Stress is a part of our every day life, so either we let it get to the best of us or learn how to control it.  Some people may stress more than others, but in the end stress is stress, and it's not healthy.  Try using these tips from Prevention to help you live a less stressed life:

Cut Cortisol Elevation 66%

Make a great iPod mix Music can have a calming effect on the brain, especially while you're facing down a major stressor. When doctors at Japan's Osaka Medical Center played tunes for a group of patients undergoing colonoscopies, the patients' cortisol levels rose less than those of others who underwent the same procedure in a quiet room. Even if an invasive gastrointestinal exam isn't in your immediate future, you can forestall cortisol spikes in other stressful situations--when hosting dinner for your in-laws, for instance--by queueing up background music. And to wind down faster at bedtime, listen to something soothing instead of watching TV.

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Did you make a healthy new year's resloution pact with your friends?!  If not, may be you should to help keep you on track - there's nothing like a group of friends supporting each other while they share a similar experience, just check out Lifetime’s new reality series “DietTribe.” The show follows the emotional journey of five friends as they attempt to go from "fat" to "fit."

These women have made a commitment to lose their unwanted pounds together. With the help of professional fitness trainer Jessie Pavelka and psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser (of "Celebrity Fit Club" fame), each woman will change her eating and exercise habits over the course of three months and confront the issues that caused her to gain weight initially. Watch as close friends work hard both mentally and physically to turn their lives around and look great for one of the girl’s upcoming wedding. Don’t miss the premiere of “DietTribe” January 5th at 10 pm et/pt!!!!

Watch the “DietTribe” trailer right now.

If you struggle with keeping that healthy new year's resolution, try 10 easy steps to a healthier way of eating.  Here's a few:

1. Avoid heavy breakfasts packed with saturated fat like ham, bacon and eggs; instead, start your day with lighter alternatives like high-fiber, hearty oatmeal and delicious yogurt and granola parfaits.

7. Eating healthier doesn’t necessarily mean giving up all your favorite foods. Even bad-rep pizza can be healthy. Avoid frozen or takeout pies and make your own. Go lighter on the cheeses and high-fat meats; top with loads of veggies like spinach, olives, and artichokes.

So try making this:

Chicken Garlic Pizza

PREP TIME 15 Min, COOK TIME 20 Min, READY IN 35 Min

INGREDIENTS 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chopped green onion 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1 (10 ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 cup ricotta cheese 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese Add to Recipe Box Add to Shopping List Add a Personal Note

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As always I love the celebrity interviews that Fitz does from That's Fit.  So here's the most recent regarding Kellie Pickler's 28 pound weight loss.

Kellie: Oh my goodness! My body has made a big transformation. When I auditioned for Idol I was only 100 pounds and kind of riding on "the young card." Although I exercised a ton, I think I stayed thin because I was ... young! But my eating habits on Idol and the during the tour became terrible. We were always eating fast food on the road and having late night munchies. I gained 28 pounds in less than a year!

Fitz: How'd you take it off?

Kellie: I had to learn to eat right! Fitz: How did you go about that? Kellie: I appeared on the Ellen Degeneres show and we chatted about it. She told me about the book Skinny Bitch which was both really enjoyable to read and easy to understand.

Fitz: And now how do you eat?

Kellie: I could eat fruits and vegetables all day, and I do! I don't eat almost any meat at all. Most people don't believe it, but I think what you do and don't eat is 80 to 90 percent responsible for your weight. Exercise is just a bonus.

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This Brit beauty, Cheryl Cole, struggles to control her weight.   She reveals in the February issue of Vogue that,

...there are days when she feels 'fat' and claims she does not like her legs. 

The 25-year-old British singer from Girls Aloud and a judge on The X Factor, continues to say, 

...in 2003, during her first year as a Girls Aloud member, she burst into tears when she could not fit into a pair of jeans and embarked on the Atkins Diet. 'I actually went up to a size 29 (waist),' she said.

Cheryl speaks to Vogue in the February edition, out this week 'I remember being in Selfridges and taking these size 28s into the changing room and not being able to get them on, and then getting on the scales and crying because I was nine and a half stone. Nine and a half stone when I'm only 5ft 3in. 'Jennifer Aniston was doing something called the Atkins Diet at the time and I thought I'd give it a try. '

The record company had just moved us into this hotel called K West and I remember I ate the same thing from room service - chicken in cream sauce with a couple of carrots - every night, for weeks, and I just felt horrible. But I was on this mission.'

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In an OK! Magazine Exclusive, Beyonce is rated #7 out of nine hot celeb bodies for 2009. 

For her role as soul singer Etta James in Cadillac Records, Beyoncé expanded her horizons – and her hips. "I gained almost 15 pounds," she says. "It was way easier – and tastier – than having to lose so much weight for Dreamgirls." Movies aside, she stays fit by swapping favorites like fried chicken and cookies for protein shakes and fish, and training five days a week.

Check it out to see who's at #1 and who we should admiring in 2009.   

Sounds so good, especially with the cold weather in full effect (at least here in NY).  Here's the recipe from Jenny Craig:

Ingredients

* 2 cups fat-free milk

* 2/3 cup Equal® Spoonful

* 4 Tbls stick butter or margarine, melted

* 1 egg * 2 egg whites * 1 tsp ground cinnamon

* 1/4 tsp salt

* 4 cups 3/4-inch cubed day-old cinnamon raisin bread

Directions

1. Combine milk, Equal®, melted butter, egg, egg whites, cinnamon and salt in large bowl. Stir in bread crumbs.

2. Spoon mixture into ungreased 1-1/2 quart rectangular casserole.

3. Bake in preheated 350º F oven 30 to 35 minutes or until pudding is set and sharp knife inserted near center comes out clean

4. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 6 servings.  Per Serving: 1 1/2 Starch, 2 Fat, 1 Free

Nutrition Info Per Serving Calories 232, Carbohydrate 26g, Protein 10g, Fat 10g, Cholesterol 37mg, Sodium 405mg