FitSugar reader Shockinglydelicious shared this kale and edamame salad recipe, which she posted in our Healthy Recipe group . Kale, edamame, garbanzos, cranberries . . . it’s better than the version sold by Trader Joe’s, I promise! Lots of healthy fiber and greens. Recipe for my kale and edamame bistro salad here . Share your own recipe in our Healthy Recipe group , and we may feature it on our homepage!

Editor's note: In the Human Factor , we profile survivors who have overcome the odds. Confronting a life obstacle – injury, illness or other hardship – they tapped their inner strength and found resilience they didn't know they possessed. This week American R&B singer-songwriter-producer Charlie Wilson explains why he's talking a lot about prostate cancer. “Mr. Wilson… you have prostate cancer.” Those words made up the most devastating phrase I had ever heard. I have faced numerous challenges in my life and my journey hasn’t been an easy one. I walk that journey step-by-step and prayer-by-prayer. But prostate cancer was a new challenge. I remember hearing I had prostate cancer like it was yesterday. I was convinced my life was over.  I worked hard at overcoming other life challenges and had the will to return to the top of my game in the music business. I put together a good show; had a catalog of great new songs to record and perform. Everything was just going great until I went to the doctor for a general physical in the summer of 2008. My wife, Mahin, made an appointment for me to have my annual physical. I have never liked going to the doctor or getting any type of exam. In addition to the physical, Mahin suggested I have a prostate exam. I definitely did not want to have that – for various reasons – but Mahin was very convincing. After a few days, I heard back from the doctor. He encouraged me to make an appointment for the following month for additional monitoring. He explained that African-American men were more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than any other race, and he wanted to keep an eye on things. I returned in a month. Based on follow-up tests, my doctor suggested that I see a specialist for a biopsy. I immediately got nervous and was concerned about what this could possibly mean. Our visit with the specialist started with, “I have some good news and some bad news.” My wife asked for the bad news and the doctor said “Mr. Wilson, you have prostate cancer.” My initial reaction was to get up and leave the room. My wife calmly asked me to sit down and have the doctor give us the good news. The good news was that it had been detected early and could be effectively treated. Thank God for my wife and her patience and understanding. My initial thought was that my life and career were over. Nothing was further from the truth. The doctor gave us some informational materials and our research began. We discussed options with my health care team and by working with them closely, I am now cancer free. However, my journey was not over. During our research I learned that African-American men are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with this disease than other races or ethnicities. It was at that time that I decided it was time for me to start informing as well as performing. I began to talk about my prostrate cancer diagnosis in my concerts and interviews. Some men asked, “Why are you telling your personal business?” I replied, “It’s my responsibility to make my community aware of this disease and to try to overcome the fear about discussing it.” During my own prostate cancer battle, I learned that my father was also conducting his own battle. Unfortunately, he did not tell us that he had prostate cancer. It wasn’t until I called to let him know about my diagnosis that he told me. That was a very difficult conversation for me and also confirmed my commitment to tell my story in order to make my community aware of this disease and encourage them to discuss it. Teaming up with Janssen Biotech, Inc. on the Making Awareness a Priority (M.A.P.) initiative is giving me the opportunity to talk to my community about the toll prostate cancer can take and about taking control of your health care decisions. It’s a much larger platform that will help me reach as many men as possible. We kicked off the program in Atlanta in April and additional M.A.P. events are planned in New York on May 19 and Chicago on July 28 – details and registration information can be found at www.myprostatecancerroadmap.com . Each event is open to the public and is an opportunity to start a dialogue about prostate cancer, its impact on African-American men and their families, and increasing awareness to start a conversation with their health care teams about this serious and deadly disease. People say I am a prostate cancer survivor and that is true. But I am doing more than surviving. I am thriving. My career is at an all-time high. I’ve had two No. 1 albums, four Grammy nominations and I am touring and performing at some of the biggest music festivals in the country. I’ve performed for our troops in Kuwait and Iraq four times in the last three years and recently performed at a sold-out concert in London. More important than anything, my priority is taking care of myself and taking charge of my health care decisions. I hope that African-American men and their families will register for one of the upcoming events, take a moment to learn more about prostate cancer and help spread the word. Awareness is the key. There are great resources and support for those who need it. I am grateful to my wife for insisting that I have yearly checkups and that I include a discussion about my prostate with my doctor. I still don’t like going to the doctor, but now that I am aware of the importance of going and discussing my health care, I am doing what I can to help myself, with the continued support of my family. Filed under: Cancer , Conditions , Human Factor Tagged: Charlie Wilson – Special to CNN

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar. When I started losing weight, I often looked at women who were thinner than I was and thought, “Wow, her life must be so easy.” I knew that once I got to my goal weight, I’d feel awesome, and healthy living would be just as easy for me as it was for all the “I can eat whatever I want and not gain weight” women around me. 11 Ways to Rev Up Your Metabolism Now that I’ve lost 75 pounds, I can say that I do feel awesome . . . but I can’t say that a healthy lifestyle comes easy. Weight maintenance isn’t as simple as I expected. While being at my goal weight has its perks, I have to admit: I failed to appreciate some of the great benefits I enjoyed along the way. If I did it all over again, then here’s what I’d do differently: See how you can enjoy the weight-loss journey after the break!

Don’t let the elements stop you! OnSugar blogger egilbride shares her thoughts on why she loves running in the rain in her blog, Ready to Run . Today I went for a run . . . in the rain. I know most people HATE running in the rain, but sometimes I prefer it to running on a sunny day. Take my Rock n Roll Half-Marathon (did I mention it was my first half-marathon EVER?!) that I ran last August. I may sound a little extreme when I say this, but it was literally like a monsoon. And I loved every minute of it! If I had been running in 90-degree weather in the city in August, I’m not sure I would have finished. But running a half-marathon in the rain was . . . refreshing. Other than causing me to wait in line for the porta-potty a couple of times, the constant downpour didn’t have much of an adverse effect on me. Then today, I went for a run . . . and it was amazing. I left my cell phone at home (see my last post reviewing my armband), which meant no GPS and no way to track my time, other than by using my iPod nano, which was set for the wrong time. It was just me, the road, and the rain. And what did I accomplish? A lot! Since I didn’t have my phone telling me when I hit each mile and what my time was, I wasn’t as worried about speeding up my pace at every mile to hit my goal time. But instead, I reached another “goal,” which was to run my entire “course” – which includes running around my ENTIRE hilly block, including one the size of Grendall – twice! And I felt great! It may seem like a small feat to some, but that 2.62 miles (it’s just a guess) was the best accomplishment I’ve made since I started running again! Here’s to more victories to come in the future! Do you like running in the rain? Share your own thoughts on outdoor running below. Start your own OnSugar blog and we might feature your posts on our homepage.

Warm weather inspires many runners to head for the great outdoors. The gorgeous scenery definitely inspires me to tackle bigger trips, so whether you’re running long distances for fun or are training for a marathon, here’s a tip for staying hydrated: Instead of carrying around your water, stash it along the way. It’s like having your own personal water stations! Map out your route ahead of time and set markers every three miles or so. Fill up reusable water bottles with four to eight ounces of H20, and then take a drive before your run. Stash the bottles in safe, convenient, and appropriate spots so you can grab them quickly and gulp them down. Or, if you prefer, you can carry the bottles with you and sip as you run. Stash each empty container when you’re done – just remember where you hid them so you can collect them all later.

Hate crunches and planks? Work your abs, and then some, off the mat with this 10-minute standing abs workout from FitSugar reader JessicaSmithTV . She posted it in the 10 Pounds Down community group . Join fitness expert Jessica Smith for this full-length, 10-minute standing abs video workout that will keep your heart rate up as you target your abdominals (and more!) for even faster results. Share your own workouts in our Fit Community , and we may feature you on our homepage!

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar! By Mandy Oaklander, Prevention Leave it to scientists to burst our bubble. For years, studies have told us that chewing gum can boost memory recall, and as such, we’d pop Chiclets during noggin-twisting times: exams, high school reunions, Jeopardy . Did it ever work for us? Honestly, we can’t remember – and there might be reason for that. A study out of Cardiff University in the UK found that not only does chewing gum not help your short-term memory, but it also impairs it. Though there are certain activities that surprisingly boost brain health , gum chewing isn’t one of them. In a series of three experiments, 97 university students were asked to recall either a short sequence of letters or identify the missing item in a list. They performed significantly worse when chewing gum, no matter how vigorously or how lazily they chomped. Researchers speculate that the tongue, mouth, and jaw movements of gum chewing disrupt short-term memory (For a fun way to refresh your mind, try these seven brain games ). Nine Surprising Reasons You Can’t Concentrate You can still fight short-term memory loss, hand to mouth, with these five tricks!

OK, ladies, it’s time to get serious. If you’re planning on losing a few pounds before you hit the beach this Memorial Day, you’ve got two weeks to plan. Read on: we’ve got some no-fail tips for you to tone up and lose weight in two weeks. View Slideshow ›

Reader FitFabCities has a tank top workout for you to do at home – all you need is a pair of weights! She shared it with us in our FitSugar Community . With Spring here and Summer around the corner, what could be better than a printable workout designed specifically to help you get tank top arms? I love this season’s sleeveless tops and maxi dresses, but after a long Winter of sweaters and long-sleeve blouses, my arms could use a little toning. (Truth be told, I’m pretty self-conscious about my upper arms so I love exercises that focus on shaping my shoulders and triceps.) Add this workout into your regular cardio routine or some lower body strength work (like the Perfect 10 Lean Legs Workout ). All you need is a pair of dumbbells and you’ll be sporting fabulous toned arms in your favorite outfit this Spring and Summer! Happy Workout! You can get the  printable version with exercise descriptions and tips here . Share your own workouts, find a new one, or just get inspired in our FitSugar Community !

We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar! By Luke Cyphers Dara Torres once wrote a book called Age Is Just a Number . Nowadays, though, the feel-good story of the 2008 Olympics admits to, well, feeling her age. Torres won two silver medals as a 41-year-old mother and swimmer in Beijing, but she harbors no illusions about repeating the feat four years later. “You have to be realistic,” Torres said. “I am 45 years old. I’m that much closer to being 50, and my body just can’t recover the way it used to.” Her goal was gold in 2008. In 2012? “I don’t feel like I have anything else to prove going into these Olympic Games,” said the 12-time medalist. “It’s not about medals. I have enough.” So why does she put herself through grueling training five days a week in the hopes of making her sixth – and she swears last – U.S. Olympic team? Because, at her best, she’s still one of the fastest sprinters in the world. She placed second in the 50-meter freestyle (25.24 seconds) at the winter nationals. Last month, she swam a solid 25.36 seconds in the prelims of the Indianapolis Grand Prix, but faded to 25.47 in the final to finish sixth. She’ll need to place within the top two at the Olympic trials in Omaha in June to make it to London. Dara Torres says it is harder for her body to recover compared to when she competed in the 2008 Olympics. “If I had to just swim the race once, I don’t think it would even be an issue making the team,” she said. “But I have to swim it three times, and having my body recover for those three races is my issue.” Torres embraces the actuarial challenge of capping an Olympic career 28 years after it began in 1984, even as her world has changed and her body has creaked. Her longtime coach, Michael Lohberg, died of a rare blood disorder in 2011. One of Lohberg’s assistants, Bruno Darzi, now coaches her. Her daughter Tessa is now 6. And her left knee required surgery and more than a year to rehab. Through it all, “I still have a passion for the sport of swimming,” she said. But there’s also a sense of obligation to the public following she has built through her success and frequent television appearances. (The former telecommunications major and frequent morning-show guest announced her comeback on “Live with Regis & Kelly.”) “I have so many people come up to me and say I’m inspiring them to do things that they thought they couldn’t do because they were too old, or that they put off because they couldn’t find a balance in their life to do it,” Torres said. Keep reading for more on Dara Torres’ Olympic past and present.