Índex per March 2014 a Shape

CHECK OUT OUR SITE FOR EXCLUSIVE STORIES & GIVEAWAYS. PLUS, JOIN US ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST & MORE. WHAT’S FOR DINNER We’re taking the guesswork out of healthy eating. Go to shape.com/eatforaweek for seven days’ worth of recipes and a printable shopping list of ingredients. All you have to do is get to the grocery store and into the kitchen. Get your kicks One lucky reader can instantly update her spring wardrobe with a week’s worth of shoes from Klub Nico. Choose from sexy stilettos, chic fats, trendy sandals—you name it—and you’ll be stepping out in style all season long. TRIPLE THREAT Beat workout boredom with trainer Jessica Matthews’ new exercises on shape.com/tripletoning. Each sculpting combo includes three creative takes on familiar moves—like a scorpion toe-tap, triceps push-up, and side…

GET IT ROYAL TREATMENT Want to get glam for an interview or a big night out? Hit the new makeup salon Rouge New York (rougeny.com) in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood. Similar to trendy blow-dry bars, you choose your look—anything from the natural “You... Only Better” ($50) to the red-carpet ready “Total Polish” ($75). Then sip a complimentary cocktail and let the pros do their magic. PICTURE IT CAMERA MAN “Sharon Stone is beautiful, very ft, and has amazing skin,” says cover photographer Nino Muñoz. “She was a real pro on set.” Muñoz, who has also worked with stars like Gisele Bündchen and Rose Byrne, loves that his job is constantly changing. “There’s always a diferent location, team, and creative approach—it never gets boring,” he says. WORD on the STREET Springiddy (sprin…

Sharon Stone’s fitness “routine” is anything but: “Every time I exercise, I do something different based on which areas need to get in motion,” she says. “Whether I’m strength training, practicing yoga, or dancing, I only focus on moving my body.” And while the actress is a regular at a local gym, she also squeezes in physical activity anywhere she can—even the bathroom! “Sometimes I do a series of standing leg lifts and circles in the tub, using the water as resistance,” she says. Turn the page for a few of our cover star’s favorite moves, and discover why her mix-itup approach to fitness (obviously) works. The plan HOW IT WORKS For a total-body workout, do each move in order; or, add one or more exercises to your regular routine.…

Craving a little more ooh-la-la in your life? Turn to page 152 for all the best French beauty secrets. 1 BRITISH INVASION Once just a chain of chic salons in the U.K., Toni&Guy now also ofers a line of styling products, including this Glamour Firm Hold Hairspray ($15; target.com). Ideal for updos, it locks strands in place without giving you helmet head. 2 DOWN-UNDER COVER New Zealanders, with their sky-high skin cancer rates, take sun protection seriously—and local favorite Snowberry Active Outdoor Sunscreen ($38; snowberrybeauty.com) is proof positive. Formulated with nonirritating zinc oxide, the broad-spectrum SPF 30 goes on sheer and silky, making daily use a pleasure. 3 DUTCH TREAT With more than 50 products, the possible pairings from the Netherlands-based beauty and home brand Rituals are endless. For the…

From glam gowns to comfy tees, here are the fashion brands celebs are stocking up on. The brand: Warby Parker The scoop: The eyewear company not only offers chic frames at affordable prices (starting at just $95), it’s also socially conscious; for every pair of glasses sold, a pair is donated to those in need. Spotted on: Emmy Rossum (right), Zoe Kazan, Gwyneth Paltow Warby Parker sunglasses ($95; warbyparker.com) The brand: Gianvito Rossi The scoop: Great footwear design is all in the family—Rossi learned his trade from none other than his father, Sergio Rossi. Known for a modern sophistication, Gianvito often marries ladylike single soles with edgy elements à la these snakeskin ankle straps. Spotted on: Kate Bosworth (right), Sarah Jessica Parker, Emily Blunt Gianvito Rossi heels ($1,095; mytheresa.com) The…

ZUMBA 101 CHOOSE THE RIGHT SHOES Always wear training or dance-fitness sneakers; these have deep grooves in the outsoles that improve flexibility as well as supportive uppers to protect your ankles during side-to-side movements. EXERCISE YOUR OPTIONS How do you select a class? For straight-up dance, try Zumba Fitness; to squeeze in some sculpting, sign up for the chair-based Sentao or opt for Toning (which uses weighted sticks). If you love old-school aerobics, you’ll flip for the new Step variation. And the low-impact Aqua Zumba is ideal when you’re recovering from an injury. ASSUME THE POSITION For the best view of the instructor, stand in the front row or middle of the floor. Feeling lost mid-routine? March in place and focus on your teacher’s feet until you can follow again.…

Kit Rich @kitrichfitness CELEB CLIENT: Ke$ha SWEAT STYLE: Rich relies on Pilates segments to tone muscle and increase flexibility, adding Tabata intervals to blast calories. FIT PHILOSOPHY: High butt, happy life. SIGNATURE MOVE: TEASER HUNDRED. Lie faceup with legs extended on the floor in front of you and arms extended at your sides, palms facing the floor. Curl shoulder blades off the floor as you pump arms up and down, inhaling for 5 counts, then exhaling for 5. Next, lift arms overhead. Roll up as you raise legs 45 degrees so body forms a “V,” arms parallel to legs. Slowly roll back down, and lower arms to starting position to complete 1 rep. Do 10 reps. Mark Harari @MarkPulse CELEB CLIENTS: Jenny McCarthy, Melissa Joan Hart, Natasha Henstridge SWEAT STYLE:…

Don’t get in Miesha Tate’s way: After wrestling on the boys’ team in high school, she went on to excel as a professional mixed martial artist (MMA), boasting an impressive 13–4 record. The 27-year-old now competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (the sport’s premier league), and this past fall, she coached a team of MMA athletes on the reality show The Ultimate Fighter. Want a winning body? Follow these tips from Tate. LEARN A MARTIAL ART “You won’t just get sculpted; you’ll pick up valuable self-defense skills as well,” says Tate. “A lot of the moves, from jujitsu in particular, were designed to enable weaker people to use leverage to protect themselves against an attacker.” FUEL THE FIRE Tate powers through her morning strengthtraining session and evening technique drills by…

Broiled Miso Salmon With Spago Cucumber Salad SERVES: 4 PREP TIME: 20 minutes (plus 3 to 24 hours marinating) COOK TIME: 8 minutes 4 salmon fillets (about 4 ounces each) 1/2 cup mirin (Japanese rice cooking wine) 1/4 cup white miso paste 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon plus 1.2 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger 2 cups thinly sliced Japanese cucumbers 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1.4 cup rice vinegar 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions 1. Place the salmon fillets in a shallow nonreactive dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. In a small bowl, stir together the mirin, miso, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Add…

Take a spin through your local farmers’ market in early spring and you’re likely to see bunches of these bulbous beauties. While their green shoots and pearly heads are reminiscent of scallions, spring onions are actually immature versions of the big yellow onions you see in the grocery store yearround, simply harvested young. Culling them early gives them a sweeter, more complex flavor than their full-grown counterparts, along with noticeable garlic notes—qualities that intensify with roasting or braising. Karen Hatfield, chef and co-owner of the Sycamore Kitchen and Hatfield’s in Los Angeles, offers her tips for bringing out their best. SELECT Look for plants with a pungent onion smell and large, firm bulbs that aren’t shriveled or bruised. The bulb portion isn’t always white; it can vary from light green…

JAY CARDIELLO, personal trainer, Shape fitness editor-at-large Keep it simple. “Implement small changes into your everyday routine, like standing on one foot while brushing your teeth and doing planks and push-ups in bed-the unstable surface ups your calorie burn and makes your core work harder. To bust boredom, switch up your workout every three weeks.” Focus on each transformation. “My favorite way to affirm a weight-loss accomplishment is to pick up a 3-or 5-pound hand weight and take a walk on the treadmill. Holding the weight demonstrates how heavy it is to carry around just a few extra pounds of fat. Also, don’t base your progress solely on how you look-think about how your health affects your loved ones.” Create permanent change. “You’ll never succeed if you’re surrounded by negativity,…

50% Amount of depressed women ages 20 to 39 who smoke, according to one survey. The disease makes it harder to kick the habit, so try using a quit line (call 1-800-QUIT-NOW)—studies show these free services more than double a person’s chances of a smoke-free future. Fifteen Times more likely employees who worked long hours (at least 60 per week) and had high job demands (defined as “usually” having too much work) were to be depressed, reports a new Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine study. 4-6 NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL YEARS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS OF DEPRESSION MAY AGE PEOPLE, COMPARED TO THOSE WHO NEVER HAD THE MOOD DISORDER, FINDS A NEW STUDY IN THE JOURNAL MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY THAT EXAMINED THE LENGTH OF TELOMERES—MARKERS THAT MEASURE THE WEAR AND TEAR OF…

Sunday, March 9, marks the start of daylight saving time (DST), when clocks are turned forward one hour. As welcome as the extra light at night may be, the darker mornings and shifted sleep patterns often leave people groggy and fatigued; according to the Better Sleep Council, 46 percent of women need a week or more to adjust to the change. (Some studies have even shown a significant increase in traffic accidents the day following the switch to DST.) To make your transition a smoother one, try these tips from Kelly Brown, M.D., assistant professor of neurology at Vanderbilt University. GO TO BED (AND GET UP) 15 MINUTES EARLIER each night starting the previous Wednesday, and start eating your meals 15 minutes earlier every day too. “Everyday habits like your…

A GYM GIVES YOU SUPPORT, tons of exercise options, and a change of scenery from athome workouts—three things that can help you bust boredom and plateaus. But all those tools and machines can be intimidating. So to get you started, Michelle Lovitt (trainer to stars like Courteney Cox and Lauren Graham) designed a total-body toning routine that incorporates the most effective gear in the club. Don’t worry: Each exercise includes a form tip so you won’t look like a rookie, as well as an alternate plan in case someone’s hogging the equipment you need. In addition to must-do moves, we also got the 411 on the best cardio options. So slip on a cute outfit and walk in like you own the place—soon you’ll look like you do. The PLAN…

1 Start the day early People who throw off the covers by 7 a.m. experience up to 25 percent higher levels of alertness throughout the day, compared to those who don’t usually wake up until 10 a.m., according to a study published in the journal Emotion. (Bonus: The early birds also felt happier and healthier.) That’s probably because morning larks’ internal clocks are more in sync with society’s 9-to-5 schedule, says Timothy H. Monk, Ph.D., director of the Human Chronobiology Research Program at the University of Pittsburgh. “Early risers tend to sleep more restfully throughout the night than stay-up-late types,” he adds, “so they start the day feeling refreshed.” If you’re not naturally a morning person, employing a few tricks can make it easier to rise and shine. For instance,…

There’s a lot that surprised me about Sharon Stone, who, at 56 (as of March 10), is the oldest woman to grace our cover. For instance, despite looking as stunning as she did at 34 in Basic Instinct, the megastar doesn’t believe in the idea of being an ageless beauty. “I just want to be the best I can be at my age,” she says. Okay, mission accomplished! So how’d she pull it off? By deciding in her 40s that she wanted to age like a dancer. “They look so beautiful as they get older—limber and lean, and with a grace and certain natural quality I admire,” says Sharon. As a fan of dancing, Pilates, and stretching, she’s more than achieved her goal of having a ballerina’s body. Oh, and…

Combine fun and fitness with these three cool cycling trips. GO DUTCH Experience everything from iconic Dutch windmills along the Rhine River to tasty cheese in the city of Gouda on the six-day DuVine Cycling and Adventure Co.’s Holland Bike Tour ($4,695 for accommodations, meals, bike rental, and all activities; duvine.com). Sign up before June 30 by calling 617-776-4441 and you’ll get a $150 discount with the code SHAPE. DESERT STORM For an insider’s view of one of the largest national parks, join REI Adventure’s Death Valley Cycling Desert Bike Trip ($1,699 for REI members/$1,899 for nonmembers, includes meals, accommodations, bike rental, and park admission; rei.com). You’ll spend three days cruising through scenic salt flats and sand dunes, and you’ll summit Dante’s View, rising 5,500 feet above sea level. COAST…

Batter Up! Not all tubes are created equal. Here, the latest mascaras for coquettish curl, luscious length, and va-va-voom volume. With a brush designed to mimic the natural curve of your lashline, Dolce & Gabbana PassionEyes Duo Mascara ($32; saks.com) creates a soft, featherlike curl—no extra tools required. The 12 rows of bristles in Estée Lauder Sumptuous Infinite Daring Length + Volume Mascara ($26; esteelauder.com) yield alluring length and superb separation. Dual-ended CoverGirl Bombshell Volume by LashBlast Mascara ($9.50; drugstores) plumps up fringe without flakes or clumps. One side contains a thickening formula; the other, a lacquerlike topcoat. The innovative design of Sephora Collection Upside Down Mascara ($22; sephora.com) delivers multiple looks. Use the wands separately for a subtle effect, or clamp them together for full, dramatic fanfare. SHORTTERM Get…

DOLLED UP For Danilo, inspiration can be found anywhere—from the streets of NYC’s Lower East Side, where he lives when not in LA, to funky Monster High dolls (from $20; Target). “It’s like a Japanese couturier designs their clothes!” he says. NATURAL SELECTION For multidimensional haircolor, like this model’s gleaming black (above), Danilo looks to nature: “A raven’s feathers can have purple, blue, and green sheens. I like to see that detail in hair.” TRESS SUCCESS Danilo swears by a routine of results-oriented products like Pantene Damage Detox Weekly Deep Cleanse ($5; drugstores), a shampoo that uses new antioxidant technology to neutralize the oxidizing effects of copper found in water. For lusher locks, he suggests Viviscal Extra Strength Hair Supplements ($50; viviscal.com), which contain marine extracts to thicken strands. A…

When you’re struggling through that last mile or those final few reps, cheer yourself on. Encouraging words can help you exercise significantly longer, according to a new study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. People who said mantras to themselves boosted their endurance and also reported that their workouts felt easier. The key is to have different messages for each stage of your session, says study coauthor Anthony Blanchfield: “Try something motivational at the beginning and middle, then say a phrase about pushing through discomfort at the end.” Statements as simple as “I’m feeling good” and “stay strong” can offer just the lift you need. GET PSYCHED! Prepping for a race? Test-drive a few mantras while you train to find out which words work best for you.…

HEADS UP The honeycomb-like interior of this Smith Optics Forefront helmet ($220) absorbs 30 percent more impact than solid EPS foam, and you can rest the brand’s Pivlock Overdrive sunglasses ($239; smithoptics.com) in the curved groove on top. VITAL SIGNS The iRiverON Bluetooth headphones ($200; iriverinc.com) have sensors in the earbuds to monitor your heart rate and instantly send the info to your smartphone. TRAILBLAZER Before you venture out, sync the Garmin Forerunner 220 ($250; garmin.com) with the brand’s LiveTrack app; friends can pinpoint your route via social media to find you and partner up. KNOT NOW Designed for amateur and professional athletes, the Therawheel ($45 with DVD; therawheel.com) features plastic knobs and a rolling disc to unwind the tightest muscles. IN THE BAG This Under Armour Perfect duffle ($135;…

Only doing singlejoint exercises, like biceps curls, is a huge no-no. People mistakenly think that it’s best to do moves that focus on one area of their body at a time—usually in the hopes of changing its appearance—but that can lead to muscle imbalances and injury. Plus, everyday actions like pulling luggage from a plane’s overhead bin or bending over to pick up a heavy box involve several muscle groups; training your body to work that way is more beneficial to real life. Including complex moves that involve multiple joints (like a squat to overhead press) in your routine will improve not only your strength but your coordination and balance as well. Extra incentive: Working more muscles at once burns more calories, so you’ll slim down faster. MY TORN ACL…

Asheville, NC Nicknamed “Boulder of the east,” Asheville is situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains. For incredible panoramas of the peaks, run in the 500,000-acre Pisgah National Forest, which contains hundreds (yes, hundreds) of miles of dirt paths. And don’t miss a jaunt around the grounds of the 119-year-old Biltmore Estate, the site of the new Asheville Marathon and Half Marathon. WHERE TO STAY The Bent Creek Lodge (from $105; bbentcreeknc.com) is located on the edge of the Pisgah National Forest, making it easy to get up and run. Austin, TX To check out the city, jog the 10-mile Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail. The mostly flat path borders the Colorado River and is a super-popular workout destination for locals and tourists alike. Want a bit more solitude?…

Cranberry-Lemon Cookies MAKES: 24 cookies PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK TIME: 15 minutes (plus 1 hour cooling) 1 cup brown rice flour 1/4 cup coconut flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1/2 cup safflower or grape-seed oil 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus grated zest of 1 large lemon (about 1 teaspoon) 2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup unsweetened dried cranberries 1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 3. In a large bowl,…

LEAN BEEF “Protein helps build muscle, which burns more calories than fat, even at rest,” says Dubost. A 4-ounce serving of beef packs in more than 30 grams of the nutrient, nearly half the recommended daily amount. (Women need about half a gram per pound of body weight a day.) Look for lean cuts, like sirloin. EGGS Your body shifts into conservation mode overnight, so noshing on something after waking helps to start your engine. With 6 grams of protein each, eggs are an ideal option. For an added boost, have a cup of joe: Research shows that caffeinated coffee can boost your metabolic rate by up to 16 percent. PEANUTS These legumes are not only packed with protein for building lean muscle (7 grams per 1-ounce serving), but they’re…

My book, The FabYOUList, is about how I challenged myself to accomplish 40 goals before my 40th birthday. With number 40 (“write a book”) crossed off, I needed a new list. Over lunch, my friend Ta’Mara Aarin shared that she’d recently quit an unfulfilling job and that her kids had flown the nest. It seemed we were both facing the question “What next?” When I jokingly suggested we run away from home, it didn’t sound like a bad idea. With nothing holding us back, why not hit the road together? Turns out we were on to something. An Annals of Leisure Research study concluded that girlfriend getaways help women at midlife feel freer and facilitate life’s transitions. It sure worked for us: Since our weeklong exploration of Northern California last…

Take a blink break Suffering from dry eyes, blurry vision, or headaches? It could be “computer vision syndrome”—another name for spending long hours staring at your monitor. While you may not be able to shorten screen time during the workday, you can avoid symptoms by following the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, pause to blink and gaze roughly 20 feet into the distance for 20 seconds, says Mina Massaro-Giordano, M.D., associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania Scheie Eye Institute. Reducing glare can also help: Do a “visor test” by cupping your hands over your eyes. If this improves your view, dim overhead lighting, dust the monitor, or affix an antiglare filter. Check your brightness and contrast controls as well, since a display that’s too dark or too light can…

Carissa joy Monroes love for fitness began in grade school, when she started playing soccer year-round. Afterhanging up her cleats in coLLege, where she majored in accounting, Carissa stayed fit by running and doing Tae Bo. Though she quickly found a position in herfieLd, it didn’t take long for Carissa to realize that a career crunching numbers wasn’t for her-and that her real passion was being active and working with people. So six months Later, in July 2007, she quit her desk job to help open a gym where she taught gymnastics and other sports to kids. NAME: Carissa Joy Monroe AGE: 28 PROFESSION: Fitness model HOME: Colorado Springs, CO SHAPE READER: 10 years A COMPETITIVE EDGE In early fall 2010, Carissa—who’d been working out for at least two hours…

DE RIGUEUR ’DO CONSIDER THE CHIGNON FRANCE’S NATIONAL HAIRSTYLE: “IT’S THE FAVORITE LOOK FOR WOMEN OF ALL AGES,” EXPLAINS NEW YORK CITY STYLIST AND SALON OWNER YVES DURIF. “IT’S SIMPLE BUT STILL LOOKS ELEGANT IN ANY SETTING.” WHILE PARISIANS TYPICALLY OPT FOR SMOOTH AND SLEEK VERSIONS FOR EVENING, THE EVERYDAY OPTION IS SLIGHTLY MUSSED. Use a volume booster, like Redken Guts 10 ($17; salons), to create a bit of height at the crown, then pull strands into a ponytail at the nape of your neck. Twist, wrap around the base, and loosely pin for a casual yet classic coif. Fashion director: Katie Goldsmith/Hair: Kuni/Makeup: Deanna Melluso…

You contribute to your 401K and pinch pennies where you can, but if you’re daydreaming about how you’ll spend your tax refund, it’s time to pull your head out of the clouds. Blowing the money you get back from Uncle Sam (rather than saving or investing it) is a cardinal sin when it comes to your finances. Another big mistake? Staying in the dark about financial matters like investing in the stock market. “It’s crucial to educate yourself so you can make decisions from a place of knowledge rather than fear, ignorance, or habit,” says Barbara Stanny, a leading authority on women and money and author of Overcoming Underearning: A Five-Step Plan to a Richer Life. Below are more missteps women often make when it comes to money matters, plus…

Everyone loves a good makeover, and Sharon Stone is no different. When she arrived for her Shape cover shoot, she was dressed casually in a long gray sweater, ankle-length charcoal pants, and comfy flats. Makeup-free with her cute new bob tucked neatly behind her ears, she looked more like a chic mom than the Hollywood icon that we expected. A mere two hours later, however, the 56-year-old actress emerged in a black fringe bikini, sky-high heels, bombshell hair, and voilà! A screen queen was created. Even Sharon was impressed with her transformation. “It’s fun to play dress up and be turned into a movie star,” she says. “Whenever I invite my girlfriends to a premiere or big party, they get all excited and say, ‘Oh, yay, we get to go…

Sharon Stone walks into the room, and she owns it. Fierce, fabulous, and at 56 still flawlessly beautiful (sans the knife, thank you very much), the movie star who fired up our imaginations 22 years ago in the groundbreaking film Basic Instinct shows no signs of slowing down. Professionally, she’s on a roll with the appealing romantic comedy Fading Gigolo coming out soon, and her new TV series, Agent X, on the horizon (she plays the vice president of the United States). Her personal life is just as demanding: She’s a single mom raising sons Roan, 13, Laird, 8, and Quinn, 7. And let’s not forget Sharon’s tireless work for the charitable organizations near and dear to her heart: A Better LA, which has helped greatly reduce gang-related violence through…

JESSICA CHASTAIN The ambassadress for YSL Beauté MANIFESTO wowed the crowd last spring at amFAR’s 20th Annual Cinema Against AIDS in Cannes, France. "This over-theshoulder sweep is like Veronica Lake goes to the beach." –hairstylist Christian Wood CHRISTIAN WOOD, HAIRSTYLIST “Jessica always looks amazing with her hair swept to the side, Old Hollywood–style. But to let the dress speak for itself, we needed something softer and more romantic. I used a mediumbarrel curling iron to create a gentle wave throughout her hair. The trick is to curl sections in diferent directions, so it falls naturally. The look is polished, but in a beachfabulous kind of way.” MARY GREENWELL, MAKEUP ARTIST “Jessica wanted to look soft and pretty—more pared down than glammed up. Since her YSL dress was such a strong…

PASTELS Pale, pretty tones are having a moment—and thanks to ladylike silhouettes, these powder pinks and mint greens look all grown up. SHOP THE TREND Keep those sweet shades from feeling saccharine by forgoing girly details, like ruffles, and opt for a single, head-to-toe hue. ZARA heels ($100; zara.com) T BY ALEXANDER WANG top ($225; net-a-porter.com) ALEXANDER WANG dress ($675; shopbop.com)…

Not only does a perky rear look fab in jeans, it helps power your legs through everything from a killer group-fitness class to a tough run, so you can work out harder with less effort. To sculpt this key area in record time, we turned to Andrea Orbeck, the trainer behind some of Hollywood’s hottest backsides. Orbeck follows the same “glute trifecta” whether she’s working with Maria Menounos or Heidi Klum: cardio to fire up the butt and blast fat, sculptors that target the largest muscles in the lower body, and moves that home in on the glutes from every angle. Put her supereffective strategy into practice with this workout and you’ll never fear a pair of skinny jeans again. The Plan How it works Three times a week, walk…

You’ve got less than half an hour to work out—do you choose cardio or strength training? There’s no need to take sides, thanks to this plan from Alex Isaly, lead trainer of the KettleWorX 8-Week Rapid Evolution DVD set. It combines heart-rate-revving intervals with kettlebell moves to blast up to 20 calories per minute (seriously!) while sculpting your muscles. Another reason to reach for an orb-shaped weight: “This type of training is the only form of resistance exercise that’s proven to increase your VO2 max, or cardiovascular fitness level,” says Isaly. Swing into action now; head to shape.com/cheatsheet for a refresher on all the exercises in this routine. YOUR WORKOUT PLAN WORKOUT INTENSITY: Moderately hard EQUIPMENT NEEDED: A 5-to 15-pound kettlebell TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes CALORIES BURNED: 240** *Rate of…

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is this year’s top fitness trend, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. The exercise style involves working at your peak effort, recovering, and repeating—and it torches more calories in less time than a steady-state session. “While HIIT brings to mind CrossFit or boot camp, it can be applied to nearly any activity,” says Eric Salvador, head instructor at the Fhitting Room, an NYC studio with interval-based classes. Here’s how: Warm up for 5 minutes, then repeat each interval (below) 8 to 10 times; cool down for 5 minutes. RUNNING: Sprint for 1 minute, then jog at an easy pace for 1 minute. ELLIPTICAL: Increase resistance to between 12 and 15, then sprint for 1 minute; move at an easy pace for 1 minute. SWIMMING:…

Previously the province of hardcore naturopaths and holistic health experts, dietary pH (aka the acidity levels of foods) has recently sprung into the mainstream nutrition conversation. One reason for its rise: a slew of A-list celebs (think Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kirsten Dunst) who credit their trim physiques and bright complexions to having banished acid-producing foods from their plates. Now “acid residue”—low-pH remnants left over after foods like meat, dairy products, and alcohol have been ingested—has joined the ranks of sugar, gluten, and trans fat as one of the diet world’s most reviled bogeymen. What are the scientific claims, exactly? Google “alkaline diet” and you’ll find lots of chatter on the subject—not to mention websites hawking alkaline waters, special supplements, coldpressed juices, and acid-busting cookbooks—but no single doctor or…

Sluggish afternoons, vendingmachine cravings, and a growling stomach (even though you just had lunch) can pack on the pounds and erode willpower. But tackling those healthy-eating hurdles may be about more than just self-control: What and when you eat is also determined by hormones—which are, in turn, influenced by both your biology and your behaviors. Here’s how to harness four of the biggest players in your internal hunger games. HUNGER HORMONE: Leptin Named for the Greek word leptos, meaning “thin,” leptin is produced by fat cells and released into the bloodstream as you eat. When the body functions properly, it tells you when to stop eating. Overweight people, however, can produce excess leptin and may develop resistance to chronically elevated levels. Their brains ignore the satiety signals, leaving them hungry…

Combining acetaminophen and alcohol, even in light to moderate doses, can more than double a person’s risk of kidney problems, according to research presented at the American Public Health Association’s 2013 annual meeting. People who regularly had one to two drinks and took 1,200 milligrams of acetaminophen a day (that’s less than three Extra Strength Tylenol tablets or 3 tablespoons of NyQuil Cold and Flu) were 123 percent more likely to experience renal dysfunction than people who reported frequently consuming one or the other, but not both. Overall, a person’s risk is very low: Only 1.2 percent of respondents reported kidney problems at all, ranging from urinary incontinence to requiring dialysis. But lead author Harrison Ndetan, associate professor for research and biostatistics at Parker University in Dallas, still cautions against…

Men can and often do feign a big finish, says Abraham Morgentaler, M.D., associate clinical professor of urology at Harvard Medical School and author of Why Men Fake It. In fact, a recent University of Kansas survey found that 28 percent of men admit to having bluffed their sexual ecstasy, compared to 67 percent of women. “If a guy uses a condom, he can escape to the bathroom before his partner notices whether there’s ‘evidence’ left behind,” Morgentaler explains. “Even if sex is unprotected, there’s a lot of fluid down there—it might not be obvious to the woman what’s what.” Most guys pretend to peak for the same reason women do, he says: to protect their partner’s feelings and take the pressure off them when they’re tired or not in…

Feeling like the room is spinning can be scary, but many people rush to the ER unnecessarily. Not only is that a hassle, it’s expensive: Emergency room visits for vertigo and light-headedness are projected to cost $4.4 billion by 2015, according to a new analysis led by David Newman-Toker, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. As long as your symptoms are intermittent and brought on by changes in head or body position, or a trigger in the environment around you, the spins probably aren’t serious. “But if you also have double vision, weakness or numbness on one side, trouble speaking or swallowing, or severe pain in your neck, you should get help immediately,” says Newman-Toker. (It could be a stroke or dissection of…

NAME: Jayme Hunsinger AGE: 30 HOME: Pennsylvania HEIGHT: 5’9" Growing up, everyone told me I had a pretty face and nice hair, but the compliments stopped there,” says Jayme Hunsinger, whose tendency to eat large portions and spring for seconds resulted in a lifelong struggle with her weight. “Decadent food was always part of our family gatherings, and no one ever stopped me from overindulging.” Already tipping the scales at 256 pounds by the time she started college, Jayme found comfort after a painful senior-year breakup in cookies, chocolate bars, and pizza—and packed on 15 more pounds in the year after the relationship ended. Despite experimenting with a number of fad diets, Jayme weighed 275 pounds by graduation in February 2005. She peaked at 304 a year later after taking…

Chipotle Rock Shrimp Gumbo With Chicken-Apple Sausage SERVES: 8 PREP TIME: 20 minutes COOK TIME: 50 minutes 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 pound small okra, caps and tips removed, sliced 1/4 inch thick 1 cup chopped onion (about 1 small onion) 1 cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks) 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 small pepper) 1 cup corn, removed from cob (about 2 cobs) 1/2 cup chopped tomato, peeled and seeded (about 1 tomato) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (about 6 cloves) 3 bay leaves 2 teaspoons gumbo file powder, plus more to taste (available at supermarkets and specialty stores) 1/2 pound firm-flesh fish, such as red snapper, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder 2 quarts…

With her long, lean frame, the ethereal Nicole Kidman usually towers over everyone she meets. And yet the Australian actress, who embodies the elegant Grace Kelly this month in the film Grace of Monaco, couldn’t be more down-to-earth. She greets people with a firm, friendly handshake and has an engaging sense of humor. We sat down with the 46-year-old “mum” of four and “mate” of singer Keith Urban and got the scoop on everything from her current exercise obsession to the beauty secret she can’t live without. “I’ve always been a health nut, so I’m adamant about taking supplements. I love Swisse vitamins, especially the Hair Skin Nails supplements. My hair and nails are stronger than ever. Keith and I also load up on their vitamin C—with two small children,…