Reshape Your Body in 4 minutes!

Tabata means short bursts with little rest.  It is highly effective for fat loss. Intense interval work will raise the body's metabolic rate long after the exercise session is completed. Post workout fat loss is the end result.

What is Tabata Training?

• 20 seconds of an exercise followed by 10 seconds recovery
• Eight intervals are completed
• Total of 4 minutes

Tabata Training was developed by Izumi Tabata at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. His study concludes that there is greater fat loss and greater improvements in overall conditioning with a 4-minute interval routine versus a full hour of aerobics!

Here are some Tabata exercises you can do at home. Create your own combination and have some fun with it!

• Jump rope
• Pushups
• planks
• tricep dips off a chair
• running up and down a staircase
• jumping jacks,
• lunges
• squats

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3 Funky things you didn’t know about sweat

Any woman who's ever reached for a glass of wine on a date only to reveal the soaked underarms of her outfit has probably wished she could remove her sweat glands. But long before pit stains became a social obstacle, perspiring was crucial to survival. "Sweat cooled off our ancestors in the grasslands of Africa," says anthropologist Helen Fisher, Ph.D. "It allowed them to hunt and forage without sweltering."

But a hot climate isn't the only thing that makes us sweat. Nerve-racking situations (e.g., a big job interview) can prompt the brain to trigger the release of stress hormones that raise your body's temperature enough to warrant a cooldown.

Here, three funky facts from the science of sweat.

Q: If sweat is just water and salt, why does it reek?

Sweat itself is odorless. But our armpits host special sweat filters called apocrine glands, which secrete an oily substance that, when mixed with bacteria on our skin, begins to smell, says David Pariser, M.D., a dermatology professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School. And since sweat is filtered from the bloodstream, pungent food odors can glom on to it. Ever notice how a guy can stink of garlic for days?

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Q: I've heard you sweat less if you're in better shape. Is this true or false?

False. While we all get damp in hot or tense environments, DNA is what mandates our liquid output. Being in top form doesn't necessarily mean you'll sweat less, says Dee Anna Glaser, M.D. In the same vein, changing your diet won't greatly reduce the amount you ooze.



Q:  Sometimes I wake up drenched in sweat, but my bedroom is cool. What's going on?

Your house could be warmer than you think it is; the optimal sleeping temp is 68°F. "Night sweats can also indicate other issues, such as thyroid or adrenal problems," says Glaser. Some medications, including certain sleeping or antidepressant pills, may bring on p.m. sweats as well. If you're waking up to soaked sheets more than twice a week, see your doctor.

Tell Us:  What are your best stay-dry tips and tricks??

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7 Surprising Exercises You Can Do on a Stability Ball

Play ball! This versatile piece of equipment does more than train your core. Reshape your total body with these unique moves

If you think the stability ball is only for crunches, you're sorely mistaken. Sure, the wobbly surface is great for training your core, but it can also be used for a ton of total-body exercises that challenge your strength, stability, and coordination without requiring you to jump from machine to machine at the gym. We asked Frank Baptiste, CSCS, owner of Frankly Fitness in New York City, to teach us some unique—and effective—moves using this versatile piece of equipment. Get the ball rolling by incorporating these exercises into your next workout.

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1. SUPINE HIP EXTENSION

"It's all in the hips," says Baptiste. "Whether walking, running, jumping, or simply standing up, everything in sport and life involves extension at our hips. This spin on a classic glute bridge shakes things up by forcing you to work on core stability while strengthening the entire glute complex."

How to do it: Lie on your back and place your feet near the top of the ball, knees bent. Extend your arms out to your sides, palms down, to help keep your balance. Drive your feet into the ball to lift your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Squeeze your glutes tight to keep your hips in line. Slowly lower your hips to return to start position. That's 1 rep. Perform10 to 15 reps. Mastered the move? Try it with one leg for added challenge.

Trainer Tip: Pull your belly button toward the floor before raising your hips to ensure the lumbar spine is aligned and stable.


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2. PIKE PRESS

Handstand pushups are feats of superhuman balance and strength seemingly reserved for gymnasts or martial artists. Great news for mere mortals: You can get the same better-body benefits by using a stability ball. This total-body, core combination move helps you develop serious, functional upper-body strength, says Baptiste. "You will never need help putting your luggage in the overhead bin again."

How to do it: Start in pushup position with your arms extended and shins on the ball. Keeping your arms and legs straight, lift your hips (pike) to draw the ball toward your arms. When your shoulders and upper torso are in a straight line over your hands, perform a handstand pushup by bending your elbows to lower your head toward the floor. Straighten your arms and slowly lower your hips to return to pushup position. That's 1 rep. Perform 5 to 10 reps.

Trainer Tip: Practice the stability ball pike by itself until you've gained the strength and confidence to add the press.


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3. REAR FLOOR ELEVATED SPLIT SQUAT

Adding a stability ball to this lower-body buster enhances its balance-training effects. "Lower-body strength is the key to healthy aging," says Baptiste, "and this is the ultimate exercise for developing unilateral leg strength and balance."

How to do it: Stand in front of a small stability ball in a split stance position (one foot farther front than the other). Rest the laces of the rear foot on top of the ball. Bend your front knee—like you do during a lunge —until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Return to start position. That's 1 rep. Perform 8 to 12 reps.

Trainer Tip: Choose a stride length that allows you to put 80% of your weight on your front foot.

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4. PUSHUP TO SKIER CRUNCH

"Although it's often thought of as an upper-body exercise, the pushup is a total-body move that requires all 38 pairs of core muscles to fire," says Baptiste. But it's the addition of the stability ball that really gives this move an extra kick. "The unstable surface challenges stability, elevating your feet increases upper-body challenge, and adding the skier crunch requires superior core endurance."

How to do it: Start in pushup position with your arms extended and shins on the ball. Perform a pushup, making sure to keep your hips in line with your feet and shoulders. After completing the pushup, perform the skier crunch: Keeping hips down, pull your knees toward your shoulders, allowing the ball to roll forward. Then straighten your knees to return to pushup position. That's 1 rep. Perform 8 to 12 reps.

Trainer Tip: Keep your shoulder blades tucked down and back. Stare at a spot on the floor about 6 inches in front of your hands to help you keep your balance.

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5. DEADBUGS

Use this exercise to turn your stability-ball workout upside down—literally. Most stability-ball moves require you to balance atop the big, bouncy orb, but this lower-back saver challenges you to train your core while holding the ball above you. "This exercise reinforces the rotary stability we first developed when learning to crawl," says Baptiste. "In natural movement our limbs move contralaterally—think about how we use opposite arms and legs when walking or running. Here we train the core to resist rotation and extension as we extend our arms and legs away from our center of gravity."


How to do it: Lie on your back and hold a stability ball above you between your hands and inner thighs, knees bent 90 degrees. While tightly gripping the ball, extend your right arm and left leg to the floor. Hold for a breath and then return them to the ball. Then extend your left arm and right leg to the floor and hold for a breath. Continue alternating, performing 10 to 15 reps on each side, always making sure to squeeze the ball tightly between your hands and thighs.

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6. SINGLE-LEG STATIC SQUAT

Press pause on your single-leg squat to focus on proper alignment while also strengthening the muscles around the knees, says Baptiste. It's also a great way to work up to performing a dynamic single-leg squat with perfect form and good balance.

How to do it: Stand about 2 feet in front of a wall and squeeze a stability ball between your lower back and the wall. Lower into a squat (as if you're sitting into a chair), letting the ball roll up your back until your knees are bent 90 degrees. Lift one foot and maintain the position for 20 to 30 seconds. Return your raised foot to the floor and stand up. Repeat the move, lifting the opposite foot. That's 1 rep. Perform 6 to 8 reps.

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7. I's, Y's and T's

If you spend any amount of time hunched over a desk or steering wheel, incorporate these posture-saving moves into your routine. "They help balance joint actions and open the chest and anterior shoulders to improve posture," says Baptiste. "These are my number one recommendation for maintaining healthy shoulders. The train the rhomboids of the upper-back and posterior deltoids to stabilize the shoulder girdle and reverse hunched shoulders."


How to do it: Lie facedown on a stability ball so that your back is flat, your chest is off the ball, and the balls of your feet are still on the floor. Lift your chest slightly to extend your upper torso. Keep your eyes down and your chin tucked. Let your arms hang down from your shoulders.

I's: With thumbs pointing up, lift your arms straight out in front of you as high as they can comfortably go, forming an I shape. Pause for 2 seconds at the top of your raise and slowly release your arms. Perform 10 to 15 reps.

Y's: With thumbs pointing up, raise your arms at a 30-degree angle to your body (so that they form a Y shape). Pause for 2 seconds at the top of your raise and slowly release your arms. Perform 10 to 15 reps.

T's: With thumbs pointing up, raise your arms straight out to your sides until they're in line with your body, forming a T shape. Pause for 2 seconds at the top of your raise and slowly release your arms. Perform 10 to 15 reps.


Trainer Tip: Do these moves slowly to prevent using momentum. You get the most from these moves in the last few inches of each repetition.

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A Guide to Toning Your Arms Without Developing a Bulky Look

Some women avoid performing arm exercises because they do not want to develop the bulky look of a bodybuilder or weightlifter. These exercises will help you learn how to tone arms without bulking up.

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Tips for Women

Many women workout their arms and find that instead of getting slender, toned arms they look more bulky than usual. This can be because they are exercising the wrong way. They could be doing the wrong workouts for their small physique.

When I first started working out I noticed finding the right arm exercises was difficult because I found my arms looked bulkier than they did before I started working out. It also seemed that many of my male trainers kept telling me things to do and when I did my arms didn't seem to get any smaller. I sought help from elsewhere and eventually found out what exercises would make the arms smaller.

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In the next section we will review the key exercises to concentrate on for toned arms.

• Push-ups
• Rowing Machine
• Chest Press

Toning Exercises

The first thing to do are push-ups. You may have tried them before but perhaps you never focused on them long enough.

Wall Pushups

If push-ups are too hard for you, instead of the regular ones, you can do them on the wall. Stand facing a wall, legs shoulder-length apart. Put your arms on the wall as if you were doing a push up on the ground. Keep your body straight and push forward to the wall. Bring your body back up and take your right arm and twist your body so the arm is straight up and behind you. Do the same for the other arm after going back down for another wall push up. Do about 15 reps twice.

The rowing machine is also great because it works to tone your arms and your back. Sit on the machine and put the weight up just enough so you feel the burn but so that it does not hurt. Row back and fourth slowly for 15 reps. If you should need further assistance ask a trainer in your gym, but the instructions should be on the machine.

Chest presses are also great because you get a good workout and you tone your arms but it doesn't give you bulky muscle. Take two 8-pound weights and lay on your back. Arms should be out to the side and bent. Bring your arms up over your face and back down as your exhale. Do 15 reps.

Getting sexy arms can be hard for women, so knowing which exercise works the best for women is key.

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4 Things That Can Screw Up Your Birth Control

Think because you're taking precautions you won't get pregnant? Think again.  Better read this if you're on the Pill -- or using a diaphragm.

By Samantha Leal for TheNest.com

Antibiotics

If you're sick and your doc prescribes antibiotics, make sure to check the package insert and ask your doctor or pharmacist for information before getting hot 'n' heavy. In many cases, antibiotics can reduce the effectiveness of birth control pills by reducing the amount of certain hormones (found in birth control pills) in the bloodstream. If the level of hormones gets too low, the drug won't work to prevent pregnancy. Rifampin, one type of antibiotic, is especially likely to reduce the Pill's effectiveness. (So grab that box of condoms on your way out of the pharmacy.)

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St. John's Wort

Think "herbal" means "can't do anything wrong to your body"? Think again. St. John's wort is a top-selling botanical product that's been used for centuries in medicine. And since you don't go to the doctor to get it (it's just sold OTC in pharmacies and health food stores), there's no one to warn you about the possible drug interactions. Basically, St. John's wort increases the breakdown of estrogen in the body, one major hormone of many oral contraceptives. The bottom line: You'll need an extra form of birth control if you're taking the Pill and St. John's wort.

Timing

Your doctor wasn't kidding when she said to take the Pill at the same time every day. Taking it at different times (or missing one completely) makes it less effective -- this is especially true for progestin-only pills. Can't commit to a timed schedule? You might want to look into other birth control options or think about supplementing the Pill with regular condom usage (yep, every time).

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Lubricant

This one is twofold. Oil-based lubricants can weaken latex condoms and cause them to tear (yikes!), while silicone-based lubricants can weaken forms of silicone-based birth control, like diaphragms or cervical caps. Try a water-based lubricant, like K-Y Brand Jelly, to avoid problems.

Source: Debby Herbenick, PhD, research scientist at Indiana University and author of Because It Feels Good: A Woman's Guide to Sexual Pleasure and Satisfaction

© 2011 The Knot Inc. All rights reserved.

Photo: Shutterstock / The Nest

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My Food Diary: 21 Ways to Plan Ahead for School Lunches

Last week's "real food" school lunch tips were so popular I thought I'd stay on that bandwagon for at least one more week. Whether you want to spend one Sunday afternoon cooking up a storm or make a double-batch of something new every few days…planning ahead is key when it comes to making "real food" school lunches easy! Last year I struggled almost every night to come up with a balanced, fun, and somewhat creative lunch for my daughter. I now realize it's because my options were rather limited. Aside from a few exceptions, I could only pull from our pantry or fridge and that got a little boring after a while. If by chance I had some leftover boiled whole-wheat noodles I could throw into the mix it was like my lucky day.

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So rather than making last minute lunches again this year I am going to start planning ahead because I know this will make things so much easier in the long run. And even if "cooking up a storm" sounds like an undertaking, I am excited to finally have a plan. I don't know about you, but once I have the next day's lunch figured out and packed it's such a big weight off my shoulders (and also one less thing standing in the way of me and my bedtime)!

Soup in Jars

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup Frozen in Individual Serving Sizes

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Cook Weeks Ahead….

1. Jar Storage (pictured):Eight-ounce jelly jars are the perfect size for freezing individual portions of soups, leftovers, and other one-dish meals. Pictured are five servings of homemade chicken noodle soup that will each fit perfectly into my daughter's Thermos container. All I have to do is take one out to thaw the night before, heat it up in the morning, and then add it to her thermos before school.
   Ideas for jars: Chicken noodle soup with veggies, tomato bisque, chili, corn chowder, tortilla soup, jambalaya, peanut squash soup, matzo ball soup, spaghetti sauce, and gumbo
   Hint: Don't fill jars all the way because liquids expand when they freeze.
   
   

   Applesauce Cubes

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2. Ice Cube Trays: Ice cube trays are a fabulous way to freeze extra-small portions of things like sauces. Whether you are preserving items that you made yourself or extending the shelf life of items that are store-bought, it is an easy little trick. Just transfer your frozen cubes into a big bag or container for storage and then pull out the right size portion the night before school. Simply let the cubes defrost in the lunchbox container overnight in the fridge and that's all there is to it!
   Ideas for Ice Cube Trays: Applesauce (pictured), hummus, pesto, pizza sauce, bbq sauce    Healthy Foods That Kids Will Enjoy Eating
3. Zip Lock Bags / Big Tupperware Containers: Big disposable bags sure are easy, but my freezer starts to become a mess if I don't have at least some sturdy containers to keep things straight. And I've found that there are so many things I can make in advance, freeze between layers of wax paper, and take out to defrost the night before school.
   

   Waffle Sandwich

   Cream Cheese, Raisin, and Cinnamon Sandwich on Defrosted Homemade Whole-Wheat Waffles

   Ideas for Bags / Tupperware:Whole wheat muffins, waffles (pictured as a sandwich), pancakes, plain pizza crusts (to eat with that pizza sauce you froze in the ice cube trays!), banana or zucchini bread, and cornbread (to go with that chili you froze in a jar)Super-foods for Healthy and Natural Conception
      
                   
                                                                                                                                                 Plan Days Ahead… 
4. Boil eggs, noodles, rice, etc. to have ready and available in the fridge.
5. Chop fruit and peel & chop veggies all at once so it is easy to grab and pack these items on a busy weeknight.
6. Portion out whole-grain crackers, pretzels, homemade trail mix, or other snacks if this will help you save time during the week.
7. Make at least one dipping sauce like tzatziki, a salad dressing or hummus to add to lunch boxes.
8. Mix and freeze smoothies or yogurt in freezie pop holders so it is ready to go when you need it.  Top 5 Fish Soups        How To Be Vegetarian on a Budget
       
   
   
   Set Up Night Before…
   

   Pizza Crusts

   Plain Whole-Wheat Pizza Crusts Frozen for Lunches

9. Get out any freezer items like plain homemade whole-wheat pizza crusts(pictured) that need to defrost in lunchbox overnight.
10. Add fresh chopped fruit, veggies, whole-grain crackers and/or dipping sauce to lunchbox.
11. Make a sandwich or wrap if you don't think it will get soggy overnight.
12. Fill water or milk cup and store in fridge.
13. Set out lunch box, reusable napkin, silverware, etc.as well as a bowl for cereal or other breakfast items.                                                                                                                                      Protect your child's emotional well-being                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Your Wedding Reception Food  
14.   Assemble Morning of…
15. Reheat any soups, sauces, oatmeal or other items that need to be warmed up and added to Thermos.
16. Get out frozen smoothie or yogurt pops , which will have all morning to defrost before lunchtime.
17. Assemble and pack any other items that you didn't make the night before like sandwiches.
18. Add several ice packs to lunch box/bag to keep perishables cold.
    

    ziploc

    Ziploc Divided Lunch Container

    Extra Credit: School Lunch Supplies…
19. Lunchbox: For school lunch storage I love using Ziploc's divided containers (pictured). Not only are these a ridiculously inexpensive option at $2.39 for two (from Target), but unlike other similar lunchboxes these are air tight. That means sauces and yogurts won't leak into the other compartments, and if you add whole-grain crackers or pretzels the night before they won't get stale. This one is also BPA free and helps you pack a no (or low) waste lunch!  Acai Berry Supplements Truth
20. Lunch Sack/Box:The Ziploc containers fit along with a drink cup in rectangular insulated lunchboxes from Old Navy, Lands End and Target. They fit without a drink cup in Pottery Barn lunchboxes.
21. Napkins & Silverware:Sure writing notes on disposable napkins is fun, but tie dying reusable white cotton napkins with your grade-schooler is even more fun and it's also better for the environment.
    

    DIY Lunchbox Napkins

    DIY Reusable Tie Dye Lunchbox Napkins  Best Tips For Healthy Eating

    That's what my daughter and I did together last year (pictured) and we now have 10 reusable napkins that I can pack for both her lunch and snack every day of the week. She designed them herself and the bright tie-dye colors hide stains so they will easily outlast yet another school year. I found some cocktail napkins from CB2 that are the perfect size for wiping little fingers and faces, and they're also 100% cotton, which is recommended for tie dying. I also let my daughter pick out some super cheap reusable forks and spoons from Wal-Mart that we use in her lunchbox as well.

22. Cups/Thermoses: We love the supply of insulated Thermos drink cups and containers at Target. They keep drinks cold and food warm for hours and there are lots of fun choices for both big and little ones!  15 Great Ways To Lose Weight Fast 

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Please feel free to share your school lunch tips in the comments below.

Food Diary – Our online food diary contains a food database of over 75,000 foods.  We track 15 nutrients including calories, fat, cholesterol, protein, and carbs.

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Simple Ways to Turn Your Health Around

By Caroline Hwang, Photograph by Laura Doss

These easy changes will help you get slim and feel a lot less stressed -- and they'll add years to your life.


Every Morning


Think you can put off taking care of yourself? Start thinking differently. "Only one-third of our health is determined by genetics. The rest is due to lifestyle choices," says Gary Small, MD, director of the Center on Aging at UCLA and author of The Longevity Bible. "It's easier to protect well-being than it is to repair damage," he says. To make a U-turn now and head down the road to good health, try these very doable strategies.

Weigh Yourself

Yes, your weight can fluctuate from day to day, but daily check-ins have been shown to help protect against added pounds.

Our best advice: Step on the scale at the same time every day. "If you're up three to five pounds in a span of a few days, watch your portions and work out longer," advises Kathy McManus, RD, director of nutrition at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. For the big picture, including understanding how your cycle affects your weight, track your readings on a calendar.

Stand When Getting Dressed

Sounds too simple to make a difference, but forcing your body to balance while you put on your pants or skirt strengthens your reflexes and core muscles. "This will protect against falls and broken bones, particularly as you get older," says Sherry Marts, PhD, vice president of scientific affairs at the Society for Women's Health Research in Washington, D.C.

Our best advice: Stand on one leg, then on the other, while pulling on your jeans. Shifting your weight from foot to foot is what you want to get good at.


Every Afternoon



Catch Some Rays

Getting too little natural light not only affects your mood but can also mess with your internal clock, making you drowsy during the day but wired when it's time to sleep, says Gary Aston-Jones, PhD, a professor of neuroscience at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

Our best advice: Although researchers don't know exactly how much natural light we need, Aston-Jones believes that light's influence over our circadian rhythms indicates that even a little bit can be crucial. His suggestion: Go outside for at least 10 extra minutes of sunlight every day. To get the full spectrum of light, which may be the most beneficial, venture out at the brightest time of day. Don't forget the sun block!

Carve Off Some Off-the-Net Time

As useful as computers and handhelds are, e-mail, message boards, and just plain surfing are highly addictive. "It's incredibly easy to do nothing else, when most of us are already too sedentary," says Jack Guralnik, MD, PhD, chief of the laboratory of epidemiology, demography, and biometry at the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Maryland.

Our best advice: Take off all of your electronic leashes for several hours at least once a day, Monday through Friday -- say, during and after dinner -- and on weekends. (Sorry, the time that you're asleep doesn't count!) Use the hours that you're disconnected to do something healthy, like taking a walk rather than watching TV. When you hop back on the computer to shop or answer e-mail, give yourself a limit. Set a timer for an hour: When it goes off, you log off.

Every Night

Head to Bed 10 Minutes Early

About a quarter of women get fewer than six hours of sleep a night (most of us need seven to eight hours). Recent studies link chronic deprivation to a weak immune system and an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, among other dangers.

Our best advice: "Refrain from taking a hot bath or shower within an hour of bedtime, since falling body temperatures can assist in the onset of sleep," says Nancy Collop, MD, medical director of the Johns Hopkins Hospital Sleep Disorders Center in Baltimore. And even though working out improves sleepquality, you shouldn't exercise within two hours of turning in. If you have insomnia, get out of bed rather than toss and turn, but whatever you do to relax, stay away from the computer -- the blue light is stimulating and will wake you up even more.

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Best Health Apps

By GalTime Associate Producer Kendall Bitonte

While its name might claim to make you more intelligent, or at least more connected to the world, your Smartphone can also help you reach your health goals.  This one small device gives you instant access to the Internet and thousands of apps, so why not use it in your body's best interest?!

We turned to three of most savvy fitness and tech Gals out there to help you increase your Health IQ. Molly Wood, Executive Editor of CNET, Kasie Sullivan, GalTime's certified personal trainer, and Jennifer Jolly, GalTime's tech guru share their favorite health apps for women.

1. Best for Your Overall Health: WebMD.com

Available for the Android and iPhone, the WebMD app is there for you to check up on a weird symptom you might be having before you call the doctor. Wood said that the app is very user friendly and informative. "You can search for specific medical issues, it has a GOOD built-in First Aid database, and my favorite thing is the Drug & Treatment database, which lets you research drug interactions, side effects, etc. It's super useful."

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2. Best for Your Healthy Cooking: Cooking Light 

Released by the popular magazine and cook book publishing company, this app aims to deliver yummy and healthy recipies.  Jolly says the Cooking LIght app includes over 300 easy and healthy recipes including nutrition calculations, as well as cooking and grocery shopping tips.

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3.  Best for Your Cardio Workout: Runkeeper

Sullivan love this app and recommends it to others those who enjoy an outside run workout.  "Runkeeper is an amazing app for running outside.  The GPS tracks how far you went, you can also see your time, pace, how many calories were burned and the path you traveled on a map."  In addition, when you sync your app back to the runkeeper.com site, you can view a history list and cumulative totals of vital stats on your personalized profile.

Related: Get Real About Your Goal Weight 

4. Best for Your Yoga/Muscle Training: All-in YOGA HD 

This app is an exclusive for iPad users, but may be an additional incentive for yogis thinking about buying the popular tablet.  Jolly chose All-in YOGA HD as one of her favorites because it features over 250 yoga poses with detailed text and audio instructions.  This app will help you master that headstand outside of class and maybe help you start your own practice routine!

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5.   Best for Your Diet: Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker

Wood highly recommends this app, released by MyFitnessPal.com, that functions as both a calorie and exercise counter. "It has a good database of foods (including a lot of chain restaurants, like California Pizza Kitchen, and store foods like Trader Joe's brands). You can friend other people and share that information, too."

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6. Best for Women's Health: Pink Pad Pro 

"This app is a great tool for women to track their weight, menstrual cycle, and physical and emotional well-being," Jolly says.  Even when closed, Pink Pad Pro will send "alerts" to your phone such as "Stay Hydrated" and "Aunt Flow is coming."  You'll never get caught by surprise and unprepared at that time of the month again.  

Related: How Much Chocolate Can You Fit Into a Healthy Diet?

7. Best for Your Pregnacy: BabyBump Pregnancy Pro 

Jolly loves to recommend this app to expecting moms. "Stay informed about the pregnancy process and use this app to track and share this special experience with friends and families." 

BabyBump Pregnancy Pro has also received rave reviews from Time.com, HuffingtonPost.com and its users, making the cost slightly steeper, $3.99, but she says it's totally worth it. 

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