Eaten many coconuts lately? How about cherries or blueberries or grass-fed beef?  You should, because these are all foods with powerful health properties. However, few people pack their grocery carts full of these items.

Take kiwifruit. It's chock full of vitamin C--a whopping 115% of what you need to eat in a day. It's also low in calories--just 45 per fruit, sans skin.  "In America, most people don't eat three servings of fruit and vegetables a day," says nutritionist Jonny Bowden, author of seven books including, most recently, The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy. According to him, there are 10 very healthy foods we don't eat enough of.  Bowden says many Americans are misled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's food pyramid, which is a graphic, pyramid-shaped depiction of nutrition guidelines, updated every five years, that tells Americans what to eat according to food groups. Bowden dismisses it as the product of interest group politics.  "It demonizes fat," notes Bowden. "Fat is an essential building block for many important compounds in the body." This is why Bowden puts grass-fed beef, wild salmon and, yes, coconuts, on his top 10 list.

The list is cherries, blueberries, kiwi fruit, grass fed beef, wild salmon, flax seed, why protien powder, kale, coconut and dark chocolate.

1. Set Goals
Simply saying you want to lose weight is not enough. Instead, set three specific short- and long-term goals that you'd like to achieve. For example, a short-term goal could be, "I want to go down two dress sizes by February 14th," while a long-term goal would be "I want to lose 15 lb of fat in six months."

2. Take a "Before" Picture
Take a picture of yourself in a bathing suit or sports bra and shorts. When you look at yourself every day in the mirror you tend not to notice changes in your body. Having a picture allows you to better see results and it's a great motivator.

3. Measure Your Progress
Don’t just rely on the scale. Muscle weighs more than fat so you may not see a change on the scale but your clothes will feel different. Take your base measurements and then re-take them on a regular basis. You cannot measure your progress if you don't know where you started from.

4. Be a Joiner
Getting a gym membership is often not the best solution for getting in shape. Too many people buy a membership but then don’t actually go on a regular basis because there's no structure, accountability or group support and personal trainers are costly. Instead, join a fitness boot camp, exercise class or other fitness program where you'll have a set time and workout plan done for you. Bonus: You will learn proper form and technique, plus you'll meet people with similar goals that can give you support.

5. Flex Your Muscles
Don’t just do cardio! Strength Training is an essential part of any fitness routine. It will build your muscle and increase your bone density. Not to mention, for every pound of muscle you gain, you speed up your metabolism, which means you increase the rate at which you burn fat. We recommend strength training one to three times a week.

6. Start Your Day Off Right
It’s easy to come up with excuses for why you can’t work out when you're busy, so be sure to book exercise time in your calendar and don’t double-book. We recommend working out first thing in the morning so that there are less excuses to get in the way of your goals.

7. Rest Up
Make sure you get 7-9 hours of deep sleep each night. Studies have shown that people who don’t get enough sleep have a tendency to overeat and are more susceptible to weight gain. Also, be sure to give your muscles a break by taking at least one or two days off from exercising each week.

8. Reward Yourself Weekly
If you eat healthy all week, allow yourself a cheat day to eat whatever you want. Knowing that you don’t have to completely deprive yourself of foods you love will keep you motivated.

9. Change Your Eating Habits
Instead of three big meals a day, opt for five or six smaller ones instead. Your body needs fuel every three to four hours, which also speeds up your metabolism so you are burning more calories throughout the day. Be sure to include protein (eggs, cottage cheese, chicken, fish), low glycemic carbs (brown rice, fruits, lentils, quinoa) and fibrous vegetables.

10. Eliminate Processed Sugars
Processed sugars are carbs that have been stripped of valuable nutrients. How can you identify these sugars? They are all white: table sugar, pasta, rice, and bread. Look for alternatives that provide a nutrition boost. Try honey in place of sugar and go for whole-wheat pasta, rice and bread.

Bonus Tip
Don't get caught up in the "New Years Resolution mentality" and try to make too many lifestyle changes at once. Start with a few realistic goals you can handle; join a group workout, walk to work, take the stairs whenever possible, jog with your dog instead of walking, etc. Once you have successfully followed this routine for a month or two, you'll be ready to add more to your routine.

Fit bodies may bring kids better test scores in school, a new study finds.

''Children's physical fitness is associated with their academic performance," said study author Lesley Cottrell, an associate professor of pediatrics at West Virginia University, in Morgantown.

She is due to present the findings this week at the American Heart Association's 2010 Conference on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism in San Francisco.

In general, the fitter the student, the better the test scores, Cottrell's team found.

The researchers evaluated almost 1,200 students, assessing their fitness in the fifth grade and then again in the seventh grade. They tested them in four subjects in seventh grade -- reading, math, science and social studies -- using standardized tests.

The researchers hypothesized that those children who maintained fitness over the two-year span would have the best test scores, and they were right.

Coffee drinkers can take heart from a series of studies presented this week at American Heart Association conferences in San Francisco. For example, coffee drinkers appear to have a lower risk of hospitalization for abnormal heart rhythms. And there's no indication that having a few cups every day increases the risk of atherosclerosis, the thickening of blood vessel walls that can lead to heart attacks and other problems. What's more, something in coffee other than caffeine might be responsible for a reduced risk of diabetes for women who regularly imbibe java.

Not every report at the AHA's annual conferences on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention and Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism was totally upbeat for coffee lovers. One report did find a potential link between coffee drinking and high blood pressure, but the effect was described as "modest."

Looking for some great dinner ideas and recipes...check out these websites.

www.foodtv.ca

www.kraftcanada.com

www.bettycrocker.com

Some tips on Baby's first hair cut:

• Bring a change of clothes. Your toddler may refuse to wear the cape, or may wiggle around and get hair into his clothes — having hair down his back is going to make him cranky for the rest of the day.

• Don’t use force. Trying to restrict your child’s movement is likely to lead to even more squirming.

• If your child uses a pacifier, bring it.

• A familiar toy that will keep her hands occupied while her hair is being cut may help. “Those little linking rings and toys that make noises when shaken are good choices,” 

• Bring snacks to keep your child’s hands busy — but don’t bring anything sticky (like a lollipop).

• Bring along a container of bubble-blowing liquid and blow bubbles near your child’s face as the stylist works. Check with the stylist first, though.

• Be prepared to take a break halfway through, or even a couple of breaks.

• Bring extra people if you can. An entertaining older sibling may be just the thing to keep your toddler happy — or maybe Mommy can make funny faces or Grandpa can provide some live entertainment with his rendition of “Itsy Bitsy Spider"
What about doing that first cut yourself? A lot depends on your skill level and what you want to do. A quick trim of the bangs isn’t too hard, but taming curly or longer hair may be best left to the pros.
Generations ago, the hair from that first haircut was often stored in a locket. Now parents usually keep it in an envelope. Scrapbooking suppliers provide a selection of cute options that can be glued into a scrapbook page along with some before and after photos.

Being at risk for developing heart disease or having a stroke was once something only adults had to worry about. But now children are being added to the meld, many of them as young as three years old. In fact, a recent study found that about twice as many obese 3-to-5-year old children had elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP)—an inflammatory marker that experts say has been shown to predict the risk of heart disease, stroke and death under certain conditions—compared to those at healthy weights. And that difference grew to more than four times the frequency in teenagers from 15 to 17 years old.

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of North Carolina, involved 16,000 children and adolescents aged 1 to 17; nearly 70 percent of which were a healthy weight, 15 percent were overweight, 11 percent were obese, and 3.5 percent were severely obese. Overall, 40 percent of obese children aged 3-5 had increased levels of CRP, compared with 17 percent of those at healthy weights. By age 15-17, 83 percent of the severely obese had increased levels of CRP, compared with 18 percent of the healthy weight adolescents.

Type-2 diabetics who eat a diet rich in slower-to-digest foods like nuts, beans and lentils have better blood-sugar control.

University of Toronto researchers say they also had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, compared with those whose diets rely more heavily on cereal-fibre foods. In a study of 210 people with Type-2 diabetes, researchers had half of the participants eat a low glycemic-index diet. The diet included beans, peas, lentils, nuts, pasta, parboiled rice, slow-to-digest breads like pumpernickel and cereals such as large-flake oatmeal.

The remaining subjects were advised to consume a healthy ``brown'' diet recommended by the American Diabetes Association. It was from those two groups that it reached its final conclusions.

In yet another sign that obesity poses health risks to any age, new research shows that overweight children as young as three can begin to show signs of cardiovascular disease risk factors.  Researchers looked at data on about 31-hundred children aged 3 to 6 who took part in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.  They found children with high body mass indexes and large waist circumferences were more likely to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein and lover levels of HDL, or good cholesterol that children of normal weight. 

A U-S study suggests married people sleep better than single people.  Among those who also sleep better: men, the financially stable, and people with more education.  Researchers based the findings on information collected in a national government survey that included more than 159-thousand participants.  Women reported more sleeping problems than men, and young people -- 18 to 24 years old -- had more sleep issues than did older adults.  Those earning 75-thousand dollars per year were less likely to have sleep problems than those earning less than 10-thousand dollars per year (no wonder!)  And while married people slept better than single people, those who were separated slept the worst.

A good night's sleep isn't just about hitting the ground running in the morning. If you get the seven to nine hours experts advise, you can expect these added benefits:

Fewer sniffles

People who get less than 7 hours per night are three times likelier to catch colds, according to a Journal of the American Medical Association study. Reason: Sleep boosts immunity; too little impairs it.

Stay healthy by avoiding the top 10 sleep thieves.

A trimmer waistline

People who logged seven to nine hours a night had an average BMI of 24.8—almost 2 points lower than the average BMI of those who slept less, University of Washington researchers found. Too-little sleep may throw off hormones that regulate appetite.

Lower risk of heart disease and diabetes

Lack of sleep is associated with higher levels of stress hormones that may raise blood pressure and affect glucose metabolism. A new study found that the risk for high blood pressure among insomniacs who slept less than five hours per night was 500 times greater than those who logged more than six hours. And insomniacs who slept less than five hours were three times likelier to have diabetes, compared with those without insomnia who slept more than six hours.

4 ways to sleep more deeply

Want to hit the hay earlier?

Gradually advance your bedtime by 15 minutes a night.
Dim the lights in your home about an hour before bed, and start a routine that tells your body it's time to snooze (put on pajamas, brush teeth, wash face).
Avoid the TV and computer.
Meditate or do light stretching. People who relax in the evening fall asleep about 30 minutes sooner than those who don't and get an extra hour of sleep.

Step 1
Learn to Cook. The more you eat healthy home made meals the better.

Step 2
Eat back to basic foods - if you can't pronounce something on a label you probably shouldn't be eating it.

Step 3
Aim for 5 servings of fruits and 5 servings of vegetables each day.

Step 4
Walk at least 30 minutes everyday. It can't be a saunter, you have to walk briskly. Can't get up to brisk? Start off slowly and work your way up to brisk. Check with your doctor before starting any new exercise regime.

Step 5
Practice some type of stress reduction. Meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, deep breathing or going for a walk all are great choices.

Step 6
Socialize. People who have active social lives are in fact happier than their peers who don't socialize. Find a happy medium between work, family life and socializing is key.

Step 7
Practice an act of kindness everyday. It can be as little as offering your seat on the bus to as large as volunteering at an old age home or shelter.

Step 8
Practice gratitude. When we dwell on the things we're grateful for we become more positive people.

Step 9
Eat a small piece of dark chocolate every day. Research suggests that it may help reduce your chances of developing heart disease. We need a tiny treat every day. Emphasis on tiny.

Step 10
Get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Your brain and body need to reboot every night. Getting enough shut eye will help your body fight stress and keep your immune system working on optimum.

Beyond the already well-known ``BlackBerry thumb,'' new research shows avid texting may also cause pain to the hand, arm and neck.  But the study finds there may be ways to avoid this discomfort.  Swedish researchers say young adults who texted while hunched over and typed using only one thumb had more problems with their arms, neck and hands than those who sat straighter and used more than one digit.  So practice good posture and use more than one finger.

People are now regularly turning to the Internet for the sake of their health.  A number of successful online medical interventions have been reported in recent months, helping folks quit smoking, lower their blood pressure and deal with any number of ailments.  Doctor Robert Mallin of the Medical University of South Carolina says such online programs could appeal to people who don't like going to doctors, therapists or support groups for help with their problems.  New York City cardiologist Doctor Nieca Goldberg says it's a great trend -- as long as people are going to reliable and trusted sources for help.
 

Here's a riddle. What addiction destroys families, ruins the health of its victims, is covered by layers of denial and rationalization, yet we honour the addicts as role models? According to Dr. Bryan Robinson, in his book, Chained to the Desk, work addiction afflicts as many as 20% of North American adults.

Robinson lists 10 signs of work addiction:

• They are always in a rush and hyperbusy. Not content to do one job at a time the work addict will schedule multiple tasks with minimal time for completion.
• They play the control game. They must control every activity to see that it gets done right.
• Nothing is ever perfect enough for them. They are tough to work for and even worse to live with.
• Their relationships crumble in the name of work. They let down family and friends by neglecting responsibilities and missing events, signifying that work is more important than family and relationships.
• They produce work in binges. Like the alcoholic they will even hide work, sneaking it along on vacation, or continuing to work in their heads while physically appearing to be present in a social or family activity.
• They are restless, no-fun grumps. Like all other addictions, it takes more of the behaviour to achieve relief, and without the addictive activity the sufferer enters withdrawal.
• They experience work trances and DWWs (driving while working). They tune out or even have blackouts for periods of time or during conversations because their minds were occupied with work.
• They are impatient and irritable. 
• They think they're only as good as their last achievement. As with other addictions there is a progressive need to achieve more, as the addict develops increasing tolerance requiring more drug to get the same high.
• They have no time for self-care. They skip meals, sleep, fun, and exercise in their treadmill existence.

What needs to happen for a workaholic to recover?

Like all addictions, the first step is for the addict to realize there is a problem and decide they want to change. The recovering person must develop a repertoire of nonchemical coping strategies to feel better while maintaining balance. It helps to sketch out a picture, the "pie of life," in which each necessary life activity is given a proportionate piece of the pie. Slices of the pie might include exercise, rest, fun, nutrition, intimacy, work, spiritual growth, creativity, and whatever else is needed to feel whole. It is often worthwhile to visit a skilled psychotherapist for several sessions of cognitive therapy.