Are you waking up feeling a little puffy? Do you need pliers to pull your rings off and an extra strength shoe horn to squeeze your feet into your ballet flats? Besides your waistline, you may notice a little bloat in your face, neck, fingers and ankles. You are retaining a layer of water just underneath your skin. Don’t freak out. It happens to everyone. It isn’t fat and you don’t have to get used to it. You can banish it with a little know how. Try my tips. Let’s shuck that layer and unveil a more streamlined version of you.

1. Fluid pushes fluid. If you are retaining water, you may be dealing with a little electrolyte imbalance. It may feel counter intuitive  but drinking water will flush (literally) the extra fluid from your system. Steer clear of the bubbly stuff and if you’re looking for a little extra zip to your H2O, toss in a slice of lemon, grapefruit or cucumber, which may help you suck down a little more.

2. Moo-ve the dairy. A dairy isn’t easy for most adults to digest. As we age, we lose the enzyme needed to break down and process milk sugars — the side effect is bloating, gas and cramping. Take a few days to ditch milk and dairy products completely. Don’t substitute them, just take a break from milk, cheese and yogurt. If you notice a big difference, you may be intolerant, so try adding back dairy foods one at a time. Try yogurt first and no other dairy and check in with yourself to see if the bloat returned. The next day try milk in your coffee. Add one dairy food a day with the ones you tolerate so you can see what works for you.

3. Tummy friendly fruit. So, believe it or not, you are better off not going for the apples, pears and melon if you want to pull off the water weight. Choose berries, lemons, oranges, grapefruit and grapes, as they don’t hold on to water and are more easily digested.

4. Can’t pronounce it? Don’t eat it. Ditch all artificial sweeteners and diet foods. They can make you bloated and trigger gas and diarrhea: exactly what you don’t want. Stay away from xylitol, maltitol, sorbitol and all the artificial sweeteners. You don’t need the diet yogurt, soda, cookies or other nutrient poor foods.

5. Cut the starch. Starches, especially the processed ones, like cereals, pastas, breads and crackers, hold on to water. You don’t want that. Either do without the toast, or choose whole grain versions like rice, root vegetables or oats. They’re better choices, anyway. You still need fiber, which is super important for both your health and your six pack, so get it from produce and whole grains, or consider a supplement — don’t forget to wash down your fiber rich foods with lots of water.

Ok, try these things. You’ll slide your rings off with ease, slip into those slippers easily and relish your streamlined self.

Are you waking up feeling a little puffy? Do you need pliers to pull your rings off and an extra strength shoe horn to squeeze your feet into your ballet flats? Besides your waistline, you may notice a little bloat in your face, neck, fingers and ankles. You are retaining a layer of water just underneath your skin. Don’t freak out. It happens to everyone. It isn’t fat and you don’t have to get used to it. You can banish it with a little know how. Try my tips. Let’s shuck that layer and unveil a more streamlined version of you.

1. Fluid pushes fluid. If you are retaining water, you may be dealing with a little electrolyte imbalance. It may feel counter intuitive  but drinking water will flush (literally) the extra fluid from your system. Steer clear of the bubbly stuff and if you’re looking for a little extra zip to your H2O, toss in a slice of lemon, grapefruit or cucumber, which may help you suck down a little more.

2. Moo-ve the dairy. A dairy isn’t easy for most adults to digest. As we age, we lose the enzyme needed to break down and process milk sugars — the side effect is bloating, gas and cramping. Take a few days to ditch milk and dairy products completely. Don’t substitute them, just take a break from milk, cheese and yogurt. If you notice a big difference, you may be intolerant, so try adding back dairy foods one at a time. Try yogurt first and no other dairy and check in with yourself to see if the bloat returned. The next day try milk in your coffee. Add one dairy food a day with the ones you tolerate so you can see what works for you.

3. Tummy friendly fruit. So, believe it or not, you are better off not going for the apples, pears and melon if you want to pull off the water weight. Choose berries, lemons, oranges, grapefruit and grapes, as they don’t hold on to water and are more easily digested.

4. Can’t pronounce it? Don’t eat it. Ditch all artificial sweeteners and diet foods. They can make you bloated and trigger gas and diarrhea: exactly what you don’t want. Stay away from xylitol, maltitol, sorbitol and all the artificial sweeteners. You don’t need the diet yogurt, soda, cookies or other nutrient poor foods.

5. Cut the starch. Starches, especially the processed ones, like cereals, pastas, breads and crackers, hold on to water. You don’t want that. Either do without the toast, or choose whole grain versions like rice, root vegetables or oats. They’re better choices, anyway. You still need fiber, which is super important for both your health and your six pack, so get it from produce and whole grains, or consider a supplement — don’t forget to wash down your fiber rich foods with lots of water.

Ok, try these things. You’ll slide your rings off with ease, slip into those slippers easily and relish your streamlined self.

It’s been a tough 9 months, but you made it!  Good nutrition is critical in the post-natal period to help you recover and keep up with the demands of motherhood.  Now is the time to provide the best nutrition for you and your baby!

Whether you are breastfeeding or bottle feeding, proper nutrition is important for your recovery from childbirth.  Be sure to include plenty of calcium, protein, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, C, and E in your diet to aid in your full recovery and help you maintain your strength.  An extra benefit of eating a healthy diet is that proper nutrition will help you cope better with the inevitable fatigue that the new demands of motherhood bring on.

If you are breastfeeding, eating well is a prerequisite for maintaining adequate milk supply.  Most mothers require roughly 500 extra calories per day during lactation to keep up with the demands of breastfeeding.  Remember, the baby will take nutrients from your body; so be sure to eat well so you can support you and your baby.  Dieting during lactation is not appropriate because you need to recover and your baby needs proper nutrition.  While breastfeeding, you can still lose weight if you eat a balanced, healthy diet adequate in calories and nutrients.

Remember to focus on the following:

Calcium:  Your calcium stores were depleted during pregnancy to help your baby grow and develop.  Make sure to eat plenty of calcium rich foods to replenish your stores.

Omega 3s:  Omega 3s are critical for your baby’s brain and eye development.  If you are breastfeeding, try to incorporate foods high in omega 3s, such as salmon, sardines, walnuts, chia and flaxseed.  Studies have shown that Omega 3s also play a role in weight loss.

Antioxidants: Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to get the necessary antioxidants to help keep your body as healthy as possible. Antioxidants scavenge free radicals, preventing cellular damage involved in aging, cancer, and a variety of other diseases.

B-Vitamins:  Eat plenty of whole grains and dark greens to ensure your body gets the B-vitamins it needs to maintain proper metabolic pathways.  B vitamins play an important role in carbohydrate metabolism, red blood cell formation, and work to promote healthy nerves.

Fluids:  Make sure to drink a lot of fluid (water especially).  If you are breastfeeding, you may be depleting your fluids through the milk you are producing.  Try a splash of fresh lemon or cucumber for added flavor.

Avoid alcohol, caffeine, smoking, and medications (speak to your MD):  Most everything you eat or drink goes directly to your baby through breast milk.  Don’t eat or drink anything you wouldn’t want your baby to have!

Exercise:  If you are feeling good and your doctor has given you permission to exercise, moderate to intense activity is recommended!  This will help with energy as well!

Some people are really into the New Year’s resolution thing, but I’m not a huge believer in the once a year promises – I try to make small goals for myself and work at them often. While I try to start each year fresh, Labor Day really inspires me to reevaluate what I want from my year. I’m not going to chat you up with back-to-school rallying. I will not stress you out with talk of changing your wardrobe and breaking out the boots. I really want to speak to your (and my) personal goals on this Labor Day holiday.

I want to ask you to be a partner with me as I lay the foundation for the upcoming academic year. I like to look at the mission of my private practice and make sure that I’m practicing what I preach. I need to keep my work fresh, so sitting down to do this is super important to me.

There are 8 key elements to my philosophy – I call them the “pillars” of Nutritious Life. I’m going to lay them out for you. There is a bullet with MY goal to correspond with each pillar and I have left one bullet for you in each category to add your goals. Remember to keep your goals simple and attainable. You have reached your goal if it has become a habit; at that point, set a new goal for yourself.

Eat empowered — Feel empowered putting the most nutrient rich food in your body. It’s not “I can’t eat the dessert” – it IS – “I can eat the blueberries!”  When we focus on how good we feel fueling ourselves with the best foods you will continue to be motivated to eat these foods.

• This year I’m going to do a great job stocking my purse, desk and travel bag with healthful snacks (I’m usually pretty good at this) AND I’m going to make sure that I have a stockpile of ready to eat veggies to grab and go in my refrigerator each week. I’m going to chop my celery, trim my green beans and julienne my jicima on Sunday nights when I’m catching up on my favorite shows.
• Your Eat Empowered goal:

Exercise steady  – Aside from burning calories exercise is important because when we exercise our bodies releases endorphins which make us feel good and motivate us to eat well, do our jobs well and simply be happy!

• On days when getting to the gym or a class stresses me out because I have so much to do, I am going to walk up the 7 flights of stairs to my office and I’m going to bang out push-ups, planks  and wall sits while I’m on the phone.
• Your Exercise Steady goal:

Drink up — Our bodies are 50-75% water. The most common reason people are sluggish in the afternoon is due to dehydration. If we don’t drink enough water our bodies do not function properly, we become tired and do not metabolize food properly.

• I am really solid in the fluid department and get my water in every day. Still, I’d like to get more lemon in (it is great at detoxifying the liver), so I plan to slice up some lemon (or cucumber or whatever inspires me that week) for my water; I’ll do this the same time I am cutting up my veggies on Sunday nights.
• I have a second goal: I’d like to have a pitcher of homemade unsweetened iced tea in the house at all times and plan to make a pitcher for me and the family in interesting flavors. It is a great alternative to plain water and is full of antioxidants.
• Your Drink up goal:

Pamper thyself — Treating ourselves to something special can have emotional and physical benefits. Simple small indulgences, like a manicure, massage, bubble bath can make us look and feel great.

• I love a little pampering, but it can be a feast or famine thing for me. Sometimes I have a good run of making it to get a manicure, haircut, movie or leisurely cup of coffee over the Sunday paper. Sometimes weeks go by without my stopping for air. My goal is to meet a girlfriend for a walk once a week for an hour, manicure or cup of tea.
•  Your Pamper Thyself goal:

Sleep deep — When we are well rested we make better food choices, have more energy to go the gym, walk to work or take time for our favorite activities.

• Honestly, this is the pillar I struggle with the most. I know I function best with 7 hours of sleep per night, so I’m going to schedule my sleep like a doctor’s visit and write into my calendar what time I’ll get to bed and wake each day so that I can stick to it.
• Your Sleep Deep goal:

Sex ed — Oxytocin – a hormone released after orgasm in men and women, through cuddling, and even by simply holding hands – acts as a soothing antioxidant and may make it easier for people to stick to their healthy eating style.

• I’m not letting you into my bedroom goals this time . . . a girl needs a little privacy. But I will share this…My kids are still little. I plan to snuggle them as long as they’ll let me. I’ll get my oxytocin dose while I cuddle them and read chapters of The Little Prince.
• Your Sex Ed goal:

Stress less — Stress increases the level of the hormone cortisol in our bodies, which in turn makes our bodies crave carbohydrates, specifically high sugar carbohydrates, and store fat around the mid-section. So, even if we don’t eat more due to stress we can still gain weight due to stress!

• I’m going to write down the 3 or 4 things that have me most stressed out at the beginning of each day. Having them on paper will help me acknowledge them fully and make them seem less intimidating. I’ll give myself extra points if I write an action plan as to how I am going to manage them before they happen.
• Your Stress Less goal:

Your world — The environment that surrounds us can impact our heath, both our mental and physical health.

• This one is easy. I am going to make a clutter free entry way to my home by setting my family up with labeled hooks, bins and customized areas for their ‘junk.’ I’ve been dying to make that project a reality and will conquer it by the first day of school.
• Your Your World goal:

OK, friends. Get cracking. Of course you can share them with me or a good friend . . . remember to reevaluate often. Happy Labor Day. Enjoy!

Oh that blistering heat of summer…It encourages us to drink up all kinds of beverages! But, we shouldn’t drink to simply to stay hydrated; drinks can be healthy too. Beverages like coffee, wine and certain teas allow us to add loads of antioxidants into our diets. As a reminder, antioxidants scavenge our bodies for cell-damaging free radicals, helping to protect us from heart disease, cancer, and even wrinkles! Green tea in particular contains far more antioxidants than even some of our beloved fruits and veggies. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found a 46-65% reduced risk of hypertension in regular consumers of green tea.  No need to wait for winter to get on the green tea bandwagon!

NLT: Here’s an idea brewing for you: try Green Tea extracts from Pure Inventions. One dropper full of this delicious extract in your bottle of water allows you to reap the benefits of drinking roughly 8 to 10 cups worth of antioxidant rich green tea. If you’re not already a green tea lover you can experiment with flavors like peach, raspberry, and tropical. Keep it in your purse or drink it on the go. The equation is simple: open + drop = healthy drink. Who knew drinking green tea could be this easy?

What happens when happy hour turns into happy hours? A study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that one glass of wine might help prevent women from gaining weight.  Caveat: more is not better, as multiple glasses can have the opposite affect. If you are starting to spend the  warm, breezy Friday evenings on your deck with a drink in hand, enjoy every sip of those 4 ounces and then reach for the seltzer!

NLT: If you want to eliminate your happy hour alcohol but still partake in the fun, try Ariel Vinyards wine.  These grapes are sustainably grown and fermented like their alcoholic counterparts then dealcoholized before being bottled.  This provides a quality taste minus the headache (and a third of the calories). They even tell you what to pair each varietal with…  Cheers!

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!