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.

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.

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.

Your body needs between 125 and 150 grams of glucose per day in order to function properly, and eating fruit is the very best way to get it. Unlike the refined sugars and high-fructose corn syrup found in candy, soda and cereal, which flood your system with an immediate surge of glucose, sugar from fruit enters the bloodstream at a steady rate as your body digests it. This allows your body to benefit from glucose without the subsequent “sugar crash” so many people experience.

Still worried about sugar content? Good news: The fruits lowest in sugars are some of the highest in nutritional value. For example:

• Blackberries and blueberries are high in antioxidants and help to speed up your metabolism.
• Grapefruit is high in folate and potassium, and contains fat-burning enzymes. (Grapefruit is also believed to lower blood-insulin levels, which in turn curbs hunger.)
• Papaya fights premature aging and is full of proteolytic enzymes, which aid protein digestion.
• Cantaloupe is rich in beta-carotene, which helps to prevent cataracts and muscular degeneration in the eyes.
• Apricots contain less than 20 calories apiece, and are an excellent source of vitamins A, C and E, riboflavins, niacin, potassium, and essential minerals such as calcium, iron and phosphorus.
• Strawberries are loaded with Vitamins C and K, folic acid, magnesium and mood-lifting Omega 3 fatty acids.

Bottom line: fruit tastes great, and it’s good for you, too. So do yourself a favor and just eat it! Your body will thank you for it.

The next time you feel the urge to munch, take a moment to carefully and thoroughly assess the situation. Ask yourself, “am I really feeling hungry?” and answer it honestly. Without falling to temptation, you may find that you likely won’t need those leftovers you were saving for tonight’s dinner, that bowl of ice cream or that oversized bag of potato chips.

Breaking the subconscious routine of emotional eating can be difficult, yet it is not impossible. In addition to recognizing, acknowledging and validating your true feelings at the time, there are other approaches to take:

Nurture yourself – When resisting the urge to emotionally eat, do something that makes you feel good. This could be a small reward … read a few pages of a favorite book, soak in a bubble bath or take the kids to play in the park.

Understand yourself – Take a few moments to note your thoughts and feelings shortly after your urge to eat (while the memories are still fresh). Analyze the situation. How were you feeling then? What or who made you want to eat?

In the interim, keep a bowl of fresh fruit handy. The next time you find yourself reaching for the refrigerator door, reach for an apple instead.

- Two hardboiled eggs and an orange, tangerine, or apple (boil the eggs the night before and keep them in the fridge)
- 1 container (1cup) of fat-free raspberry yogurt and 1 small granola bar (make sure it’s less than 100 calories and low in fat, such as Quaker Cereal bars)
- Half a whole wheat bagel spread with Neufchatel cheese and topped with a slice of tomato (make the night before, wrap and refrigerate)
- 1 apple, 1 stick part-skim string cheese, and 1 hardboiled egg

Round out with your daily coffee or tea. These breakfasts were designed to be eaten on the go as well, so when you’re sitting in rush-hour traffic or on the subway or train, you’ll begin pumping in fuel. By the time you get to the office or to class, you’ll be ready to face the world.
Tip: If you want a breakfast that needs to be prepared the night before, make sure to prepare it after you’ve eaten dinner, so that you aren’t seized to consume it immediately.