If I read another article telling me to drop the Twinkie and replace it with a carrot stick, I'm going to hurl my cream-filled cakes at the computer screen.

Going out to eat is practically our national pastime. In fact, according to United Press International, the average American eats 4.8 restaurant meals per week.

Take a stroll down the frozen food aisle at your local grocery store and you'll be surrounded by boxes with dishes that look deceptively appetizing (hello Photoshop) -- and have tempting labels like "low fat," "light," and "high protein." But are any of these "healthy" frozen dinners actually good for you?

Do you have a New Year's resolution that goes something like "get healthy," "lose weight," or "cut down on junk food"?

Oh thank heaven for 7-Eleven. It's fast. It's convenient. It makes any road trip with screaming kids somewhat bearable.

There's no denying it: Snacking is fun. Look at Pringles. "Once you pop, the fun don't stop." Oreos provide endless entertainment with all that cookie twisting. And Chester the Cheetah? Such an exciting guy.

It's been a while now, but, think back to the fabulously glam women of "Sex and the City." OK, good. Now, what do you picture them doing? Images of the four friends sipping Cosmos at some trendy New York City eatery popped to mind since that's what all the beautiful, socially adept people do, right? They sip cocktails? Because, of course, no one in TV land ever suffers health (or beauty) consequences from such things.

Whenever we thumb through recipes in a cookbook or magazine, we tend to run through the same mental routine, which looks something like this:

Who can resist a jelly donut that's fresh out of the oven? Not us. Whether it's a just-baked pastry or heavenly-scented pizza, we know that temptations can be overwhelming when you're trying to stay healthy. We've all admittedly "slipped" and grabbed a chocolate chip cookie (or 12). But fear not -- there is a light at the end of the chocolate-encrusted tunnel. We talked to Dr. Joy Dubost, R.D., spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, who gave three women a diet makeover. And what did she have to say about indulging in pizza every once in awhile? "It's OK." Hallelujah! Get the rest of her tips now.

When I think "detox," I think torture. In a frantically dramatic fashion I picture myself trapped inside a grass hut yogi den for days on end with a bunch of highfalutin' hippies dry brushing each other between massive gulps of kale smoothies. Thanks, but no thanks.

You know that infuriatingly skinny woman who can eat whatever she wants and won't gain a pound?
Yeah, well, I'm that girl.

Detox. It's a word that carries so much hope -- and so much fear. Detox the smart way and you're in for clearer skin, more energy, and a smaller number on the scale. Detox drastically (Master Cleanse, anyone?) and you're likely to do more harm than good. But with so many detox plans out there, and so much conflicting evidence on the effectiveness of each, how's a girl to choose the cleanse that's right for her?

You know how you think things out loud, and don't really realize what you're saying until it's out there? Well that's how I got roped into this detox diet. At our last brainstorming meeting, I mused aloud that it would be interesting to follow real people as they attempted detox diets. Next thing I knew my editor was handing me the book "Clean" by Dr. Alejandro Junger and telling me to take my before photo. Um, what?

If you refuse to give up fast food (or have to eat it in a pinch), at least pick the best options for healthy skin

Think what's in your brown bag would pass muster with a professional nutritionist? You might be surprised to learn how poor your diet really is

Antioxidants. We hear this word every day as it relates to maintaining a healthy skin diet and we assume we also need them in our skin care regimen. But what are these antioxidants exactly and what do they do?

"Oh, you're so lucky to be pregnant -- you can eat any and everything you want. All. The. Time." Sure, we've heard hype like that too. And while we admit it would be nice to have an excuse to eat an extra 300 calories a day (really, that's the recommended amount) without any guilt, we also know that going food crazy isn't the healthiest way to embrace a pregnancy diet.

Wouldn't life be easier if a magic calorie-burning pill did exist? One that has zero side effects and is actually good for you?

This season's hottest anti-aging ingredients can be found in the grocery aisles. Add them to your healthy skin diet now

Is it a no-no to eat after 8 PM? Discover the real answer to this question and more