Dr. Drew reminds me of my bestfriend in highschool.  He is kind of nerdy on the outside.  He's got a good sense of humor, but holds it in when in public.  He is caring and nice, but doesn't seem real apethetic.  Dr. Drew is brilliant, sometimes, in the things he says.  If you listen, he'll throw out a little word of wisdom, kind of on accident.  I loved when he was on Celebrity Rehab.  Man, those people have so much courage to share their struggles.  If you are currently struggling with an addiction, I strongly suggest watching a few of those episodes, as they are very powerful.  During one episode, where the rich, young man is mad because his billionaire father is not present in his life, and not loving, Dr. Drew stops him mid-whine and tells him, "You don't get that.  You don't get that kind of father."  The boy-man looked at him with a confused look, at first.  I pray that man got the message. 
 Sometimes, we don't get what we want.  What's in your life that you didn't get?  Mother's Day is looming.  Is it a 'good' mom that you didn't get?  How about a marriage that lasted?  I didn't get that, which was a huge surprise.  Each day that thought runs in my mind after it ending two-years ago.  I would be curious to see what people just didn't get.  This man had all the money in the world and yet, he had huge sores on his body that were rotting because he did drugs to deal with not having a dad.  How do you deal?  Is it prescription pills, weed, coke, alcohol, sex, shopping, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders or anything like that?  I was just wondering how others dealt with problems.  I have dealt with them in many ways from being too controlling to drugs.  So, I hope you have everything you need in your adult life, right now.  Forgive your mothers if that is what hurts.  Celebrate others' moms this Mother's Day, if you have no mom due to death.  Be the best mom or friend you can this weekend.  Have a blessed holiday and don't forget your workouts!!

PS  If your sons/daughters are of the furry variety... I see a trip to Petsmart in your near future.....

Sex, smooching, snuggling and everything else on the spectrum is great for your relationship and happiness, but intimate time with your sweetie is also terrific for your physical health!  Not only does that “loving feeling” get your heart rate up, it can burn some serious calories, too! Check out the calorie-burning profile of each romantic activity below (based on the body weight of a 150-lb woman) along with tips from experts on ramping things up to maximize the amount of calories burned.

Kissing: 68 calories per hour

Remember how, when you were first dating, you’d start locking lips and 30 minutes later you’d come up for air? See if you can get into that groove again, say experts. Not only is smooching a great way to show affection and improve your bond as a couple, it can also help you burn fat. “If the kissing is vigorous and involves some petting, it could be even closer to 90 calories burned in an hour,” says Jaiya Kinzbach, a Los Angeles—based sexologist and the author of "Red Hot Touch". Try her technique for turning kissing into an honest-to-goodness workout session: “Kiss in unusual positions,” she recommends. “Have the guy on his back and do ‘plank pose’ or a push-up on top of him, coming down to kiss him and then pushing back up. Push-ups burn 171 calories in 30 minutes.” 
Photo by Getty.

Undressing: 8+ calories total

You probably don’t put much thought into undressing when you’re getting intimate with your husband, but an Italian researcher looked into the matter and found that the mere act of taking one’s clothes off burns about 8 to 10 calories. Even more fascinating, the researcher reportedly found that a man attempting to remove a bra with his mouth burns as many as 80 calories. While that may not be applicable to you, here’s what is: By upping the energy you put into undressing, you can burn some extra calories. Don’t just strip down in seconds, says Kinzbach; instead, “draw it out and make it part of your foreplay, while getting a great workout going.” Or "undress to tease him", adds Gilda Carle, PhD,  psychotherapist and relationship expert. “Find your favorite silk scarf, and do a seductive dance with it,” she says. 
Photo by Getty.

Massaging: 80+ calories per hour

Who doesn’t like a good rubdown from their partner? But if you’re the giver, you get an additional benefit other than making your guy happy... burned calories. As it turns out, giving a good massage can get your heart rate up and kick your body into calorie-burning mode. But the way to ramp things up even more isn’t to speed things up. Instead, consider going slower, recommends Kinzbach. “This may seem counterintuitive to burning calories,” she says, “but going slower and deeper is not only more sensual, it works different muscles. I also recommend getting a massage table–it's better on your body, and standing to give a massage burns more calories.”
Photo by Shutterstock.

Having Sex: 144+ calories per half-hour

You knew sex was a workout, but who knew that a half-hour romp in the hay with your guy could burn off the chocolate you nibbled on after dinner? The key for high-calorie-burning sex is "making it hot and making it last", say experts. You can also add a little moaning and sighing, says Kinzbach, "which can help you burn an extra 18 to 30 calories". And try a position change for a better workout. “If you are on top, try moving your hips like a belly dancer; this feels great and will give you a workout,” she adds. “Also try a position where you squat on top of him and then bounce up and down. This is a great workout for your thighs and butt, and it can burn up to 207 calories in 30 minutes.” Perhaps the best way to maximize calorie-burning during sex is to make sure you orgasm. Experts estimate that women who orgasm during sex burn more calories during lovemaking than those who don’t.

Giving Oral Sex: 100 calories per half-hour

Here’s a stat you don’t hear every day: Being on the giving end of oral sex may be just as effective as a quick stint on the elliptical machine. But if you want to take your calorie-burning to the next level, Kinzbach recommends this calorie-blasting technique: push-ups (yes, in the act!). “Also you can do a little yoga, suggests Kinzbach. “Try plank position into downward facing dog, and back into plank where you can lower down and do some oral stimulation.” Tack on 71 extra calories blasted when you do push-ups, and 35 additional calories by mixing in some yoga. 
Photo by Getty.

Using Your Hands: 100 calories per hour 

Of course, the old-fashioned hand job is a calorie burner, but you can zap an additional 50 calories per half-hour by taking things up a notch. “Get lots of stuff going at once,” suggests Kinzbach. “Try really slow sensual strokes, and position yourself so that you can use your body as well.” Rocking your body against his and varying the pressure and frequency can help, too, she adds. 
Photo by Getty.

Romantic Dancing: 103 calories per half-hour

A little dirty dancing–even with your clothes on–can be a workout for you and your husband. Couples who take dance lessons (and practice in the privacy of their homes) can attest to this. Bonus: “It has been shown in scientific studies that right after an aerobic exercise, women become aroused and lubricated more easily,” says Barbara Bartlik, MD, a New York—based psychiatrist and sex therapist. Slow dancing is fine, but you have to rev things up–and add in a few surprises–to get a real workout. “Add kissing, nibbling the neck and touch,” suggests Kinzbach. "And increase the pace, too!"

Fried potatoes and baked snack foods should not be a major part of our diet regardless of acrylamide content!

These foods are high in fat, contain too much salt, and often they are full of preservatives, dyes, and other items that contribute to poor health. Also, these foods contain a lot of calories and they do not provide the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that we know help reduce risk of cancer and many other diseases. For all of these reasons, these foods should be an occasional treat, not a regular part of the diet.

• Focus your diet around healthy, unprocessed, whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, legumes, and whole grains.

• The more crisp and brown that a baked food is, the more acrylamide it is likely to contain. For example, "well-done" French fries and potato chips contain more acrylamide than the more lightly cooked versions of these foods.
• When cooking starchy vegetables such as potatoes at home, cook them at a lower temperature for a longer period time. This minimizes the amount of acrylamide that is formed during the cooking process. Cooking foods at a higher temperature creates more acrylamide.
• Frying and dry baking appear to generate the most acrylamide in foods. Boiling, steaming, lightly sautéing and stir-frying foods appears to create very little or no acrylamide.
• Go for organic. Some health experts feel that the chemicals used in conventional agriculture methods may increase the amount of acrylamide that forms in the final, cooked product.
• Finally, do your best to stay informed about the acrylamide food issue. The scientific research on this topic is new and evolving. It is always possible that future research studies will provide additional, important information about acrylamide in the food supply and human health concerns.
• At home workouts or getting your self a home trainer to keep you accountable.

1. Brown Rice

Great for: Side dishes, rice salads, fried rice, casseroles, soups, and stews.

What's a serving? 1/4 cup dry rice.

Price per serving: 18 cents. A 1-pound bag costs about $1.75 and contains 10 servings.

Nutrition info per serving: 170 calories, 2 grams fiber, and 4 grams protein.

2. Whole-Wheat or Multigrain Pasta

Great for: Hot and cold pasta dishes.

What's a serving? 2 ounces of dried pasta. A serving for most people translates into about 2 ounces of dried pasta, which means you get about 7 servings in the typical box or bag of dried pasta.

Price per serving? About 24 cents. You can get a 13- to 16-ounce box or bag of store-brand dried pasta for about $1.69.

Nutrition info per serving: About 200 calories, 7 grams protein, and 6 grams fiber.

3. 100% Whole-Wheat Bread

Great for: Hot and cold sandwiches, bread stuffing, bread pudding, and breakfast strata.

What's a serving? 2 slices. Labels usually list a serving as 1 slice of bread (about 28 grams per slice) but for our purposes, we'll use the amount you'd use to make a sandwich.

Price per serving: About 18 cents. You can get a 22-ounce loaf of store brand whole-wheat bread for about $1.99 (on sale). Each loaf has about 22 slices, or 11 servings of 2 slices each.

Nutrition info per serving (2 slices): About 120 calories, 6 grams protein, and 3 grams fiber.

4. Nonfat Greek Yogurt

Great for: a quick snack, parfaits made with fruit and granola, and smoothies.

What's a serving? Most individual containers come in 6-ounce or 8-ounce containers. You can save money by buying a larger container of Greek yogurt and then taking your 6-8-ounce portion from it.

Price per serving: Individual servings (6-8-ounce containers) cost about 89 cents each, and sometimes less when found on sale.

Nutrition information per serving (for a 6-ounce serving of honey vanilla): 150 calories, 0 grams fiber, and 14 grams protein.

5. Old-Fashioned Oats

Great for: Hot or cold cereal, granola, crumb toppings for desserts, and muffins.

What's a serving? 1/2 cup dry oats.

Price per serving: 13 cents. A 42-ounce container of store brand oats costs around $3.99 and each container contains about 30 servings, based on a serving of 1/2-cup of dry oats.

Nutrition info per serving: 150 calories, 4 grams fiber, and 5 grams protein.

6. Frozen Vegetables

Great for: Side dishes, casseroles, and stews.

What's a serving? 1 cup

Price per serving: Around 25 cents. Frozen vegetables come in 12-ounce to 24-ounce bags that cost anywhere from $1.75 to $2.25 and contain 6-8 cups, depending on the vegetable and the size of the bag. At one national store, you can buy a bag of frozen organic green beans for $1.79. A bag of petite peas will cost you $1.19, and a 10-ounce box of frozen chopped spinach costs $1.19.

Nutrition info per serving: A 1-cup serving of frozen mixed vegetables (classic mix) has 82 calories, 6 grams fiber, 4 grams protein, 115% of the Daily Value for vitamin A, 8% of the Daily Value for vitamin C, and 7% of the Daily Value for potassium.

7. Russet Potato

Great for: Baked potatoes, breakfast potatoes, salads, casseroles, and stews.

What's a serving? 1 medium or large baked potato.

Price per serving: About 33 cents per potato. You can buy a 5-pound bag of Russet potatoes for about $3.99, and a bag contains 11-13 potatoes.

Nutrition info per serving (one medium-size potato): 168 calories, 3 grams fiber, 5 grams protein, 20% of the Daily Value for vitamin C, 10% Daily Value for iron, and 25% Daily Value for potassium.

8. Fresh Bagged Spinach

Great for: Quick salads, egg dishes, casseroles, soups, and stews.

What's a serving? If you use it for a main-dish salad, about 4 cups makes a serving. If you sauté it and add to an omelet, or use it for a side salad, about 2 cups is a serving.

Price per serving: 66 cents for a 4-cup serving; 33 cents for a 2-cup serving. A bag (9 ounces) of washed spinach leaves sells for about $1.99.

Nutrition info per serving: 4-cup serving contains 20 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 160% of the Daily Value for vitamin A, 40% of the Daily Value for vitamin C, 8% of the Daily Value for calcium, and 40% of the Daily Value for folic acid

9. Canned Refried Beans

Great for: Burritos, nachos, dips, enchiladas, or a quick side dish.

What's a serving? Each can has about 3.5 servings, based on 1/2-cup servings.

Price per serving: About 34 cents. You can buy a 15-ounce can of store brand vegetarian refried beans for about $1.19. 

Nutrition info per serving: About 140 calories (for the vegetarian type), 7 grams protein, 6 grams fiber, 4% of the Daily Value for calcium and 10% of the Daily Value for iron.