I love handfuls of almonds, laced with wasabi flavor - because it is sinus clearing and satisfies that salty craving with a kick!

I love to eat and go out to dinner with friends and family and order all kinds of things. I love dessert.

Exercise is a great way to get rid of stress and anxiety. It clears the head and gets rid of all that stuff that is annoying you and really isn't all that important. It filters out any grouchie-ness - it's a great mental filter.

I enjoy all my relationships with my husband, my kids, my sisters and my girlfriends and maintaining a healthy relationships across the board nurtures my soul.

It is extremely hard to break bad habits and takes a long time to start new, healthy ones.

My unique contribution to the fitness industry is bringing fitness into the home through cable, VHS, DVD and now digital formats.

I went to the University of Arizona on a full athletic scholarship for gymnastics, where I competed and got 9th in the nation at the NCAAs.

Inner-thigh strength is important, and not just for appearance sake. If you enjoy - or have always wanted to try - ice skating or roller blading, strong inner thighs will come in handy.

Whenever you leave home and your daily routine, it's way too easy to abandon your regular workouts. That's why resistance bands make great travel companions.

As you build muscle, remember that the scale may stay the same, but you won't.

As fiber and other nondigestible carbs pass through your intestine, they bring other nutrients - often fat - along for the ride. This prevents your intestine from breaking down and absorbing some of the fat and cholesterol from the food you eat.

Fiber and other nondigestible carbs are bulky and tend to slow digestion, which, in turn, eases the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream. When glucose enters the bloodstream more slowly, cells are better able to burn it for energy.

Because Pilates requires you to press your abs toward your spine, you don't want to allow your lower belly to round and press out as air comes into your lungs. You also don't want that abdominal lock to force you to breathe shallowly. To breathe correctly, you must expand your rib cage, primarily through your midback.

To do Pilates moves correctly, you'll need to concentrate on your abs - keeping them pulled in and up - at all times.

Banish aches and pains by strengthening and stretching the muscles that affect your back.

Moves that build powerful core muscles (abs, back, hips, and pelvis) help support your spine, so you stand straighter. They also improve your balance, which starts to deteriorate in your 40s as these stabilizing muscles weaken.

Your lower back contains numerous muscles. One group, called the erector spinae, attaches to your spinal column at different points along your back, allowing you to bend it forward and backward and from side to side. Toning these muscles helps prevent back pain, and it also tightens and firms your entire lower back.

Internal and external obliques form your sides and waist. Your external obliques sit closest to the surface toward the front of your waist, with the internal obliques sitting deeper and closer to your back. Toning them shrinks your waistline and love handles.

As a baby grows in the womb, the surrounding abdominal muscles stretch outward. If you don't tighten up those muscles after delivery, your abs will remain loose and weak.

If you look in the mirror and think, 'Boy, my body needs a good dose of middle management,' keep in mind that tummy fat could be the result of many things.

I'm well aware of the health dangers of an expanding waistline and belly fat: diabetes, heart disease, stroke, even cancer.

For most of my life, I've put on weight in my thighs, not my belly. But in my mid-40s, things began to change.

To me, that's the most exciting aspect of Pilates. It doesn't matter who you are - athlete or couch potato, toned or flabby, man or woman, young or old - you can do it. Every body can benefit.

In addition to firming your abdominals, Pilates also helps strengthen and stretch the entire body from head to toe, helping you to stand taller.