As your long-awaited vacation draws near, you're busy checking off your travel to-do list. You've booked your flights, arranged hotels and even bought a sexy new swimsuit. Just don't forget to plan for the one thing that's critical to any great vacation – good health. Early preparation and smart packing can help make your trip a healthy one, no matter if your destination is Paris, Puerto Vallarta or Pittsburgh.

Balance begins with a flexible spine, and one way to achieve that is through yoga. Practicing yoga develops breathing, elongates muscles and improves balance. Whether you're a novice or an expert in yoga, you'll want to check out the Union-Tribune's new online health video feature, San Diego Alive.

There's a new bad guy on food labels: A trans-fat substitute called interesterified oil. A Brandeis University study found that these fats, which are created through chemical processes, raised bad cholesterol, reduced the good kind and lowered insulin levels.