Our bodies are up to 75% water.  One of the most common reason people are sluggish in the afternoon is due to dehydration.  If we don’t drink enough water, we become tired, and our bodies really slow down: we don’t even metabolize food properly!  It is a must to get your water in and there are plenty of ways to make plain ol’ water more exciting, like adding fresh mint or strawberry slices, or going bubbly with your favorite seltzer! Regardless of how you take your water, drink up!

NLT: Water is so important to me that I came up with 3 water varieties in my latest book Slim Calm Sexy Diet.  For a blazing boost to your metabolism try my Slimming Water.  To keep your cool when feeling anxious or agitated, give my Calming Water a try.  When you’re feeling sexy, be sure to sip on Sexy Water to keep that flirtatious feeling!

Our bodies are up to 75% water.  One of the most common reason people are sluggish in the afternoon is due to dehydration.  If we don’t drink enough water, we become tired, and our bodies really slow down: we don’t even metabolize food properly!  It is a must to get your water in and there are plenty of ways to make plain ol’ water more exciting, like adding fresh mint or strawberry slices, or going bubbly with your favorite seltzer! Regardless of how you take your water, drink up!

NLT: Water is so important to me that I came up with 3 water varieties in my latest book Slim Calm Sexy Diet.  For a blazing boost to your metabolism try my Slimming Water.  To keep your cool when feeling anxious or agitated, give my Calming Water a try.  When you’re feeling sexy, be sure to sip on Sexy Water to keep that flirtatious feeling!

Water is so important to me that I came up with 3 water varieties in my latest book Slim Calm Sexy Diet.

For a blazing boost to your metabolism try my Slimming Water: add a dash of cayenne pepper for a kick of energy and spice

To keep your cool when feeling anxious or agitated, give my Calming Water a try: add a few slices of cucumbers for a soothing effect.

 When you’re feeling sexy, be sure to sip on Sexy Water to keep that flirtatious feeling! Add a little cinnamon, clove, and cardamom for an exotic flavor.

I’m going to use Cinco de Mayo – a gorgeous opportunity in my mind to enjoy all that Mexican flavors have to offer – to remind us all about the important balance between indulgence and portion control. There is room in your everyday diet to enjoy some of the best Mexican-influenced fare, including tequila, guacamole and tortillas. If you are mostly eating healthfully and making good choices with your nutrition, lifestyle and exercise, there is room to celebrate with food on occasion. I’m going to help you make sure these are conscious indulgences that make you feel good about your food choices, rather than overwhelmed and regretful. Having a plan can be an amazing tool – practice it when you celebrate Mexico’s independence this Cinco de Mayo.

Let’s start with the libations. The first thing that leaps to my mind when talking about Mexican food is a beautiful Margarita with a salty rim and sassy lime. (Bring on the sand, the surf and the hot sun). Whether frozen, on the rocks or straight up, a Margarita is generally made up of tequila, triple sec, lime and sometimes sugar. The calorie content varies, depending if yours is served in a small glass or giant bucket-like-glass and how much sugar is used. Be careful; calories can range from 160 to over 300. Tequila comes from the agave plant and is known for its sweetness and kick. While it has some benefits, including relaxing effects, cholesterol lowering properties and digestive aid properties, one tequila-based drink should do the trick. If you plan to indulge in a cocktail, leave off the salt (who needs the water retention side effects?). Or, if you’re like me and cannot give up the salt, try adding a splash of cayenne pepper to your salt rim to boost the health properties. Also, use fresh lime to boost the tartness and increase the freshness and nutrition of the cocktail. Choose a small glass option and sip slowly and remember to order a glass of water or seltzer with your drink.

Cocktail conquered, let’s move onto the second potential danger zone. Are those tortilla chips on the table your absolute downfall? Understood. They are crunchy, salty and delicious vehicles for the salsa, guacamole and bean dip! The nutritional contribution is going to be small – an ounce (about 15 chips) is approximately 140 calories in the commercially prepared version, with not much to offer besides calories and fat. Homemade and restaurant chips tend to be even higher in both. If you simply must (and I understand), do not feel guilt. Say out loud “I am having 5 chips.” Put 5 chips on your plate and really, slowly, deliberately enjoy them. I know it may sound like a small amount, but sip, bite, and chat slowly and you will be satisfied until the main dish comes. You do not need to eat the chips out of the basket or go back for seconds! If it is in your power to turn down the basket, before it hits the table, you will feel so good being proud of yourself that you won’t even miss the crunch.

Finally we get to the guacamole: a delicious buttery, verdant, delectable avocado-based dip with cilantro, onions, lime and just a perfect pinch of salt. While avocados are high in fat, they are full of those good cholesterol lowering fats and loaded with gorgeous nutrition in the form of potassium, vitamin A, B vitamins and more. There are approximately 25 calories in a tablespoon and a tablespoon can be really satisfyingly stretched.

See?! I have you consciously indulging in a margarita with 5 restaurant-made chips and a tablespoon of guacamole. You can still have an entrée salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onions, radishes and 3 oz grilled chicken, shrimp or steak, dressed with vinegar as an entree.  Ole!

Decadent and indulgent, enjoy your Cinco de Mayo with portion control and a plan. You will feel both satisfied and on track. Salud!

As the weather starts to heat up and the daylight increases, we’re able to spend more time outdoors. The midday mochachino we used all winter to warm us up and keep us energized just doesn’t have the same appeal. Water is what we really crave – and it does more than quench our thirst. Studies have shown that water improves mental performance, helps regulate digestion, and maintains our “cool” by allowing the body to sweat. But does water just sound like a snooze? Wake it up by adding fresh lemon, cucumbers, or lime! Iced herbal tea makes a great alternative altogether, and if you are itching for some bubbles, grab an all-natural flavored seltzer…just be sure you don’t grab the kind with added sugars.

NLT: Want to get creative and make your own sparkling sensation? Try an at-home version by purchasing a Sodastream sparkling water kit. In less than 30 seconds, this machine will turn fresh water into a carbonated beverage. Experiment with fun flavors by adding lime, pomegranate, or blueberry juice!

This year, go unconventionally green for St. Patrick’s day. Rather than lament the lack of nutrition in a green bagel, bemoan the negative side effects of too much green beer or rewrite the corned beef and cabbage recipes from yonder years, go green in a different direction. Try a green juice. So many people assume a green juice is not for them. They claim they don’t like vegetables. They fear it won’t be yummy. The color is off-putting. Die hard green juicers seem nutritionally elite – willing to compromise their taste buds in the name of super fuel.  While there is definitely a continuum of green – from beginner to advanced, there is a place for you on the spectrum. Take a minute to look around, and you’ll see lots of people toting juice in hand. It’s all the rage. Perhaps it’s time to give one a try.

 Tips to help you go green:

• You do need a juicer to make a green juice, but you do not need to buy the fanciest one out there. A blender can work for some recipes, but cannot separate the pulp from the juice, making it thick and less juicy.

• Even if you do not care for cooked broccoli, kale, collards or cucumbers, for example, you may like them in a raw juice – many times the flavors are more mild raw and combined with other ingredients.

• Choose produce that is fresh and healthy in appearance.

• Try to juice immediately prior to drinking. Once the juice is made, it starts losing its nutritional powers. Green juice is sensitive to time (how long from when it was made until it is consumed), temperature (heat can diminish some of the vitamin potency) and storage (air and clear glass containers can also make the juice less potent).

• You can find commercially prepared juices such as Odwalla Original Superfood or Naked Green Machine juices in stores Nationwide. To preserve their integrity on the shelf, there is added sugar, usually in the form of juice, but they still may be worth a try. If you live in NYC (and some other major cities), you can try picking up a Blue Print Juice Blue Print Green, Cooler Cleanse Essential Green or Sweet Green, which are available all over the city at Juice Generation, Whole Foods or Exhale stores. Organic Avenue is a company that will deliver juices (try Green Love or Mellow Love) to a local restaurant for pickup. These companies are most famous for cleanses, but offer a green juice that may work with your efforts to get some green juice into your repertoire.

• If you do not find a health food store or juicing joint in your ‘hood, Blue Print Juice, Cooler Cleanse, and Organic Avenue offer home delivery, but it is a commitment of at least a few days, which may be intense for a beginner, so try them with a friend.

• A juice can be a great break from salad boredom, but should not replace chewing your veggies.  Try one in place of a snack with a handful of nuts. Or, if you are not much of a breakfast person, a green juice and an ounce of cheese can be a great start to the day.

Recipes for success:

Beginner greens

½  head of romaine lettuce

½ cucumber

6 spinach leaves

1 green apple

Clean all produce well. Toss in the juicer in order and drink immediately.

Verdent intermediate (while the ingredients may seem intimidating, the flavor is mild)

2 celery stalks

1 cup kale or spinach

½ cucumber

1 cup wheat grass

Clean all produce well. Toss in the juicer in order and drink immediately.

Advanced green master

½ cup broccoli

3 celery stalks

1 handful fresh parsley

1 handful fresh spinach

½ cucumber

½ inch fresh peeled ginger

1 lemon, peeled

Clean all produce well. Toss in the juicer in order and drink immediately.

Happy, healthy and green St. Patty’s day to you. In lieu of searching for the perfect four leaf clover, arm yourself with a superpower green juice and may the luck of the Irish bless you. Cheers!

With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, who is not looking to don that green and get into the spirit? This year, instead of kegs and eggs, begin your day with a greens juice. Grab your favorite greens (and even your not-so-favorite ones as juicing can help disguise the taste) and toss them in a blender for an easy, nutritious “greensky”.  Begin with mild green veggies like celery and cucumber and add in romaine, spinach and kale.  Fresh lemon and ginger offer a nice kick and if you feel you need to mask the taste of greens add half a banana or apple to give your St. Patty’s drink a sweet punch!

NLT: You can do it! Make your own green juice today! Lean Green St. Patty’s Juice:  Try 1 cup spinach, 1 cup kale, ½ cup romaine, ½ medium cucumber, 1/2 Granny Smith apple, ½ squeezed lemon; blend and enjoy fresh!

Here are five easy ways to get glamorous for a big day.  Okay, so you may not be walking the red carpet to accept an Oscar, but you may need to ramp yourself up for a big date of your own.  Whether it’s for a date with the man of your dreams, a special birthday, or for that tropical vacation you have planned with your gals, these five tips will help you achieve your ultimate glam.

One Week Countdown:

 1.      Eat Empowered

Order Nutritious Life Meals.  Stop worrying about what extreme diet you need to start and get NLM delivered right to your door.  No more counting calories and no more worrying about getting all the nutrients your body needs to be in top shape.  When time is limited and you can’t afford to waste any precious glam-time at the market and in the kitchen, let Keri work out the menu details for you so you can sit back and relax, and feel confident knowing you are eating empowered.

Fact: Nutritious Life Meals will make you feel better, give you more energy and help you lose weight.  You will eat fresh, portioned, nutrient dense foods to fuel you for your special event and every day after that to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

 2.      Exercise Steady

Get 45 minutes of aerobic exercise and 15 minutes of weight training each day the week before your main event.  Alternate days between different muscle groups to allow muscle recovery and growth time, for example: shoulders, triceps, calves and hamstrings one day; back, biceps, quads and abdominals the next.  And don’t forget to stretch for at least 5 minutes before and after your workout.  The morning of your big day, do some good ol’ classic pushups and crunches to boost blood flow and invigorate you for the night.  Also, most people find more muscle definition in the hours immediately following their work out, which is a nice added bonus.

Fact: You will shed pounds by burning calories in your aerobic exercises and tone muscles with your weight training.  Exercising increases blood flow which helps with circulation giving your skin a healthy glow.  Exercise can also help reduce stress and it can help you sleep better, which are both needed to calm your nerves for your special occasion.

 3.      Sleep Deep

Aim for 8 hours a night, settle for no less than 7.  For some reason sleep has become one of those things that we give up to fit everything else into our busy schedules, but sleep should really be a top priority, especially when we want to be looking and feeling our best.

Fact:  They don’t call it “beauty sleep” for nothing.  While we sleep, our body’s natural antioxidant melatonin, a sleep hormone, fights off free radical invaders.  If you’re not getting enough sleep at night, you’re reducing the amount of time that melatonin gets to fight off wrinkles and those bags under your eyes will only get worse.  By getting enough sleep at night, we will not only look and feel well-rested, but our immune system will be strengthened.  What a bummer it would be to feel sick and run down on the red carpet!

 4.      Drink Up

Drink 8 glasses of water and 2 cups of green tea a day.  The day before your special occasion, drink a cup of dandelion root tea as well.

Fact: Sounds counterintuitive, right?  But by drinking water throughout the day, you reduce bloating, flush out toxins, hydrate your skin to achieve a healthy glow, and keep your digestive organs in good working order.  Green tea has been shown to boost metabolism and dandelion tea will help flush you out, further reducing toxins and any bloating.

 5.      Pamper Thyself

Cleanse!  No time or money to book that expensive facial?  Have no fear, your cleanser is here.  Give this easy homemade cleanser and mask a try and you will almost be able to feel the antioxidants and nutrients seep into your skin making it soft, smooth, and younger looking.  Don’t forget to moisturize twice daily.

Pink Dairy Cleanser: Each day in your countdown, use this quick and easy cleanser by mixing 2 teaspoons milk, 2 teaspoons pink grapefruit juice with pulp, and 2 teaspoons Greek plain yogurt or sour cream until smooth.

Soothing Green and White Mask: 7 days and 4 days before the big day puree ¼ can white beans and 5 cucumber slices in a food processor until smooth.  Gently massage the mask onto your face and let it sit for 15 minutes before rinsing off.

Fact: Pink Dairy Cleanser – the yogurt will gently exfoliate and stimulate collagen, to help firm your skin.  The pink grapefruit will protect your skin from sun damage and the formation of free radicals.  Soothing Green and White Mask – This refreshing mask will help sooth redness and inflammation and leave your skin feeling serene.

Nothing beats the smell of freshly brewed coffee in the morning. Mmmmm…I’ve been known to even bring my a.m. Joe to the gym with me (it’s been shown that having a cup about 15 minutes before working out increases endurance and helps burn fat.Enough for me to justify it!).  I like to brew my own organic coffee (I even set the timer on the coffee maker the night before) and add a splash of organic skim milk. But, every once in a while I do like a flavored coffee. And, clients often ask, “Just how do they make vanilla coffee vanilla?”  Here’s the scoop on those little flavored beans.

First off, to get a coffee bean rich in flavor, the hull needs to be removed from the bean and then roasted. Roasting takes only a short time, 15-30 minutes at most, and then the beans are left to cool. Flavors are usually added gradually once the beans have cooled so the coffee flavor itself isn’t destroyed. Flavorings are added in the form of oils but don’t worry – the percentage of oil to beans is so miniscule it adds no calories or fat.  The oil is sprayed on the beans as they tumble around a vat to be coated evenly and left to dry. Flavor intensity is determined by roast temperatures (light, medium or dark) to give rich bold flavors without calories.

However, beware when you are stopping by your fave java joint. Even though beans have already been flavored, often, flavored coffees made by baristas, have added calorie laden syrups or artificially sweetened syrups. These syrups add calories — all from sugar. A single pump provides about 30 calories and who stops at just one? Opting for sugar free syrups is an even worse idea, since artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, neotame and sacharrin are added to emulate flavors and are hundreds of times sweeter than regular sugar.Gross! Finally, for all you home specialty-coffee-makers, when choosing to buy instant flavored coffee be sure to read the label because those tend to have added sugar AND fat as well.

Here are some easy ways to make your own flavored coffees:

• If you have coffee beans and a grinder: In a stainless steel or glass bowl, pour beans in and drizzle with natural and pure flavored extract such as vanilla or hazelnut. An ounce (think shot glass) per pound of beans is all you need. Coat beans evenly and then grind when ready brew.

•  If you buy ground beans: First check the expiration date. Fresh is best! Go for original plain roasts. To get different flavors open up your spice cabinet, fridge or pantry and combine. You have complete freedom here to experiment. Grind up some almonds or hazelnuts and mix about half a teaspoon per cup to ground beans and brew. Shave in some fresh cinnamon, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spices for a spicy treat. For a more exotic blend try orange zest or coconut shavings. When the hot water steams over the mixture the flavors are extracted and absorbed in the liquid.

• Watch what you put in your cup: Creamers, milks, and sugar all add calories. If you’re not mindful about how much you add and have 3 or 4 cups a day you could easily be adding 200-300 maybe even more calories a day. Many fancy concoctions contain enough calories to count as a meal! See if you can wean yourself from extras in your Joe and make do with less.

Be mindful of your Java. Flavor it responsibly and enjoy it deliberately. Cheers!

What’s your favorite flavored coffee? Have you ever made your home at home?

This year has been full of jaw dropping headlines all around the world. The nutrition world definitely did not fall short of controversial topics and hot buzz debates. Whether it was Dr. Oz’s shocking report about arsenic in apple juice or the battle among researchers in relation to the safety of dietary supplements, 2011 has been a historic and thought provoking year. Take a look at our Nutritious Life 2011 year in review…

 Arsenic in Apple Juice

Dr. Oz’s show, which aired on September 14, 2011, caused quite a stir in the juice industry as well as with the FDA.  Through investigation, he found that many popular apple juice brands had arsenic levels higher than the level deemed safe in water. Dr. Oz used the levels for water as a reference point because currently, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) does not have an established safe level standard in place for arsenic or lead in juice.

The FDA and many juice manufacturing companies expressed concern and were disappointed in Dr. Oz’s studies. They felt that Dr. Oz’s report, which accounted for total arsenic levels rather than distinguishing between organic (safe) and inorganic (unsafe) arsenic, misled the public.

However, 6 weeks later, after further investigation by Consumer Reports and the FDA, they too found apple juice samples to have excessive levels of arsenic, of the harmful inorganic form.

The FDA, on December 9, 2011, stated their next action steps to be:

• Enhance the surveillance of arsenic in apple juice by testing an additional 90 samples of juice
• Continue to test samples of apple juice imported from China
• Collaborate with the EPA to come up with guidelines for reducing the overall level of arsenic in the environment and in foods

With the concerted effort put forth to increase awareness and increase public safety, do you think apple juice is still safe to drink? NL wish: remove the fear from our food supply with proactive, rather than retroactive safety monitoring.

MyPlate

This year we said goodbye to the renowned pyramid and hello to your plate.  The food pyramid, which many of us remember from growing up, is now a thing of the past. The USDA revitalized their food group guide to create something that Americans could easily visualize. Their hope is that people will intuitively mimic this visual guide by making half of their plate fruits and vegetables. Nutritious Life recognizes MyPlate as a slight step up from the pyramid, but we still would like to see a more varied and distinguishable nutritional guide that teaches Americans about a fully balanced and healthy diet. NL wish for the future: a teaching tool that is simple, comprehensive and helps explains quality of food.

Sugary Drinks

 Sugary drinks are loaded with calories, but offer little nutritional value. The controversial debate surrounding sugar drinks has continued for some time now. Last October, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Governor Paterson proposed an initiative to the USDA to exclude sugar-sweetened beverages from being purchased through the nation’s food stamp program (SNAP).

Mayor Bloomberg stated, “In spite of the great gains we’ve made over the past eight years in making our communities healthier, there are still two areas where we’re losing ground – obesity and diabetes.”

Governor Paterson stated, “The use of food stamp benefits to support the purchase of sugar sweetened drinks not only contradicts the intent of this vital program, but it also subsidizes a serious public health epidemic.”

As reported by the New York Times, the proposal to ban sugary drinks was denied because of the “logistical difficulty of sorting out which beverages could or could not be purchased with food stamps and because it would be hard to gauge how effective the step was in reducing obesity.”

For the soft-drink industry, which lobbied against the proposal, and the advocacy groups for SNAP participants, the decision to reject the proposal was seen as a victory. But for Mayor Bloomberg and others like him, the decision was quite upsetting. Should the Mayor give up the fight against sugary drinks? NL wish: keep going in this direction! Change is uncomfortable, but necessary to turn around our obesity crisis.

The Farm Bill

True or False? The U.S. Farm Bill only affects farmers. False. This extensive piece of legislation is by no means exclusive to farmers. It is relevant to every American that has ever taken notice to the price of grocery store food items or has any interest in seeing sustainable food options, such as local, naturally grown, or organic become more widely available.

The farm bill is designed to help the U.S. government manage issues from international food trade to funding various food and nutrition programs such as farm-to-school and farmers’ market nutrition programs. It also affects energy and transportation, as corn is used to make biofuel.

Currently, foods and food products produced by huge food industry companies are somewhat less expensive and more convenient to purchase due to the fact that these companies can produce food in large amounts. Local, naturally grown, and organic foods are not as commonly available. One reason for this is that these companies do not receive the same type of government funding and support as large industry companies.

This year, many advocacy groups, on both sides of the issue, have been busy making their case before Congress and the Senate, for the new farm bill that will be passed in 2012. NL wish: We hope to see a bill passed that supports the availability of healthy choices for all Americans.

Meatless Mondays

Before you go off and sign the Facebook petition against Meatless Monday, consider this. Meatless Monday is a non-profit initiative of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. Their goal is to help improve overall health, reduce climate change and our carbon footprint by going “meatless’ one day out of the week.

Star chefs Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, Lidia Bastianich, John Fraser, Marcus Samuelsson and April Bloomfield are already taking part in this movement and offer meatless specials every Monday.

Many celebrities are committing to going meatless on Mondays, including Paul McCartney, Gwyneth Paltrow, Yoko Ono, Kate Moss, Oprah, Robin Roberts, Russell Simmons, Simon Cowell, Olivia Wilde and many more.

Check out your favorite local restaurant to see if they are already on board or if they’d be interested in offering meatless specials on Mondays. NL wish: this movement benefits both the environment and personal health. If we can incorporate more meatless meals into our days and weeks, Meatless Mondays will become commonplace.

Grass-fed

What is all this talk about grass-fed meat lately?  Don’t all animals roam around the pasture eating grass?  Sadly, no.  The majority of “big business” slaughter houses feed their cattle a grain diet to fatten them up faster to increase production.  By raising cattle on a pasture, the consumer benefits by eating more nutritious meats; the farmer benefits because the pastures get fertilized naturally; and the animals benefit by eating the diet they were naturally intended to eat. Grass fed animals also have plenty of room to roam rather than being stuffed in a feed lot with no grass.

The American Grass Fed organization states that research is finding grass fed meat tends to be lower in fat and cholesterol and less likely to contain harmful E. coli bacteria.  They also conclude, “A variety of research shows that meat, dairy products, poultry and eggs from animals fed grass diets, rather than grain based diets, are higher in beta carotene (Vitamin A), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has been shown to be useful in cancer prevention, total weight control, improved cholesterol levels, and omega-3 fatty acids.” NL wish: a gradual and comfortable return to grass fed practices that benefit the animals, farmers and economy.  

High-Fructose Corn Syrup 

…it’s all in a name…

The Sugar Association, who represents growers of sugar beets and cane for producing table sugar, sucrose, is currently in a battle with the Corn Refiners Association who process corn to create High-Fructose Corn Syrup, a syrup made of the same components as sucrose.

Since High-Fructose Corn Syrup has been getting a lot of bad press in the recent years, the Corn Refiners Association wants to change the name of High-Fructose Corn Syrup to corn sugar to help with sales. However, The Sugar Association doesn’t want companies confusing corn sugar with table sugar or sucrose, which they feel may inherently cost them sales.

We shall see what the courts decide in the coming months, but either way, high-fructose corn syrup or corn sugar, it’s the main sweetener used in sugary drinks and other highly processed foods, so try to limit it from your 2012 diet. NL wish: a gradual weaning of all sweeteners in processed foods by at least 30% over time. Lets re-train our palates to prefer less sweet treats!

Supplements – to take or not to take?

Throughout this year, there has been quite the buzz around whether or not dietary supplements can be helpful or harmful. According to MedPage Today, government researchers have seen a 40% increase in supplement usage in Americans compared to the early 90’s.

Calcium is among the most frequently taken supplements in the U.S., and according to Dr. George Blackburn of Harvard Medical School, this is a good thing. He commented that without supplementation, most women over age 60 would have inadequate calcium intake, which could lead to bone loss.

Vitamin E supplementation did not get the same love as Calcium, however. A shocking study (the SELECT trial) released by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic in October suggested vitamin E taken in large doses may actually lead to an increased risk for prostate cancer. While the results of the study are still inconclusive, medical researchers such as Dr. Jack Cusik say that

“Except for cases of clear deficiency, supplementation of vitamin E has not been shown to benefit any aspect of health, so there is no rationale for taking it unless a deficiency exists.”

Eating a balanced diet with mostly whole foods, in general, can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral needs and potentially decrease your risk of vitamin deficiency. However, when considering taking supplements, always discuss it with your doctor and registered dietitian prior to starting a regimen. NL wish: more information about the dangers of supplementation would help to make best practice decisions. We’ll be on the lookout for more research to come!

I’ve never been a big fan of resolutions. I truly believe we should be working on improving ourselves daily, and that we don’t need a holiday date to begin self-improvement work. However, there is something to be said for taking a minute to reflect on the past year and take action moving forward. There are many “rules” to follow in life but looking ahead at a new year, there is one rule I would like to focus on: be responsible. It translates into your personal, professional and social life in a proactive and productive way. We don’t need a million guidelines. There shouldn’t be a hundred messages telling you how to govern yourself as you navigate the world. Moving through life with the mantra ‘be responsible’ should cover you in most situations. As we approach the New Year, it is a good time to revisit the simple message of being responsible.

Be responsible for your health — make choices that keep you accountable to your physical, mental and emotional health. Find a way to be responsible when you are indulging and enjoy yourself with a thoughtful recognition of your actions with food, exercise and well being. Make and keep your doctors’ appointments, schedule regular dental check-ups and be proactive in eating empowered by keeping your refrigerator and pantry responsibly stocked.

Be responsible in your environment — take a New Year’s minute to look at the space you spend the most time in. Do you love your home? Is your bedroom a sanctuary? Are you proud of the desk you keep and spot where you relax? No? Then take some action and make the spaces you live in spaces you love. Take ownership of improving your world you live in so that you can feel good about your choices.

Be responsible in your love – release some oxytocin, the love hormone that is responsible for managing your stress and negative feelings. Cuddle more puppies, hold more children’s hands, hug your loved ones and accept and receive affections. You deserve to have a year that is full of feelings of being loved, so take responsibility for it by incorporating a little love into each day.

What are your thoughts on New Year’s Resolutions?