By Morgan Cooper, with Lea Friese-Haben

With the decline in the economy, employers are forced to take a closer look at their workforce. One of the things they have to consider is employee health, a growing concern partly based on increasing health care costs.

So where will they “trim the fat?” Simple—by looking at employees that cost them money. Key elements of a 2006 study provided by Leade Health and titled “The Business Case for Weight/Obesity Management Using Health Coaching Interventions” focused on obesity-related diseases and their effects on the bottom line of businesses. Employee obesity is the number-one factor in productivity loss, and employees under scrutiny are those who are severely overweight.

In the study, it was determined that medical costs for obese employees are 77 percent higher than for those who maintain a healthy weight, and that obesity-related disabilities cost employers up to $8,720 per claimant a year. Additionally, obesity represents an estimated 43 percent of all health care spending for coronary heart disease, type II diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis of the knee, and endometrial cancer.

If you’re overweight, and your employer is evaluating job performance, missed days due to illness, and work limitations, then your employment may be at risk. Let’s face it—obesity is a growing epidemic in our society. Out of all the countries in the world, America is ranked number one for its overweight population. 30.6 percent of the population in America aged 15 and above have a BMI greater than 30. By comparison, the lowest is Japan at 3.2 percent.

So what is feeding the obesity epidemic? Dr. Dave Johnson, bariatric surgeon for Arizona Weight Loss Solutions, states, “The way people eat has changed. Many families try to make food dollars stretch by loading up on carbs and not enough protein, fresh vegetables, and fruit. Portions are larger, and fast food is on every corner. Fresh-food meal preparation has decreased due to busy schedules. The most concerning ripple effect is the alarming rise of obesity and inactivity in our children.”

Dr. Johnson questions the effectiveness of popular fad diets, which he says fail when people go back to eating “normal food” and gain back the weight they lost and continue to gain. The dieters, he says, don’t learn through these diets how to make wise food choices.

So what can employers do to help build a stronger, leaner workforce? We talked with United Healthcare, one of the largest insurance providers in the United States. They said that an increasing number of companies are providing wellness programs to help educate their employees while offering the employees positive incentives to create a healthy workplace. One such program is called Vital Measures, and the incentive is simple: If you don’t smoke, maintain healthy cholesterol levels, keep your blood pressure down, and maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI) level that is proportional to your height and weight, you receive a credit on your deductible for each criterion met.

So where do we go from here? “Exercise, proper diet, nutrition, and behavioral education are the key to a person’s success with weight loss,” Dr. Johnson says. “Employers and employees need weight loss programs to mobilize their workforce and help them succeed in their efforts. Most insurance companies require a five-year weight history before bariatric [weight loss] surgery is approved. Because of this, we have added a medically supervised weight loss program for the people who do not qualify for weight loss surgery but still need to lose twenty to fifty pounds to get into that healthy weight range.”

To tip the scale in the right direction, America seriously needs to get moving, eat less, and eat more nutritious meals in order to trim the fat from its waistline. Don’t be a target—set a goal and get to your target weight instead.

To calculate your BMI, go to azwls.com.

By Diana Bocco

Let’s face it: Even with the best intentions, it would be difficult to lose weight if you’re surrounded by temptations every time you open a cupboard or check your fridge. So, get your healthy shopping list ready and stock up on water and lots of veggies, but also make sure you follow these tips to turn your kitchen into a skinny ally.

Stay out of the kitchen

The best way to do a successful kitchen makeover is to change the way you use it. “The kitchen should be for cooking and eating; not talking on the phone, doing work, or arguing,” says Dr. Erik Plasker, author of the book The 100 Year Lifestyle. If you spend less time in the kitchen, you’re less likely to want to look in the fridge/pantry for something to snack on while you’re doing other things or are bored.

Paint your kitchen blue

Or eat off blue plates. Research suggests that blues and purples may be appetite suppressants because they are the natural colors of molds and poisonous berries. According to registered dietitian Kristin Reisinger, this is because those colors don’t appear naturally in most foods and therefore decrease the appetite and desire to eat more.

Rearrange your fridge

Position all healthy items like fruits and protein in the front of the shelves and place all unhealthy items in the back. “Many of us like to open the refrigerator even when we’re not hungry, and we end up grabbing an unhealthy snack,” says Marta Montenegro, an exercise physiology professor at Florida International University. “If you have the habit of opening the fridge, at least you will grab a piece of fruit instead.”

Clean up your cupboards

Trash all junk food, such as sweets and fried snacks. Anything that you may have a tendency to binge on should be given away, thrown away, or at least hidden,” says Plasker. Stock your shelves with healthy, tasty food that you will want to eat when hungry but that won’t gnaw at you until you eat it. If you keep items like chocolate chips and other baking items around, be sure to keep them in hard-to-reach places. The more inconvenient it is to get at them, the more chances you will change your mind before reaching for them.

Take the TV out of the kitchen

“We know that when eating occurs in places other than at the table and when not solely focused on the eating process, we tend to eat more food,” says Dr. Craig Primack, one of the founders of the Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. If our kids are asked to eat at the table and finish before going to watch their favorite show, they won’t sit eating an entire bag of chips before the show is over.

By Diana Bocco

Weight loss doesn’t have to be a never-ending battle. In fact, the secret to effective (and lasting) weight loss is to make permanent changes you can live with, no matter how small.

1. There are no bad foods, only bad portions. Rather than depriving yourself of something you love and then overeating a couple of days (or hours) later, have a small bite of anything you love. “Since no foods are ‘bad foods,’ all foods can be enjoyed,” says registered dietitian Sandra Marin. “The secret is to keep high-calorie foods as items you consume once in a while, as opposed to daily food habits.”

1. Think thin to lose weight. Thin people tend to think that they will always be thin, while heavy people think that they will gain weight back after they lose it. They are setting themselves up for failure even before they start. Also, thin people tend to enjoy their food, while heavy people, oddly enough, often don’t enjoy their food because they feel guilty and believe that they should be on a diet.

1. Give up fruit juices. They contain an unusually high amount of sugar (even the natural or unsweetened kind), which wreaks havoc with your glucose, adds weight, and causes cravings. Instead, drink water, herbal teas, or diet products.

1. Spend time with like-minded people. By surrounding yourself with others who want to make healthy choices, you’ll begin making healthy choices as well. Can’t find anybody around who would join you? Visit a site like MyDietBuddy.com and find a virtual weight-loss buddy.

1. If you are short on time and looking for the most efficient and effective way to work out, try circuit training (going from one exercise to another without resting). This way, you get the “high” of aerobics with the “pump” of weight training in the same session.

1. Bring healthy snacks with you wherever you go. This will make it easier to avoid temptations, such as the vending machine at work. Nuts, crackers, and low-fat cheese, yogurt, or a piece of fruit are all good options.

1. Choose a breakfast that is high in fiber and a good source of protein. The mixture of protein and fiber helps us feel full for a longer period and prevents those unwanted blood-sugar spikes. Examples include high-fiber cereal topped with berries and low-fat milk or cheese toast with a piece of whole fruit.

1. Finally, forget quick fixes. There are no genies in bottles or single exotic-food diets. Registered dietitian Debi Silber says that any diet that promises a quick fix is a scam and that lasting weight loss takes time. “Any diet very low in calories will show an immediate weight loss,” Silber says. “However, the weight that is lost is mostly water, along with important lean body mass, which you don’t want to lose because that’s what increases your metabolism.”

By Dr. Daniel Fung

Uneasy Glistening

I suffer from excessive sweating from my underarms and feet, which tends to be embarrassing in the hot weather. Can I get rid of this condition with Botox injections? And is this treatment permanent?

Sweating is an essential bodily function. Whether you’re working out at the gym or just outside on a hot day, you sweat to keep your body temperature from going beyond “safe temperature”—that is, one at which your vital organs will not overheat. It’s normal, too, for stress and even spicy foods to make you sweat a little. However, about three percent of adults sweat excessively in areas such as the face, under the arms, the palms of their hands, and the soles of their feet, without even moving a muscle. This condition is called hyperhidrosis.

The body’s estimated four million sweat glands, which are connected to nerves in the sympathetic nervous system, trigger the release of a chemical called acetylcholine. For some unknown reason, certain people overreact to the release of this chemical and sweat excessively from their face, hands, feet, and underarms.

Treatments can be simple and inexpensive, depending on the severity of hyperhidrosis. To control mild cases, consider over-the-counter antiperspirants that contain high concentrations of aluminum or the use of a prescription topical cream. Ask your dermatologist or pharmacist for a recommendation, particularly if you feel uncomfortable using antiperspirant that contains aluminum. These preparations are relatively affordable; however, they can irritate the skin and cause burning and rashes.

For more severe cases, injections of Botox in the hands, feet, underarms, or scalp block the action of acetylcholine to stop excess sweating after about one week, and the benefit of a single treatment lasts about seven months. Botox injections are considered safe and have few side effects, but check with a licensed and approved dermatologist or plastic surgeon before going this route.

As a last resort, you may consider a surgical procedure called endoscopic thoracic sumpathectomy, during which physicians cut the nerves that cause excessive sweating in other areas (such as on the face, scalp, back, and chest).

Don’t be embarrassed to ask your doctor about treatment options, as there is much you can do to alleviate excessive sweating.

Undrawing the Line

I have tried Botox before, but I recently heard of Botox combination therapy. What is it?

The expression combination therapy refers to the use of two or more treatments that work together to create an enhanced result that one or the other could not achieve on its own. Botox, for example, used in conjunction with dermal fillers, has become a popular method for achieving longer-lasting and more natural-looking results.

Many people are confused about the difference between Botox and fillers. Botox relaxes the muscles that cause dynamic lines like frown lines or crow’s feet. It stops repeated expressions from creating lines and stops current lines from deepening over time. Dermal fillers work by adding volume and fullness. Typical treatments add plumpness to lips, reduce hollowness in the cheeks, create improved facial contours, and fill deep lines or folds.

Combination therapy for injectables can work in two ways. First, different areas of the face can benefit from different injectables on the same visit. You may get Botox to prevent frown lines on the forehead and have dermal fillers around the mouth area to restore lost fullness to the lips and fill in fine lines. This combination will give you a better overall result than one or the other would give by itself.

Second, the same area can be treated with both Botox and fillers in two subsequent visits. Not only does this combination treatment provide amazing results but it also makes both products last longer if injected in the same area.

The best way to get personalized information is to have a free consultation with an experienced injector, preferably an approved plastic surgeon or dermatologist. Often, you can have a treatment done the same day. Should you choose to go ahead, book a follow-up appointment within a couple of weeks to ensure that you are getting the best and longest-lasting results possible.

By Dr. Wilson Kwong
I have a sore in my mouth. How can I be sure whether it is a canker sore or oral cancer?

In addition to checking for cavities and gum disease, dentists look for signs of oral cancers when we do an examination during a checkup. We look at the most common areas where oral cancer is found: under the tongue and on the floor of the mouth, on and around the sides of the tongue, in the back of the throat, on the sides of the cheeks, on the roof of the mouth, and around the lips. Sometimes an X-ray will reveal cancer in the bones of the upper or lower jaw or in the spaces in the sinuses. Dentists will also examine the neck for unusual swellings or hardening of the lymph nodes, which may indicate cancer in the throat. One of my patients noticed an unusual change in his voice and later found that he had a tumor on his larynx. Fortunately, it was operable and he continues to sing in his band today.

Oral cancers look like red sores or white patches. They are often painful and irregularly shaped, and bleed easily. Unlike canker sores or cold sores, they do not improve or disappear over time. Teeth around the area may be loose or uncomfortable to chew on. Patients may also notice a lump or thickening in the mouth or throat.

A biopsy is the only certain way to determine if tissue is cancerous. Biopsies can be performed by your dentist or an oral medicine or surgical specialist. The tissue sample is then sent for a histological test at a lab to determine if it is a cancer. Different levels of severity, from benign to malignant, will be assessed and treatment will be recommended. Complete removal of the cancerous tissue is recommended to prevent spread, or metastasis. Treatment may also involve radiation and chemotherapy if it is suspected that the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Unfortunately, if the cancer is advanced, radical surgery to remove large areas is often required in order to save a patient’s life. This type of surgery can be disfiguring and debilitating to the patient, who will often have difficulty with chewing and swallowing, and may require speech rehabilitation. As with all forms of cancer, early detection is crucial.

There is no absolute prevention of oral cancers. There are ways to reduce your risk, however, such as minimizing drinking, refraining from smoking or chewing tobacco, and eating healthy foods. The combination of alcohol and tobacco is particularly risky, as alcohol thins out or strips away the lining of the oral tissue, which then allows the carcinogens in tobacco to damage the cells. Limiting sun exposure and using a lip balm containing sunscreen will help to prevent cancer on the lips. Infection with the human papilloma virus (HPV) has been linked to several types of cancer, including oral, so practicing safe sex can also help to reduce your risk.

Going to the dentist is an important part of your total wellness and should be done on a regular basis. Ask your dentist to evaluate your overall oral health with a thorough cancer screen.

Keep smiling—sometimes a sore is just a sore!

Subtitle: Five Easy Things You Can Do to Get Healthier, Lose Weigh,t and Tone Up While at Work

By Diana Bocco
It’s hard to find time to exercise, but if you can fit it into your work schedule, you will have a plan for success. Here are five tips from experts on simple things you can do every day to improve your life and your health.

Embrace the “90/10 Philosophy”

Celebrity trainer Valerie Waters, who has worked with stars such as Jessica Biel and Jennifer Garner, recommends approaching your diet with a 90/10 ratio. “This means 90 percent of the time you should fill up on foods like lean proteins and several fruits and vegetables, such as Florida grapefruit, spinach, and broccoli,” Waters says. “It also is important to reward yourself. For the remaining 10 percent of the time, enjoy a piece of dark chocolate, a frozen yogurt, or a slice of pizza.” This is a great way to satisfy your hunger without feeling deprived. It also allows you to join office meetings, parties, or getaways without being the only one who can’t try the food.

Take Advantage of Your Breaks

Fifteen minutes twice a day adds up to two and a half hours at the end of the week. “Plan to walk with a coworker if you like the social interaction, or walk alone if you just want to have some private time,” says Brenda J. Ponichtera, registered dietitian and cookbook author. In addition to burning calories, Ponichtera points out that you’ll come back to the office refreshed and ready to tackle your workload. Can’t get out of the office? Use the stairwell to do step-ups, squats, and lunges. You can even keep a pair of dumbbells in a drawer to do shoulder presses, biceps curls, and triceps.

Battle Office Stress

Stress is a major cause of obesity and being overweight. “It’s a hormonal nightmare that causes a cascade of physiological events that promote weight gain and inefficient metabolism,” says Dr. Ron Spallone, head of nutritional research and development for CleansetoThin, Inc. A good way to deal with it at work is to try deep, focused diaphragmatic breathing. “As you breathe in, your stomach should go out,” Spallone says. “Breathe as if to get every last drop of oxygen out of the room. If you can step outside, wonderful. Hold for six seconds and then slowly breathe out through your mouth for seven seconds.” This will help you improve alertness and focus, reduce your appetite, give you better sleep, and reduce your anxiety.

Fidget

“For my patients that are sedentary or sit at a desk all day at work, I recommend the use of incidental movement such as fidgeting, tapping their feet or fingers, or using a squeeze ball to burn more calories,” says Linda Hlivka, clinical nutritionist and certified personal trainer. This practice, known as nonexercise activity thermogenesis, has been indicated in studies that it can help burn up to an additional 500 calories throughout the day. Hlivka also recommends the use of a squeeze ball to help develop lean muscle mass in the forearms, thus increasing metabolism while improving circulation.

Try Chair Yoga

Beth Shaw, founder and president of YogaFit, recommends trying some office moves. The easiest ones are Seated Chest Expansion and Chair-Ups. For the first one, bring hands behind back, clasp fingers and pull arms behind you. “This alleviates computer related stress on shoulders and neck,” says Shaw. For the chair-ups, push your chair against a wall. Stand hips-width apart in front of it. Sit almost all the way down in chair and then return to standing. Do this ten to fifteen times. “Do this three times per day for shapely glutes and a great butt,” Shaw says. “Works legs and burns calories.”

By Dr. Wilson Kwong

I’m considering bleaching my teeth to whiten them for my daughter’s wedding this summer. What are the newest techniques?

Tooth whitening is a multimillion-dollar industry in North America, and it continues to grow. Stains from the foods and drinks we consume over a lifetime fill the micropores in our teeth, causing discoloration. Baby boomers, unhappy at seeing their teeth turn yellow with age, are fueling the demand for bleaching in their quest for the whiter, healthier-looking teeth of their youth.

Tooth “bleach” is actually hydrogen peroxide, which was originally used in gum surgery to help with disinfecting fresh surgical sites. What the surgeon found was that not only did the gums looked great after a week or so but that the teeth also looked brighter!

You may find over-the-counter whiteners will lighten your teeth, but you will have to bleach more often, as the chemistry is much weaker than dentist-prescribed methods. They work best for people whose teeth are already fairly white and who are looking for a little brightening. Expect to pay about $50 to $80 for a week’s worth of strips or trays and that the whitening will last for a few months.

If you’re like the majority of people over 40 who drink coffee, tea, or red wine, then you’ll likely need something stronger, as the stains in your teeth have been there longer. Your dentist can prescribe in-chair bleaching or a take-home kit, either of which can provide the whitening you desire and results that can last up to one year.

With the in-chair service, a hydrogen peroxide solution is carefully applied to your teeth after isolating your gums and soft tissue from the active ingredient. A bright light, sometimes ultraviolet, is used to activate the chemicals. The UV light is very safe but may not be suitable for some people who are under certain medications. The light and heat emitted accelerate the bleaching process, resulting in teeth up to ten shades lighter after only one hour. Your dentist will probably provide a custom-made silicone tray with some bleach material so you can continue lightening your teeth at home.

The take-home system is probably the most popular technique, as it is the easiest way to whiten your teeth. During the day or at night, you simply place the bleach material into a custom-made silicone tray and wear it, making sure the material does not overflow and irritate the gums. After ten applications, you will notice a dramatic improvement in the brightness of your teeth.

The side effects of bleaching are usually sensitivity of teeth to cold and “zingers,” which some patients describe as spontaneous electrical zaps. Although these are annoying and sometimes painful, taking ibuprofen or filling the trays with desensitizing toothpaste usually keeps the sensitivity under control. Contrary to popular belief, repeated bleaching does not cause your teeth to weaken, although abuse or incorrect use can cause severe pain to the gums and hypersensitivity to the teeth, so it’s important to follow the recommended instructions. During the bleaching phase, the teeth become more vulnerable to staining as the particles of stain are dissolved, opening the micropores within the teeth. It’s best to avoid food and drink such as red wine or yellow curry at this time.

The costs for in-chair bleaching can range from $600 to $1,200, while take-home bleaching kits run from $250 to $600. If you’re in need of whiter teeth by this weekend, you may want to consider the in-chair technique, but if you have more time, then the take-home system may be more suitable.

Bleaching is a wonderful and safe way to get a brighter and more youthful-looking smile. Make sure you talk to your dentist about the different options available. Smile while you’re talking!

By Diana Bocco

Tired of the same-old, same-old when it comes to sports? Here’s your chance to explore some unique activities:

CARDIO TENNIS

Cardio Tennis combines the traditional sport of tennis with a high-intensity cardio workout. This 60-minute group activity includes warm-up, cardio workout, and cooldown phases, and is always taught by a certified tennis professional. Best of all? The average 150-pound person can burn off up to 600 calories during a single cardio tennis class! Besides getting a full-body workout, Cardio Tennis will help firm and tone biceps, triceps, and shoulders to help everyone feel great! And, yes, you do learn real tennis techniques in this workout.

“We know Cardio Tennis is a better workout and, more importantly, is more fun than some of those boring fitness programs you find in gyms,” says Michele Krause, national Cardio Tennis program manager and Speakers team director. “It combines some of the tradition of an established sport with what Americans are looking for today: results.”

HELI-SKIING

Heli-skiing is just what the name suggests: skiing on an off-trail downhill path that can only be accessed by a helicopter. This often means remote locations but it can also mean higher terrains, steeper slopes, and a harder-to-control natural environment. Skiers who try heli-skiing, however, usually come back for one particular reason: virgin powder snow, which cannot be found anywhere else, no matter how state-of-the-art a ski resort is.

While all abilities of skiers and snowboarders are welcome, heli-skiing may not be the best approach for someone who has never skied before, as the rugged terrain and the many natural obstacles require some good technical handling and abilities.

EpicQuest, a Jackson Hole, Wyoming-based company organizing heli-skiing trips, says the sport depends largely on the reputation of the companies organizing the trips. “For example, our personal experience give us access to remote—even untouched—locations that few people have ever seen or experienced,” said Craig Pattee, chief executive officer at EpicQuest. Sun Valley, Idaho, and Alaska (especially the Tordrillo Mountain range) are top destinations.

ULTIMATE

Ultimate (formerly known as extreme or ultimate frisbee) has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, with an estimated 100,000-plus competitors. According to Michael Baccarini, coauthor of Essential Ultimate, the game appeals to those new to team sports because the simple rules make it easy to learn.

“As with any sport, higher levels of play demand greater skill, physical conditioning, and athleticism, but participation is relative and learning the basics is easy,” Baccarini says. This means players as young as 8 and as old as 55 have been seen in organized official teams.

So what exactly is “ultimate”? Imagine playing Frisbee on a large soccer field, with scoring rules similar to those of American football and an end zone like the one in rugby. Now add lots of running (except when you’re actually holding the disc) and hanging throws, and you somewhat get the idea of what ultimate is all about. “Anyone who can throw and catch the disc can play ultimate,” Baccarini says.

KORFBALL

At first view, korfball looks a lot like basketball, except for the fact that there is no dribbling and the teams must be co-ed, probably to retain a sense of cooperation: two men and two women on each side of the court. Karla Wolters, a coach at Hope College in Holland, Mich. (coincidentally, the game has Dutch roots), introduced the sport in the U.S., but korfball has been around since the beginning of the twentieth century, when it was mainly played in Holland and was highly controversial (co-ed activities were not considered quite proper then).

Korfball baskets are higher than those in basketball (11 ½ as opposed to 10 feet). Unlike basketball, where a player with the ball who is closely guarded must pass, shoot, or move toward the basket within five seconds, there is no such rule in korfball. Also, unlike basketball, defenders are not allowed to touch their opponents or slap the ball out of their hands if the opponent is in possession of it. “No one player can dominate the game,” Wolters says. “Since there is no dribbling, the ball has to be passed from one teammate to another.” Korfball also employs the sportsmanship rule that says if a player falls down, play is temporarily stopped until the player can get up, even if the opposing team could take advantage of the fall. Korfball is definitely a kinder, gentler game than basketball.

By Diana Bocco

Winning the weight-loss game can be a challenge, but there are ways to improve your odds for long-term success. Here is what the experts have to say about it:

1.    “Keeping a food log is one of the most effective tools for weight management, whatever plan you may be on,” says Ilana Katz, MS, RD and CEO of Optimal Nutrition for Life. Being honest with yourself allows you to really analyze your eating behavior and determine where to focus your attention on lifestyle changes. When the plate’s clean, logs give you the real deal in black and white. Furthermore, logs give you great inspiration when you are losing, and great data for constant grocery lists and meal-planning sheets.

2.    Michelle May, M.D., author of Am I Hungry? What To Do when Diets Don’t Work , recommends always asking yourself why you’re eating before you take the first bite. “If you think about food all the time, eat when you’re bored or stressed, have trouble passing up tempting food even if you aren’t hungry, or eat differently when you’re alone, then your weight problems aren’t just about what you’re eating, but why you’re eating in the first place,” May says.

3.    If you don’t have time for a full workout, move anyway. “Shorter spurts of exercise spaced throughout the day offer benefits, too,” says Dr. Randa Bascharon, D.O., sports performance specialist and board-certified athletic trainer. Setting aside time to exercise can be a tough challenge. But if you use a little creativity and compromise, you will be able to fit exercise into your day.

4.    According to Jackie Keller, the founding director of NutriFit, there are three major diet pitfalls: skipping major meals (especially breakfast), which can contribute to overeating later on; losing perspective by focusing only on long-range goals, ignoring the small victories; and not rewarding yourself. “Always make a list of non-food rewards and when you’ve reached each realistic short-term health or weight goal, pick a prize from your list,” Keller says.

5.    One thing most experts agree on is that thin people typically have healthy relationships with food. “When thin people eat, they are often more mindful eaters, enjoying their meal by savoring the delicious smells, tastes, and visual appeal of their food,” says Lisa Talamini, RD, chief nutritionist and program director for Jenny Craig. “When they’re physically full, they’re able to resist the temptation to continue eating, setting aside any uneaten food and moving on to their next activity.”

By Diana Bocco

According to a recent poll, 88 percent of Americans make health or weight-loss resolutions once summer gets near. According to that same poll, more than 60 percent of those resolutions are already out the window by October 1. Why? Because most of them are plain unreasonable.

Is there anything sensible you can do to make yourself healthier, thinner, and stronger year-round? “Forget about fad diets and strict fitness regimens, which do not take into account your own unique metabolism, preferences and overall goals,” says weight-loss authority Dorie McCubbrey, MSEd., PhD. Instead, “focus on developing a routine of self-care that takes you to your goals and feels so good that you’ll maintain it—and your weight success—for life.” Here are ten great examples:

CUT 100 CALORIES FROM YOUR DIET. While this may not sound like much, an extra 100 calories a day adds up to 10 pounds a year! Switch from regular to light mayo (and save 100 calories per tablespoon), steam your food or use nonstick cooking spray (instead of oil or butter), eat cornflakes instead of granola, or take the croutons out of your salad.

ADD ONE NEW VEGETABLE TO YOUR DIET EVERY WEEK. If you always eat the same vegetables week after week, you can try switching to different ones in your salads, your sauces or your scrambled egg mix. If you’re already eating your veggies, simply try to add an extra serving or an additional vegetable to your diet every seven days.

DUMP ALL-LIQUID CALORIES. One of the best things you can do for your health (and your waistline) is to give up sodas, artificially sweetened juices, and sport beverages. These liquid sugars cost money, offer zero nutritional value, and are very fattening. “High-calorie beverages don’t contribute to satiety, so if you drink them routinely, you are likely to overconsume calories leading to weight gain,” says Catherine Christie, PhD, RD, director of nutrition programs at the University of North Florida. If water and unsweetened tea won’t do it for you, look for light or diet options.

TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN. You’ve heard this one before. Now, actually do it.

GIVE UP ONE CARB A DAY. Rather than switching to a low-carb diet (which often works but leaves you weak, tired, and with bad breath), find the worst carb you consume during the day and give it up. Is it the doughnut you eat every morning? Switch to a mini-bagel, preferably whole wheat. Better yet, have scrambled eggs and a piece of fruit. Keep the baked potato at lunch, but give it up if you’re eating it only at night.

MAKE RED MEAT A RARITY. Saturated fat can lead to heart disease and increase your chances for cancer, high cholesterol, and gout. Red meat is also high in fat and has no major nutritional value except for its iron content, which you can get anyway from other proteins and dark green vegetables. Instead of beef, choose skinless chicken, turkey, or fish.

SWITCH to the “better” version of your favorite “bad” foods. Love dessert? Switch from ice cream to yogurt. You’ll save about 150 calories and gain a ton of calcium and beneficial enzymes. Or, choose an omelet over fried eggs and you’ll avoid artery-clogging fat and actually have a chance to add veggies and mushrooms to the mix.

In the end, it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing thing. Even little changes can make a world of difference.