Pedometer (click image to enlarge)

To learn more about "making it count with a pedometer" check out ...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walking/SM00056_D

Kashi vs Kashi (click image to enlarge)

                                 Read more about choosing healthy cereals at  ...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01119

Sleep and Weight Gain (click image to enlarge)

Read more about the connection between sleep and weight gain at ...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep-and-weight-gain/AN02178

Energy Density (click image to enlarge)

Click on the following to read more about energy density ...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/NU00195

Less is More (click image to enlarge)

Click on the following to find recipes with five ingredients or less ...

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/five-ingredients-or-less

Limit Red Meat (click image to enlarge)

Click on the following for the full article on the association between red meat and diabetes ...

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/eating-more-red-meat-may-increase-risk-of-type-2-diabetes/

Whole-Grain Cereals (click to enlarge)

Click on the following to learn more about "What to look for in dry cereals."  

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/NU00197/NSECTIONGROUP=2

Water vs Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (click to enlarge)

Click on the following to read more about the "bottom line" on healthy drinks.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/

Exercise (click image to enlarge)

Click on the following link to learn about proper walking technique ... I'm serious:)

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walking/HQ01612

Benefits of Breakfast (click on image to enlarge)

Read more about how eating a healthy breakfast can help control weight at ...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01119

Sleep and Weight Gain (click on image to enlarge)

Read more about the connection between sleep and weight gain at ...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep-and-weight-gain/AN02178

WholeFruit vs FruitRollUp (click on image to enlarge)

Many of the snacks that kids eat are really just desserts and should be treated as such.  I noticed during my time student teaching that many of kids would eat these unhealthy, processed, snacks at the expense of real fruits.  The high amount of added sugar that foods like Fruit Roll-Ups contain is contributing to the high rates of overweight/obesity in our youth.  

Read more about the importance of choosing real fruits and vegetables at ...

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vegetables-and-fruits/

Pay Attention (click on image to enlarge)

Most restaurants now list the calories - and other nutrition facts - on their menus or on their website.  This is useful for consumers, but only if we put this information to use.  If I am at Panera/St. Louis Bread Company, I will either split this cookie with someone, or take 1/2 home.  Even 1/2 of this cookie has plenty of calories, so ideally this would be your dessert for the day.  I also used to eat the pumpkin muffin at Panera until I saw on their nutrition link that they contain 590 calories and 53 grams of added sugar (we should have no more than 40 grams of added sugar for the entire day).  The pumpkin "muffie" is a better choice at 290 calories and 26 grams of added sugar, but again this would hopefully be my dessert for the day.  For those trying to lose weight, cutting the muffie in half might be a better strategy.

Read about how to use visual cues for portion control at ...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/portion-control/NU00267

Sugar and Fatty Liver (click on image to enlarge)

Your liver can be damaged by something other than drinking too much alcohol - too much sugar!  While 40 grams of added sugar per day is a good limit for most people, the average American eats about 92 grams of sugar per day!  Watch as Dr. Alan Greene, Dr. Miriam Vos, and Dr. Oz discuss how too much sugar affects your liver in this video (to the right of Dr. Oz's picture in the link below).

http://www.sharecare.com/question/how-sugar-affects-the-liver

Breakfast Options

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Eating breakfast may reduce your hunger later in the day, which may make it easier to avoid overeating. When you skip breakfast, you may feel ravenous later and be tempted to reach for a quick fix — such as vending machine candy or doughnuts at the office.

In addition, the prolonged fasting that occurs when you skip breakfast can increase your body's insulin response, which in turn increases fat storage and weight gain. In fact, skipping breakfast actually increases your risk of obesity.  - Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D, The Mayo Clinic

For more information on how eating a healthy breakfast can help control weight check out

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01119

Click on "comments" below to post your go-to breakfast.

Choosing Dry Cereals

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I have noticed some of the cereals people have been posting have a lot of sugar.  If for example you eat a cereal with 10 grams of sugar, then this is 1/4 of your sugar allotment for the day.  Depending on what you eat the rest of the day, this could be quite a bit to have just for breakfast.  

Furthermore, while 3 grams of fiber is good, aim for cereals with 5 or more grams of fiber.  Bottom line:  More fiber - less added sugar!

For more information on what to look for in dry cereals check out ...

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/NU00197/NSECTIONGROUP=2

Your Go-to Activity

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Exercise is one of those rare things where the hype actually meets reality. Next to not smoking, getting regular physical activity is arguably the best thing you can do for your health. It lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain cancers, and also can help control stress and boost mood. Plus, if moderate to vigorous, physical activity helps keep weight in check.

Best of all? It doesn’t take marathon training to see real health gains. A 30-minute brisk walk on five days of the week is all most people need.  - The Nutrition Source, Harvard School of Public Health

For more information on getting active check out ...

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/staying-active/

Click on "comments" below to post your go-to activity.