FitSugar reader Ambitiouskitchen shared this filling yet light Mexican-inspired stir-fry recipe in our Healthy Recipe group . I am a huge fan of stir-fries. They’re delicious and fairly simple to throw together. I usually make this recipe on Sundays and then pack this for lunch during the week. It saves an incredible amount of time, and it’s fun because I can eat it so many ways. Try it on top of quinoa, put it in a taco, serve it on top of brown rice, or stuff it in a squash! You can make it your own. Get the full recipe at Ambitious Kitchen and don’t forget to share your own recipes in our Healthy Recipe group !

If you’re on a plan to shape up for Summer, make sure you do it the right way. You don’t want to end up sidelined with injuries just when the weather starts making the outdoors inviting, or waste your time on exercises that aren’t giving you results! Here are a few ways to keep your bikini shape up plan safe and effective. Start off slow: Enthusiasm goes a long way when you want to start getting ready for bikini season, but your desire to get fast results can lead to overworking or straining yourself. “Hitting it so hard and obsessively that your body can’t cope with the added stressor [leads to] injury,” says Tim Rich, a personal training manager at

MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Having a baby changes everything. For one in five mothers, those changes involve a series, and often silent disease, postpartum depression. But there are some women who are trying to avoid that fate using a pill derived from their own baby’s placenta. Anne Ferguson, mother of two, is one of those women. She prepares placenta pills by boiling, slicing and dehydrating the placenta and then pureeing what’s left into a fine powder. The powder is capped in a small pill. This entire process is known as placenta encapsulation. “So, what a lot of moms are choosing to do now is to take their placenta home after they have a new baby and have it prepared into these little capsules that they can then ingest,” Ferguson said. The placenta is a temporary organ that connects a developing fetus to the uterine wall, via an umbilical cord, allowing for the baby to receive nutrients and other essential compounds from the mother. The placenta also releases oxytocin, a hormone that helps during birth. Ferguson said putting those nutrients back into your body helps during the postpartum period, when fluctuating hormones can spark depression. “Many mothers have found it gives them more energy, believed to help with milk supply, and increase your iron levels,” Ferguson said. Ferguson began offering the service last year after she became what’s known as a doula, or birth coach. “I just think it makes so much sense biologically. Almost all mammals eat their placenta right after they give birth,” Ferguson said. Ferguson receives about 10 placentas a month from mostly first-time mothers, like Stephanie Johnson. “I do feel it has helped,” said Stephanie Johnson, whose own mother and sister experienced postpartum depression. Unlike those women in her family, Johnson said she’s feeling happy and healthy at home with her baby. The Federal Drug and Food Administration said it doesn’t keep tabs on the practice “given that human tissue is not food or a dietary ingredient and that it may transmit disease.” The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said it doesn’t have an opinion since it is a largely unregulated practice that has not been given much study. OB/GYN Peter Weiss said he considers the practice dangerous. “You can take the placenta home, there’s no problem with that, but ingesting it?” Weiss said. “The placenta can contain many diseases, from bacterial infections, hepatitis, you name it, it can carry it,” said Weiss, adding, “And for somebody to think that they’re going to take it home, and just because it’s a natural product makes it’s safe, that’s absolutely wrong.” Ferguson disagrees; continuing to offer the service she believes helps new mothers. She said she knows it’s not a magical solution to postpartum depression: “Placenta encapsulation is a small, one piece of the puzzle.” She said one placenta usually produces approximately 120 pills, for a $150 fee. Consuming the placenta is common in some cultures. The placenta pills cost on average $150-$300 in the U.S.

For a lot of us, the New Year equals a fresh start, and getting healthy and fit seems to be on everyone’s mind. Regardless of what your fitness goals might be, it’s never too early to start the journey. Here are a few items to get now, which will help ensure that 2012 is your fittest year ever! Planner or calendar : There’s something about scheduling a fitness date that keeps people committed. Before the New Year, go old school and treat yourself to a brand-new planner or calendar. When planning out your week, pencil in workouts the same way you do meetings, happy hours, and other engagements; doing this will keep you from double-booking and help you better organize your workouts. I’m partial to one of these handmade planners from Etsy . New shoes or gear : There’s no motivation to hit the gym or running trail than a new pair of shoes! In the same way that you can’t wait to wear a brand-new dress, you’ll be dying to break in your new shoes. If your shoes don’t need to be replaced yet, treat yourself to a pair of high-quality capris or a couple of cute fitness tanks. Check out these picks of cute and fashionable fitness finds . Personal training session : The beginning of a new year is a perfect time to assess your fitness level and set new goals. What better way to do that than to meet with a personal trainer? It might seem like a waste of money, but a trainer can assess where you’re at, know which areas you need improvement in, and challenge you where you most need to be pushed. If you can only spring for one session, make sure to maximize your time with the trainer : ask a lot of questions and let him or her know what your expecting to get out of the session. Hopefully you’ll walk away with a new workout or a plan that pushes you to the next level.

Bad Day For European Pharma: European drug makers AstraZeneca and Novartis reported setbacks yesterday, the WSJ reports . AstraZeneca said it would take a $380 million charge to stop development of experimental drugs for depression and ovarian cancer, which means 2011 profits are likely to come in at the low end of its previously forecast range, the paper says. Meantime, Novartis said potential safety problems with its hypertension drug Tekturna would likely hurt sales of the drug. Bird Flu Information: Federal officials are asking scientists not to publish details of how they created two new strains of bird flu that are more easily transmitted between certain mammals due to fears the information could be used for bioterrorism purposes, the Associated Press reports . The scientists, at Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, received funding for their work from the U.S. government and said in statements they are making changes to what they planned to publish in the journals Science and Nature. Early Tastes: New NIH-funded research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that babies exposed to salty foods early on are more likely to opt for salty foods as preschoolers, the New York Times’ Well blog reports . An author of the study tells the NYT that parents should keep an eye on their kids’ salt intake but shouldn’t withhold sodium entirely, since it’s an essential nutrient. Image: iStockphoto

Whether it’s allergies or a nasty cold, being congested sucks. It’s hard to breathe, the sinus pressure is painful, and it can even affect your hearing. Blowing your nose offers some relief, but in cases where you’re really stuffed up, it can be pretty futile. OTC medicines help dry out mucus but leave users feeling loopy, sleepy, and spaced out. What’s left to do? The next time you’re feeling all stuffed up, try one of these natural remedies - you’ll be breathing free and clear! Steam it out : Whether it’s a steam room, hot shower, or a makeshift steam bath over a bowl of hot water, steam helps to loosen mucus and relieve congestion from your nose and chest. Intensify the benefits with the addition of eucalyptus oil, a natural decongestant . Whatever method you use, slowly breathe in the steam for about five minutes and then try blowing your nose and/or coughing. This is usually enough time to break up and loosen the mucus in the body. To aid with sleep, use a humidifier; it helps add moisture to the air , which will thin out mucus in your nasal passages. Grab a neti pot : It might sound a little uncomfortable, but using a neti pot does wonders for relieving nasal congestion and pain – just ask any ear, nose, or throat doctor. Neti pots (in combination with a DIY saline solution) help end nasal congestion by thinning out mucus and built-up crusting in the nose; think of it as a form of nasal irrigation. Still not convinced? Check out these neti pot tips for beginners . Get on the mat : From back pain to stress, yoga has the power to lessen the symptoms of a host of ailments - including congestion. This mini yoga sequence helps to open up the chest and get blood flowing. Soon enough, congestion will be cleared and that sinus headache gone! Eat and drink the right foods : When it comes to relieving congestion, there are some eating dos and don’ts. Do arm yourself with hot liquids like broth and herbal tea; hot liquid combined with steam helps thin out and loosen mucus . Don’t load up on dairy products; casein, the protein present in dairy, has been shown to increase mucus levels in a small section of the population.

Do you find yourself hungry after yoga class? FitSugar reader YogaGirlAli shared her favorite post-yoga class snacks in our Snack Attack: Healthy Snack Ideas community group. I’ve been known to be lying in Savasana, while the teacher is telling everyone to close their eyes and forget all of their thoughts, and all I can do is pray that no one will hear my stomach grumbling. I mean, we practically just sweat ourselves dry and I lost track after the 13th Chatturunga; I want to get up and get some nutrients pumping through my veins! The good news is, I normally crave something healthy – my body feels clean and detoxified and now I just need a nice quick snack from my yoga bag to leave the studio feeling nourished and go on with the remainder of my day. In addition I find that a quick snack leaves me feeling satisfied enough so that Im not starving by lunchtime and can still make healthy decisions and right food choices. See the snack ideas after the break!

In a recent post, I mentioned that I always choose Greek yogurt over regular since the protein amount in the Greek variety is almost tripled. Yes, Greek yogurt is a little pricier, but I feel like I am getting more protein bang for my buck. This yogurt comparison inspired me to investigate other forms of protein and how their prices compare. I collated my findings in this handy chart, basing the food amount on how much you would need to reach five grams of protein. The prices come from my grocery bill; I live in Vermont, so prices may vary in your neck of the woods. Food Portion Size Calories Fat (g) Protein (g) Price Cooked ground beef 3/4 oz. 35 1.3 5.5 $.37 Roasted chicken 2/3 oz. 28 .6 5.3 $.37 Salmon 4/5 oz. 47 2.8 5 $.70 Cheddar cheese 3/4 oz. 85 7 5.2 $.28 To see the rest of the list keep reading.

In the November issue of Health , actress Hilary Duff opens up feeling confident and finding the perfect balance between health, happiness, and love. For Hilary, moderation is key – along with a regular dose of Pilates! The hard work she’s been doing with trainer Harley Pasternak shows; Hilary looks fantastic on the cover. Check out the highlights here: On eating healthy : “Recently, I have been eating a lot of vegetables and hummus and fruit – stuff I never really liked before. If I am hungry before bed, I will grab a handful of blueberries. Greek yogurt is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Sometimes I’ll chop up a bunch of veggies and out them in a food processor with Greek yogurt and make a dip.” On her favorite workouts : “I was a gymnast when I was little, so I think Pilates is really important to helping me stay long and lean. I try to do it three times a week. I also do circuit training. Before I wasn’t doing much cardio – just Pilates – and I wasn’t getting the same results, so I bumped up my cardio and do circuits probably twice a week.” Find out what Hilary said about her health regrets when you read more. On making workouts fun : “Sometimes my sister and I will work out together, and we laugh the whole time, so it goes by faster. I can also read a script or book while on the elliptical.” On letting herself get too skinny : “I got pretty skinny when I was between 17 and 19. I don’t know what exactly made me get on that kick, but at the time I was starting to become aware of what people said about me and how I looked in pictures. I literally ate nothing but steamed vegetables and broiled or grilled chicken, with nothing else . . . Not giving your body enough of what it needs is really dangerous.”

It’s hard to believe but I’ve been writing this blog for over a year and half now. In that time I’ve written hundreds of columns that I hope will be relevant for many years to come. The best way to ensure relevancy is to revisit old topics from time to time. This is an advantage Related posts: Heartburn Medication Warning A Natural Approach to Heart Disease Mindfulness Insomnia Remedy Laughter and Heart Disease Dietary Fiber and Heart Disease