If you’re trying to stay fit and slim this Christmas season, there’s no need for extreme juice cleanses or torturing yourself with deprivation the next time someone brings Christmas treats to work. It’s all about choosing your battles and knowing what holiday foods to totally avoid and what foods may make a healthier substitute.

The Naughty List

These foods spell trouble and definitely land on Santa’s naughty list. You should avoid them unless you want a lump of coal in your stocking (and a few extra lumps around your waistline).

Eggnog

Put that pitcher down! The holiday drink is at every party, yet it’s full of cholesterol — thanks a lot, raw eggs — and saturated fat, to say nothing about the cream, sugar and total calories. A single serving can have 400 calories or more, plus more than 20 grams of sugar. That’s similar to drinking a few candy bars. At the bottom of the page, find an equally delicious alternative to this naughty treat (and all the other holiday bad guys in this list)!

Baked Cheese Platters

They’re easy to make and popular at potlucks, but they’re bad luck for your weight. A single serving of baked soft cheese, such as Brie or feta, can quickly add up to a fourth of your entire daily calorie allowance. And for a true shocker, keep in mind that a serving is about equal to the size of a couple AA batteries.

Prime Rib

Nothing says holiday feast like a juicy slab of prime rib. The quintessential Christmas entree, it’s cut from the fattiest part of the cow. A tiny 3 oz. serving has approximately 300 calories and more than 20 grams of fat, including almost 10 grams of saturated fat. And most people wouldn’t stick to a 3 oz. portion.

Pecan Pie

Who can say no when this decadent treat is whipped out? Unfortunately, a serving of this pie has more than 800 calories, more than 60 grams of fat and more than 50 grams of sugar due to its rich, super-sweet filling. The pecan nuts are about the only healthy thing in this dessert.

The Nice List

These foods aren’t totally guilt-free, but no one wants to have a diet grinch at their holiday get-togethers. These treats work as the perfect, healthier alternative to  The Naughty List.

Holiday Beverages

Reach for hot chocolate, and you’ll skip most of the rich fats you’d get in eggnog. For a similarly festive drink, sip apple cider. It’s warm and spicy and smells delicious while saving you on calories and sugar.

Cheeses

Instead of reaching for soft cheeses, try a firmer, sharper cheese. Thin slices pack just as much rich flavor without all the rich calories and fat. Pair it with a lean meat and you have the perfect bite-sized appetizer.

Meat Entrees

Instead of prime rib, try beef tenderloin — just as flavorful, but much more lean. Or, opt for another holiday favorite: turkey. To save extra calories, stick with white meat and toss aside the skin.

Holiday Desserts

When making pecan pie, try sweetening it with lower-calorie sweeteners instead of the traditional white sugar or corn syrup ingredients. Dates can also enhance its sweetness without as big of a calorie hit. Or, stick with other holiday favorites such as pumpkin pie or chocolate fondue — you’ll satisfy your sweet tooth without the sugar overload.

The easiest way to experience these health benefits is through gradual change:

1. Slowly cut out meat. This stage is actually several smaller stages. You might try starting with Meatless Mondays and then, over time, expanding to other days of the week. Another common idea is to start by cutting out red meat, and then poultry, then seafood, in gradual stages of a month or even six months. There is no rush — do it at the pace that feels good to you. Another important point is that, as you eliminate meat, don’t just fill it with starches (which don’t have that much nutrition). Try new foods, experiment with ethic recipes, and explore different nutrients as you make these changes.
2. Eliminate eggs. After you cut out red meat and poultry, you’ll be pescatarian (seafood). When you eliminate seafood, you’re vegetarian! If you’re eating eggs and dairy, that’s called a “lacto-ovo” vegetarian. You can then eliminate eggs — and no, they’re not cruelty-free. This is one of the easier stages, in my experience.
3. Cut out dairy. This tends to be harder for most people. Not because of milk (soymilk and almond milk are good alternatives that just take a few days to adjust to) … but because of cheese. I hear a lot of people say, “I can’t give up my cheese!” — and I empathize, as this was a sticking point for me too. It helps that there are better and better cheese alternatives these days (Daiya being a favorite of many). But for me, what made all the difference is not focusing on what I was giving up, but on the good things I could eat!
4. Eat whole, unprocessed foods. This is the phase that I’m in, and I wholly recommend it. You can go straight here if you have no problems changing your diet, but people eating the Standard American Diet will find it difficult, because the foods are very different than what most people eat. For example, most people in the U.S. don’t eat many vegetables, and find them distasteful, especially dark green leafy veggies, which are the best. I now love vegetables, and kale is my best friend. Most people dislike protein-rich plant foods like tempeh, tofu, seitan, and beans. Most people don’t eat raw nuts — they eat roasted and salted nuts. However, all of this can change over time, which is why I recommend that you move into this slowly. What exactly is this phase? See the next section for details.

What to Eat

So what do you eat when you’re on a plant-based diet that focuses on whole foods? Lots!

A few categories of foods to include regularly:

1. Beans and other protein. This means the regular kinds of beans, like lentils, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, etc. But it can also mean soybeans (edamame), tofu, tempeh, and seitan (protein from wheat, not good for gluten-intolerant people). It can also mean soymilk, soy yogurt, and the like, which are often fortified. Get organic, non-GMO soy.
2. Nuts and seeds. My favorites include raw almonds and walnuts, along with ground flaxseeds and chia seeds, and hemp seed protein powder. Almond milk is also good. And quinoa — it’s like a grain, but really a seed, and full of nutrition.
3. Good fats. Fats aren’t bad for you — you should just look to avoid saturated fats. Luckily, not many plant foods have saturated fats. Plants with good fats include avocados, nuts and seeds mentioned above, olive oil and canola oil.
4. Greens. This is one of the most important and nutritious group of all. Dark, leafy green veggies are awesome, and full of calcium, iron and a ton of vitamins. My favorites: kale, spinach, broccoli, collards. Eat lots of them daily! They also have very few calories, meaning they pack a ton of nutrition in a small caloric package.
5. Other fruits and veggies. Get a variety — I love berries of all kinds, figs, apples, citrus fruits, peaches, mangoes, bananas, pears, bell peppers, garlic, beets, celery, cauliflower … I could go on all day! Get lots of different colors.
6. Good starches. Starches are not bad for you — but ones that have little calories aren’t great. So find starches that give you lots of nutrition. Sweet potatoes, red potatoes, squash, brown rice, sprouted whole wheat, steel-cut oats, among others.
7. Some other healthy stuff. I love red wine, green tea, cinnamon, turmeric, spirulina and nutritional yeast.

OK, by now you might be overwhelmed by all of this. How do you put it together? It’s not that hard once you get used to it. Start learning some recipes that combine some of these foods into meals, and over time, you’ll have a few go-to meals that you love that are full of nutrition.

Some examples that I like (but don’t limit yourself to these!):

• Tofu scramble w/ veggies: some organic high-protein tofu crumbled and stir-fried with olive oil, garlic, diced carrots and tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms, and spiced with tamari, turmeric, sea salt and coarse black pepper.
• Steel-cut oats: cook some steel-cut oats, then add ground flaxseeds, raw nuts, berries, cinnamon.
• Stir-fry: Here’s my secret … you can make an endless combo of meals by cooking some garlic in olive oil, then cooking some veggies (carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, etc.) and some protein (tofu, tempeh, seitan, etc.) and some greens (kale, broccoli, spinach, etc.) and some spices (turmeric or coconut milk or tamari & sesame oil, black pepper, salt).
• Veggie chili over quinoa: Black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans with olive oil, garlic, onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, diced kale, diced carrots, tomato sauce, chili powder, salt, pepper. Maybe some beer for flavor. Serve over quinoa or brown rice.
• One-pot meal: Quinoa, lentils, greens, olive oil, tempeh (or a bunch of other variations). Read Tynan’s post on cooking this all in one pot.
• Whole-wheat pasta: Serve with a sauce — some tomato sauce with olive oil, garlic, onions, bell peppers, diced kale and carrots, diced tomatoes, fresh basil, oregano.
• Big-ass Salad: Start with a bed of kale & spinach, throw on other veggies such as carrots, mushrooms, cauliflower, snow peas, green beans, tomatoes … then some beans, nuts and/or seeds … top with avocado. Mix balsamic vinegar and olive oil, or red wine vinegar and olive oil, sprinkle on the salad. Yum.
• Smoothies: Blend some almond or soy milk with frozen berries, greens, ground chia or flaxseeds, hemp or spirulina protein powder. Lots of nutrition in one drink!
• Snacks: I often snack on fruits and berries, raw almonds or walnuts, carrots with hummus.
• Drinks: I tend to drink water all day, some coffee (without sugar) in the morning, tea in the afternoon, and red wine in the evening.

My Food Journal: If you’d like to see my food journal (admittedly not always perfectly healthy), I’ve started one that you can see here.

Frequently Asked Questions

I’ll add to this section as questions come in, though obviously I can’t answer everything.

Q: Isn’t it hard to get protein on a vegan diet?

A: Not really, as long as you eat a variety of whole foods, and not a bunch of processed flours and sugars (the white kind that has little nutrition). There is protein in vegetables and grains, and even more in beans, nuts and seeds. I often eat protein-rich plant foods like tempeh, tofu, seitan, edamame, black beans, lentils, quinoa, soymilk, and raw nuts. Read more here.

Q: What about calcium or iron or B12?

A: Again, it’s not difficult at all. I’ve calculated the iron and calcium in my diet at various times, and as long as I’m mostly eating whole foods, it’s really easy. Nuts and green veggies are your best friends, but there’s also calcium-fortified soymilk and tofu and the like. Eat some kale, quinoa, raw nuts, various seeds, broccoli, tofu or tempeh … it’s not difficult. Vitamin B12 is a bit more difficult to get from regular plants, as the main source of B12 is usually animal products — including eggs and dairy. But actually, vegans have figured this out, and now if you drink fortified soymilk or almond milk, or use nutritional yeast or a few other good sources like that, you will have no worries. More reading on iron, calcium and B12 for vegans.

Q: Isn’t soy bad for you?

A: No. That’s a myth. I would stick to organic, non-GMO soy, but actually soy is a very healthy source of protein and other nutrients, and has been eaten by very healthy people for thousands of years. More info here.

Q: I follow the Paleo diet and believe this is how humans are meant to eat.

A: Well, if you’re eating unprocessed foods and have cut out white flours and sugars and deep-fried foods, you’re probably healthier than the average American. I admire the Paleo crowd that focuses on whole foods and that eats lots of veggies and nuts and seeds, but when it’s just an excuse to eat lots of meat, it’s not as healthy. It’s also not true that hunter-gatherer societies ate mostly meat — the crowd that believes this has made a flawed review of contemporary hunter-gatherers. Most traditional societies eat, and have pretty much always eaten, mostly plants, including lots of starches — respected anthropologists such as Nathanial Dominy, PhD, from Dartmouth College say that the idea of hunter-gatherers eating mostly meat is a myth. Also read this. I’d also warn against low-carb, high-protein diets over the long run — in the short term, you’ll see weight loss, but in the long run they’ve been shown to increase cardiovascular disease (from June 21, 2012 issue of British Medical Journal).

Q: It sounds difficult and complicated.

A: Actually it’s very simple — you just learn to eat a variety of plants. It does mean learning some new meals, but instead of seeing that as a hardship, think of it as something fun to learn. If you slowly change your eating patterns, it’s not hard at all. Be flexible and don’t be too strict — you’ll find that it’s much easier if you allow yourself an occasional meal with animal products, especially in the first 6-12 months.

Q: What about fake meats and cheeses?

A: There’s nothing wrong with giving them a try now and then when you’re having a craving for something, but in all honesty you don’t need them. They’re more expensive and less healthy. Basically, they’re convenience foods.

Q: What if I’m allergic to soy or gluten or nuts?

A: It’s still possible to get all the nutrition you need from a plant-based diets without a specific kind of food (like gluten or soy), from what I understand. More here.

Q: It sounds expensive.

A: Actually it can be a lot less expensive, if you stay away from the vegan convenience foods (which are fine on occasion). Meat is more expensive than beans or tofu, for example. While fresh, organic veggies can cost a bit, you should get these in your diet even if you eat meat — and in the long run, you’ll save much more on medical bills.

Q: There’s no way I’ll give up (eggs, cheese, ice cream, etc.)!

A: Well, you don’t have to. If you want to eat mostly plants but also eggs and cheese, that’s much better than eating meat. But there are cheese substitutes you can try, and vegan ice cream, and in the long run, you might find that giving these things up isn’t as difficult as you think.

Q: What about eating out at restaurants or social gatherings?

A: I’d recommend you take it slowly at first, and eat mostly plants at home, and be more liberal when you eat out, for a little while. You don’t want to make this too difficult on yourself. But actually, once you learn some simple strategies, it’s not that hard to find vegan food in restaurants — some are easier than others, and sites like Happy Cow make it easy to find veg-friendly restaurants in your area. As for eating at friends’ and families’ houses, I’ve learned to offer to bring one or two vegan dishes, and it’s not usually a problem.

Q: What if my family and friends don’t support this change?

A: It’s best if you don’t start preaching — people don’t like it. This article might seem like a violation of that, but actually I rarely push veganism on this site, and when I do it’s only as a way to show others a healthy and compassionate alternative. Remember that those around you probably don’t know much about veganism, and are likely to react defensively. Take the opportunity, when they bring up the topic, to share what you’re learning, and the concerns you yourself had when you first learned about it. Show them some great vegan food. Share this guide with them. And always be patient.

But this number isn’t set in stone. You can boost how much you burn up — your basal metabolic rate — by tweaking your lifestyle and what you eat or drink. The more efficient and “hot” your metabolism, the more effortless your fitness and weight maintenance.

Wake up and chug water:

Your body requires proper hydration to flush toxins, transport nutrients where they need to go, and recover after hitting the gym. Just a slight level of dehydration can negatively impact your metabolism. For example, studies have found that proper hydration levels are crucial for metabolizing lipids — also known as fat! Drinking water also helps you stabilize your body temperature, lubricates your joints, and helps with proper elimination of waste through bowel movements and urination.

The Institute of Medicine suggests that men should drink approximately 13 cups of water a day, while women should drink approximately 9 cups. Water needs can rise or fall depending on physical activity, humidity and temperature levels and more.

Cut out sugary drinks:

Sugary beverages don’t just add empty calories to your diet, but they can actually slow your metabolism. Sugar can also mess with your blood sugar levels and insulin resistance, leading to further side effects. Instead, enjoy hot or iced green tea throughout the day. Green tea is one of the most popular metabolism-boosters on the market. Its catechins, an active compound in the tea leaves, can enhance metabolism rates. Plus, green tea offers additional benefits, such as potentially lowering your risks of some forms of cancer.

Add protein to every meal:

When planning your breakfasts, lunches and dinners, ensure there’s a nice protein source at each sitting. That’s because protein has a greater thermogenic effect on your body. This refers to how much energy your body needs to digest and process the food you eat. Compared to carbohydrates, the thermogenic effect of protein is 25% while the effect from carbs is 5%. In other words, your body uses dramatically more energy to burn off protein. Make your food work even harder for you at every meal!

Build muscle:

A big mistake that people make when trying to lose weight is focusing on cardio. Such exercises can boost your health, but they have a lower impact on your actual metabolism. Instead, focus on weight-bearing exercises, such as bench presses or dumbbell curls. Muscle tissue burns more energy than fat tissues, so changing the ratio of muscle to fat in your body can elevate your metabolism over time.

If you do choose to continue doing cardio, try high intensity interval training (HIIT). This combines brief spurts of high intensity exercise with slower, more moderate speeds, and the end effect can enhance the rate that your body burns up fat.

De-stress:

As your day winds to a close, take a deep breath. Hold it for a second, then exhale slowly to the count of five. Repeat for a few rounds to slowly calm yourself and release the stress you’ve accumulated throughout the day. Regular breathing exercises, yoga, meditation and similar mindfulness techniques can help you manage your stress in a healthy way. Chronic stress releases cortisol, which prompts your body to store fat. De-stressing and getting enough sleep boosts your metabolism, allowing your body to focus on itself instead of trying to manage all the various external stimulants our modern life throws at it.

This might not seem like a massive number, but it can really add up over the years. Plus, as time progresses, that extra weight can cause hormone imbalances, insulin resistance and other side effects that make the weight pile on faster than Santa Claus coming down the chimney.

This winter, make a pledge to yourself that you’ll find ways to work physical activity into your week. And because it’s a festive season, get off that boring treadmill! With snow days and twinkling lights putting us all into a great mood, winter is the perfect time to enjoy the crisp outdoors, burn off a few calories and have so much fun while we’re doing it that we don’t even realize that it’s — gasp — exercise!

Casual Dancing

When the DJ calls everyone onto the dance floor at your next holiday banquet, jingle it all the way! In just one hour of shaking it on the dance floor, the average 175-lb. adult burns 198 calories.

Housework

It’s easy to break a sweat while you dust the cabinets to make room for your Christmas snow globes, and wiping down said snow globes before your mother-in-law comes over also burns a few calories. In fact, cleaning up your home for the next family holiday get-together burns almost 200 calories in an hour.

Snowskiing

Head downhill and you’ll burn off 330 calories worth of Christmas junkfood. Head crosscountry instead, and the calories burned jump to moer than 460 calories.

Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing is the perfect way to immerse yourself in nature and squeeze a hike into even the most snowy of days. This classic Christmas pasttime will burn you almost 530 calories in an hour.

Walking

Take a brisk walk around the neighborhood after dinner, and you’ll burn just over 250 calories. The fresh air can wake you up after indulging in a bit too much food. Research has shown that daily walks can also brighten your mood, the perfect way to keep a cheerful attitude when the days are cold and short (and when family awkwardness often bubbles to the surface).

Practice Winter Safety

While enjoying your favorite winter activities, don’t forget that it also exposes you to a few safety hazards. Don’t let a winter hazard keep you away from the mistletoe. The CDC recommends the following safety precautions this holiday:

• Wear appropriate outdoor clothing: layers of light, warm clothing; mittens; hats; scarves; and waterproof boots.
• Sprinkle cat litter or sand on icy patches.
• Learn safety precautions to follow when outdoors.
  • Be aware of the wind chill factor.
  • Work slowly when doing outside chores.
  • Take a buddy and an emergency kit when you are participating in outdoor recreation.
  • Carry a cell phone.
• Protect your family from carbon monoxide.
  • Keep grills, camp stoves, and generators out of the house, basement and garage.
  • Locate generators at least 20 feet from the house.
  • Leave your home immediately if the CO detector sounds, and call 911.

Kohlrabi

It’s related to kale and broccoli, but looks nothing like either! Both the dense bulb and the crunchy leaves are completely edible, but you’ll need to peel the bulb first. Kohlrabi is rich in vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin C, manganese and more.

Swiss Chard

A single cup of swiss chard packs more than six times our recommended requirements for vitamin K. Plus, like its cousin the beet, it packs quite the nutritional punch when it comes to phytonutrients known as betalains, which may help with detox, anti-inflammation and more.

Nutritional Yeast

Not a “yeast” in the traditional sense you probably think of, this cheesy, flaky stuff is great sprinkled on top of your salad or mixed into your dressing. It may help with red blood cell production and also offers up lots of vitamin B12, which is crucial if you’re on a strict plant-based diet.MizunaA relative of turnips, the fleshy stalks and brightly colored leaves add a spicy bite to any salad (similar to arugula). It’s a rich source of folate, iron and more. Add in small doses because just like arugula, its taste can quickly overwhelm ordinary greens.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is often prescribed by doctors to help make us feel happier, especially in those of us with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), reports the University of Maryland Medical Center. Also known as the “sunshine vitamin,” it can help you to create a sunnier outlook on life even in the dead of winter. You can get vitamin D in your diet through cod liver oil, fortified milk and cereals, eggs, and various forms of fatty fish like sardines, herring and salmon. If you’re using a vitamin D pill, the recommended dietary allowance is 600 IU.

Vitamin B-5

Also known as pantothenic acid, vitamin B-5 helps your body produce energy. Additionally, this energy-boosting supplement helps with stress hormones and is important for healthy red blood cells. You can find vitamin B-5 in many healthy foods, including whole grains, fresh meat and vegetables. Top choices include corn, cauliflower and kale. If you opt for it in supplement form instead, most adults need approximately 5 mg a day.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C gets an A+ when it comes to energy and mood. It’s essential for various growth and development processes in your body, and is used to help you produce energy. It may also help to make you feel more alert, thanks to its role in the create of norepinephrine. Top dietary sources of vitamin C include oranges and other citrus fruits, as well as peppers. Vitamin C is especially sensitive to exposure to heat, and cooking vitamin C-rich foods can cause the food to loose a lot of this important vitamin. Raw foods are ideal. Should you choose to use a supplement form of this nutrient, 75 to 85 mg a day is recommended depending on your age and gender.

Vitamin B12

According to the Harvard Medical School, vitamin B12 may enhance memory and mood. It plays a lot of important roles in your system, such as increasing nerve health. You can find this energy-increasing vitamin in eggs and meat, making it difficult to hit your nutritional targets if you’re a vegan. When taken as a vitamin supplement, most adults should take 2.4 micrograms every day, reports the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements.

The CDC reports that American adults catch the common cold approximately three times per year, with most of these colds taking place during the winter. This winter, you no longer have to be a slave to the tissue box. A combination of lifestyle changes and herbal remedies can help you to boost your immune system and survive cold season.

Drink Chicken Soup

Your grandma may have been right when she forced you to drink bowls and bowls of chicken soup whenever you felt sick. It’s a centuries-old home remedy, and scientists are now discovering that there may be merit to this practice. One study found that chicken soup worked as an anti-inflammatory agent, helping to reduce symptoms of the common cold in our respiratory tract. Another study, this one in the American Journal of Therapeutics, found a compound in chicken soup called carnosine that may also help reduce inflammation and halt the development of the common cold.

Get Steamy

During the winter, the cold, dry air can really wreak havoc on our health. Researchers have found that maintaining the proper level of humidity in a room can reduce a virus’ ability to survive. Dry air can also lower our defenses to the cold virus and exacerbate the symptoms of the common cold. Run a humidifier in your living space, or try sitting in a hot, steamy shower.

Juice Some Ginger Root

Whether in supplement form, in a soup, or juiced and added to your favorite green smoothie, this pungent root has been shown to fight the common cold effectively. A study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that ginger didn’t just help fight the common cold, but it also helped block infections from many other viruses.

Spice Up Foods with Garlic

Garlic is high in various antioxidants and beneficial compounds, but here’s one more reason to mince it up and add it to your next meal. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study in the Advances in Therapy Journal found that garlic lowered the incidences of cold infections in study groups. That may be because garlic’s many compounds work as antiviral agents.

 How to Protect Yourself and Others

Once you are exposed to a cold or get a cold, the CDC recommends a few practical ways to limit your risks and reduce the risks of exposing your friends and loved ones to the virus:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water. Scrub them for 20 seconds, and help young children do the same. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Viruses live on your hands, and regular handwashing can help protect you from getting sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Viruses can enter your body this way and make you sick.
• Stay away from people who are sick. Sick people can spread viruses that cause the common cold through close contact with others.

If you have a cold, you should follow these tips to prevent viruses from spreading to other people:

• Stay at home while you are sick.
• Avoid close contact with others, such as hugging, kissing, or shaking hands.
• Move away from people before coughing or sneezing.
• Cough and sneeze into a tissue then throw it away, or cough and sneeze into your upper shirt sleeve, completely covering your mouth and nose.
• Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
• Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, and objects such as toys and doorknobs.

There is no cure for a cold. To feel better, you should get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids. Over-the-counter medicines may help ease symptoms but will not make your cold go away any faster. Always read the label and use medications as directed. Talk to your doctor before giving your child nonprescription cold medicines, since some medicines contain ingredients that are not recommended for children. Learn more about symptom relief.

You should call your doctor if you or your child has one or more of these conditions:

• a temperature higher than 100.4° F
• symptoms that last more than 10 days
• symptoms that are severe or unusual

If your child is younger than 3 months old and has a fever, you should always call your doctor right away. Your doctor can determine if you or your child has a cold and can recommend therapy to help with symptoms.

I think we are in this great golden age of everyone being aware of the impact that our health habits have on our lives. After all, if we’re not caring for our body regularly, where else are we going to live? Unfortunately, that also means the market has been flooded with products and trends that masquerade as being healthy while really being anything but that!

This Halloween, I want to draw attention to four very popular “health” foods that are so spooky they’ll haunt your gut and your bathroom weight scale for months! It’s time to leave these “treats” in the garbage bin.

1. Juices and smoothies

I love me my kombucha. I’m an advocate of cold-pressed juice as a delicious way to stay refreshed. I cautiously support some of the health benefits of juicing, though there are many skeptics (like this and this and this) that make reputable science-based claims against juicing.

But my real gripe with our current infatuation with juices? Most of the delicious bevvies we see at juice trucks or in stores are loaded with sugar. For example, the exceedingly popular BluePrint brand builds its foundational basic cleanse around its “P.A.M.” juice. Guess how much sugar P.A.M. has? A whopping 49 grams of sugar in a single bottle. And you’re supposed to drink this juice, with three other sugary juices, six times a day to supposedly detox  and cleanse!

Out of curiosity, I checked to see how much sugar was in Coca-Cola. A can of the bubbly has “only” 39 grams of sugar. If we were judging just by sugar alone, chugging Coke is healthier than a juice cleanse! (Yes, flawed argument, but you get the point.)

Not all juices are like this, but many of the most popular and most delicious varieties out there truly deliver a ghoulishly sweet sucker punch to your waistline. If you’re not careful, you won’t be able to fit into your Halloween costume!

Here are a few points to consider as you navigate the juice aisle at Whole Foods:

• Check the ingredients label. Green juices, like kale or spinach, should make up the majority of the ingredients. Fruit juice should always be minimal or nonexistent.
• Consider the price. Juices are extremely pricey and completely devoid of fiber. Real food is always best! Eat an apple, with all its delicious vitamins, minerals and fiber, instead of just sucking on juice like a fruit vampire.

2. Protein bars

I eat protein like it’s for breakfast. No, actually. I drink protein and fiber supplements with my organic almond milk every morning before rushing off to work. Protein supplementation can offer several benefits, especially if you’re an active individual. But protein bars? Exercise extreme caution.

Here’s the ingredients label for a very popular protein bar on the market:

This is actually a great example of most protein bars on the market. Much of what you see in the nutrition facts is decent (not good, but not terrible) until you get to the carbohydrate section. This tiny protein bar manages to pack in 32 grams of carbohydrates, including 16 grams of sugar! In comparison, a standard 52.7 gram bar of Snickers has 33 grams of carbs. How is this protein bar, marketed by a major health company, “healthy”?

As with anything, nutrition facts are just one part of the story. When you dive into the ingredients, you notice a few more alarming things, such as the presence of whey protein concentrate (inferior form of protein) followed by six different forms of sugary sweeteners. Compared to the ingredients in a Snickers bar, Snickers seem positively glamorous!

If you still want to enjoy a protein bar — or a granola bar, as these are often even worse — consider these factors:

• Protein isolates only. Everything else is inferior.
• Try protein powder instead. It’s much cheaper per serving, and if you’re worried about convenience, you can easily pack it into a to-go bag or container. If it’s whey protein isolate, it’ll mix easily without a shaker bottle or blender necessary.
• Watch out for those sweeteners. Quest Bars and other healthier protein bars have just 2 or 3 grams of sugar per bar. There are good alternatives out there, you just need to search for them!
• If you can’t pronounce the ingredients, don’t eat it. The less ingredients on the label, the better!
• Be aware of the environmental impact that common food ingredients have. Palm oil is a key ingredient in many, many protein bars, and it’s one of the world’s leading causes of deforestation, animal extinction and human rights issues. (Read more about the perils of palm oil here and here, and boycott products that contain this oil)
• Get your protein from whole foods as much as possible. Protein bars should be a supplement when time is tight, not your main meal.

3. Agave syrup

When the world woke up to how bad high fructose corn syrup, sugar and other common sweeteners were, people began searching for naturally healthier options. Agave syrup seemed to be the Holy Grail of alternatives, but researchers are now recognizing that agave is a Nightmare on Elm Street (where “Elm Street” is your bloodstream). Even Dr. Oz, who is hardly an angel when it comes to making weird health recommendations, has recanted his endorsement of agave syrup.

While agave syrup is low on glucose, which is good, it’s extremely high in fructose. In fact, it has more fructose than high-fructose corn syrup! Fructose wrecks havoc on hormone levels, such as leptin, which influences your appetite. Extremely high levels of fructose have also been linked to liver damage and heart disease.

There’s no easy way to eat a “healthy” level of sweets. In this case, moderation may still be too much, especially when so much of our food is sweetened. The cumulative damage can be great! For the best results, talk to your doctor and try staying away from unnecessary sweeteners, even if it’s offered to you by a well-meaning trick-or-treater.

4. Added vitamins

I take a multivitamin daily, even though there’s an overwhelming amount of research that shows multivitamins do little good or no good at all. However, marketers often use artificially enhanced vitamin and mineral levels to make their food seem healthy.

When you see labels proclaiming “High in vitamin D!” or “A great source of vitamin C!,” you know what I mean.

The problem? Many products on the market have their nutrient levels boosted with synthetic vitamins. Other products claim to have natural forms of vitamins, though these added supplements may have actually been made in a lab from the precursors to these vitamins, making them anything but “natural.” In summary, so many of the health foods on the market have inferior or even unusable forms of vitamins added to them, which you can see when scanning ingredient labels.

Another huge issue is the fact that because many of our foods now have added vitamins, some people are running a risk of overdosing. For certain vitamins like water-soluble vitamin C, that presents a low health risk and you merely piss away the excess vitamins (and the money you spent on them). But other vitamins and minerals, like iron and vitamin A, may actually build up to toxic levels in our bodies.

• Know the tolerable upper limits of vitamins and minerals for your gender and age, and watch out for these vitamins in your food.
• Focus on getting your minerals and vitamins from whole foods and use commercially prepared foods with boosted vitamin levels as a last resort.

There’s more…

I had the privilege of recently outlining 10 more frighteningly un-healthy health foods in Alive health magazine. Check it out in the magazine or on their website!

Happy Halloween!

We are responsible for our own health, wellness and happiness. When we research and understand the ingredients and overlapping health factors in our foods, we empower ourselves to truly take control of our destiny. All of us must do our part in researching, understanding and acknowledging the role that food plays in our lifestyle, and cutting through the marketing crap that so many health companies throw at us. Be skeptical about everything you put in your body! You only have one body to use on this planet.

It seems easier to lose the first 30 pounds than the last bit of fat around your middle.

And if you’re like me, you want to get lean — for reasons that may vary from improved physical performance to better health to better looks. It’s not always easy to get rid of that stubborn belly fat — or any fat, for that matter, as you can’t “spot reduce” just your belly fat.

So I’ve created a list of things you can do to break through that plateau, if you’ve been exercising and eating fairly healthy for awhile but have seen your progress slow considerably. That’s the situation I found myself in recently, and these are the techniques I’ve been using to pretty good success.

Who Should Use These Tips

Again, this post is aimed at those who have been exercising regularly for at least a few months and who already eat fairly healthy. It’s for those who want to break through a plateau and speed up their fat-burning, lean-making progress. It’s for those who are looking for leanness and not hugeness.

If that’s you, read on.

If you don’t exercise regularly, I highly recommend you start right away (assuming you don’t have major health problems) and that you start out slowly. These tips aren’t for you. Start with: get healthy and fit with exercise, and 4 simple steps to start the exercise habit.

If you regularly eat junk food — that’s sugary foods, fried foods, fast foods, fatty foods, processed foods, or refined carbs — this isn’t the place to start. Better to start with the basics — learning to slowly wean yourself from these junk foods and start eating mostly whole foods instead. I’m not saying you can never have sweets or french fries, but you should cut back on them and only have them in moderation. Start here: get healthy and fit by eating healthy.

If you are looking to build massive amounts of muscle, this post isn’t for you. To do that, the prescription is pretty simple: 1) do compound lifts like the squat, deadlift, bench press, standing military press, standing barbell row, power clean, pullup, etc.; 2) lift heavy and continue to progress; 3) eat a LOT, including lots of protein. I recommend lifting 3 times a week, full body routine, unless you’re a serious bodybuilder (in which case, you know better than I do how to reach your goals).

But if you’re looking to get lean, as I said, these tips will help take you from your foundation of healthy eating and regular exercise to your goal of losing that last bit of stubborn fat.

How to Rev Up Your Fat Burning

You don’t have to do all of the following tips — pick ones that will work best for you and give them a try. If they don’t do much after a few weeks, try some of the other tips:

1. Lean Your Diet. I typically eat pretty healthy. As a vegetarian, I stick with lots of veggies, fruits, lean protein, nuts, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and good fats. For the most part. But I also allow myself some indulgences, including veggie pizza, some sweets, and other treats. And while I think that’s a good lifestyle to have, sometimes you have to get a little strict with yourself for a little while to achieve your goals. So right now I’m on a self-created diet with only one menu plan — I eat the same things every day. I have a set breakfast, set lunch, set dinner, and set snacks. I’ve taken the choice out of eating, and for me that’s been working. That might not work for everyone. The key is to cut out the junk food and other treats (except for maybe 1-2 cheat meals a week). Cut back on grains for a little while and focus more on lean protein, veggies, fruits and good fats. With a diet like this, you’ll get lean faster.
2. Intervals. If you do cardio exercise such as running, cycling, rowing, or what have you … rev it up with higher-intensity intervals. This means going at a little under full speed for a short interval, and then going slow for another short interval. There are tons of great interval workouts, but one of my favorites recently are Tabata Intervals — basically 20 seconds of intense exercise, then 10 seconds of rest … and repeat those intervals 8 times. That’s a total of four minutes — a great workout in a short amount of time. I suggest easing into interval training if you haven’t done much of it before — just pick up the pace for a minute, then go slower for another minute. Don’t overdo it at first. Also realize that if you do intense intevals, you will probably have to cut back on the duration of the exercise.
3. Metcon Workouts. These are usually workouts that combine strength training with cardio at high intensities. Generally they’re about 20 minutes (give or take 10 minutes), and they use a combination of exercises with no rest in between. Crossfit is the ultimate expression of this philosophy — typical workouts include doing four rounds of 400-meter sprints and 50 squats (as fast as you can) … or 100 pullups, 100 pushups, 100 situps, 100 squats (as fast as you can). See Crossfit’s “girl named Workouts of the Day” for more examples.
4. Hills. If you normally run, add some challenge to your runs with hills. Hills are like strength training for runners. They add intensity and are a great way to rev up the fat burning. I suggest easing into hill running if you’re not used to it. Start by running a slightly hilly course — gentle, rolling hills. Then run a course with hills that are a bit tougher. Then, when you’re good and strong (after a few weeks), do some hill repeats up a challenging hill — run hard up the hill, then go easy down the hill, for 5-7 repeats. You’ll curse my name when you’re done.
5. Heavy Weights. If you normally do strength training, but only do bodyweight exercises (which are great) or do high reps with lighter or medium weights, try increasing the intensity. Do this gradually, of course, as you don’t want to overdo it at first. Shoot for 3 sets of 5 reps with a heavier weight, for each exercise you do. This will help you to build more muscle and increase your metabolism.
6. Compound Lifts. Combine the above tip of lifting heavier weights with this tip — only do compound lifts. That means no isolation lifts, where you’re only working one muscle group at a time. Be sure that each lift uses two or more joints. Bicep curls are an example of an isolation lift — only the elbow joint is involved. Examples of compound lifts include the bench press (shoulder and elbow joints involved), the pullup (again, shoulder and elbow), squat (knees and hips and back). With compound lifts, you are working more muscles at once, and as a result you’re going to build more muscle overall. Compound lifts are also more functional — they mimick real-world motions. No one lifts anything like they do in a bicep curl, but we squat every day (think of picking something up off the floor, or sitting down and then getting up).
7. Extra Activities. If you’re doing all of the above tips, you’re on a great track to get lean. But if you’ve stepped up the intensity and are eating super lean for a month or so and want to take it to the next level, then add some extra activities to your schedule several times a week. These could include anything where you get active for at least 30 minutes: playing sports, going on a hike, doing some yardwork, doing some intense house cleaning (no, the Roomba doesn’t count), going swimming, etc. Just get active, in addition to your regular workouts. This extra activity will help you burn those extra calories and help break through your plateau.

To take running as an example: I began running in the morning at the time just before the sun rises, and as I did my morning run, the sky became an amazing display of colors. I would look up at the sky as I ran, taking in this daily miracle, take a deep breath, and say to myself, “What a glorious day!” It was truly a celebration of life. The next morning, I would look forward to greeting the new day this way. It was a pleasure.

Another example: making your exercise or other activity a social activity can make it fun. You might go cycling with a group, for example, and chat with them as you ride. Or run with a group. If you do this, you don’t even realize you’re working out!

Yet another example: Let’s say you want to keep track of your expenses each day, or write every morning. Well, you could make a little ritual where you input your expenses in your spreadsheet, or write for 30 minutes, while taking in your first cup of coffee in the morning. Savor the aroma and flavor of the coffee, sip it slowly while doing the activity you want. Or it could be hot chocolate, or in my case fresh berries. Whatever would make the activity a pleasure.

If your goal activity becomes a treat, you actually look forward to it. And that’s a good thing.