we're back with more on wednesday more than tuesday, july 18th, 2012. a well honed line but hot and sticky in the northeast. there's a lot of people, talking about millions of people suffering through a heawave right now. hopefully theened in sight. we'll talk about that in a second. i'm matt lauer with al roker and savannah guthrie. >> exclusive 80% off deals including things like high-end coffee machine, makeup there, pedicure kit, stylish workout

clothes. up to 80%. tell you about that coming up. speaking of working out. nobody probably works out harder than our olympic athletes. this year no exception. however, they are always looking for an edge. we're going to show you some high-tech workout gear, state-of-the-art stuff our olympians will be using that will make all the difference going for the quest for gold. you can yit, touse it, too, in training. >> always makes you work out better wearing olympic stuff. >> we want to help you blow off steam on twitter. we want you to tell us about your pet peeves, we'll tell you more about that. your pet peeve? >> how much time do you have? >> exactly. finally a use of twitter you can get into. >> exactly. let's go inside. natalie standing by with a look at the headlines. hi, natalie. >> good morning, everyone. security is being reviewed at a small airport in utah after a murder suspect jumped into a passenger jet and tried to take

off the man had been a commercial pilot, scaled a fence and boarded a jet tuesday. he crashed the plane in a parking lot at the airport then took his own life. the tsa currently does not require airports to maintain fulltime surveillance of their perimeter fences. one aviation expert says it might be time for tsa to consider that. a scare during the night for oscar winning actress halle berry. she was rushed to a los angeles hospital after she was hurt on the set of a movie. according to her publicist, halle berry suffered a minor head injury shooting a fight sequence for the film "the hive." she was checked out at the hospital and released. the company in charge of security for the lmpbs only has about half the number of guards really. police and military are filling the gap, checking bags and guarding athletes. they called the security company's performance unexcusable. one called it a fiasco and humiliating shamble.

a new weight loss drug, the pill called qsymia considered to be the best so far. for overweight, obese with one condition such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol. mon more than one-third of adults are considered obese. a gunman who opened fire in alabama is now being investigated in another nearby shooting. gabe gutierrez has the latest from tuscaloosa. gabe, good morning. >> reporter: natalie, good morning. police have linked the suspect to another shooting less than an hour from the chaos at the bar. they are investigating whether he may have torched the former employer's business right after the gunfire. police identify the man with the assault weapon in this surveillance video was 44-year-old nathan van wilkins. investigators say he opened fire at the cotton top bar near the

university of alabama. seven team people were hurt. >> it was chaos. >> reporter: one of the bullets hit her foot while others looked on. >> first i heard the shots get louder and saw the sparks flying up. then instantly as soon as i felt that, i knew i had been shocked. >> everybody was shocked for a minute. afterwards it was silent and people were scared to get up for a minute. >> reporter: investigators say the rampage start add few miles away about 45 minutes earlier when he shot a man at this home. it's not clear why. he now faces 20 criminal counts including attempted murder. hours after the surveillance video became public he turned himself in. >> he went to a business in jasper and told the individuals at that business who he was and he was sought here in connection with the shooting. they called the jasper police department. >> reporter: after the bar shooting police in nearby brookwood suspect van wilkin set

fire to several of his former employer's trucks and tried to burn down the business. while arson charges have not been filed, his bond is set at $2 million. he has not yet and in court and has not entered a plea. natalie. >> gabe gutierrez in tuscaloosa. thank you, gabe. a conservation group studying whale sharks has found they can be very efficient and ingenuous eaters. off the coast of indonesia, this one has learned fishing nets are a good place to chow down sucking the fish out of the small holes in the nets and becoming a hig hit on youtube. whale sharks can weigh more than 20 tons and grow bigger than a bus. that kind of looks gross there. five minutes past the hour. let's go outside to al and a check of the weather. watching him eat. >> i could have gone all day without seeing that video. enjoy your cheerios. where are you guys from. >> detroit, michigan.

we're from two differ places, originally virginia. >> where are you from? same thing. wanted to make sure. check it out, show you what we've got. a big change, finally heat indexes from 98 to 108, omaha to new york city. it is sticky out there. there is some relief coming. that stationary front will become a cold front, push through. behind the front we've got cooler conditions, temperatures in the 80s, lower humidity. ahead of the front, temperatures upper 90s to 100 degrees. risk of strong storms along that front. radar starting to fire up upstate new york, upstate michigan also starting to push through rainfall amounts anywhere from one to three inches of rain over the next 24 hours. that's what going on around the >> another hot day, this time even more humid. high temperatures in the upper 90's to the low 100's.

>> and that's your latest weather. natalie. >> al, thank you. time for another edition of jill's steals and deals, deeply discounted prices exclusively for you, our "today" show viewers. u.s. weekly's jill martin is back. good morning. >> good morning. >> let's remind people how it works, how shipping works. >> go to today.com. we have a limited amount of supplies. what we do is link you to the retailer's website. if you want something, go now because it will go quickly. >> great work out clothes from as i am. tell me about these. >> love these, retail 82 to $88.

three options, the mannequin, great to layer day or night, a tank underneath. karma capri. three-quarter length pants with rollover waistband. no muffin top. wear with high boots in the fall. the higher pants with a slim cut bootleg. great for yoga, working out. great every day pants, retail $82 to $88. the deal $22. 75% off. >> the fabric feels amazing, really soft. it's great. okay. let's move onto the pedicure kits from julep. what comes with this set, looks like everything. >> really fun. retail $132. this is sort of a designer pedicure gift that can include -- they call this the best pedi prep ever, exfoliator. they say you'll have noticeable

results in two uses. foot files, separators and six colors. comes in this beautiful box. like a spa at home. retail $132. the deal $24.99 for the entire kit. that's 82% off. these are good to stock up on. >> good gifts. >> fun for kids, too. >> i love the colors, nail colors. very in right now. okay. this is going to be huge, coffee bean and tee leaf offering the coffeemaker plus capsules. >> i absolutely love this, $314.39 is the retail. now, i made you a cup during the break. it's fresh if you want to take a sip of espresso. a beverage system compare coffeehouse, tea beverages at the touch of a button. it takes less than a minute to make. we did this while you were doing the news before. twelve varieties, retail $314.39. the deal $99.

that's 69% off. >> that is great. >> i use this at home. this is great. it's just a single cup. you don't overdo it. if you drink a lot of coffee, like i do. >> i drink a lot. they look beautiful, too. >> great gift. >> great gift. next these beautiful necklaces from charmed circle. look how great these are. tell me about these. they have little gems on the inside. >> i love this, retail $170. sweetheart pendant on 18 inch sterling silver chain. heart comes in your choice of four semiprecious stones. you see them here. i think you can see them more laying out, smoky quartz, amethyst, citrine, henry bender, fred siegel. you can buy other stones separately, it's a locket to put in. give as a gift. retail $170. the deal $44. that's 74% off. >> real silver. >> sterling silver chain. >> okay. over here we've got these gorgeous flowers. it's a flower medley from

organic bouquet. if you want to send someone special a bouquet of flowers, now is the time to do it. anyone who wants to send us 50 ecofriendly roses. >> i want to stress this. these are limited. really sold out last time quickly. if you want these go on now, retail $109.95. 50 ecofriendly roses, certified ecofriendly roses, which means they are grown in a matter beneficial to the environment. no pesticides used. retail is $109.95, the deal $29.95. >> that's amazing. they are gorgeous. gorgeous flowers to my office. my cup of coffee, thank you. the products work out from aziam, julep, coffee bean and tea leaf, necklaces from charm circle and finally beautiful flower arrangements from organic bouquet. if you have any questions about products or past orders go to today.com to steals and deals page.

coming up next, state-of-the-art gear giving our athletes an extra edge during the olympics. then a little later on, easy ways to make extra cash. but first these messages. [ taste buds ] donuts, donuts, donuts! who are these guys? oh, that's just my buds. bacon, donuts. -my taste buds. -[ taste buds ] waffles. how about we try this new kind of fiber one cereal? you think you're going to slip some fiber by us? rookie. okay. ♪ nutty clusters and almonds, ♪ ♪ almonds. ♪ fiber one is gonna make you smile. ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing new fiber one nutty clusters and almonds. with 43% daily value of fiber for you. crunchy nutty clusters and real almond slices for your taste buds.

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to soak up big spills and lock them in. let the spills begin. p&g. proud sponsor of the olympic games. this morning with the countdown to london, stronger swifter, the goal for athletes at the olympic games. one way to do that, gear. glen, good to see you. >> thanks. >> this is fascinating. this stuff, when these athletes are at the top of their game, this gear with really make a little bit of a difference, give you a little age.

>> that's true. these people at the peak of human performance. when you get there fractions of a second make the difference between gold and honorable mention. really technology can make all the difference with these people. >> let's start off with swimming. >> interestingly in the 2008 beijing olympics there were 25 records set in swimming, 23 of them were using speedo's laser racer, the swimsuit at the time. they ended up outlawing it because it was too much performance boost. now they have to do tech style technology, can't do full body suits. >> at least not for men. >> i was going to say, make it a lot more interesting. these new suits, speedo now builds the fast skin 3 system, which is actually a full system. if you look, it's a cap, it's goggles and it's the suit. they all work together to reduce drag that slows people down. >> that's pretty cool.

can normal mortals buy this. >> you can. if you're a swimmer, probably be worth it to you to get something like this. it's expensive. it's $395. for the women $595. >> how much are the goggles. >> they are $100. >> that's not cheap. >> you really need to shave those extra seconds off. >> triathlon has been an olympic sport since 2000. this bike is about the peak of technological perfection. >> that is absolutely true. not only lightweight, built of carbon fiber but got into aero dynamics of bikes. if you take a close look at it, they merge where the frame of the bike connects with the wheel. everything to shave downwind resistance. >> that's really light. >> this thing is only around 16 pounds in this configuration. >> it costs $9,000. >> it can go up to $9,000 if you get it all optioned out. >> that's about $7,000 a pound. anyway, what about the shoes? >> the transitions are key in the triathlon.

they only have about 30 seconds to get from the water onto the bike. they actually prelock these shoes onto the bike pedals. >> you slip into the shoes. >> a little dial, a flip-on here and twist the shoe on. >> i wish i had that for my regular shoes. what about the helmet. >> the helmets are about aero dynamics. you notice these don't look like traditional biking helmet, teardrop. anyone, these guys are looking to the right and left all the time, so this actually is better for that. >> a lot of folks play soccer. >> that's true. around the world it's the most popular sport in the world. these are the new shoes from adidas, u.s. women's team using some of these. they have this interesting rubber on the top and a bunch of different zones. >> lethals. >> lethal to the ball.

for kicking one type of rubber there. they use padding on the side for passing to make sure everything is controlled and accurate and power. >> available to normal folks. >> you can buy these if you want, $220. >> they are lethal shoes. >> absolutely lethal to the ball. >> killer shoes. thank you so much. appreciate it. >> thank you. up next, tell us what bugs you. we'll tell you our pet peeve if you tell us yours but first these messages. eat good fats. avoid bad. don't go over 2000... 1200 calories a day. carbs are bad. carbs are good. the story keeps changing. so i'm not listening... to anyone but myself. i know better nutrition when i see it: great grains. great grains cereal starts whole and stays whole. see the seam? more processed flakes look nothing like natural grains. you can't argue with nutrition you can see. great grains.

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♪ that nobody else could do ♪ something to me by what's getting done. measure commitment the twenty billion dollars bp committed has helped fund economic and environmental recovery. long-term, bp's made a five hundred million dollar commitment to support scientists studying the environment. and the gulf is open for business - the beaches are beautiful, the seafood is delicious. last year, many areas even reported record tourism seasons. the progress continues... but that doesn't mean our job is done. we're still committed to seeing this through. earlier this hour we asked you to tweet us and tell us what your biggest pet peeves are. >> the list goes on and on. we have a lot of them so we'll share ours as well. al roker. >> mine was basically when you hold the door for people and they don't say thank you. that's one of mine.

>> i agree with that. >> be courteous. >> that's rude. >> absolutely. >> nat, what was your. >> naysayers and complainers. come on, get happy! not complaining here. >> what about you? >> mine was offices that -- left out a word, offices that are overair sentenced, why am i wearing a blanket when it's 95 degrees outside. in my office i wear a blanket and scarf. >> earmuffs. pretty. a lot of good ones from fans. son of harry. when you call a girl beautiful and mean it but she's still not convinced. i like that. >> that's sweet. >> we like you harrison. >> when people crack their knuckles finger by finger, knuckle by knuckle. >> we started doing it. that's terrible. >> couples that sit on the same side of the booth, pet peeves.

>> i don't know. >> that's interesting. >> that's kind of romantic. hoda kotb sees people getting onto the elevator before we got off. clear the way for hoda. >> we have a lot of them, auto correct on the iphone, typos. >> pete fulmer at mine is the term "pet peeve" can't stand it. >> there you go, complaining. >> on his nerves today. >> we may become his pet peeve. >> not too late. get it out. get out your aggression on twitter. do #pet peeve. still ahead the right foods to get you that flat belly for summer. >> too late for me. moonlighting for money. we'll show you fun extra ways to make extra cash. >> first your local news and weather. try this. it's oikos greek yogurt.

it's creamy, nonfat, and it turns the next person you see into john stamos for five seconds. honey! i think i'm getting burned! heh! eat. ♪ tastes pretty good, huh? ♪ best yogurt ever. yeah! [ men grunting ] open! [ male announcer ] dannon oikos berry flavors beat chobani 2 to 1 in a national taste test. oikos greek yogurt. possibly the best yogurt in the world. [ ding! ] losing your chex mix too easily? time to deploy the boring-popcorn decoy bucket.

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>> live, local, latebreaking. this is a wbal-tv 11 news update. >> just as hot today as it was yesterday, but feeling even more humid. heat index up to about 105 degrees. any storm could be on the strong side. slight risk for severe weather extending into baltimore and a d.c.

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welcome back. savannah guthrie and al roker. >> telling a story to a friend and he/she has to top it with a better of their own. >> i have one better than that. >> mine is slow slow behind a driver and speeds up when you try to pass. >> that one, too. >> when people in my family drink all the milk and put the carton back in. >> all the time in my house. >> those are good. keep them coming, we like it. >> #pet peeves. as we continue this morning, we're taking a look also as far as our weather is concerned. i should say everybody could use a little bit of help trying to get some extra cash. you can actually get paid to do fun things like eat at restaurants or go shopping. who knew? we'll show you how? >> i can see making a lot of money. then flat belly foods you should be eating every day to help you beat the bloat and keep your stomach slim and trim.

first al has another check of the weather for us. >> see what we've got first of all, today, heat continues, risk of strong storms as a cool front starts to push down in the mid-atlantic states and northeast. fairly moderate in the pacific northwest although and wet there. looking at plenty of heat through the southern half of the country. tomorrow mid mississippi river valley, a risk of strong storms, warm in the northeast and great lakes, not as hot as it's been. mild in the pacific northwest and decent amount of sunshine, southwest, gulf coast, southeast, sizzling to hot conditions with a >> another day with the st. heat and humidity. highs in the upper 90's to the low 100's.

frf this one from the producers, my wife's pet peeve is when the show rushes through the cooking segment. give it time. >> that happens? >> every now and then. >> we'll try to work on that. coming up next, need extra cash? some easy ways to earn spending money right after this. ♪ [ female announcer ] life is full of little tests,

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this morning on "today's" money, moonlighting for extra cash. believe it or not you can get paid to do fun things like eat chocolate, go shopping or dine at a restaurant. that sounds good. where do you find these great

gigs? a columnist for marketwatch and "wall street journal" sunday. good morning. >> good morning. >> this sounds like the old, if it sounds too good to be true, it is. >> no, it's good. >> these aren't part-time jobs but come in spurts. >> focus groups, part of a mock juror. if you want to be a taste tester. they are fun, interesting, not full time but part time. you sign up. when work comes your way it's good money. >> it is good money. how much can you expect to make? >> you can make $30 for 30 minutes to $250, $300 for a full day. sometimes projects will go even a week or two. >> how much time do you have to put in? is it flexible in some cases? >> it is flexible. you seign up, takes a few minuts to register. some jobs take a few hours and get about $80. >> you mention add few, focus groups. company that hire you to study

their products. >> like the day i went in, it was a taste testing day. they were taste testing. ready for this milkshakes, chocolate. i watch the people. they take it seriously. the people are analyzing the packaging. they are analyzing the taste. they fill it out. then they left with cash in their hand. so it's everything from computer chips to potato chips and everything in between. >> there are ever focus groups at home? >> yeah. a lot of them are online surveys. test out how consumer friendly this website is or like for a mom at home, it might be something like a laundry detergent or cereal. >> mock jury, that feels to me like -- how do you get in on that? >> before trial taerattorneys w to take a case before a jury, they want a mock jury. they want to see what strategies work, what turns them on, turns them off. they will hire special focus

groups. there's a whole list of these mock juror cases. they check it out before hand. >> mystery shopper that sounds good, too. >> we love shopping. what it basically is. you're a consumer, customer, go under cover. it might be something like a movie theater, restaurant. it can be something that any customer would experience. then you write it up. not only that but you also get to keep the things, like if you go shopping or go to dinner, you get paid and you get the service. >> with election season upon us, poll workers jobs are available. >> yeah. that is really fun and interesting. people feel good about that. you can earn anywhere from $100 to $200. you go through a little training period. a lot of them will bring you back year after year. >> i'm sure everybody is sitting at home saying how do i sign up. we put resources on today.com, how to sign up for the job. a lot of quick money at home, how can you tell which is a

scam. >> most important, pay for nothing. you shouldn't have to pay registration fees, buy lists. no money. you want to check when you register with these places they have a good -- they don't sell your information. they have to have a really good privacy policy. you're safe. don't give social security number, banking, anything like that. resources on the site are vetted very well. i personally vetted them. >> another good reason to do to today.com. thank you. good ideas. appreciate it. >> sure. >> if you wan more information how to earn money moonlighting go, to our website. coming up next, al's book club kids get into the olympic spirit with their latest reads after these messages. the capital one cash rewards card gives you a 50% annual bonus. and who doesn't want 50% more cash? ugh, the baby. huh! and then the baby bear said, "i want 50% more cash in my bed!" phhht! 50% more cash is good ri... what's that. ♪

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no. ♪ ugh, no! [ sighs ] we can have hotdogs for dinner?! yes. [ male announcer ] it's nice to finally say "yes." new oscar mayer selects. it's yes food. ♪ >> this morning on al's book club for kids, rush for the gold. mystery at the olympics. susan competing as a swimmer at

her first olympic games, her boyfriend by her side. he's worried. going too far trying to make sure the newest darling wins gold. author of "rush for the gold." we want to welcome back our book club kids. and joining us via skype, our special guest ryan from pennsylvania. how are you guys doing? >> good. >> all righty. let's get started. first off, john, this is -- talk about a timely story. what was your inspiration for this? >> al, this is the sixth book in a series of kids mysteries i started seven years ago when my 10-year-old son wanted to start reading my books. i didn't think "on the brink" or other nonfiction works were appropriate for a 10-year-old. since i'm a sports writer, i set them at the sporting events. i set her up as a swimmer right from the beginning because i'm an old, out of shape swimmer clearly. >> a veteran. >> i appreciate that.

>> let's get started. first of all, sarah, what's your question. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> your book "rush for the gold" has two main characters. why did you decide to have two main characters. did this make the writing process hard for you? >> that's a good question. i wanted, in today's world boys and girls all grow up as athletes if they want to be. that didn't used to be the case when al and i were growing up. fortunately it is now thanks to title 9. i wanted to make the girl the better athlete to get away from stereotypes. so i created them as aspiring journalists, since that's what i was as a teenager and made susan carol into the athlete. in this book, of course, she becomes an olympic athlete. >> jack, what's your question? >> hi. >> hi, jack. >> i'm a swimmer, so i enjoyed the swimming lingo. why did you pick swimming and how did you find out so much information about the sport? >> from swimming very slowly a

long time. can i feel all the pain real swimmers feel just feel them more slowly. that's why i made her a swimmer in the very first book in the series because of my experience as a swimmer. when she got to the olympics, it was easy for me as a reporter to write about the swimming aspect and reporting aspect so it worked out well for me. >> jack, are you a better swimmer than your dad? my son nick is better for me. demoralizing actually. >> i know the feeling. >> sidney, what's your question? >> both susan and stevie are bothered by the fact athletes' earnings depended on their look. why can you include that? >> i've experienced that myself. seeing athletes become stars not just because of their ability but because of their looks, both men and women. commercialization is part of sports. we all live with it today. you guys see the commercials for athletes. i think it's kinds of unfair

sometimes when people are judged based strictly on their looks, not on their talent or personality. >> we're going to head now to skype and pennsylvania. we've got 9-year-old ryan joining us. good morning, ryan. >> hello, mr. feinstein. i'm very happy to have the opportunity to talk to you. main characters in the book, stevie and susan. when did you decide you wanted to be a sports writer like them. >> i decided i would be a sports writer when i realized i wasn't a good enough athlete to make a living as an athlete. when i was in college i started writing about sports rather than competing in college. i was lucky. it gave me a way to be around sports, carry out my passion for sports and to get paid for it. i sometimes think, it's amazing, i get paid to do things that normally people pay to do. i was very lucky to stumble into it in college. >> we should all be so blessed. >> i consider myself blessed

every day. >> thanks so much. first find out how the kids rated the book. on a scale of one to five, rush for the gold gets four and a half stars. you guys really enjoyed this. >> yes. >> i paid them off. >> that's a good way to make sure you get the stars. >> whatever works. >> joking. if you're between the ages of 9 and 12 and you'd like the chance to be our next guest kid, head to today.com. time to reveal our next book in al's book club for kids. it is "vanished." by sheela chari. thanks so much, john. good to have you. >> thank you. up next, satisfying foods to flatten your belly. first this is "today" on nbc. [ barks ]co]

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or visit travelers.com. this morning on eat smart

today, flat belly foods, some of the best to stay slim. registered dietitian and nutrition blogger for self magazine. good morning. >> good morning. >> you've got a lot to get through. let's first talk about breakfast. you've got something that will help fill us up, quick and easy. >> this is my favorite flat belly for morning time. peanut butter and berry yogurt. the flat belly food is peanut butter, monday o unsaturated fl. they use more calories. >> the yogurt, protein. >> a lot of protein and another secret ingredient with snacks. >> berries. >> berries, add the flavor like a pbj in the cup. >> i never thought to put peanut butter in the yogurt. just stir it up. >> take it with you. >> for lunch you can have pizza. a modified way to flatten the belly. >> this modification makes it

flat belly start. we swapped out typical bread crust for mushroom cap. mushrooms are the great flat belly food the only plant source of vitamin d. they have linked lower levels of vitamin d to higher levels of belly fat. >> portabellos instead of a steak or hamburger. >> great that way. >> i love this snack here, flat belly snack. you've got to have your coffee, iced mocha. how is this a flat belly food. >> my go to post workout food. exercise is easier when we have a treat to look forward to at the end. >> you just told millions in america your secret. that's good. we like it. >> it's great i'm mixing cold coffee with low fat chocolate milk. that has the perfect ratio of nutrients to refuel after a workout, build muscle and fat. a lot of olympic athletes drink chocolate milk. for salty snacks, ideas to

lessen bloat. >> popcorn is fabulous, sweet, savory and crunchy. all those great things. all three ingredients are flat belly foods. >> almonds, chocolate and popcorn. >> popcorn is a whole grain. i've air popped it. whole grains are great because people who eat whole grains have less belly fat than people who eat refined grains. >> delicious. >> fabulous. >> fill you up because it's popcorn. >> what's here, a dip. >> if you like creamy dips but want to keep your flat belly, this the dip for you. it is fabulous, rich and creamy. i swacpped out sour cream for greek style yogurt. the secret ingredient in the yogurt i've told you about, probiotics. studies show people that eat probiotics have less belly bloating. >> a banana with treats on it.

>> this reminds me of a treat at the fair when i was a kid. >> a healthy one, not fried. >> this is a flat belly snack in disguise. >> what's on the banana. >> almond butter, healthy fats like peanut butter, rolled in crushed whole grain cereal and raisins. both are fiber, natural appetite suppress ant. >> hummus. we love that. >> i know you've had it before. a fun snack for parties, easy. a secret ingredient. you know what that is? >> i'm guessing the gar gar banzo beans. >> you got it. >> tasty way to go. >> just drink some water with it and gradually increase your intake. >> for dinner options love this. quinoa bowl. >> it's a flat belly food, not

only a whole grain, the only grain that's a complete protein as well. >> you've got tuna and everything else here. >> throw it in the bowl. >> thank you so much. >> thank you. coming up, dark knight rises actor. hey parents, it's a big year. i'm not just teaching music.

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