It's finale time on Boardwalk Empire, all rain- and blood-soaked, and we're off with a bang. A satisfying bang, at that, as Jimmy and his masked partner-in-crime Richard execute Chucky's vengeance on the KKK. After the murderous end of his father, it's clear Jimmy is attempting to rally every troop possible to secure his succession to Atlantic City's throne. The plaid-suited Chalky & Co. bring down the sledge hammers, but the violence feels futile; the black community still has a long way to go toward safety and recognition. 

Nucky and Jimmy meet for the first time in months. Jimmy is injured, tired — his bandages and braces put him in sharp relief against Nucky's unflappable posh. Weirdly, Jimmy opens up to him, admits his weariness in fighting, and offers his help against Nucky's legal troubles. It's a touching scene, but it's hard to see what the would-be king can do against the ruthlessness of the U.S. Attorney Esther Randolph, harder still to expect that any of this is real.

Esther seems to have gotten through to Margaret, who has been suffering horribly in guilt since her daughter's contraction of polio. Esther plays upon Margaret's doubts, seeming to drive the wedge deeper into the couple. Nucky appeals to her personally, though, in one of the most frank conversations they have ever had — or at least it seems that way. It's worth mentioning his beautiful pin-collar and high-lapelled waistcoat as he speaks faux-earnestly. Nucky goes on about his love for their family, their children, and urges her to marry him — for his freedom, for family, for this boss' complex understanding of what really matters to him. (Besides the clothes.)

His admission impresses Margaret's sympathies, but it's a moment she later observes between Nucky and her crippled daughter that seals her change of heart. And so marries her quite immediately in one of the most beautiful suits we've seen on the show, a glorious costume for a happy man: rich pink waistcoat, pink-checked shirt, beautiful pink paisley tie, and brown brogues. Gorgeous. And his luck doesn't end there. Jimmy sets the wheels in motion to secure the recanting of all Nucky's opponents — including one necessary "suicide" confession. As if instantly, Esther's ducks are scattered, and Nucky is a free man.

It's soon back to family matters. Jimmy is looking more fatherly than ever in blue chambray and a beautiful brown, striped vest. He spends quality time with his son, but ever under the watchful eye of his predatory mother. Nucky reaches out to Eli and offers him a deal, in spite of the revelation that Eli had once ordered the hit on him. 

And then, just as it seems like the season is going to end with the mush of a vest-to-three-piece embrace, comes the biggest bang of all. (The spoiler-scared might stop here.) In a sweeping, thunderous scene of chosen words and soaked suits, we say farewell to our favorite character and — Michael Pitt's Jimmy Darmody having become one of the medium's few remaining paradigms of style, complexity, and attitude — also to one of the more memorable faces of modern television. "I am not seeking forgiveness," Nucky says slowly, and then delivers the second bullet, instantly reminding us of this show's reliance on revenge. This is Boardwalk Empire's Tony-whacks-Christopher moment, and it is just as revelatory of the bitter relentlessness deep within the bad men of those times and ours. 

There will always be blood. And suits, but it's hard to see how the show re-dressed itself when we return (season three's schedule is still a ways out, despite a quick pickup from HBO). You can surely count on betrayal, though, and the brilliant style that comes with each surprising, shocking, yet somehow still expected new turn.

A daunting task for any man, but it's not as impossible as you think - you just need to know how to play the game .THE ART OF bagging seem­ingly unattainable women has been an obsession of men for centuries, but in recent years, the popularity of books like Neil Strauss' diary/man­ual The Game has kicked the business of pick-up education into a higher gear.

So you've read the theory; but can you teach an awk­ward, nervous nerd how to zero in on a beautiful target and get her back to his bou­doir in a matter of hours? Vicky Kalwani is a Mumbai-based banker by day, dating expert by night, who offers private classes on how tosnare smoking-hot ladies without taking on a bank loan or a personal trainer. He gives us some of his top tips. 

Don't face a woman straight on; it's too direct. Try walk­ing past her sideways and then turning to speak. Forget rehearsing funny one-liners; start with a very boring ques­tion - something she can't fail to answer - like asking the time. Immediately follow the line with a joke (that can be rehearsed). Then you're in conversation, but it's not an obvious routine. 

The most important thing once you're in a conversa­tion is for her to get cues of acceptance from others. If she's in a group, make sure you spend time getting along with the guys. Get her used to having some physical contact with you, but don't be clingy. Touch her hand and then push her away jokingly. The hotter the girl, the more you'll need to gently make fun of her. Gorgeous women are used to having men fawning over them constant­ly, so you want to be a little elusive - make her chase you. 

When trying to get a date, remember it's a numbers game. If you approach 10 girls in a night, you're likely to have success with one or two. Don't read too much into rejection; there are plenty of women out there better suit­ed to you. When you do get a girl's number, make a plan and invite her - this gives her the option of a simple yes or no. When you're on the date, don't wait until the end to make physical contact or move in for a kiss. If she's really interested, an early kiss will actually relieve the ten­sion instead of building it up to a big moment at the end of the night.

 If you think things are going very well, tell her you're both going back to your place/ her place (whichever is more comfortable). That means she can go along with it without even needing to say yes - or dismiss the idea if she's not interested. It puts less pres­sure on her. If you're plan­ning to go back to your place, remove the clocks from the room you'll be hanging out in and invest in a good carpet. Most of all, be as cool as you can be. No one likes a guy who's too eager. ©

The line between lumberjack and high schooler's first beard lies somewhere near your Adam's apple. Some tips on where to mark your beard line. 

Many years ago, growing a beard was easy. You just stopped shaving. Where your beard ended -- chin, neck, or somewhere after your chest hair began -- was nobody's concern, least of all yours. Now things are different. People tend to have jobs and fewer diseases, and beards require more tailoring. It helps to think of your face as a map, your beard an invading army. If you don't control the front line, there's really no reason to stay in the fight. Stopped too close to the jawbone (line a), a beard makes you look uptight. Like it's more the result of an appliqué than testosterone. Left to wander down your neck (line c), however, a beard invites comparisons to feral creatures or iconic communist firebrands. (If you have a job that involves neither timber nor rousing the proletariat, this is not a good thing.) The safest bet is the one-inch band just above your Adam's apple (line b). Here you manage to have both a legitimate beard and something of a neck. You have just as good a grip on machismo and gravitas as you do on an employable future.

My high school football coaches told me I needed to bulk up—they just didn't tell me how. So I hit every fast-food joint in town, and it worked. I gained 70 pounds before my sophomore year and kept piling them on through high school. Then Concordia University recruited me to play football, and I knew I would have to be even bigger. But the larger I grew, the less endurance I had. As I pushed my body toward 300 pounds, my energy level plummeted and I feared for my health. 

After a fast-food binge at five different restaurants, my belt literally snapped off my body. Even that embarrassment wasn't enough. During one game I took a nasty tackle that ripped up my knee so badly I couldn't play. Now my weight wasn't even useful anymore.

I wanted to ease into healthy choices, so I started replacing my favorites, like fast-food burgers, with homemade versions. I made the patties with extra-lean ground beef or turkey, used whole-grain buns, and loaded the burgers with vegetables. I bought some healthy cookbooks for inspiration and found new favorites, like spinach-and-tomato scrambled eggs. Eventually I phased out burgers and pizza, but I still eat those foods for a weekend treat.

Losing weight was never an option during my foot­ball days, so the strategies were new to me. I kept up with the plyometrics and intense interval train­ing, and I started going out on longer runs. I ran in the evening, when my fast-food cravings usually struck, to help keep my mind off food. Gradually I built up my endurance to revisit basic weight-training exercises, like hang cleans and bench presses. I also took up jujitsu, which would have nearly killed me when I was pushing 300. 

I used to be winded after walking up a flight of stairs. Now I run a set of 500 stairs at least three times a week. After losing the weight and kicking my butt back into shape, I even tried out for a Can­adian Football League team. Although I didn't make it, I had the energy to give tryouts my all.

It's a great no-gym workout to improve your speed, power, and overall fitness, says Martin Rooney, M.H.S.C.S.C.S. Plus, stairs offerthese additional benefits.A. Stairs make yourquads and glutes workharder. More work frombigger muscles meansmore calorie burn.B. Stairs demand effortfrom your upper body,furtherjackingupyourheart rate.

Let your fingers do the talking with massage.

Stand up. Look down. You will see an appendage of amazing erotic ability dangling at waist level — your hand. Use it to massage your mate when she says she wants intimacy and doesn't necessarily mean sex. A massage is romance you can understand. It's practical. And it almost always leads to sex. Start with a good massage oil such as Neal's Yard Remedies Ginger & Juniper Warming Oil ($15 for 1.7 fluid ounces nyr-usa.com) or Naturopathica Arnica Muscle and Joint Massage and Body Oil ($28 for 4 fluid ounces, naturopathica.com). Avoid mineral or baby oils because they are absorbed too quickly into the skin. Don't forget to rub your hands together to warm them before applying the massage oil and the following techniques:

1) Stroke toward the heart.
That means when you're working on her legs, stroke upward. On the arms, stroke downward.

2) Ease in with effleurage.
The French are experts at more than retreating. They know their massage. Effleurage is a simple stroke for loosening her up. It's a light, long rhythmic stroke that generally runs with the grain of the muscle. On her legs, for example, use your cupped palms and gently glide upward. On her back, flatten your hands and broaden your strokes.

3) Play with petrissage.
This circular stroke is designed to squeeze the muscles and wring out tension from the shoulders, upper arms, legs, and buttocks. Use both hands to work the muscles in opposite directions: when stroking her thighs, for example, move one palm away from you as you slide it forward, and move the other toward you.

4) Roll your thumbs.
This is best for working on tension knots. Use your thumbs, one after the other, to press into her flesh, sometimes moving circularly and other times just holding pressure on one point. Lean your weight into it.

How one man went from Hollywood writer to diner owner -- and never looked back.

In 1998, Lawrence Rudolph was a TV writer living in Hollywood. Five years later, he's a co-owner of Lunchbox Food Co., a Greenwich Village diner that the New York Times described as bringing "a fine-dining sensibility to what by rights should be a funky waterfront dive." Here he describes the cost of following his dream.

Is opening a restaurant necessarily a symptom of a midlife crisis? Am I better off just buying a vintage muscle car?
Sports cars are for pussies; restaurants are for real men. The biggest problem you have with cars is changing your Pirellis every 10,000 miles. With a restaurant, your whole life is invested in it, so you can't just sell it if it becomes too much trouble. I employ 30 people. That's 30 families paying for schools, food, mortgages, and rents.

What do you wish somebody had told you before you opened lunchbox?
Don't scrimp on the big hires. As in any organization, one man cannot do it alone. You need the best people around you.

What's the biggest headache you encountered?
I took over an existing restaurant, which is by far the most cost-effective way into a restaurant, especially for a rookie. But this used-restaurant route means cleaning up after someone else's bad decisions.

How is your day organized differently than in your previous job?
It's really two business "days": a nine-to-five part and the after-five part. At five o'clock, we're moving into our third service of the day. We've already finished the business of the restaurant--paying bills, buying plates, and checking in with purveyors. At lunch, customers want to be in and out in 45 minutes, so we can get away with not being on the floor. Dinner, however, is a different story. If a customer's spending $125 on dinner for two, he wants to see that the owner appreciates his business. That's what I do while others are at home watching Friends.

What's it like to be working when everyone else is playing?
Sometimes it can be a drag, but I never took to the nine-to-five world anyway. I find it exciting working at 11 p.m. My office is literally a stage for all experiences. People are laughing, crying, kissing, and living right in front of me.

How do you balance being a husband, a father, and owner of a business that occupies so much of your time?
Your family really has to understand that this is what you do for a living and these are the demands. The good side is that your family can come to the restaurant.

So if it's so much work, why do guys dream about it?
Because they want to be Hugh Hefner or P. Diddy and invite everyone back to their place at the end of the evening. The catch is, Hef and Mr. Combs didn't get everyone to come over without a lot of effort.

Personal style is something you can build with a very simple toolbox. Get some quality basics that fit well, and you're there

The sad truth about men and fashion -- the bar simply isn't very high. But then again, that's also very good news for you.

Look around your office. Go to a party. Most men dress like their women dressed them. That makes looking smart and stylish pretty easy for you to pull off with minimal hand-wringing.

Let us be frank: You are going to have to go shopping. You are going to have to spend some green-probably more than you've ever spent on clothes. But there's not a whole lot to buy. You need good shoes and a well-made suit for important occasions. You need a golf outfit that won't embarrass you. You need casual clothes that aren't jeans and something to wear to cocktails at the CEO's house.

Here are seven intelligent style ideas that'll help you upgrade your wardrobe instantly. You can't go wrong with this basic uniform if it fits you well.

1. A New Suit
The easiest way to upgrade your office look instantly is to add a suit that isn't corporate gray. Be sure the jacket covers your butt completely. Rules: A wider-striped tie accents the solid shirt. A pocket square is a subtle addition that says you pay attention to detail.

2. A Leather Carry-On
Let's banish our black-canvas wheeled carry-ons to the far corner of the attic and forget them. We are not pilots or flight attendants. We are businessmen who travel light. And if we pack right, we can carry a 2-day-trip's worth of clothing in one hand. Look for a bag with two zippered compartments to separate dirty clothes from clean.

3. Serious Golf Wear
Golf clothing is a minefield. Some of the stuff at the pro shops is downright laughable. Let the other guys wear their parrot reds and yellows. Browns and creams are tasteful and handsome. Your shirt should drape loosely about your shoulders.

4. A Summer-Weight Suit
In addition to your lightweight-wool suits, a well-dressed man should own a quality linen suit. Most men get their suit sleeves too long. At least a half inch of shirt should show at the wrist. To look even sharper, make sure your lapels extend halfway or less than halfway out toward the shoulder line of your jacket.

5. Casual Clothes That'll Slim You
Strong vertical pinstripes and deep V-shaped lapels have a slimming effect. It's also a great look for a casual evening out. Rule of thumb whenever going out with a woman: Dress a third nicer than what you think looks good, and you'll be dressed appropriately.

6. An Outfit with an Edge
If you try too hard to look youthful, you'll look like you're trying. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't push the envelope a bit. A leather jacket in tan or cream is smart. Leather breathes, and it blocks the wind--good for cool summer nights. Flat-front trousers will make you look taller and thinner. Ankle-length suede boots update a classic style.

       

A 20-minute review like this one, done monthly or at least quarterly, will give you peace of mind from knowing exactly where you stand financially and allow you to adjust accordingly with swiftness and confidence.

Most men treat their investment portfolios the way they treat loose change: The money's all scattered around, tucked away here and there; some of it's right where we need it, and some of it's under the sofa cushions.

Consider your own portfolio. Chances are, you've spent the past 15 or more years investing, securing assets, and building substantial wealth. But do you really know what you have, where it is, and how it has performed?

With stocks you can't even remember buying and money-market funds with various brokerages, it's easy to join the throngs of disorganized, careless investors. Just 21 percent of active investors regularly review account statements, read prospectuses, check out the backgrounds of their brokers, and have a financial strategy, according to a poll of 2,000 people conducted for the federal Securities Investor Protection Corporation.

Not staying on top of your finances is a major source of mental (and marital) stress. Who needs that? Here's a simple strategy to organize your financial life and improve the health of your wealth in just 20 minutes.


KNOW WHERE YOU ARE

Sit down at a large table with all of your financial statements, and list your assets on a legal pad. Be as exhaustive as possible: Review such holdings as money-market funds, 401(k) earnings, and college savings accounts.

Count
Add up the number of mutual funds you own. According to the Investment Company Institute, the average American investor holds four mutual funds. How many do you own? Double that? Triple? That's a red flag that your portfolio may be spread too thin. And you may find you have duplicate investments with several brokerages.

Consolidate
If, for example, you own several money-market funds in different brokerage houses, take a few minutes to move all of those liquid assets under the same roof. It takes just a phone call or Web order. Not only will you find your assets easier to track, but you may also save some money on annual fees. For instance, Schwab charges $45 per quarter for basic accounts worth less than $10,000 -- evidence of how maintenance fees from a few investments scattered about can add up. Look to consolidate other holdings, such as stocks, funds, and bonds, so they're less expensive and less time-consuming to follow.

GET RID OF PAPER
Have your account statements delivered via e-mail rather than snail mail. It takes just a few minutes to authorize paperless delivery, and it's a smart choice. Why? First of all, you'll save time by avoiding bales of paper statements that you'll eventually have to shred. If you can download your electronic statements into a financial-planning program (a solid one is Quicken 2006), tracking progress and potential problem areas becomes much easier and more time-efficient.

Second, now that identity theft tops $52 billion annually, digital transactions are safer than paper ones. According to a recent study by Javelin Strategy & Research, of Pleasanton, California, more than 68 percent of reported identity-fraud incidents are paper based, while less than 12 percent originate online. Reasons: It is harder for thieves to access Internet-based data, and online accounts tend to be checked more often, which nabs thieves sooner. "Shredding is overrated. All thieves have to do is go through your mailbox or garbage cans to get documents," says Javelin president James Van Dyke. "When you cut paper use, you cut that risk."


SET BENCHMARKS
Too many of us invest and save without a firm grasp on what we want to achieve. If that's you, earmark those objectives in detail. Be exceedingly specific. If, for instance, you're worth $500,000 now, set a goal of reaching $600,000 in 5 years. "The more detailed your objectives, the more focused your plan will be," says Jason Papier, a Sunnyvale, California, financial planner. "Money is an enabler, but you need to know specifically what you want to accomplish." Use an online calculator like this one to see what rate of return and additional savings you'll need to reach your goals.

If you have kids, don't just "save for college." Instead, figure out how much of the cost you will likely have to bear. Start by estimating future college costs by institution with the Princeton Review website. The site can also help you determine your chances of securing financial aid.


PUT OUT THE DOGS
The funny thing about mutual funds is that the "growth" fund you bought 15 years ago may have become a lot more conservative with age. Even worse, a fund heralded as a champion at one point may have turned into a dog. Case in point: Fidelity's Magellan fund was an Oprah-like celebrity with world-beating returns in the 1970s and '80s. However, Magellan has lagged the S&P 500 by 2.5 annualized percentage points over the past 3 years. "It's an 'index hugger,'" says Shannon Zimmerman, the advisor behind the Motley Fool Champion Funds mutual-fund newsletter service. "The very small bets it's made relative to the S&P haven't panned out."

X-ray your funds
Morningstar.com has a free service called "Instant X-ray" that'll give you a detailed picture of a fund's holdings and overall investment approach. Run stocks through it as well as 401(k) holdings.

Check for overlap
Services such as Morningstar help you not only dissect what you own but also uncover investments that are too similar. If nothing else, having too many similar holdings goes against the basics of diversification. "Many mutual funds and 401(k) portfolios have overlapping securities because money managers are always chasing 'hot ideas,'" says Lyle Wolberg,
of Telemus Wealth Management, in Southfield, Michigan. "You may find that your 10 different funds own virtually the same stocks."

Look out for investor bloat
A well-managed fund will often close to new investors. If your fund continually accepts them, beware. The performance of certain types of funds can be affected if they are constantly taking in new money. Call your fund company to check which of your mutual funds are still open to new investors.

Track performance
See how the fund has grown in assets since you bought it. Even funds that are not closed can be solid performers, provided they simply haven't gotten too big. Ask your broker or the fund company for the size of the asset base at inception and the fund's current size. Then check the concentration of holdings. "It's more art than science, but generally speaking, the more concentrated the fund's portfolio is, the more the size of its asset base can create a drag on the fund," says Zimmerman. "When the fund becomes too large and lethargic, it's difficult for managers to stake out meaningful positions in off-the-beaten-path equities. Few will take that risk."

Compare costs
When shopping for funds, utilize new Web sites that make it easy to compare expenses. The National Association of Securities Dealers offers free tools, including the Mutual Fund Expense Analyzer and the Mutual Fund Breakpoint Search Tool, the latter of which allows you to search for commission discounts. Likewise, indexuniverse.com is a free site that offers a function for screening index funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).


BUILD "SILOS"
Now is the time to build financial "silos." Like agricultural silos, in which farmers store specific types of grain, these are logical groupings that match investments, assets, and risk to particular financial objectives. Often, as we accumulate investments and assets, we latch on to holdings that are attractive but really don't match up with a genuine objective. Grab a sheet of paper and list the specific investment goals you identified earlier, such as planning for retirement or owning a vacation home. Then match up every investment and asset to one of those goals. If some of your investments lack clear objectives, that's another powerful argument for change.

Building silos for all of your goals can efficiently assess the need for adjustments and also avoid critical mistakes, such as assigning aggressive investments to a goal that doesn't mandate high risk. "It's a fast way to delineate risk and return," says Wolberg.


BOOST RETIREMENT SAVINGS
Most financial planners recommend that households be ready to replace 85 percent of their annual preretirement income each year during retirement. If you own a business, ask your financial advisor to look into 412(i) plans, which have significantly larger contribution limits than do other programs, as well as some tax advantages. To learn more, click here.

Consider a variable annuity
If you are an employee and have already maxed out contributions to your 401(k), look into funding an annuity. Your earnings will be tax-deferred, and you'll eventually receive a series of payments for the rest of your life.

Eat these eight foods every day to cover all your nutritional bases



Spinach


It may be green and leafy, but spinach is also the ultimate man food. This noted biceps builder is a rich source of plant-based omega-3s and folate, which help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. Bonus: Folate also increases blood flow to the penis. And spinach is packed with lutein, a compound that fights age-related macular degeneration. Aim for 1 cup fresh spinach or ½ cup cooked per day. SUBSTITUTES: Kale, bok choy, romaine lettuce FIT IT IN: Make your salads with spinach; add spinach to scrambled eggs; drape it over pizza; mix it with marinara sauce and then microwave for an instant dip. PINCH HITTER: Sesame Stir-Braised Kale Heat 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger, and 1 tsp. sesame oil in a skillet. Add 2 Tbsp. water and 1 bunch kale (stemmed and chopped). Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain. Add 1 tsp. soy sauce and 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds.

Yogurt

Various cultures claim yogurt as their own creation, but the 2,000-year-old food’s health benefits are not disputed: Fermentation spawns hundreds of millions of probiotic organisms that serve as reinforcements to the battalions of beneficial bacteria in your body, which boost the immune system and provide protection against cancer. Not all yogurts are probiotic though, so make sure the label says “live and active cultures.” Aim for 1 cup of the calcium- and protein-rich goop a day. SUBSTITUTES: Kefir, soy yogurt FIT IT IN: Yogurt topped with blueberries, walnuts, flaxseed, and honey is the ultimate breakfast—or dessert. Plain low-fat yogurt is also a perfect base for creamy salad dressings and dips. HOME RUN: Power Smoothie Blend 1 cup low-fat yogurt, 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, 1 cup carrot juice, and 1 cup fresh baby spinach for a nutrient-rich blast.

Tomatoes



here are two things you need to know about tomatoes: Red are the best, because they’re packed with more of the antioxidant lycopene, and processed tomatoes are just as potent as fresh ones, because it’s easier for the body to absorb the lycopene. Studies show that a diet rich in lycopene can decrease your risk of bladder, lung, prostate, skin, and stomach cancers, as well as reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. Aim for 22 mg of lycopene a day, which is about eight red cherry tomatoes or a glass of tomato juice. SUBSTITUTES: Red watermelon, pink grapefruit, Japanese persimmon, papaya, guava FIT IT IN: Pile on the ketchup and Ragú; guzzle low-sodium V8 and gazpacho; double the amount of tomato paste called for in a recipe. PINCH HITTER: Red and Pink Fruit Bowl Chop 1 small watermelon, 2 grapefruits, 3 persimmons, 1 papaya, and 4 guavas. Garnish with mint.

Carrots

Most red, yellow, or orange vegetables and fruits are spiked with carotenoids—fat-soluble compounds that are associated with a reduction in a wide range of cancers, as well as reduced risk and severity of inflammatory conditions such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis—but none are as easy to prepare, or have as low a caloric density, as carrots. Aim for ½ cup a day. SUBSTITUTES: Sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash, yellow bell pepper, mango FIT IT IN: Raw baby carrots, sliced raw yellow pepper, butternut squash soup, baked sweet potato, pumpkin pie, mango sorbet, carrot cake PINCH HITTER: Baked Sweet Potato Fries Scrub and dry 2 sweet potatoes. Cut each into 8 slices, and then toss with olive oil and paprika. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 350°F. Turn and bake for 10 minutes more.

Blueberries

Host to more antioxidants than any other popular fruit, blueberries help prevent cancer, diabetes, and age-related memory changes (hence the nickname “brain berry”). Studies show that blueberries, which are rich in fiber and vitamins A and C, boost cardiovascular health. Aim for 1 cup fresh blueberries a day, or ½ cup frozen or dried. SUBSTITUTES: Açai berries, purple grapes, prunes, raisins, strawberries FIT IT IN: Blueberries maintain most of their power in dried, frozen, or jam form. PINCH HITTER: Açai, an Amazonian berry, has even more antioxidants than the blueberry. Mix 2 Tbsp. of açai powder into OJ or add 2 Tbsp. of açai pulp to cereal, yogurt, or a smoothie.

Black Beans

All beans are good for your heart, but none can boost your brain power like black beans. That’s because they’re full of anthocyanins, antioxidant compounds that have been shown to improve brain function. A daily ½-cup serving provides 8 grams of protein and 7.5 grams of fiber, and is low in calories and free of saturated fat. SUBSTITUTES: Peas, lentils, and pinto, kidney, fava, and lima beans FIT IT IN: Wrap black beans in a breakfast burrito; use both black beans and kidney beans in your chili; puree 1 cup black beans with ¼ cup olive oil and roasted garlic for a healthy dip; add favas, limas, or peas to pasta dishes. HOME RUN: Black Bean and Tomato Salsa Dice 4 tomatoes, 1 onion, 3 cloves garlic, 2 jalapeños, 1 yellow bell pepper, and 1 mango. Mix in a can of black beans and garnish with ½ cup chopped cilantro and the juice of 2 limes.

Walnuts

Richer in heart-healthy omega-3s than salmon, loaded with more anti-inflammatory polyphenols than red wine, and packing half as much muscle-building protein as chicken, the walnut sounds like a Frankenfood, but it grows on trees. Other nuts combine only one or two of these features, not all three. A serving of walnuts—about 1 ounce, or  seven nuts—is good anytime, but especially as a postworkout recovery snack. SUBSTITUTES: Almonds, peanuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts FIT IT IN: Sprinkle on top of salads; dice and add to pancake batter; spoon peanut butter into curries; grind and mix with olive oil to make a marinade for grilled fish or chicken. HOME RUN: Mix 1 cup walnuts with ½ cup dried blueberries and ¼ cup dark chocolate chunks.

Oats

The éminence grise of health food, oats garnered the FDA’s first seal of approval. They are packed with soluble fiber, which lowers the risk of heart disease. Yes, oats are loaded with carbs, but the release of those sugars is slowed by the fiber, and because oats also have 10 grams of protein per ½-cup serving, they deliver steady muscle-building energy. SUBSTITUTES: Quinoa, flaxseed, wild rice FIT IT IN: Eat granolas and cereals that have a fiber content of at least 5 grams per serving. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed on cereals, salads, and yogurt. PINCH HITTER: Quinoa Salad Quinoa has twice the protein of most cereals, and fewer carbs. Boil 1 cup quinoa in a mixture of 1 cup pear juice and 1 cup water. Let cool. In a large bowl, toss 2 diced apples, 1 cup fresh blueberries, ½ cup chopped walnuts, and 1 cup plain fat-free yogurt.

Sure, but don't make them the foundation of your abs routine* Your abs are made ot the same tissue as every other muscle in your body, which means you have to train them the seme way: twicee a week wtih a variety of exercises (to prevent adaptation and facilitate growth).
Abs machines can be part of that variety, but researchers at San Diego State University found that body-weight movements, such as the bicycle crunch, bum up to 250 percent more calories than any otr*er kind of abs exercise*

Sure, but don't make them the foundation of your abs routine* Your abs are made ot the same tissue as every other muscle in your body, which means you have to train them the seme way: twicee a week wtih a variety of exercises (to prevent adaptation and facilitate growth).
Abs machines can be part of that variety, but researchers at San Diego State University found that body-weight movements, such as the bicycle crunch, bum up to 250 percent more calories than any otr*er kind of abs exercise*