 1 teaspoon garlic - diced
• Non stick cooking spray
• ½ head of lettuce
• 2 cups of fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1 small onion- diced
• ½ cup diced low-fat white cheese (ex: farmers cheese, mozzarella cheese, or Swiss cheese)
• 2 large tomatoes
• 8-10 green or black olives
• 2 hard boiled eggs

Directions:

• Spray pan with cooking spray and brown chicken strips with garlic
• Wash lettuce, onion, tomato, and lettuce and drain
• Dice tomato
• Tear lettuce and spinach into bite size pieces
• Slice olives
• Peel and slice eggs
• Lay lettuce and spinach on plate
• Add tomato
• Add cheese and olives and onion
• Lay egg slices on top
• Lay chicken strips on top

Use your favorite dressing. Remember it is best to put your dressing into a small container, and dip your bites in it. This way you don't drown the salad and consume a lot less calories from the dressing. This dish is excellent to serve for lunch or dinner, parties and get togethers. It is a healthier choice and is great during those hot days of summer when you don't want to heat up the kitchen or stand over a hot grill.

Baby boomers are the generations born between 1940 and 1964. These are the now senior citizens of our world. There were a lot of events that happened during those years that help shaped a lot of what this nation is now. Sure the world has evolved in technology more since then, but there are a lot of memories that some hold dear from that era. Woodstock, love beads, and our parents coming home from the war. The Baby Boomer Story is a nostalgic ride back through that era. I'm sure the book, when it is published will be a best seller, especially for people our age, and yes I am one of them.

The food pyramid was created years ago to give us a basic idea on what we needed to eat on a daily basis to stay healthy. It suggests that whole grains be the bulk of what you eat on a daily basis. The old pyramid suggested that you have 6-11 servings a day. The next part of the pyramid is the fruit and vegetable. Now I really believe you can't eat too much of these, especially if they are fresh. They suggested 2-3 servings of fruit, and 3-5 of vegetables.

Milk, yogurt and cheese fall into the 2-3 serving category, oil and butter are to be used sparingly, and meat, fish, dried beans and eggs should be 2-3 servings per day.

So if you break this down into the standard three meals, you need to have protein from meat fish, beans or eggs at each meal. You need to have of fruits and vegetables at each meal. You need at least one serving of milk, yogurt . You need to have 2 -3 servings of whole grains, which include bread, pasta, rice, and cereal at each meal.

You do the math. This is a lot of food to eat at each meal, especially if you stop and think about the other ingredients like flour, eggs, grain, sugar and preservatives that are added to the grain foods.

They now suggest you build your own pyramid, and again you need to be careful, or you will find yourself overeating again. If you just eat fresh fruits, vegetables, protein and whole grains divided into four or five small meals a day, you could probably forget about this food pyramid.