In the recent survey I did here on the site, I was excited to hear that a lot of you out there were interested in health issues. Being the health nut that I am I love that.

One big health change that I’ve made in the last year is that I’ve given up fake sweeteners and I’ve cut way back on using sugar. Artificial sweeteners (including Splenda) have a lot of suspect ingredients that I refuse to put into my body anymore. You’ll have to do your own research on the issue, but I found I couldn’t continue using artificial sweeteners knowing what I knew. So what’s a girl to do?

Two great alternatives in the sweetener game are Agave Nectar which is great to drizzle on oatmeal or cereal and Stevia. Stevia is the product I use the most and the one I’ll be discussing today. Recently I was sent some wonderful products by NuNaturals and I wanted to share my thoughts on them with you.

The first product I received was NuStevia White Stevia 100 Packets ($9.99)

I love these individual packets of Stevia. I keep these in my purse so I’m never without them. They’re convenient, easy to use and they taste great. Oh and did I mention the fact that Stevia is zero calories?

Pure Liquid Clear Stevia ($11.99)

You can also get liquid Stevia which is the one I get the most use out of. I use this product every single day in my tea. The problem I’ve found with other Stevia products is that they are bitter and therefore an acquired taste for some. The NuNaturals products are not bitter and they taste wonderful. If you are new to Stevia I would recommend this product as your first purchase. It tastes great and blends easily. This will be a staple in my household from now on.

I received this NuStevia Sweetener Stevia Baking Blend($9.99) just in time.

My husband’s birthday was last week and the one thing he loves more than presents is cake (I swear he has the world’s biggest sweet tooth). I decided to swap the sugar in the recipe with the Baking Stevia and see if he noticed. He said the cake tasted amazing and he couldn’t tell a difference at all. I’d say that makes this product a winner wouldn’t you?

Pure Liquid Vanilla Stevia($14.99)

This is a fun product for you coffee drinkers out there. Add a couple of drops of this to your coffee or tea and yummmmm!! Love it.

Pure Liquid Cocoa Bean Extract ($13.99)

If you’re a chocolate lover then you have to try this product. You get all the health benefits without the fat & sugar. Did you know the average 40 gram bar of dark chocolate contains 250 calories and 14 grams of fat? If the chocolate bar uses Dutch processed cocoa, some of the polyphenols will be destroyed. Polyphenols are antioxidants found in plants that many believe have a substantial amount of health benefits. NuNaturals Cocoa Extract contains 15% of the polyphenols and 10% theobromines in Cocoa. You can add this to your favorite beverage or just drop it directly onto your tongue. I like to put a few drops of this in my Rice Milk to create a delicious cup of chocolate milk.

Pure Liquid CoQ10 Max Absorb($25.49)

I’m sure you’ve all noticed that skincare companies like Serious Skin Care and Avalon Organics are creating products with CoQ10. CoQ10 helps protect the tissues and cellular components in the body from free radical damage. In one Mayo Clinic article I read it said studies have shown reduction in fine wrinkles around the eyes with no side effects. Other studies show that application of CoQ10 before sun exposure protects against sun damage. Max Absord is a highly absorbable liquid form of CoQ10. This product is 5 times more absorbable than capsules or tablets. You can either add 20 drops of this product into your favorite food or beverage or add it to your favorite skin creme. I have used it both ways and I love it. I think this is a must have product for you beauty addicts out there.

The verdict:

I’ve tried a lot of Stevia products in the past year, but NuNaturals has to be my favorite one. This is the only non bitter Stevia product that I’ve ever found. If you’re new to Stevia give NuNaturals a try you won’t be disappointed.

What’s behind Kristen Bell’s killer bod, glowing skin, and shiny hair? Find out below.

Kristen is a vegetarian and loves a good salad. One of her favorite salads is called “Garbage Disposal Salad”:

“Oh my gosh, it’s the best! I usually start with spinach, then put in almonds, pine nuts, dried cranberries, blueberries, apples, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots and celery. Believe it or not; it tastes good together. Put some feta or Parmesan on top and you don’t even need dressing.”

Another thing she loves is Kale Chips.

“A great way to get everything the superfood kale has to offer. Break off the stems and break the leaves into potato chip size pieces. Then drizzle them in olive oil, put sea salt on them, and bake em for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Tasty.”

Wen Cleansing Conditioner

“It feels like a conditioner, but it actually cleanses your hair. And it doesn’t make you an oily mess.”

Kiehl’s Cucumber Toner

“It cleans your skin, but it doesn’t strip your skin.”

The Solution Moisturizer

“It’s completely natural-so much so that it goes bad after a couple of months. It’s that healthy.”

I just read an article from the LA Times that was very interesting.

According to the article if you want to know whether your arteries have begun to stiffen….Bend over.

Sit down against a wall, with your legs on the floor in front of you, that is, and try to touch your toes. In fact, try to reach beyond them if possible.

It seems for people over 40 — even if they’re a little overweight — that trunk flexibility may be a good indicator of arterial flexibility. Conversely, the study found, stiffness at the midsection seems to reflect arteries that have begun to lose their elasticity as well.

So strike that yoga pose, strengthen your core and stretch out that body of yours, say the researchers: it may hold age-related arterial stiffening — and cardiovascular disease — at bay.

A great video for simple but tough yoga poses and stretches to make you more flexible is below.

Alicia Silverstone, 32, recently spoke to Health magazine about her diet. The actress who has a book coming out next month titled The Kind Diet said that she slimmed down after going vegan. She said:

“Diet first, exercise second. Exercise is fantastic, and when I need to be a certain way quickly, I amp up my exercise by walking the dogs and doing yoga.”

Alicia is also coming out with a line of eco friendly beauty products.

“They’re these beautiful makeup bags and brushes by EcoTools, completely cruelty free and made from recycled materials, bamboo, and hemp.”

We think her Clueless Character, Cher, would be like way proud.

You remember this totally bugging movie right?

Lauren Conrad looks fabulous on the September 2009 cover of Shape magazine. And inside the magazine she let’s you in on her top fitness secrets.

Make your workout fit your lifestyle.

Always on the go Lauren finds it hard to stick to a regular exercise program, but with the help of trainer Jarett Del Bene, she’s come up with a diy workout routine. “Basically it’s a circuit routine I can do anywhere – in my hotel room when I’m traveling or at home in my living room.” says Lauren. “There are just five moves:squats, sit ups, push ups, couch dips – where I balance on the edge of a couch and lower my hips, then press up – and planks. I do 20 reps of the first four moves, then hold the plank for 20 seconds. I go through the entire circuit routine six times. No equipment required.”

Curb your Cravings.

Laurens eating healthier than ever before these days. She gets plenty of fruit, like watermelon and grapefruit; organic salad greens; and lean protein like turkey, tuna, and beans. “I’ve found when all I’m eating is really fresh, healthy foods, I stop craving pizza and burgers.”

Get your heart rate up.

Lauren and boyfriend Kyle Howard like to work out together. ” We like doing outdoor stuff: tennis, bike riding, kayaking, stand up surfing, hiking in the canyons of LA.

And to keep her energy up Lauren drinks Odwalla Protein Monster’s.

I don’t know about you, but I miss the days of the Supermodel. In the 90s the supermodel reigned. You couldn’t pick up a magazine without seeing Cindy or Helena gracing the cover. Today a lot of those supermodels are in their mid thirties to early forties and looking better than ever. So what are their secrets to looking amazing after all these years?

Kristen McMenamy(44)

Skincare Essential:

Her moisturizer of choice is Luxe Paris.

Exercise Routine:

Hot yoga. “It’s amazing for your complexion. You sweat for an hour and a half. Afterward, I shower and put on jojoba and sesame oils while my skin is still damp.”

Cindy Crawford(43)

Must Have Beauty Product:

Moroccan Oil Treatment

Antiaging Tip:

“Women forget to take care of their decolletage, and it shows their age.” She protects hers and her complexion with Meaningful Beauty, the skin care line she helped create.

Amber Valletta(35)

Skin tip:

SPF is a must. “I live in California, so I wear sunscreen everyday, even if it’s cloudy.”

Skin Care Regimen:

Items from Epicuren, Dermalogica, and Lancer RX.

Claudia Schiffer(39)

Antiaging tip:

“What I eat affects my skin,”she says. “Anything that’s heavy, like dairy or sweets, breaks out my complexion, and it doesn’t look fresh. When I stopped eating dairy, my skin looked nicer.”

Skin saver:

“Fresh carrot or apple juice and water with lemon and ginger help give my skin a healthy look.”

Helena Christensen(40)

Must have product:

Nude Miracle Mask

Go to facialist:

Christine Chin of New York City’s Christine Chin Spa.
“After I get the microdermabrasion and a green tea facial, my skin feels unbelievably soft and dewy.”

What’s your antiaging beauty secret? Please share!

I’m sure you’ve all heard about the controversy surrounding the cover of the September issue of Self Magazine. Everyone was wondering if the pictures of Kelly had been altered or not and now Self is saying they did indeed retouch the image saying;

“Yes. Of course we do retouching,” Danziger writes in a post on Self.com. “Did we alter her appearance? Only to make her look her personal best.”

I was actually just at a Kelly Clarkson concert recently and knew they had to have done some retouching without them even saying so. She is a beautiful girl, but she’s definitely not as in shape/toned as the cover of Self portrays her. What do you think of magazines that retouch celebrity images? Does it motivate you to want to look like your favorite celebrity? Or would you be happier knowing what your favorite celebrity really looks like? I would personally like to see untouched pictures more often. I mean it’s not fair. I could be on the cover of some magazine as a Fitness inspiration if I just had a little altering with photoshop *laughs*.

While in Whole Foods recently I saw this product and decided I had to pick it up. I consider myself to be a very healthy eater already, but I love the fact that this helps you achieve your 5 to 9 daily servings of fruits and vegetables. I also love that it contains Superfoods like Spirulina, Chlorella, and Cacao.

What they say:

A full spectrum of alkalizing green superfoods, antioxidant rich fruits, and support herbs unite with organic Acai, Maca and Cacao to provide a powerful dose of whole food nutrition with a delicious dark chocolate taste. Complete with pre & probiotics and digestive enzymes to ensure rapid nutrient absorption and healthy digestion.

This product tastes great and is good for you as well. What more could you ask for? I love mixing this with almond milk, ice, and a banana. Yummy!

Have you tried this product before? What were your thoughts?

8.5 oz product Available at Amazing Grass.com for $27.99.

Some of Hollywood’s fittest stars share their fitness secrets.

Carrie Underwood
This American Idol keeps fit by jumping on the treadmill 4-5 times a week,sticking to a vegetarian diet, and keeping a food journal where she jots down everything she eats.

Britney Spears
This mother of 2 stays in shape by skipping giant sodas and high fat snacks. She eats a 1,200 calorie diet of lean protein,veggies and brown rice- she also does cardio 3 times a week.

Nicole Scherzinger
This Pussycat Doll claims she can eat whatever she wants, but she says she maintains her weight by running several times a week and doing yoga on the beach.

Joss Stone
Joss says she was born a vegetarian. And she avoids tour foods like pizza and instead goes for healthier choices like avocados.

Jennifer Nettles
This Sugarland singer stays in top form by sticking to a semi-vegetarian(seafoos,eggs,dairy and tons of fruits and vegetables) diet. She’s also a hard core yoga fan.

Alanis Morrisette
Alanis keeps in tip top shape by sticking to a 90/10 vegan diet.
“You can call me a 90/10 vegan, which means every now and then I have a piece of salmon.” She also does pilates sessions 5 times a week.

Do you get tired of the same old boring workout day after day after day? I know I do (treadmill=boring) so when I found out you could watch full length workout videos for free online I was very excited. All you need to do is go to Exercise TV and decide which video you want to do today it’s that easy. I just did Cardio Groove n’ Burn and let me tell you it was a blast. Do you do the workouts on Exercise TV? Which one is your favorite?