Do you think you need to pay for expensive books or even the advice of a professional to get good advice on a healthy lifestyle? Then think again. There are literally thousands of online tools and websites that can help you lead a healthy lifestyle. Best of all, they're free! It doesn't matter if you're looking for basic tips or information on a specific diet plan. There are tools and information for every lifestyle. This week, let's look at a few of my favorite sites.

If you'd like to try the Weight Watchers diet, but don't have the money to invest in their program, you're in luck. Dotti's Weight Loss Zone, not only offers great advice, but you'll also find the Points value for thousands of different foods, including restaurant items. This site is a must for Weight Watcher wannabes and those members looking for a bit more advice.

For those looking for an easy way to track nutrition and personal fitness, Calorie Connect is a wonderful site. When you sign up, you'll be asked to answer a few questions about yourself, such as weight and height. You will then be given recommended daily nutritional and exercise guidelines. Thanks to the online journal, you'll be able to quickly add the foods you've eaten and exercise you've done each day. Staying healthy doesn't get any easier than this.

One more site I use on a daily basis is The Daily Plate. This site allows you to quickly look up the nutritional value of thousands of different foods. Whether you want to know how many calories your favorite ice cream has or how much fiber is in certain fruits, you can quickly find the information. The site even makes suggestions for healthier alternatives.

You don't have to empty your wallet just to get healthy advice. In all honesty, there is simply no reason to spend money on those expensive books that quickly go out of date. If you're looking for convenience, which you can take on the go, there are even free websites that offer mobile access.

It's a well known fact that adding small segments of physical activities to the day will keep your metabolism roaring and ward off a few extra pounds. Experts recommend brief speed walking sessions after lunch and a quick round of weights in the early a.m. If you can't remember to add these activities to your schedule, there's another way to get on the mega calorie burn, and it's as simple as picking up the vacuum cleaner.

Common household chores such as vacuuming, dusting the living room and mopping the kitchen floor give all your major muscle groups a mini workout; as you tighten up those abs to get to those hard-to-reach places and turn yourself into a mean, cleaning machine, you can burn off hundreds of calories per hour. Here are just a few chores and activities that will help you reach your fitness goals - and leave your house or apartment squeaky clean:

Ironing
Guaranteed to make your shoulders and upper back sore but strong, and you'll burn over 115 calories per hour.

Vacuuming
Get the place looking spiffy and burn nearly 200 calories per hour, even more if you add ankle weights to the mix.

Carrying Laundry and Household Items up and down Stairs
Almost 500 calories per hour; just make sure you're maintaining a steady pace to give thighs, glutes and hips a major workout.

Washing Windows
Give biceps, triceps and shoulder muscles a killer workout and burn almost 200 calories per hour. (So that's how those professional window cleaners stay so buff.)

Washing the Car
Grab that wax and practice the 'wax on, wax off' technique; get sudsy and enjoy a real car washing experience to blast off over 230 calories per hour.

Raking Leaves
Clean up that lawn and get your garden in tip-top shape for the season while burning over 350 calories per hour.

Washing Dishes
Give the dishwasher a break and hand wash a load of dishes to burn nearly 200 calories per hour.

Painting
Painting walls or window trim burns 65 to 100 calories per hour - give those biceps a mega-workout!

So what are you waiting for? Strap on a pair of sneakers and hit the cleaning closet for your 'workout equipment' of choice.

Whether you're trying to lose weight or simply lead a healthier lifestyle, a food diary is essential. Not only does a food diary allow you to keep track of foods eaten throughout the day, but you can also record any weaknesses and cravings you notice. In other words, a food diary makes you more conscious of what's going into your body. In this week's blog, you'll learn the importance of a food diary and what should be included in your daily entries.

I tried off and on for several years to keep a food diary. It wasn't until this year that I finally stuck with the commitment. When I started, I would simply write down what I ate, how many calories were in each food, and I would total up that day's calories. A food diary can be much more than that though. If you need to increase your calcium or fiber intake, you can keep totals of that as well. My current food diary includes the following:

A bi-monthly weigh-in
Foods eaten
Calories, along with a total
Amount of water drank
Any cravings I experience, along with the time that they occur
A daily summary of the good things I did and what I need to work on

This food diary was just what I needed to make me more aware of my eating habits. But it also made me more aware of my trouble areas. For example, I noticed that I crave sweets late in the afternoon. Still, I feel that best part of the food diary is making note of the good things you do. Having a list of accomplishments makes you want to keep doing the right things for your body.

If you're trying to lose weight, I highly suggest keeping a food diary. You will quickly notice how some foods take up a large amount of your daily calories. When you become conscious of this, you will choose foods that allow you to eat more and stretch your calories further.

What are you waiting for? Grab a pen and start a food diary.