Wear the right clothes to keep yourself warm while you are outdoors. Catching a cold might make you end up all sneezy and coughy. The flu can be a total killjoy for all your holiday plans.

Plan a hiking trip on a weekend to a hilly place or into the woods. Be sure that you would return rejuvenated, and all that climbing and walking would definitely burn some calories.

Eat right and eat light. The festive season is filled with yummy food, pies, cakes, casseroles, and other delicacies often dripping with calories. So right now is the time to indulge in fresh fruits, lots of greens, and hydrate yourself with fluids.

Enjoy happy and healthy holidays!

According to research, 90% people follow shallow breathing. Proper breathing happens when the lungs are filled with air and they expand to full capacity. The diaphragm should also move and we can see this happening when the stomach moves in and out while we breathe. When we do not breathe to our full capacity, lesser amount of oxygen is absorbed by the lungs and sent to the heart.

Well it’s not possible to practice deep breathing consciously 24 hours a day, but we should set apart a few minutes for some yoga or meditation during which deep breathing can be done. One of the methods that can be followed is to inhale deeply, count to ten in your mind and then exhale slowly. This will help adequate absorption of oxygen and boost the metabolism of your body. The way to stay fit and healthy is in your hands. Or should I say – nose.

The study involved 11 men and women who volunteered to spend a total of four weeks being observed in a sleep lab while being provided with unrestricted amounts of snack foods that could be consumed at any time. For two of the four-week periods, the study subjects were only allowed to sleep a maximum of 5.5 hours. For the other two weeks, they were permitted to snooze for a full 8.5 hours. In comparison to an average of 866-snack calories consumed daily during the 8.5-hour sleep session, the shorter 5.5-hour sleep period session spurred snacking splurges averaging 1,087 calories per day.

Moral of the story…Get more sleep!

The reason I’ve loved green vegetables ever since I can remember is the way my mother would prepare them: lightly steamed, or sometimes lightly roasted with salt, pepper, and a touch of extra virgin olive oil. However you serve them, the trick is not to overcook. Broccoli, when cooked correctly, should remain somewhat crunchy with a vibrant, emerald green hue, not olive-toned or mushy the way it looks in hospitals and school cafeterias. The salient point: do not overcook!

Another important thing to realize is the value of steaming over sautéing. While there’s nothing wrong with a splash of olive oil in a pan full of veggies, you may find you don’t even need it – if you steam correctly. The key is to add only small amounts of water, as needed. A twelve inch pan full of veggies should only need about a half a cup of water for a thorough steaming, or possibly even less if you cover the pan. For extra flavor, blend a small amount of water with a tablespoon of curry – green curry paste is my favorite, as it blends more readily than powder. Packed with antioxidants, curry kicks your food’s nutritional value up a notch while adding flavor without the use of salt.

As for specific veggies to buy and try, I give kale my highest recommendation. This deep-green cabbage relative is chock-full of iron, vitamins, calcium, antioxidants, and sulfur-rich phytonutrients, plus it tastes great in anything from soup to stir-fry. Note: kale is quite robust and fibrous, so it takes a bit longer to steam than other vegetables. Try four minutes with a lid on, stirring occasionally.

Another great pick is baby bok choy, if you can find it. This miniature version of the oblong Chinese cabbage is easier to cook than its adult counterpart, and is a great source of beta-carotene, calcium and folate. Baby bok choy is particularly succulent in Asian-inspired dishes – add just a touch of soy sauce to enhance its natural flavor, and again, do not overcook. You want to retain some of the cabbage’s natural crunch in order to fully enjoy your baby bok choy experience.

Remember that a healthy diet is no reason to sacrifice flavor and satisfaction – even if you’re a vegetarian. Green vegetables are rich in vitamins, fibers, minerals and phytochemicals. Furthermore, studies have shown that consuming five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day can cut your risk of cancer in half. Nourishing your body with properly cooked and seasoned veggies (in addition to fruits, legumes, soy products and whole grains) will help keep you fit, boost your energy and lift your mood to help you look and feel your very best.

P.S. Never fear, lovelies, our Fast Food Guide is coming up next. This is reserved for real restaurants: places where food isn’t described as “happy”.

1. MENU PAGES. If you live in or near New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington D.C., Miami or South Florida, or San Francisco, odds are you’ll be able to find the restaurant you’re going to. Read the menu BEFORE you leave the house. (menupages.com) Choose your meal and stick to it.
2. PUT DOWN THE BREAD. Don’t. Even. Touch. It. Especially if you’re shilling for an appetizer – you’re spending money on great food and you want to be able to enjoy it: save your appetite.
3. CHECK PORTIONS. It’s perfectly ordinary to order an appetizer or soup and a salad, as a complete meal. If you know the portions to be large (check citysearch.com to find reviews), consider this option. You can get the best meal without sacrifice. Otherwise, steel yourself to skip both bread and appetizer.
4. EAT SLOWLY AND DRINK WATER. This will slow your system down, and you’ll be able to tell the difference between hunger and gorging.
5. NEVER SKIP A MEAL. Don’t think that you’ll be better off if you don’t eat a thing until your date. You’ll be twice as likely to gorge, and then you’ll be wasting calories and pouring in the fat like a Byzantine.
6. SPLIT THE APPETIZER. If you order an appetizer, see if someone will split it with you. If not, look for clearly low-calorie foods, such as low-dairy vegetarian items, broth-based or tomato-based soups (free of words like “creamy”) such as minestrone or gazpacho.
7. GRILLED, BAKED, STEAMED, BROILED, or POACHED. These are the words you need to look for. Any entrée prepared in these manners will be healthier than other options because the cooking methods don’t require much added fat.
8. VEGGIES! Order lots of them. Watch the potatoes, of course, but if you desperately feel the need to pad your entrée, order plain and simple veggie sides. They’re assured to be guiltless. (Except for things like creamed spinach. But really, you haven’t eaten any bread…it’s not THAT bad).
9. SPLIT DESSERT AND BE GENEROUS. Let him eat most of it – his body resists fat naturally. If you can’t agree on a dessert and you simply must have something sweet, order the seasonal fruit plate or coffee with liqueur.
10. CHATTY CATHY. Don’t behave like a neurotic, but distract yourself with conversation. This is an opportunity to get involved in a dialogue: bring up stimulating topics; this is a chance for you to get to know a new friend, or have fun with an old friend. Conversation distracts from food.

According to researchers at the University of Illinois, celery contains a flavonoid known as luteolin that exhibits powerful anti-inflammatory properties and may offer protection from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Creutzfeld-Jakob disease. By using mice-derived microglia (specialized cells that provide the first line of immune defense in the central nervous system) the researchers were able to observe this effect. When the microglia were exposed to bacteria in vitro, the inflammatory response decreased when luteolin was introduced.

In a follow-up experiment, the researchers added luteolin to the drinking water of mice for three weeks and then injected bacteria into the same subjects. Four hours later, blood tests revealed a decrease in proinflammatory mediators circulating in the blood. Even more promising is the fact that the researchers discovered decreased inflammation in the hippocampus, the region of the brain that regulates learning and memory.

Clearly, the idea that celery is devoid of any nutritional value can now be forgotten. In fact, that celery keeping crisp in your fridge might be better considered as food for thought—literally.

Sunscreen with an SPF of just 15 almost eliminates your skin’s ability to make Vitamin D. This essential fat-soluble vitamin is also found in fortified foods and naturally in some foods but not in high amounts. Vitamin D is essential for Calcium absorption and low amounts are related to increased risk for osteoporosis, cancer, depression, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Just 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure during the summer months will get you enough Vitamin D for the day, however, if you live in the northern part of the United States the sun is not strong enough during the winter months for Vitamin D formation. It is generally agreed that 15 minutes of unprotected sunlight during the morning or evening will not affect your skin cancer risk. However if you have extremely sensitive skin sunlight may not be the best way to get your Vitamin D. Also darker skinned people need more sunlight to make their recommended amount of Vitamin D. This increased time in the sun may increase skin cancer risk.

Other sources of Vitamin D include fortified milk and cereals, salmon, sardines, and some other foods but in small amounts. If you don’t eat a lot of these foods daily, don’t get very much sunlight or live in the northern part of the country, its probably a good idea to take a supplement. It is highly absorbable in supplement form especially when taken with a little bit of fat since Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. The recommended amount for women ages 19-50 is 200 IU, 400 IU for women ages 51-69 and 600 IU for women older than 70. Many professionals think these amounts are too low and some studies have shown safe intake up to 10,000 IU. However it is important to notes that most experts still recommend not more than 2,000 IU daily.

Whether you get your Vitamin D from the sunlight, your diet, or a supplement, it is very important you get enough Vitamin D. Adequate Vitamin D throughout your life can greatly decrease your risk of osteoporosis and many other diseases.

On some level, you may know that this ideal image is just that—an image. You tell yourself that a piece of glossy magazine paper can’t hurt you. You may not actively strive to live up to someone else’s perception of how you should look either. But, on a deeper level, you may be questioning your self-worth based on a comparison of these perceptions and the real flesh-and-blood you. In other words, you may worry that you’re not good enough to hang with the right crowd. If this fear speaks to you, then you may be suffering from the dreaded but silent disease known as sizism syndrome.

Here’s another truth about women and society: We’re taught from an early age that expressing anger just ain’t pretty. So, what happens when you feel angry whenever you look in the mirror and realize that you’re not the perfect female ideal as defined by the media? At first, you suppress that anger. But, eventually, you internalize it, directing it toward yourself. After all, who else is there to blame for not being a Perfect 10? This way of thinking is a sure-fire recipe for a lifetime of insecurity, social withdrawal and depression, coupled with eating disorders, yo-yo dieting and other destructive behaviors.

Okay, now take a step back…back to the last time you looked in the mirror. This time, though, see yourself for who you really are, not for what size you are or how you compare to others. Acknowledge that you weren’t created from a mold. In other words, you are a unique, synergistic sum of your parts and can’t be defined by the size or shape of only one or two.

Ready to give your sizism syndrome some more medicine? Here are a few more tips to swallow (sans the sugar)…

• While you’re on the journey to shed pounds and get fit, lose track of numbers. Strive to achieve a healthy weight and body mass that’s right for you instead of trying to become a size whatever.

• Honor your body and the wonderful things it can do by participating in social activities that promote healthy movement, such as dancing, hiking, swimming, bike rides, etc.

• Celebrate your body! Forget about skinny jeans and tank tops, if they make you feel uncomfortable. Surround yourself instead with soft, colorful fabrics that flatter your personality as much as they do your shape.

• Eliminate words and phrases that spread sizism from your vocabulary, whether you use them to judge yourself or others based on appearance.

• Turn off the television and donate those celebrity magazines to your dentist’s office. Taking a break from media and advertising that promote The Ideal Image can do wonders for your own perception of real beauty.

• Respect your body. Aside from feeding your brain positive affirmations about your body image, make sure that you eat right and get enough rest.

Best of luck!

EASY + SIMPLE AB-QUICKIES

• Drink water instead of soda and fruit juice. Yes, it’s old news, but it’s also smart and easy news. Sugar will add pounds to your tummy. Even just diluting your juice with water will make a difference.

• Perform a legs-up crunch. Lie flat on the floor, and rest your legs on something high enough to allow for a 90 degree bend in your knees (like a chair or the sofa or your bed). Fold your arms across your chest and curl up slowly. Don’t come all the way up – pause holding your back slightly off the floor. Hold that position, lower and repeat.

• Concentrate on sitting and standing up straight. This requires you to pull in your abs, and it strengthens them naturally. It’s also great for your back – if you have frequent lower-back pain, it’s just another reason to improve your abdominals.

This will be a busy week, with my focus on researching green tea. I drink it all the time and love it. Here’s an article I wrote on it for work. Who knew it was so good for you, right?

Green Tea Demystified

What is the most popular drink worldwide? Why water of course! But, what is the second-most popular drink around our globe?

The answer, not quite so easy, is Green Tea … a beverage enjoyed by Asians for thousands of years. Back then, Green Tea was drunk, not only for its light taste but also as preventative medicine against cancer risk. Now, thousands from other countries are sipping Green Tea for the very same reasons, along with many others:

Increased fatþ & calorie burning
Lowering “bad” cholesterol levelsþ
Decreasing blood pressureþ
Reduced risk of heart attack and/or threat of heart failureþ
Lowering of anxiety levelsþ
Calming of upset stomachsþ
Healing of gum disease and liver injuriesþ

To gain these plentiful benefits, you will have to sip more than one cup of Green Tea per day. Experts recommend three to four cups is ample … that’s one cup with every meal. Should you not have the time or wish your Green Tea in a completely different manner, many grocers and health food storeowners stock chilled Green Tea. Pick up a refreshing bottle or can and take it with you. Mix in Green Tea leaves with your ice cream for dessert or bake a handful of those leaves in with a loaf of bread for added interest and variety. You can ever find Green Tea chewing gum offered through some retailers.

While Green Tea may never surpass water in goodness and popularity, it ranks highly as a favorite beverage for many good reasons – among these good taste, good nutrition and good health!