Posted by Christy Pastore

M-A-C Cosmetics has named Raquel Welch as its fourth M-A-C Beauty Icon. Raquel helped design a new M-A-C color collection, which will be available this month online at www.maccosmetics.com and in M-A-C stores everywhere! Raquel is M-A-C's fourth Beauty Icon and is overjoyed that she was asked to be their face for 2007!

The Raquel Welch Beauty Icon Collection is packaged in a fun tiger-print pattern. Jennifer Balbier, Senior Vice President of Product Development at M-A-C Cosmetics stated that Raquel's Icon Collection "was created and designed around Raquel's love for shading and her ability as a makeup artist." Who better to represent a company than a woman with a real passion for makeup and diversity like Raquel? Ms.Welch is an international film star, whose exotic beauty makes her a perfect fit for the cosmetics company--she totally exemplifies the brand!

Here are a few exercises you should add to your workout; these movements work several muscle groups thus making them very effective for your total body workout All of the exercises require 2 sets of 10-15 reps. I would start with a weight of 5-10 pounds when using the dumbbells.

Front/Rear Lunge

Stand, holding dumbbells with your feet hip-width apart, legs straight, your arms by your sides, with your palms in. Take a large step forward with right foot, bending knees so right knee aligns with right ankle and left knee approaches floor.

How to do this Movement:

Push back to start, then immediately lunge backward with your right leg. Alternate front and rear lunges for all reps, then switch legs and repeat. If you are at the gym: Use a leg-press machine starting with 95-185 pounds. This movement strengthens quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks and calves.

The exercises continue after the jump.

This year, Godiva has selected Sienna Miller as the face of their annual Valentine's Day Promotion. The lucky winner for this Valentine's Day promotion will win the Grand Prize that includes a one-year supply of Godiva Chocolate along with a $1,000,000 shopping spree from Hearts on Fire - "The World's Most Perfectly Cut Diamond".

Actress Sienna Miller wore the Hearts On Fire diamond jewelry at the Golden Globes this year. This is one of the reasons the Hollywood starlet was selected for the face of the campaign this year. This is the first year that the contest will be online where people can enter using a participation code located on the Godiva website www.Godiva.com/heartsonfire. You may also register at anyone of the Godiva boutiques and the more than 600 authorized Hearts on Fire retailers in the United States and Canada. A total of three finalists will be chosen on and around Valentine's Day. Along with the Grand Prize winner, the two remaining finalists will enjoy a year's supply of Godiva Chocolate and will both receive $50,000 of Hearts on Fire diamond jewelry.

More on the Godiva promotion after the jump.

Destination Spas are a select group of spas that engross you in healthy living. All-inclusive prices include rooms, meals, classes, lectures and sometimes treatments. Destination spas have minimum stays of two or three nights, and a few require you stay a week. These getaways are some of the best retreats for health and fitness the United States has to offer. Along with beautiful scenery and relaxing accommodations these four retreats will make getting healthy a priority destination.

Canyon Ranch in Tucson Arizona

Canyon Ranch is the definitive "wellness spa" where people jumpstart a healthy new lifestyle. The staff and programming is completely amazing, with medical doctors, exercise physiologists, movement therapists, etc. It also has remarkable facilities and outdoor programs. The Tucson property accommodates 240 guests in adobe cottages on 150 acres in the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains.

Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires, Lennox Massachusetts

The Lenox Canyon Ranch serves the East Coast with the same commitment to wellness and healthy living as the Tucson property. Set on 120 woodland acres in Western Massachusetts, with its 126 newly remodeled guest rooms and suites the Canyon Ranch Lenox can play host to 200 guests.

More hot destination spas after the jump.

Yes its true breakfast is the most important meal of the day! While you think you don't have time to squeeze in a quick bite in the wee hours of the morning you should seriously rethink that plan. When you skip breakfast you really are only hurting your body, skipping breakfast throws your body out of whack for the rest of the day. A typical breakfast is just a couple of hundred calories, mostly in the form of simple carbohydrates that spike blood-sugar levels and leave the body starving for energy a couple of hours later. So rethink your breakfast and basically don't skip it - here are a few quick meals you can prepare in five minutes or less to provide your body with the essential energy and nutrients it needs!

Minute Omelet with ToastPrep time: 2 minutes

1 egg
3/4 cup frozen spinach, thawed
1 slice Canadian bacon, diced
2 slices whole-wheat bread
1 Tbsp almond butter

Mix the egg and spinach together, add the Canadian bacon and place onto a plate coated with nonstick spray. Microwave for 1 minute or until the egg is fully cooked. Toast the bread and enjoy with the almond butter. Enjoy this meal with a glass of Welch's grape juice loaded with Antioxidants!
Per meal: 540 calories, 25 g protein, 73 g carbohydrates, 19 g total fat, 8 g fiber

More quick meal recipes are after the jump.

With our daily lives turned upside down, going from place to place and working long hours, is there ever any time leftover to relax? The answer is YES!! Use your bath as a place to relax and unwind from your everyday hassles. Here are a few delightful tub treats that will help you to melt away the stress.

Nothing makes a nice bath more enjoyable than the beautiful aroma of a soothing scented candle. Chesapeake Bay Candle has a wonderful selection of fragrances. Try Tahitian Rain! Citrus peels, jasmine and fig leaves drenched in dew make this floral scent a favorite for a relaxing bath.

L'occitane Crushed-Grape Polish is a stimulating detoxifying body scrub. Fine particles of grape seed and walnut shell provide a natural exfoiliant for your skin, and grape seed oil helps to nourish the skin. Both of these ingredients work to gently slough away dead cells and increase microcirculation, leaving your skin more soft and radiant than when you first started.

More recommendations after the jump.

So I am at work and the company decides that my desk is the perfect place for the "company candy dish" and I on the other hand am like oh good so you just place temptation right in my face. You must really be testing my will power! Ha! Well lucky for me I just don't care if it's there or not, but sometimes I look at the dish and think "man I need a piece of chocolate." I am not going to lie I do indulge from time to time but with everything comes moderation. According to a recent study 80 percent of people admit to eating goodies placed in the break room, sitting on a co-workers desk or a candy dish at a friend's house just because it is there! Candy is the worst for instant weight gain, but sometimes you just need a sweet fix or a piece of chocolate. Here are some tips to enjoy your sweets without over indulging and then feeling guilty!

More on how to sensibly control those candy craves after the jump.

If you drink coffee or smoke, you may find that your teeth have been stained over the years. Is there an alternative to having a whiter, brighter smile without the expense of bleaching? The answer seems to be a resounding yes! Here are a few products on the market that may not have the total effects of bleaching, but have proven to visibly reduce and lessen stains

Here are a few products that I suggest for helping to eliminate stains and bad breath.

Toothpaste:

Colgate Total Plus Whitening has a blend of triclosan for gingivitis protection, as well as fluoride for cavity protection. It has a breakthrough cleaning element to whiten your teeth by gently removing surface stains. As soon as you finish brushing, bacteria start to build on your teeth and cause cavities, gingivitis, halitosis, tarter and plaque.

More on making your teeth whiter after the jump.

The best weight-loss diet is one full of filling whole grains and fiber. According to a study in Archives of Internal Medicine, high fiber dieters lost about twice as much fat in 12 weeks as people on a standard low-fat diet. In the low-fat diet, low-fiber foods such as bagels were included. However, satisfying foods like oatmeal are a much better source of fiber. Here are some helpful hints for adding fiber to your diet.

Instead of ordering fries with your meal, try ordering a side of broccoli instead. You will cut out the fried fatty stuff and supplement with a nice green veggie that has lots of fiber, as well as other key nutrients. Start your morning with a bowl of oatmeal or a bran muffin with a banana. Either one will give you plenty of energy for the day, while being a great source of fiber as well. If you love to eat cereal, it is the easiest source to obtain fiber. I suggest Raisin Bran, 100% Bran and Bran Buds as these are the cereals highest in fiber presently available.

Find out how to improve your diet after the jump.

Stretching is a vital part of your workout, helping to relax you while simultaneously increasing your flexibility. Try this kneeling lunge after your next workout to relax your hips and increase your flexibility. Each time you take a step or draw your legs toward your upper body (like you do when you are cycling), you rely on your hip flexors and quadriceps, the muscles in the front of your hips and thighs. If these muscles are over-worked, they can get tight, making your hips feel stiff, limiting your range of motion. The kneeling lunge loosens these key muscles. Try adding this stretch to your workout for better pliability in your hip and thigh area.

Kneel on your right knee, with toes down, and place your left foot flat on the floor in front of you, your knee bent and aligned with your ankle. Place your hands on your left thigh.

Press your hips forward until you feel tension in the front of your right thigh. Then, extend your arms overhead (keeping your elbows close to head and your palms facing each other) and slightly arch your back while keeping your chin parallel to the ground.