On average, each person in the United States throws away over 670 cans and bottles each year. This adds up to billions of cubic feet of trash in landfills.

In 2006, according to the Container Recycling Institute, American consumers drank more than 200 billion bottles and cans worth of all beverages, including soda. That’s 50 billion more than in 1996. At the same time, recycling rates have plummeted from about 48 percent of all containers to just 33 percent in the last decade.

Soda-Club has developed a line of on-demand soda machines that eliminate cans and bottles all together. With the Soda-Club machine you can make a liter of soda, sparkling water or even energy drinks in about 30 seconds.

This is great for big families. While some people in your household may drink diet soda, others may want an energy drink. Everyone can make their choice without using cans, bottles or electricity. These home soda makers don’t use electricity or even batteries.

To use the machine, you simply fill the reusable Soda-Club carbonating bottle with tap or filtered water from your faucet, screw it into the machine, press the button, and you’ll have sparkling water in 30 seconds.

For soda, you just add a capful of the regular, diet or caffeine-free Soda-Club syrup of your choice. Sodamix flavor include cola, cream soda, lemon-lime, root beer, pink grapefruit and cranberry-raspberry. I recently tried the Soda-Club machine and the sodas are really great – particularly the diet soda, which seems to have less after taste than most of those in the stores.

One press of the machine creates a few light bubbles; several presses gives you as much fizz as you want. Special bottle caps are provided with hermetic seals to keep your beverage stay fizzy longer than the conventional soda.

Prices for Soda-Club starter kits begin under $100, which includes a seltzer/soda-making machine and related supplies. Soda-Club sodamix concentrate costs $3.99-4.99 for a bottle that sweetens the equivalent of 36 cans of soda.

For more information, visit sodaclub.com or call 1-800-SODACLUB.

Popularity: 70% [?]

Enviga is a healthy, low-calorie drink that uses the power of green tea and caffeine to stimulate your metabolism and help you burn more calories. It is also rich in antioxidants and a good source of calcium.

Green tea is a terrific natural source of antioxidants, including ECEG. Each can of Enviga contains more ECEG than any other drink of its type on the market.

Enviga has only five calories per can, so you actually burn more calories than you consume just by drinking it. It is a sparkling, refreshing drink that comes in three flavors. Though their regular green tea is nice and crisp. You can also choose peach and berry.

Enviga contains 90 mg of ECEG, 100 mg of caffeine (same as a standard cup of coffee) and 200 mg of calcium per serving.

Studies have shown that if you drink three cans of Enviga each day, you can increase calorie burning by up to 100 calories. Enviga is made by Nestle and Coca-Cola and is available at retailers across the nation.

To learn more about Enviga and find a retailer near you, please visit Enviga.com.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Saucony manufactures some of the best running shoes on the market today. The new ProGrid Paramount features Comfortemp, making it the first running shoe that offers climate control to keep runners’ feel cooler when it is hot and warmer when it’s cold.

If your feet get warmer than 82 degrees, Comfortemp ensures that body heat is absorbed before the sweat is produced, thus creating a cool down effect. If your foot temperature drops, the Comfortemp technology releases the stored heat back to your feet.

Runners can avoid sweaty discomfort in warm summer months and also avoid cold toes on frosty, winter mornings. It’s like having a personal thermostat for your feet! Keeping your feet comfortable is very important whether you are running competitively, for fitness or just for fun.

I actually had the opportunity to try these shoes recently and they are really comfortable. Not only do they keep your feet at an optimum temperature but they also look good. Then men’s version combines white mesh against gold for a modern look. The women’s version is similar but features white and silver colors.

These shoes are priced at $165 at retailers around the country. Visit Saucony.com to find a store near you.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Well-known fitness equipment company, Life Fitness recently introduced its Dual Watch and Heart Monitor. What’s great about this watch is it’s not big and bulky like some other fitness watches. And though the styling is sleek, it actually functions like a standard sports watch.

This watch includes an advance heart rate sensing technology – ActiveEKG, which allows for simple and accurate heart rate readings.

To use the heart rate monitor, you simply place two fingers on the watch’s sensors for 3-8 seconds. When you hear the beep tone, your accurate heart rate will be displayed. The LCD display on the watch is large for easy viewing. You can check periodically throughout your workout to be sure you are reaching your target heart rate.

The watch also provides time, chronograph, countdown timer and stop watch functions. Life Fitness has a 30-year reputation as one of the top brands in fitness equipment. Therefore you know you are getting a quality product with this watch.

You can purchase the Watch and Heart Monitor at CVS pharmacies nationwide or online at CVS.com for only $59.99. You can currently find the mid-size watch on sale online for only $29.99.

If you are looking for new fitness equipment for you home form treadmills to elliptical trainers, visit the Life Fitness website. They offer an array of home gym equipment suited for every level of fitness. Right now they are offering free delivery and installation for all their products.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Italian clothing company Adea has introduced a new collection utilizing an innovative fabric that rejuvenates the body.

Their Adea SeaCell line is a high-tech collection with a healthy purpose. It provides comfort and fit, while also regenerating the skin. That’s right – clothing that’s actually good for your skin.

How does it work?

Well the base of the SeaCell fabric is seaweed, cotton and elastane fiber. The seaweed allows allows the skin to absorb minerals and vitamins such as calcium, magnesium, cartinoid and amino acids and vitamins A and E.

These ingredients are released by natural body moisture and help the skin stay firm and smooth. Also with the addition of silver, the porous structure of the SeaCell fibers also help neutralize odors and wick away perspiration. So your skin stays clean, dry and nourished.

The elastane fiber was added to the cotton to help the clothing retain its shape. It’s washer/dryer safe and wrinkle restistant as well.

The Adea SeaCell Collection is targeted toward women who are active. Whether exercising, traveling or lounging, Adea fashions are a great choice.

You can select from a full-length hoodie, sleeveless hoodie, tank top, full-length drawstring pant and cropped drawstring pant. Prices range from about $85 to $160 per piece.

The Adea SeaCell Collection is available at spas, yoga center and luxury stores nationwide. For more information about Adea, please visit myadea.com.

Popularity: 14% [?]

As the weather starts cooling down, your bronze skin from the summer will begin to fade. But you can still get a sun-kissed look all year long to keep your skin radiant and healthy-looking.

There’s no reason to go to a tanning salon, where you could do damage to your skin, or apply one of those fake looking self-tanners that oftentimes appear orange.

Now you can get glowing skin from a moisturizing lotion.

Aveeno Continuous Radiance Moisturizing Lotion is unique because it works for ALL skin tones. Unlike many other moisturizers that give you subtle color, Aveeno’s lotion features a patented dial dispenser with five different settings that allow you to customize your color.

This is a breakthrough technology that will let you decide how light or dark you’d like your skin to look. You can also increase the settings to build up the color gradually to get a natural glow.

You can purchase Aveeno skin care products at drugstores nationwide and also online at drugstore.com.

Visit the Aveeno website at aveeno.com to learn more about their products and find a retailer near you.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Naked Juice is a leader in premium juices, making 100% fruit juices, juice smoothies and protein smoothies.

Their products are made from bare-naked fruits with no preservatives or sugar added.

Recently, Naked Juice introduced their new Naked Juice Probiotic. Its the first 100% juice smoothie with probiotics.

Though probiotics have been popular in Europe for decades, Americans are now realizing their potential benefits. Each bottle of Naked Juice Probotic includes billions of probiotics, which are friendly microscopic cultures that aid in digestion and immune health.

Naked Juice Probiotic is a blend of mango, orange and pineapple that makes for a delicious and nutritious beverage. It is now available in single-serve 10-ounce bottles with a suggested retail price of $2.49 each.  You can find Naked Juice in supermarkets, club stores and other retailers around the country.

Learn more about Naked Juice Probiotic and the rest of the Naked Juice products by visiting NakedJuice.com.

Popularity: 24% [?]

MIO fitness watches are like having a personal trainer everywhere you go. The MIO watch calculates your heart rate and tracks your calories burned during a workout.

It also does a whole lot more. You set your daily calorie target and input the food you consume throughout the day. The watch lets you know when you have hit your goal.

Included with each watch is the guide to healthy living with a foreword by Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon, authors of Grow Younger, Live Longer.

The pocket size guide contains information on exercise, diet and nutriition. It also features dozens of calorie tables for just about every type of food, including fast food.

The MIO fitness watch is convenient to use because it’s always on your arm. These watches come in a variety of styles to fit every lifesytle, ranging in price from $45 to $140. They are also fashionable enough that everyone can where them. Some MIO styles feature interchangeable bands in different fashion colors.

To check out the line of MIO fitness watches, visit MIOwatch.com. You can purchase MIO watches online or find them at The Sharper Image, Big 5 Sporting Goods and at health clubs, fitness stores and other retailers throughout the United States and Canada.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Recently, Vichy Laboratories introduced Lipostretch Contouring Body Care.

This product targets and restores skin’s elasticity, tone and contour. It is especially useful after periods of weight gain and/or pregnancy.

When you gain weight, even if you lose the pounds later, your skin loses some of its elasticity. This is especially true for those people who repeated weight fluctuations.

This skin care product is geared toward restoring your skin’s appearance and texture, while keeping it hydrated and moisturized.

Clinical studies have shown that in as little as a week’s time, women using Lipostretch Contouring Body Care have shown signs of increased skin elasticity and tone. In a month, skin’s density and firmness were markedly improved.

Lipostretch Contouring Body Care uses natural extracts from brown algae to help skin maintain its elasticity, pea extract to help firm the skin and yeast extract to help restore skin’s density. Salicylic acid also helps stimulate cell turnover to help smooth the skin.

Vichy Lipostretch Contouring Body Care retails for $29 at VichyUSA.com and at drug and specialty stores around the country.

Use it daily to help firm, tone and re-tighten skin.

It’s great for the whole body – arms, hips, stomach, thighs and more.

Popularity: 20% [?]

When aerobics was booming in the early 1980s, Marika Group began selling fashionable, functional exercise wear. Throughout the years, they have established themselves by offering fitness clothing designed especially for women in style and fit.

Marika Group markets three collections. The original Marika Collection focuses on multi-sportwear, while their Balance Collection features activewear than can crossover from yoga to fitness and is also trendy and fashionaele.

Their Shiva Shakti Collection was designed world-renowned yoga instructor Shiva Rea. This brand features stylish yoga wear, including several eco-friendly pieces.

When visiting their website at Marika.com you will be able to view all three collections. On the site, you can shop by collection or activity. You can also choose from pieces that have been put together in outfits or from their sale section, which has tremendous discounts.

The prices at Marika are very reasonable. Sports bras are $16-$24. Jackets start at $39, while leggings are $20 and up.

Marika also sells tanks and camis, short and long sleeve shirts, pants, capris, shorts and skirts.

If you don’t want to purchase online, you can use their store locator to find a retailer near you.

Marika has a 30-day money back guarantee on unworn, unwashed merchandise.

Fitness instructors can get merchandise at discounted rate. Just call their customer service line at (800) 666-2127 or enroll in the Markita Instructor Program online.

Popularity: 25% [?]

If you are looking for a great energy bar, try Detour Activity Bars. Unlike other popular protein bars, these bars were specially formulated to meet the needs of people who participate in specific activities. Whether you run, bike or lift weights, Detour has a bar for you.

For example, the Detour Runner Bars have MicroLactin for joint health, while the Detour Biker Bars contains Rhodiola for muscle stamina and recovery.

Their Core Strength Bar is made with Ribose to maintain ATP and whey protein for muscle recovery.

These bars come in delicious flavors like Toffee Almond, Chocolate Chip Cookie and Lemon Yogurt among others. And though they taste great, they are very nutritious. Detour Activity Bars are low in fat and made from whey protein.

You can buy Detour Activity Bars at your neighborhood GNC store or purchase them online at BodyBuilding.com for $14.99 for a box of 12.

I tried these bars recently and they are nutritious, protein-rich and delicious. They honestly taste very similar to candy bars. And thankfully, they don’t have the after taste or bad texture like some other energy bars.

Popularity: 15% [?]

If you love the taste of a latte but want something a little more healthy, Atkins Advantage introduced a cool new flavor in its Café Nutrition Shake line this summer.

Their Café Caramel Latte shake is a rich blend of coffee and caramel taste that gives you an energy boost like other coffee drinks. However, it’s also very good for you.

The Atkins Advantage Caramel Latte Shake is high in protein (15 grams per can), vitamins and minerals. It has only 160 calories and one gram of sugar. It’s a great healthy snack or can be used as a meal replacement if you are trying to keep your weight under control with a low-carb diet.

Atkins Advantage shakes are available at grocery stores and others retailers for about $6-7 for a four-pack.

These are the best “coffee” diet shakes that I’ve tasted. The Caramel Latte is smooth with no after taste – very similar to a cold coffee drink you’d order at coffeeshop.

If you are looking to learn more about the Atkins diet or purchase Atkins products online, visit Atkins.com.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Ever since acai was touted on the Oprah Winfrey Show as one of the “Top Ten Superfoods“, we have been hearing more about the benefits of this berry. Acai is a Brazilian berry oftentimes considered one of nature’s most complete and healthy foods.

The acai berry is loaded with anthocyanins (20 times that in red wine), antioxidants, amino acids, essential omegas, fibers and protein.

The Purple Beverage Company has created a new beverage – PURPLE. This all natural, sugar-free drink combines the acai berry with six otheraantioxidant rich juices – black currant, black cherry, pomegranate, purple plum, cranberry and blueberry.

Researchers, including those from Tuft’s University and the Scottish Crop Research Institute, say that the antioxidants found in black currants can aid in warding off all sorts of ailments, including heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.

PURPLE is now available in select grocery stores, drug stores, health food stores, restaurants and other establishments in New York, Los Angeles and Miami. In Fall 2007, PURPLE will be available at retailers nationwide.

I recently had an opportunity to try PURPLE and it’s good but quite tart. You can drink it on its own (though I wouldn’t), mix it in a blender with yogurt to make a great shake, or use it in cocktails.

Watch for all the latest info about PURPLE at DrinkPURPLE.com.

Popularity: 8% [?]

This romantic spa kit will be a big hit with your Valentine. She will
receive bath gel, body lotion, a peppermint scented candle and several
brushes for all over spa treatments. The 12” fabric box that holds the
items can be used again and again.

Great for: Your special Valentine

Our view: The presentation of this kit is lovely. The fabric box is
something that can be used over again, for storing keepsakes, etc. The
peppermint candle is terrific and the chocolate truffles are a nice
surprise.

For more information visit SpaFinder.com

Popularity: 31% [?]

Get your Valentine what she wants with this Heart themed spa tote. The tote
includes body lotion and shower gel, bath pillow and sponge and other
goodies for that special someone. The “cupcake” shaped candle and chocolate
heart make this gift extra special.

Great for: Valentine’s Day gift, Anniversary gift

Our view: This cute sweet heart tote is small but does include several nice
items including lotion and shower gel. The cupcake shaped candle is a nice
addition.

For more information check out SpaFinder.com

Popularity: 31% [?]