I can usually tell how well my clients have slept the night before within about five minutes of starting our session. We all know how important sleep is, and we all know that without adequate sleep, things can go awry fairly quickly.

Getting on the right path before the ball drops takes nothing more than a pen, paper and 30 minutes of quiet time.

Over Thanksgiving, I was invited to dinner at the home of a friend. At least two of my fellow guests were vegetarians, so could I "bring some vegetarian sides?" I turned to the Internet for help and purchased a copy of Veggies for Carnivores by Lora Krulak.

Overall fitness doesn't just come from doing one activity over and over and over. If you want to be a good all around, the chances are you'll benefit from diversifying your training a little.

Balancing your diet with your health, career, social life and fitness regimen is challenging enough without making dining out a misery for you and your dinner companions. Choose wisely, remember less is more, and enjoy your meal!

Perhaps you're starting a new fitness regimen, or maybe you've hit a training plateau. Here are 12 easy-to-follow tips to upgrade your workouts. Try them one at a time or all at once and upgrade your training to the next level.

With the New York City Marathon just around the corner (we hope), many athletes, workout enthusiasts and fitness newbies are looking to the streets or the treadmill for a spot of cardio. There's no doubt that when done properly, running can be great for heart, body and mind.

When it comes to health and fitness, we all have to start somewhere. Hopefully you've already started, but if you haven't it can be a real battle getting into the habit of exercising and even harder taking the first step.

Exercise is by no means a wonder cure for stress and anxiety, but it does have the potential to reduce their effects, giving you a better shot at getting more enjoyment out of life.

Try and apply the same commitment to recovery that you apply to your workouts. Give your body the time it needs to rebound and repair and you'll find yourself with more energy, enhanced performance and a better disposition. Less is sometimes more.