Flip-Flopping Fish Advice

Fish is good for your heart and your brain. But do the benefits of eating fish outweigh the risks for pregnant women?

That's a question that scientists have struggled to answer in recent years and consumers have worried about. New findings released last week in the journal, The Lancet, may help answer the question. Learn more in today's Lean Plate Club column, including what one leading scientist is advising his own family to do as the scientific debate continues.

Do flip-flopping scientific results make you feel like a fish out of water?

Tell us how you keep from being capsized by conflicting scientific findings whether involving the seafood counter or anything else in today's Lean Plate Club Web chat, from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. As always, you can join live, or leave your comments, questions and tips ahead of time, then check the transcript later. And if you ever need to find a past Lean Plate Club column, they are also archived.

Food Recalls

Add peanut butter, cantaloupe and one variety of baby food to the list of foods that have been the subject of recent investigations because of safety concerns. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has information to help you if you think that you or your family members may have been affected. The National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has additional information about salmonella., the bacteria that's been found in Peter Pan peanut butter, as well as tips on how to figure out if your upset stomach or diarrhea might be caused by an unwelcome addition to your food.

As for cantaloupe, they were sold in cartons by the Dole company to fruit wholesalers in the United States and Canada between Feb. 5 and Feb. 8.

Meanwhile, on Friday , the Food and Drug Administration advised consumers not to use certain jars of Earth's Best Organic 2 Apple Peach Barley Wholesome Breakfast Baby Food because it could be contaminated with botulinum clostridium, the bacteria that causes deadly botulism. Check out pictures of the labels online, as well as an FDA pilot program to help keep consumers better informed of recalls.

From E. coli in spinach to salmonella in peanut butter, what effect are these recent outbreaks of food-borne illness having on your eating habits? Tell us in today's Lean Plate Club Web chat, from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. As always, you can join live, or leave your comments, questions and tips ahead of time, then check the transcript later.

Body Size

Looking emaciated may be stylish in Hollywood, but women of color are helping to expand the image of healthy women with their own body types. What do you think about this trend? Weigh in with your thoughts in today's Lean Plate Club Web chat, from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. As always, you can join live, or leave your comments, questions and tips ahead of time. Then check the Web transcript later.

And while we're on the topic of various body types, you won't want to miss the story in today's Health section about body image in adolescents. Plus, the same company that featured regular women in their underwear is now tackling age. Check out Dove's latest commercial and then tell us what you think.

Move It!

The American Heart Association's new guidelines for women call for 60 to 90 minutes daily of activity. So there's no better time to get moving.

Boot camp exercise is increasingly popular. If you've ever wondered what this rigorous morning workout is like, we've got answers as well as the 10 Hut things you need to know. Also, find tips on locating a good boot camp in the Washington metro region as well as what to expect during a week of workouts.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Pilates, yoga and a number of other activities help you focus on breathing while you exercise.

Balance and flexibility are important for all ages but are particularly helpful to counter the unsteadiness and loss of muscle that occurs with more birthdays. That makes weight training, stretching and activities such as T'ai Chi Chuan allies in staying strong. You don't have to find a class to learn T'ai Chi. There are plenty of DVD's and videotapes to help you.

Then learn how you can have fun, work out and ... find love.

Your feet support you all day. Why not do something for them? Natural Health magazine offers simple exercises to help put your best foot forward.

Gin Miller's Classic Step, a nonstop 50 minute workout helped shake off the winter doldrums in my workout this weekend. What did you do to stay active? Tell us how you're doing it in today's Web chat.

What's for Dinner Tonight?

Just in time for Fat Tuesday, Cooking Light magazine has Cajun Shrimp and Corn Bisque. Rigatoni with Tomatoes and Mozzarella is ready in 20 minutes. It's from Everyday Food's light menus. Calories aren't included in the information provided but a quick calculation suggests that this meal has about 450 to 500 calories per serving. So go easy on whatever else you serve with it. (It should be pretty filling. Tip: make it with whole wheat pasta for even more fiber.)

Pork Chops with Rice Noodles and Bok Choy makes a one-dish wonder that's ready in 25 minutes.

Chinese New Year started on Feb. 18, so in honor of that how about some Occidental Dumpling Soup from Freida's, the specialty market in Southern California credited with introducing spaghetti squash as well as other produce to the American market. Add to this meal: 20-Minute Peking Duck from Cooking Light.

Short on time? Check out the Altuna Melt, which uses canned tuna and other easy ingredients that you can keep on hand.

For those days when you don't have what a recipe calls for, chef and food writer David Joachim has solutions with the Food Substitution's Bible: More Than 5,000 Substitutions for Ingredients, Equipment and Techniques. It's a winner of the best reference guide from the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

My food find this week: grapefruit vinegar from Trader Joe's. And my recipe experiment: I made a sweet potato, wild rice, blood orange, slivered almond version of potato latkes. Okay, so what healthy foods have you discovered? Got a recipe you'd like to share? As always, you can join live, or leave your comments, questions and tips ahead of time, then check the transcript later.