Why: Do you have any aches and pains? Well, this book is about three important components of fitness — posture, flexibility and balance. Everyone who wants to enjoy life should own this book. The authors are physical therapy experts.

Health bonus: An exercise band comes with the book; all the exercises are explained, including the reasons they are important and how to do them with weights or the exercise band.

What we liked best: The descriptions are very clear, and the quantity and quality of the exercises are impressive.

What we liked least: The book needs more photos — they're in there, but it would be nice to have a series of five or six photos for each exercise.

What it replaces: Not doing any posture, flexibility or balance exercises.

Other offerings: "The American Physical Therapy Association Book of Body Maintenance and Repair," by Steve Vickery and Marilyn Moffat (Holt Paperbacks, 1999).

Where to buy: www.BN.com, www.Amazon.com or your local bookstore.

Why: There is so much that we liked about these crackers. They're crunchy and tasty. Plus, these nutty flavor treats are wheat-free, gluten-free and organic. Each cracker has only 10.5 calories, compared with other crackers that range from 12-20 calories.

Health bonus: They're organic and have fiber and flax seeds.

What we liked best: They don't have any added sugar and they're hearty, which means you don't have to eat too many to be satisfied.

What we liked least: They're a bit dry.

What they replace: Wheat Thins, Ritz Crackers, chips.

Other offerings: Caraway, Black Pepper, Herb, Onion.

Where to buy: www.marysgonecrackers.com.

Nutritional information: (13 crackers) 140 calories, 5g fat, 21g carbs, 3g fiber, 3g protein, 190mg sodium.

Ingredients: Organic short-grain brown rice, organic whole quinoa, organic brown flax seeds and organic brown sesame seeds, filtered water, organic wheat-free low-sodium tamari (water, whole organic soybeans, salt, organic alcohol), sea salt.

Why: They're constructed of durable, even-heating, hard-anodized aluminum and are dishwasher safe and compatible with all types of stoves. The charcoal gray nonstick exterior provides quick cleanup and resists staining. Also, the grooved interior cooking surface really minimizes the need for extra cooking spray — saving calories, which we like.

Health bonus: If you have good pots and pans, there's an outside chance you will use them more — possibly for cooking healthful foods.

What we liked best: Cleaning is simple, and you can use a lot less cooking spray.

What we liked least: The pans can be a bit pricey.

What it replaces: Your current nonstick cookware, which may have scrapes on the cooking surface.

Other offerings: Circulon Elite, Circulon 2.

Where to buy: www.potsandpans.com

Why: Because pizza with a whole-grain crust is better than pizza with a regular crust.

Health bonus: Fiber has loads of benefits — and with one slice you get 5 grams, or 20 percent of your daily needs.

What we liked best: Taste was pretty good, and if you're already a whole-wheat eater, you will probably prefer this taste to the regular.

What we liked least: This is still pizza, and it was pretty greasy. We wish they made it with a little less dough and cheese. For instance, a slice of the thin crust pizza is actually lower in calories — 240. If you ask them to go light on the cheese, it will certainly help lower the calories and make this pizza work.

Also, keep in mind, while this has a stamp from the Whole Grain Council saying that it's 100 percent whole grain, the crust is not entirely whole-wheat flour. Oh, and the sodium is very high, as it is in almost all fast and frozen foods.

What it replaces: Traditional pizza.

Where to buy: Papa John's Pizza (www.papajohns.com).

Nutritional information: (one slice, 14-inch pie) 280 calories, 12g fat, 38g carbs, 5g dietary fiber, 13g protein, 730mg sodium.

Ingredients: Papa John's Cheese Pizza: Part-skim mozzarella (pasteurized milk, cultures, salt, enzymes), food starch (derived from corn), powdered cellulose (added to prevent caking), whey protein concentrate, sodium propionate (added as a preservative), Ultragrain Hard White Wheat Flour, water.

Pizza Sauce: vine-ripened fresh tomatoes, sunflower oil, sugar, salt, spices, garlic, extra-virgin olive oil and citric acid, coarse whole-wheat flour, sugar, soybean oil, salt, wheat gluten, vanilla extract and baker's yeast.

Charles Stuart Platkin is a nutrition and public-health advocate, and author of "Breaking the FAT Pattern" (Plume, 2006). Sign up for the free Diet Detective newsletter at www.dietdetective.com.