Miranda Kerr in Australia

Australian born international model Miranda Kerr checks out some clothes at the David Jones department store in Sydney on July 28, 2011. Miranda is the brand ambassador for the Australian retail outlet, and was there to launch 60 New David Jones Brands. Kerr is wearing a gorgeous red lace dress from the Fall 2011 collection of Lover. On her Twitter Miranda Kerr posted: "Just wrapped day 1 for DJ's - so excited about the amazing new season fashion. Great to be home!"



Left, Heidi Klum and Miranda Kerr out jogging in New York early last month, and right, Miranda Kerr shows off her great figure while modeling Victoria's Secret jeans. After giving birth in January, Miranda was quickly back in shape, but without the help of a nanny for her baby boy Flynn. "We spent every minute together, morning and night, for those weeks before I went back to work," she told the Daily Telegraph. "He sleeps in our bed every night. I never want to let him go." Kerr credits her grandmother for motivating her to start getting back in shape: "My grandma spent a month with me in LA just before the birth. She was the only one – not even the doctor realized how big (10 pounds) Flynn was – who said to me, 'You'd better keep on walking, Miranda, because you have a big baby inside you.' I told her I was fine but, near the end, she'd make me do my yoga and we'd go for a walk."

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Miranda Kerr says: "My main focus was to have a healthy child and it didn't matter to me if I could model or not. I didn't have any aims to get back in shape. I'm also breastfeeding, which I think helps get everything back into shape but I was really happy because I have my skincare line, I've got my book, I'm happy to be a mum, so I wasn't pressed to get back to work but I thought that if I can balance it, I might as well do a little [modeling] while I can because it's a short-lived job compared to others." While Miranda is in Australia, hubby Orlando Bloom is reprising his role as a skilled Elf archer Legolas, from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, in The Hobbit currently filming in neighboring New Zealand.

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Inactivity causes tiredness

Prolonged periods of inactivity causes muscle loss, so when you start exercising again, you end up tired and sore. It's not the exercise that's causing you to feel tired, but the fact that your body is out of shape from inactivity, and it has lost cardiovascular endurance, muscle strength, and energy levels. "It's important to continue exercising over the summer because the effects of exercise training are rapidly lost once training stops – use it or lose it," said Dr. Scott Mann, President of the American Heart Association Fort Wayne Board of Directors. "Most studies suggest many of the key benefits [from exercise] are lost in four to six weeks of inactivity." This is why athletes cannot afford to be inactive for more than a week even during their off-season; they take up another sport, go hiking, have fun snowboarding or paddleboarding, or just follow a new workout regimen to keep challenging their bodies.

Prolonged inactivity causes tiredness and in the long term can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome. Inactivity also reduces the body's metabolism, and causes weight gain. If you are not into working out, or don't really have time for it, there's some good news. Short breaks of physical activity are also beneficial! Try to walk around, stretch on an exercise ball, or do a little yoga while watching TV or working on the computer. If you have three or four 10 minute breaks of such moderate activity while working on the computer for 6 hours, it all adds up and is good enough to maintain fitness. A side benefit is that such short bouts of exercise boost blood circulation, release feel good hormones, improving your brain's memory and functioning!

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Rosario Dawson talks fitness in Shape

Rosario Dawson, starring in the romantic comedy Zookeeper, appears on the cover of the August 2011 issue of Shape magazine. On the inside page, 5'7" tall Rosario Dawson shows off her stunning body in a L Space yellow bikini. She talks to the fitness mag about her diet, workout, and body issues: "Because of my large breast size, I have to wear a supportive sports bra like this one whenever I run." On the emotional side the 32-year-old lost her beloved grandmother and ended a long-term relationship, but keeps up her positive attitude with exercise. "It's meditative and calming to get your body in motion," Dawson tells Shape.

She keeps fit with walking, yoga, and other workouts, having recently tried pilates. "After just a couple of weeks, I noticed a physical change, especially in my posture." Music is another exercise motivator for Rosario Dawson. "Music is important to me, so I listen to it all the time - working out, walking, it's usually on." As for her diet, growing up with a vegan mother, the actress now eats 3 to 5 meals per day. "I'm great at salads because I love chopping things up," Rosario talks food choices with Shape. "but I also enjoy making dishes like lasagna and coconut rice with pork chops." For the complete interview get the August 2011 issue of Shape magazine.

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Stevia - rising demand for natural sugar substitute

Stevia is a zero-calorie sweetener derived from a Paraguayan plant, which looks just like sugar, and lets you enjoy sugary treats without the ill-effects on your body. Of course sugar is not the only white poison in desserts which this girl is eating! Refined flour, salt, butter, cream, eggs, and cheese, all need to be substituted or used sparingly to make desserts healthy. But there are several other categories of sweetened products that are benefiting from using sugar-free stevia: flavored water, juices, energy drinks.

Ever since it was approved in 2009, the consumption of Stevia as a natural sugar substitute has been rising steadily in the United States, according to this report in Proactive Investors. Data from market research firm Nielsen showed that consumption in the US of high-purity stevia amounted to 195 tons during the first three months of 2011, an increase of 101 percent over 97 tons in the same period last year. Meanwhile the WHO and the Food and Agriculture Organisation, have also given their regulatory approval defining the maximum permissible levels of stevia in food and beverages. This will lead to rising demand for this natural sugar substitute in the rest of the world.

But all that being said, stevia will not cure you from a sugar addiction! To satiate sweet cravings it's just healthier to eat fruits, which are high in fiber and water, not to mention minerals and antioxidants, and give you just the right amount of energy slowly but steadily.

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Air pollution affects mental health

Air pollution was always known to affect the lungs and heart, and cause headaches but it may affect the brain in other ways. A study by the Ohio University's Department of Neuroscience and the Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, shows how air pollution can cause memory loss and depression. Polluted air created by cars, factories and natural dust, contains fine particulate matter, which reaches several organs of the human body including the brain. This affects the ability of neurons to transmit signals, causing memory loss and depression. "The hippocampus [region of the brain] is particularly sensitive to damage caused by inflammation. We suspect that the systemic inflammation caused by breathing polluted air is being communicated to the central nervous system," said Laura Fonken, lead author of the study and a doctoral student in neuroscience at Ohio State University.

How much can masks protect you from air pollution? Most are just simple dust masks, and they cannot filter out the fine particulate matter, which affects physical and mental health. HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) masks and other specially designed filter masks work better. Spending more time in green surroundings breathing clear air also helps to cure depression; another reason to get out in nature....hiking, biking, or just taking time out for a family picnic.

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Soft and juicy pears

Summer brings a bounty of fresh produce to the market, and among them my favorites are the soft and juicy pears. To get the maximum benefit from the phytonutrients and antioxidants, eat the pear whole, with skin, and when fully ripe. They are normally sold when not fully ripe, and you have to keep them in paper bags at room temperature to complete the ripening process in a couple of days. Like all fruit, pears have a low glycemic index, meaning they release energy in the form of glucose to the blood very slowly, so you don't gain weight and your insulin levels do not spike. They also have soluble fiber to remove the harmful cholesterol and toxins from your body.

Pears maintain their soft and juicy state even when poached! They can be combined with other fruit, yogurt, and vegetables to make delicious smoothies. Pears can also be sliced up and served with salad, or mixed into your morning oatmeal for sweetness.

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Yoga mat for grip and support

Yoga is an excellent exercise system for improving flexibility, strengthening weak parts of the body, correcting posture, reducing fatigue and pain, and relaxing the mind. An important accessory for doing all those poses is the yoga mat — it provides good grip for you hands and feet and won't let you slip when they get sweaty. And you're bound to sweat in hot yoga or power yoga. Made from natural fibers, a yoga mat will provide the right amount of support on a wooden or concrete floor, and will be fairly durable and long-lasting.

Yoga mats are very lightweight and easy to carry around. But they are not convenient for people who travel around a lot. Yoga socks, with sticky patches on the soles, provide grip and support when you don't have a yoga mat!

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