Are your kids sick of school lunches? How can you encourage them to take the high road when it comes to nutrition at school, when all they want is pizza? Here’s a news flash: most children prefer taste over nutrition, so we need to beat them at their own game. Then everyone wins! Educating them about nutrition is important, but doesn't always translate into better choices. Thank goodness for "healthy junk foods." This new generation of health food tastes delicious, and bears no resemblance to their cardboard- and Styrofoam-flavored ancestors. Try sending along Frito Lay Sun...

A New Year has begun with all that "new" suggests. Perhaps you envision new work endeavors, stronger family ties, and convictions to be more involved with community. Many resolve to become a healthier person. Whatever your goals, I suggest you take small bites. Small bites are sustainable. The mistake many make is to set unrealistic goals like "never again will I eat ice cream!" This rarely works, as most people cannot sustain being in a depravation mode for long. Let's concentrate on making small positive changes for our personal health, our family's health, our community's health and our planet's health....

I’ve put together three moves that can help tone your thighs. Be sure to follow a proper diet to get maximum effect. 1. Ball Bridge Lie supine with head and shoulders on a physio ball, stomach drawn in, glutes tight, knees and feet hip-width apart, with a band around your knees. (Knees should form a 90-degree angle and feet pointed straight ahead). Drop the hips toward the floor and back up again to start position, squeezing the glutes. Make sure not to arch the back in the top position. Repeat for 15-20 reps, three sets, and a...

My name is Leanne and I’m a soup addict... I’m not kidding. I love, Love, LOVE soup. I dream about soup. I plot and scheme on how to get more soup into my day. I write about it, daydream about it, I’ve even made up sketchy poems up about it (one included here for your bewildered amusement). Seriously, this soup obsession of mine, well, it’s just a little over the top; even I can see it. See the thing is I don’t just care for soup; I’m fanatical about soup. Did I mention I’m obsessed with it?...

Attitude, whether positive or negative, is contagious; so what type are you spreading? Being negative takes extra energy you could otherwise be channeling into your favorite pursuits. Instead of sowing discord wherever you go, learn how to cultivate tolerance instead of impatience; optimism rather than pessimism; and gratitude versus an ungrateful spirit. Here's how to get started. 1. Stop negative thoughts in their tracks. Smother your feelings of pessimism, self-doubt, complaining, whining, and general negativity as they're born, or they're likely to take over your life and poison your relationships. 2. Stop worrying about everything. Instead of worrying about things you can't control, create...

In order for you to lighten-up the fat or sugar in a recipe you need to understand how fats and sugar affects baked goods. Wheat flour contains proteins that when mixed with liquid form tough strands called gluten. Fat tenderizes baked goods by coating the pieces of flour so that the liquid ingredients cannot get to them, so to speak. This interferes with the gluten formation, and shortens the strings of gluten to allow a more tender structure. This is why removing the fat from baked goods often makes them tough and/or rubbery. Many recipes call for...

Do you live with an overweight partner? Nearly two-thirds of Americans do, and it can be challenging on several levels. You want to try and change him or her -- especially because excess weight puts your loved one at risk for heart disease, diabetes, or stroke. But I've found from personal experience that nagging and criticizing don't work. It's more effective to let your partner know that you love and support him or her, and that you hope for a long, healthy, adventure-filled life together. Here are eight secrets to help an overweight partner adopt a healthier...

This week's theme is to mentally prepare for weight loss. Nothing happens until you are in the correct frame of mind. We have all been distracted with the election, the economy and elevated stress levels. This can trigger the habit of using food as a way to calm fear of being out of control. This fear feeds off of the negativity that is being perpetuated by worrying and talking about how bad things are. It grows until stress, fear and self doubt are normal. The world may say this is normal, but I'm sorry -- if that' the case,...

Finish the following sentence: "Kids, don't have sugar before dinner because ____________!" Did you say because it'll ruin your appetite? What a great diet tool! Most people get this right, regardless of where they're from on this planet. It's a universal truth, and now I know why. Sugar does, in fact, kill the appetite. Sometimes, having a small piece of chocolate 20 minutes before eating makes us eat less. Those few calories might actually save thousands! What a tasty delight. There's a fantastic biological explanation. Sugar, upon entering the mouth, cues digestion because of the...

Special for Diet-to-Go Renewal has never been portrayed to me quite as vividly as during my first flying experience aboard a 747 jet. The delayed flight, due to rain, plunged my spirits. Finally, the engines roared to life and I felt myself raised up, up until we lifted from earth. Outside the windows, the clouds swallowing me were gray and angry, painting my emotions desolate. Then, a remarkable thing happened. Suddenly, we burst free of the dark clouds, into glorious sunshine and a sky so blue and clear I could see to infinity. Joy! I've never before nor since...