Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound prepared pizza dough, preferably whole-wheat
• 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
• 1/4 cup water
• 5 ounces arugula ,any tough stems removed, chopped (about 6 cups)
• Pinch of salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup prepared pesto
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Preparation

1. Position oven rack in the lowest position; preheat to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about the size of the baking sheet. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook broccoli and water in a large skillet over medium heat, covered, until the broccoli is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in arugula and cook, stirring, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Spread pesto evenly over the crust, top with the broccoli mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until crispy and golden and the cheese is melted, 8 to 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 323 calories; 13 g fat ( 4 g sat , 7 g mono ); 19 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrates; 15 g protein; 3 g fiber; 511 mg sodium; 241 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (45% daily value), Calcium (34% dv), Vitamin A (31% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 2

Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 medium fat meat, 1 1/2 fat

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Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 chicken thighs, skinned
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can (14 1/2 ounce) stewed tomatoes (no salt added)
1/2 cup dried plum (prune) juice or orange juice
6 pitted dried plums (prunes), diced
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup plain tabouleh
1 1/3 cups boiling water
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Preparation Time: Approximately 30 minutes

Cook Time: Approximately 50 minutes

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown on one side. Turn and add the onion; continue cooking until the onion and chicken are browned. Drain the excess fat. Stir in the tomatoes, juice, dried plums, allspice, salt and pepper. Cover and cook 5 minutes over medium heat.

Uncover and simmer about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the chicken is done; turning the chicken and stirring the sauce occasionally.

Meanwhile combine the boiling water and tabbouleh in a medium saucepan. Cover and rest for 5 minutes. Add the parsley to tabbouleh and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken and sauce on a bed of tabbouleh.

Servings: 4

Nutritional Information Per Serving: 

Calories 360; Fat 10g; Saturated fat 2g; Cholesterol 55mg; Sodium 470mg; Total Carbohydrate 52g; Fiber 11g; Protein 20g; Vitamin A 25%DV*; Vitamin C 40%DV; Calcium 8%DV; Iron 20%DV

Commercial cleaning products, even “green” ones like Simple Green, clean faster than soap and water can. But this is because they contain small amounts of the most powerful grease-cutting class of chemicals known — glycol ethers.

Overexposure to glycol ethers can cause anemia, intoxication, and irritation of the eyes and nose.

In laboratory animals, low-level exposure to glycol ethers has caused birth defects and damage to sperm and testicles. The most commonly used glycol ether, 2-butoxyethanol, has been shown to cause liver cancer in animals. AlterNet reports:

“You are exposed to the glycol ethers when you inhale them as the cleaner is used … Most glycol ethers can silently penetrate your skin and enter your bloodstream … If that were not enough, the glycol ethers also go through natural rubber gloves and many types of plastic gloves without changing their appearance.”

The typical American home contains 3-10 gallons of toxic materials, in the form of about 60 different kinds of hazardous household cleaning products. That’s right, the very things you use to clean your house are actually the primary sources of toxins and indoor air pollution that Americans expose themselves to year after year. And many of the new “green” alternatives now being offered by major corporations are only green in name, as you will soon discover.

The Cost of Cleaning Your Home

Having a clean home should never cost you something as valuable as your health, but that’s exactly what you’re putting at risk when you use household cleaners and laundry detergents filled with many of the hazardous chemicals on the market today.

The problem is, when the chemicals in these common household products hit your skin and lungs, they go directly into your bloodstream, bypassing your body’s natural defense system against toxins (the liver and kidneys).

This type of indoor pollution is particularly harmful to your health because just one application of a typical household cleaner can leave dangerous chemicals lingering in your indoor air for hours at a time. For people who spend a large amount of their day indoors, this can amount to a frequent chemical attacks on your lungs.

So, which Ingredients are Toxic?

Some of the ingredients in common household cleaners, laundry detergents, and even “green” cleaners that can create a toxic indoor environment include:

• Glycol ethers – Widespread use in paints, perfumes, soaps, cosmetics and foods. Cause fatigue, lethargy, nausea, and possible liver and kidney damage.
• Phthalates – Cause reproductive harm, endocrine disruption, cancer, organ damage.
• Perfumes – Cause headaches, sinus problems, asthma, may cause intoxication and “addiction.”
• Phosphates – Manufacturers have reduced eliminated phosphates from laundry products, but no action has ever been taken on dishwasher detergents. Causes widespread environmental damage.
• Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), a common ingredient in laundry detergents and all-purpose cleaners, is banned in Europe, and known to be a potent endocrine disrupter. It’s already thought to be the cause of male fish transforming into females in waterways around the world!
• Formaldehyde, found in spray and wick deodorizers, is a suspected carcinogen.
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including 1,4-dichlorobenzene – Cause nose and throat irritation, dizziness, asthma.
• Petroleum solvents in floor cleaners may damage mucous membranes.
• Butyl cellosolve, found in many all-purpose and window cleaners. May damage your kidneys, bone marrow, liver and nervous system.
• Ammonia – irritating to the skin, eyes and lungs.
• Chlorine – irritating to the skin, eyes and lungs.
• Ethanolamines – irritating to the skin, eyes and lungs.
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate – skin irritant, eye irritant, potential cancer causer.

Why “Green” Cleaning Products May NOT Necessarily be Green!

As more and more consumers are learning about the dangers of the products they use in their homes, “green” environmentally friendly options have sparked an industry revolution with a growing number of companies offering their own versions of eco-friendly cleaners. Some examples are Clorox Green Works Natural All-Purpose Cleaner, Simple Green, and Purex Natural Elements.

Unfortunately, the terms “green” and “natural” are nothing more than marketing terms; they’re not rigid well accepted scientific terms, and they do not automatically equate to safety. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who is even slightly familiar with how multinational corporations use marketing to manipulate the image of their products.

If you want a real treat, please pick up and read a highly recommended book on this subject called Subliminal Persuasion: Influence & Marketing Secrets They Don’t Want You To Know. This book reveals the systematic techniques used to form opinions or ideologies, in ways that we never suspect. Multinational corporations, like big drug companies, are using these techniques all the time to deceive you.

Many large corporations are chomping at the bit, eager to reach into the wallets of modern, environmentally concerned consumers searching for green alternatives to the toxic stew of chemicals found in conventional cleaning products. “Green” cleaning products are a growing niche market, with green cleaning product U.S. sales totaling $100 million in 2010.

But most “green” cleaning products like Simple Green are still loaded with glycol ethers, which are anything but good for your health when inhaled or when they touch your skin. Folks, the simple truth is that if a substance cuts through grease and dirt any faster than soap and water, then there are chemicals in there that most likely aren’t very good for your health.

Why Glycol Ethers are BAD for You

Glycol ether is a generic term for over thirty solvents derived from crude oil, all with different properties, which are used in applications ranging from paints to inks to degreasing agents and cleaning products. Generally speaking, glycol ethers are hazardous when they get on your skin or when they get in your lungs. This is especially true with cleaning products, which are often applied indoors and without proper ventilation.

The glycol ether named ethylene glycol monoethyl ether may be linked to lower sperm count in men, and has caused low birth weight and reproductive abnormalities in animal studies. Pregnant women and small children in particular should avoid expose to glycol ethers, as these groups are more susceptible to damage.

Reading the Labels Won’t Always Help

I always advocate reading the labels on the foods and cleaning products you buy, but in the case of household cleaners even the most meticulous eye for labels won’t get you very far.

Why?

Because many of the most dangerous chemicals will not even be on the label. The manufacturers have conveniently lobbied the government to exempt them from this requirement and can omit any ingredient that is considered a secret formula from its label. Many of these non-disclosed ingredients are actually toxic and carcinogenic.

Household goods are still very much an unregulated market. And, cleaning product manufacturers — even those that claim to be “green” — are not required by law to disclose all of their ingredients on their labels. So while it’s still better to read the label than not, be aware that a lack of ingredient on a label doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not in the product!

How to Clean and Sanitize Without Harmful Chemicals

Some common household items, such as vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice can get the job done just as well — sometimes even better — than their toxic counterparts. Here’s a simple starter list of what you need to make your own natural cleaning products:

• Baking soda
• White vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Liquid castile soap
• Organic essential oils (optional)
• Mixing bowls
• Spray bottles
• Micro fiber cloths

For a great video on how to use these ingredients and other tips for cleaning your home without hazardous chemicals, please review the article: How to Keep Your Home Clean Naturally. For example, vinegar combined with hydrogen peroxide works exceptionally well as both a disinfectant and sanitizer.

Cleaning mirrors and windows is as easy as adding a quarter-cup of white vinegar per quart of water. Add a few drops of liquid dish soap to the mixture if windows or mirrors are really dirty, but be very careful not to use any that contain harmful antibacterial substances.

Most people know that baking soda is an ideal means to absorb odors in your refrigerator, but did you know it’s also a real powerhouse when it comes to cleaning?

Half-a-Dozen Uses for Baking Soda

Here are half a dozen examples of how plain and simple baking soda can replace dangerous commercial cleaning products in your home:

1. Use as a safe non-scratch scrub — for metals and porcelain.
2. To clean your oven — simply sprinkle a cup or more of baking soda over the bottom of the oven, then cover the baking soda with enough water to make a thick paste. Let the mixture set overnight. The next morning the grease will be easy to wipe up because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven.
3. To unclog a drain — pour 1/2 – 1 cup of baking soda down the drain, then slowly pour 1/2 – 1 cup of vinegar in after it. Cover the drain and let it sit for 15 minutes. If it bubbles like a volcano, it means it’s working as planned. Flush with a gallon of boiling water.
4. Deodorize dry carpets — by sprinkling liberally with baking soda. Wait at least 15 minutes, then vacuum.
5. To rid your garbage disposal of foul smells — add vinegar to water for ice cubes, then let a few of them get chopped by your disposal.
6. To clean your silver — boil 2-3 inches of water in a shallow pan with 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and a sheet of aluminum foil. Totally submerge silver and boil for 2-3 minutes more. Remove silver from the pan and wipe away the tarnish with a clean cotton cloth.

Genuine Green Products are Out There!

Dr. Bronner has long made a natural castile soap free of toxic chemicals. This is just one of many truly “green” products available to consumers who are discerning and want to avoid the glycol ethers and phthalates found in most cleaning and laundry products.

For the past four years I have been researching a safe alternative to conventional laundry detergents that are typically chocked full of perfumes, solvents and bleaches that don’t belong anywhere near your skin.

I am pleased to announce that I have been able to develop a product that cleans your clothes just as good as conventional laundry detergent, but uses plant and vegetable enzymes to get the job done. 

Final Thoughts on Green Cleaners

Don’t be fooled by the marketing, or by ingredients that are purposely left off of labels.

The toxic chemicals listed above are found in a wide variety of everyday cleaners and detergents and pose a significant health risk. We are starting to see that now with increased and unexplained cancers, increased infertility and difficulty in reproduction, exploding neurological disorders, ADHD and autism in our children.

These diseases are thought by many to be linked to environmental causes. And many of the toxic ingredients in cleaning products are among the suspected culprits.

Remember, if you have trouble finding safe alternatives, there is nothing wrong with natural soap and water for cleaning most surfaces. It will take a little more elbow grease, and you’ll have to rinse the soap off, but the benefit of avoiding toxic chemicals far outweighs any extra effort you might have to put in.

There are so many questions around the topic of supplementing your diet with vitamins and minerals that I wanted to share some facts:

Vitamins

Minerals

Yet while eating healthier and slipping in exercise does take some work, it really doesn’t have to require heroic effort. Making just a few simple lifestyle changes can pack a big weight loss punch over time.

Here are some top tips on how to lose weight without sweating it too much.

1. Add, Don’t Subtract

Forget diet denial: Try adding foods to your diet instead of subtracting them.

Add in healthy goodies you really love, like deep-red cherries, juicy grapes, or crunchy snow peas. Slip those favorite fruits into your bag lunch and breakfast cereal; add the veggies into soups, stews, and sauces.

“Adding in really works, taking away never does,” says registered dietitian David Grotto, RD, LDN, author of 101 Optimal Life Foods, but do remember to keep an eye on overall calories. And don’t forget to add in something physical, too, whether it’s doing a few dance moves before dinner, shooting hoops, or taking a quick stroll.

2. Forget About Working Out

If the word “exercise” inspires you to creative avoidance, then avoid it. Maybe the trick to enjoying a workout may be to never call it working out.

So burn calories and invigorate muscles by beachcombing, riding bikes, grass skiing, making snow angels, hiking, washing the car, playing Frisbee, chasing the dog around the yard, or even enjoying great sex.

3. Go Walking

Walking when the weather’s nice is a super-easy way to keep fit, says Diane Virginias, a certified nursing assistant from New York. “I enjoy the seasons,” she says, adding that even when she’s short on time she’ll go out for a few minutes. “Even a five minute walk is a five minute walk.”

No sidewalks in your neighborhood? Try these tips for slipping in more steps:

• Trade your power mower for a push version.
• Park your car at the back of the lot.
• Get out of the office building and enjoy walking meetings.
• Sweep the drive or rake the leaves instead of using a leaf-blower.
• Get off the bus a few stops earlier.
• Hike the mall, being sure to hit all the levels.
• Take the stairs every chance you get.
• Sign up for charity walks.
• Crank the music and get your heart rate up the next time you mop or vacuum.

It all adds up. If you walk twice a day for 10 minutes and try a few of these tips, you may find yourself with a low-impact, 30-minute workout easily tucked under your belt.

4. Lighten the Foods You Already Love

One of the easiest ways to cut back without feeling denied is to switch to lower-calorie versions of the foods you crave. A pizza tastes just as good with reduced-fat cheese, and when you garnish low-fat ice cream with your favorite toppers, who notices those missing calories?

And while you’re trimming fat calories, keep an eye on boosting fiber, suggests registered dietitian Elaine Magee, RD, MPH, author of Tell Me What to Eat If I Suffer From Heart Disease and Food Synergy.

Fiber helps you feel satisfied longer, so while you lighten family favorites, you can easily amp up the fiber by adding a cup of whole wheat flour to your pizza dough, or toss a handful of red bell peppers on the pie.

Don’t forget to lighten the drinks going with that meal. Try switching from high-calorie favorites to diet soda or light beer, or maybe add a spritz of seltzer to your wine.

Hate low-cal drinks? Mix your preferred drinks with a splash of the low-cal option, then increase the ratio as your taste buds adjust. And don’t forget to keep pouring that ultimate beverage, says Magee: water!

5. Because Hydration Helps — Really!

Down some water before a meal and you won’t feel so famished, says David Anthony, an information technology consultant from Atlanta. “Drinking a glass of water before a meal helps me watch what I eat. … I don’t just hog everything, since I’m not so hungry.”

Magee, who also writes the “Healthy Recipe Doctor” blog for WebMD, adds that for the compulsive snacker it’s a great idea to keep no-calorie beverages at hand “as a way to keep your mouth busy and less likely to snack on junk food.”

Going to a party? Grab a low-cal drink in one hand and keep it there. Not only does it make it harder to graze the buffet, but you’ll also be less tempted to sip endless cocktails, too.

Finally, keeping your body refreshed with plenty of water may also help your workout, says Anthony. Staying hydrated means “I can exercise more, and longer, than if I don’t drink water.”

6. Share and Share Alike

With the massive meals served at so many American restaurants, it’s easy to go Dutch — with the dinner plate.

“When we go out, I often share a meal with my wife,” Anthony says. “We’ve been known to split a dessert, even a pint of beer. That way, we don’t feel stuffed, and we save some money.”

You can share more than just a meal out. Why not double up on a bicycle built for two? Go halves on the cost of a personal trainer? Maybe split a gym membership?

“When you’re trying to eat better or get more exercise, you can be more successful if you do it with a partner or group,” says Grotto. “The community, the partnership, whether online or in person, it really helps.”

Twice the motivation, without twice the effort — a steal of a deal.

7. Tune In, Tone Up

The American Heart Association knows what we love: television. And they also know we need to get more exercise. So why not combine the two, they ask?

Try dancing to the music when you tune into your favorite music show, or practice some stress-relieving cardio boxing when your least favorite reality contestant is on camera.

During commercials pedal your stationery bike, walk the treadmill, or slip in a little strength training doing bicep curls with cans of your favorite fizzy beverage as weights. Or get inspired to really focus: Put in a high-energy exercise DVD and get motivated by the pros onscreen.

It doesn’t matter exactly what you do, so long as you’re up and active. Aim for at least 15 minutes, says the AHA. But who knows? If you get really engrossed, you just might outlast the last survivor.

8. Size Matters

Eating less without feeling denied is as close as your dinnerware.

That’s because while a small portion served on a large plate can leave you craving more, a smaller plate gives the visual signal that you already have more.

“People go by physical cues,” when they eat, Grotto says. We know we’ve had enough because we see the bottom of our bowl or plate. “A smaller plate full of food just feels more satisfying than a large plate with that same amount of food on it.”

And don’t forget smaller bowls, cups, and spoons. For example, try savoring a bowl of ice cream with a baby spoon. Not only does the pleasure last longer, but your body has time to register the food you’ve eaten.

9. Get Involved, or at Least Get to the Table

When your weight loss efforts lead to boredom or too much self-focus, get occupied with something else. “I eat more if I’m bored,” says Virginias, “especially if I’m eating in front of the TV.”

So take a break from the siren-call of the tube, and get occupied with things that have nothing to do with food.

For some, that might mean becoming involved with local politics, discovering yoga, or enjoying painting. Or maybe you want to help a child with a science project, repaint the bedroom, or take a class. The key: Have a life outside of weight loss.

Already busy enough? Then at least eat your meals at the table. “The TV is distracting, and I’m just not conscious of eating,” Virginias says. “Once I’m at the table, with a place setting, I’m much more aware of what I’m eating.”

10. Lose It Today, Keep It Off Tomorrow

Finally, be patient. While cultivating that virtue isn’t exactly painless, it may help to know that keeping weight off generally gets easier over time.

That’s the result of a study published in Obesity Research, where researchers found that for people who had lost at least 30 pounds — and kept it off for at least two years — maintaining that weight loss required less effort as time went on.

So if you crave the results reported by successful “losers” like these — improved self-confidence, a boost in mood, and better health — cultivate patience. You may find your way to sweet (and nearly painless) weight loss success.

Food sensitivities are a huge underlying cause of inflammation.  And chronic inflammation is the underlying cause of virtually every disease.  Yet, modern Western medicine looks down upon food as a cause of inflammation.  How is it that one can possibly believe that what you put in your mouth has no bearing on your health.  That’s exactly what’s wrong with “health” care in the United States, we don’t put enough emphasis on diet and lifestyle.  We only look to symptoms to indicate what “treatment” is necessary rather than looking at what caused the symptoms in the first place, and food sensitivities are no different.

I highly recommend watching the food allergy video on Dr.Oz’s website.  He visually described what I’ve been explaining to hundreds of patients for 10 years.  http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/are-food-allergies-making-you-fat-pt-1

Food sensitivites are estimated in up to 60% of the population, however food allergies, which cause in immediate inflammatory response withing 3 hours of ingesting the food, are only present in 2-5% of the population.  These are acute, anaphylactic allergies that cause hives, rashes, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat.  This is not what I’m talking about as a cause of chronic inflammation.  We know that food sensitivities cause chronic inflammation in the body, which can lead to bloating and swelling as an inflammatory response.  This response can lead to excess water weight and weight gain of up to 30 lbs!!!  Inflammation is not only linked to allergies, asthma, adhd, irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, but also to OBESITY!

The most common food sensitivities are to:

1. Dairy
2. Wheat
3. Eggs
4. Soy

This does not mean that one needs to remove all of these foods from their diet to see improvements in the above listed conditions, but testing your blood’s chemistry to specifically see which foods you are reacting to, can have a significant impact on your health, energy and weight!

But back to food sensitivities….they are real, they CAN be tested, and up to 60% of the population (at least) has them.  So, if you see all of the gluten free, dairy free, egg free foods on the market, now you know what the buzz is all about!

With health care costs continuing to increase at alarming rates, it is more important than ever before to keep your employees healthy. Corporate wellness programs can help you do just that.  There are many benefits of corporate wellness programs including that: employees tend to be more productive, have lower health care costs, lower rates of absenteeism and presenteeism, and have fewer workers’ compensation claims.  Because of the many benefits of corporate wellness programs most companies view wellness programs as an investment in their most valuable asset, their employees.

Benefits of Corporate Wellness Programs: Statistics

• Preventable illness makes up at least 70 percent of all illness and the associated costs
• The total cost of obesity to U.S. employers is $13 billion per year¹
• Obese Americans spend about 36 percent more on health services and 77 percent more on medications than people of healthy weight.  That’s more than heavy smokers or heavy drinkers²
• Workplace alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use costs over $100 billion each year³
• Job stress is estimated to cost $200 to $300 billion annually in absenteeism, tardiness, and lost productivity⁴
• Workers’ compensation costs for a smoker averages $2,189 compared to only $176 for a nonsmoker⁵

Benefits of Corporate Wellness Programs: Why the Workplace?

Poor health impacts the most precious resource of your organization – the effectiveness and performance of your human capital. Unmanaged health issues, such as diabetes, migraine headaches, or asthma attacks, can damage productivity significantly when they are viewed cumulatively across an employee population.

The workplace is an ideal setting to address these health issues and promote healthier lifestyles. At the workplace, individuals can obtain health-related information, take part in health screenings and preventive services, and gain the social support often needed for health behavior change.

In addition to helping employees sustain healthier habits, corporate wellness programs also reduce stress, increase employee job satisfaction, increase employee morale, and aid in employee recruitment and retention.

Benefits of Corporate Wellness Programs: Return-on-Investment

Best of all, the return-on-investment (ROI) for corporate wellness programs have been well documented over the past two decades. Year-round comprehensive corporate wellness programs have shown savings-to-cost ratios of over $3 saved for each $1 invested. Documented savings are observed in medical costs, absenteeism, worker’s compensation costs, short-term disability, and increased productivity and presenteeism (how productive the employee is during time on the job).

Corporate Wellness Programs not only uses targeted interventions to reduce health costs, but it is also a strategy to create a dynamic work environment. Health promotion programs create an organizational culture that fosters vitality, motivation, and synergy. Corporate Wellness Programs are a worthwhile long-term strategy to improving the health and well-being of your employees.

Benefits of Corporate Wellness Programs: Reducing the Burden of Obesity

Sixty percent of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, a 74% increase in prevalence since 1991. Being overweight or obese makes people much more likely to develop a variety of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. “Nearly two out of three people are overweight, and one out of three is obese. The prevalence of obese children is on the rise, currently 15 percent of children are considered overweight or obese. The rate in which this epidemic is growing is stunning.” says Surgeon General Richard Carmona1.

Less than 15% of Americans  eat the daily recommended number of fruits and vegetables, and less than 25% get the recommended amounts of exercise. The consequences of those choices cost taxpayers money, hurt business productivity and diminish quality of life for millions Americas. Inactive lifestyles and poor eating habits are much of the reason our national cost of health care now exceeds two trillion dollars. These medical costs directly affect you as an employer and a taxpayer.

WellnessMobile can coordinate employee health screenings for your company, just call us!

1. Spend More Time with Family & Friends

Recent polls conducted by General Nutrition Centers, Quicken, and others shows that more than 50% of Americans vow to appreciate loved ones and spend more time with family and friends this year. Make plans to meet up with friends for an evening of camaraderie at a favorite restaurant or take the family to a popular place for family fun. Work shouldn’t always come first!

2. Fit in Fitness

The evidence is in for fitness. Regular exercise has been associated with more health benefits than anything else known to man. Studies show that it reduces the risk of some cancers, increases longevity, helps achieve and maintain weight loss, enhances mood, lowers blood pressure, and even improves arthritis. In short, exercise keeps you healthy and makes you look and feel better.

3. Tame the Bulge

Over 66 percent of adult Americans are considered overweight or obese by recent studies, so it is not surprising to find that weight loss is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. Setting reasonable goals and staying focused are the two most important factors in sticking with a weight loss program, and the key to success for those millions of Americans who made a New Year’s commitment to shed extra pounds.

4. Quit Smoking

If you have resolved to make this the year that you stamp out your smoking habit, over-the-counter availability of nicotine replacement therapy now provides easier access to proven quit-smoking aids. Even if you’ve tried to quit before and failed, don’t let it get you down. On average, smokers try about four times before they quit for good. Start enjoying the rest of your smoke-free life! Locally, there are a variety of free support services, hotlines and smoking cessation classes to help you kick the smoking habit.

5. Enjoy Life More

Given the hectic, stressful lifestyles of millions of Americans, it is no wonder that “enjoying life more” has become a popular resolution in recent years. It’s an important step to a happier and healthier you! Consider one of the holitic healing centers for products designed to bring balance to your body, mind and soul. Or just get out and try something new! Take up a new hobby or try your hand at skiing. Go to a theater performance, or head to the local spa. America offers a wealth of artistic and recreational activities to meet just about anyone’s wishes.

6. Quit Drinking

While many people use the New Year as an incentive to finally stop drinking, most are not equipped to make such a drastic lifestyle change all at once. Many heavy drinkers fail to quit cold turkey but do much better when they taper gradually, or even learn to moderate their drinking. If you have decided that you want to stop drinking, there is a world of help and support available. Alcoholics Anonymous offers meetings throughout many areas. There are also a number of treatment-based programs, as well as support groups for families of alcoholics.

7. Get Out of Debt

Was money a big source of stress in your life last year? Join the millions of Americans who have resolved to spend this year getting a handle on their finances. It’s a promise that will repay itself many times over in the year ahead.

8. Learn Something New

Have you vowed to make this year the year to learn something new? Perhaps you are considering a career change, want to learn a new language, or just how to fix your computer? Whether you take a course or read a book, you’ll find education to be one of the easiest, most motivating New Year’s resolutions to keep. The Community Colleges offer a wide variety of “lifelong learning” courses, and local YMCA’s offer great recreational training for beginners of all ages. Most local colleges and universities offer distance and adult education programs. Or if the arts are more your thing, places such as the Museum of Art & History offer adult studio classes.

9. Help Others

A popular, non-selfish New Year’s resolution, volunteerism can take many forms. Whether you choose to spend time helping out at your local library, mentoring a child, or building a house, there are many nonprofit volunteer organizations that could really use your help. Or if your time is really in short supply, maybe you can at least find it in you to donate the furniture, clothing and other household items that you no longer need, rather than leaving them out by the curb to fill up our landfills.

10. Get Organized

On just about every New Year resolution top ten list, organization can be a very reasonable goal. Whether you want your home organized enough that you can invite someone over on a whim, or your office organized enough that you can find the stapler when you need it, these tips and resources should get you started on the way to a more organized life. America has quite a few professional organizers who can help you reduce the clutter in your life and find peace in your home.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to stay out of the Republican presidential race means that the American people will be spared months of discussion about his ample waistline and the bad example it sets. Nonetheless, with first lady Michelle Obama urging everyone to get moving, obesity remains a political hot potato, or maybe a tater tot. Below, a helping of skepticism about the causes of Americans’ poor eating habits—and the effectiveness of political fixes.

1.  People in poor neighborhoods lack access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

 Walk into nearly any supermarket in the United States, and you are immediately confronted with abundance—bok choy, mangos, melons and avocados from across the globe—where a couple of varieties of apples and carrots once struggled to fill shelf space.

But not everyone has easy access to this fruity phantasmagoria. If you’re picking up ingredients for dinner at a gas station or a convenience store, you probably live in what eggheads have taken to calling a “food desert”—an ill-defined concept with powerful policy implications. A commonly cited 2009 statistic from the U.S. Department of Agriculture has 23.5 million Americans living in poor urban and rural areas with limited access to fresh food.

Making those food deserts bloom is a centerpiece of Michelle Obama’s anti-obesity agenda. This January found the first lady smiling for the cameras with Wal-Mart executives in Southeast Washington and declaring herself “more hopeful than ever” as she tours the nation’s produce sections.

But the prevalence of food deserts is almost certainly overstated. Not having a supermarket in your Zip code isn’t the last word in access to healthy food. According to the USDA, 93 percent of “desert” dwellers have access to a car. And farmers markets, often overlooked in surveys of rich and poor neighborhoods alike, have tripled since 1994.

Still, it does seem reasonable that making it easier to buy fresh food would improve what people eat. However, a study published this year in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the first to measure the impact of access to fresh food on diet, followed 5,000 people for over 15 years and found something surprising: Proximity to a grocery store or supermarket doesn’t increase consumption of healthy food. That suggests that a lack of convenient leafy greens isn’t the problem. Dinner menus are the product of subtle and pervasive food cultures, which can’t be tweaked from the East Wing.

The primary beneficiaries of tax incentives and other nudges aimed at abolishing food deserts are big grocery chains, not poor shoppers.

2. Advertising forces people to make unhealthy choices.

Television-bound children, their eyes awhirl with images of Tony the Tiger and his high-fructose friends, haunt the debate about junk-food advertising. And any parent who has ever experienced a 2-year-old’s grocery store meltdown would certainly like to have someone to blame. But the Institute of Medicine, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, has concluded that “current evidence is not sufficient to arrive at any finding about a causal relationship from television advertising to adiposity [excess weight] among children and youth.” Similar findings hold true for adults.

We don’t need advertisers to tell us that candy is delicious. Humans were big fans of fat and sugar long before the idiot box was invented. We’re programmed to go for the good (bad) stuff. Sure, Kellogg’s and General Mills have big advertising budgets, but they’re nowhere near as powerful as Darwin. Cracking down on advertisers gives politicians a scapegoat, but it doesn’t make kids, or their parents, healthier.

3.  Eating healthy is too expensive.

 A dinner of hot dogs and Devil Dogs is undeniably cheap. But a bowl of beans and rice with a banana on the side is cheaper. A survey by the USDA found that, by weight, bottled water is cheaper than soda, low-fat milk is cheaper than high-fat, and whole fruit is cheaper than processed sweet snacks. Preparing a big pot of lentils for the week may be not be glamorous, but it’s much cheaper and not much more time-consuming than cooking up frozen pizza or mac and cheese.

The New York Times’ Mark Bittman—no fan of Frito-Lay—writes that the idea that junk food is cheaper than real food is “just plain wrong” and that blaming unhealthy habits on cost is incorrect. People who eat lots of unhealthy food aren’t doing so because they lack cheap, healthy options. Instead, it’s because they like junk food. Making junk food comparatively more pricey by tacking on taxes—a proposal that has been revived many times by Yale’s Kelly Brownell (and recently made into law in Denmark)—mostly means that people will pay more taxes, not eat more kale.

4.  People need more information about what they eat.

It’s hard to argue against rules that give consumers more information. Perhaps for that reason, proposals to require restaurants to jam calorie, fat and other nutrition statistics onto already crowded signs and menus pop up over and over—most recently as part of the health-care reform law—despite the fact that virtually all major fast-food chains already provide such information on handouts and online.

Knowing that a chocolate shake at Shake Shack has 740 calories doesn’t stop me—or the first lady— from ordering one occasionally. We’re not alone: Studies consistently find that menu labeling doesn’t result in healthier choices. A recent study from Ghent University in Belgium found that labels made no difference in the consumption patterns of students there, backing up a 2009 New York University study that found no improvement in poor New Yorkers’ eating habits after the introduction of mandatory menu labeling in the Big Apple.

5.  There are too many fast-food restaurants in low-income neighborhoods.

In many urban neighborhoods, it’s easier to get permission to open a sex shop than a Taco Bell, thanks to aggressive policies by local zoning boards. But zoning out fast-food restaurants in cities is a lost cause—they are probably already too thick on the ground for new restrictions to alter the culinary mix. The same study that found no effect on diet from increased access to fruits and vegetables also found that proximity to fast-food restaurants had only a small effect, and it was limited to young, low-income men.

In a commentary accompanying the study, Jonathan E. Fielding and Paul A. Simon of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health wrote that “policy efforts to reduce access to [junk food], though politically challenging, will likely have a greater impact on reducing the obesity epidemic than efforts focused solely on increasing access to fresh produce and other healthy options.” “Politically challenging” is code for “virtually impossible.”

And for good reason. Eliminating access to fast food and other junk food means taking away choices, something Americans don’t tend to like, even (or perhaps especially) when it’s for their own good.

Katherine Mangu-Ward is the managing editor of Reason. This article originally appeared in The Washington Post on October 14, 2011.