Blog Posts by Whole Living

Every day at 4 p.m, a voice pops into my head and lists the contents of the vending machine down the hall. Fritos. This has been a really stressful week, the voice whispers, Fritos will help. In the middle row are salt and vinegar potato chips. You ate a healthy lunch; one bag is okay. And down near the bottom, there's that pack of chocolate-chip cookies. You can start getting skinny tomorrow. What's one more day?

Some afternoons, I find this nonsense perfectly convincing.

Using rationalizations to legitimize less-than-healthy eating is very common, and often accompanies strict diets and zero-tolerance approaches to foods like sweets, says psychologist Susan Albers, author of Eat, Drink, and Be Mindful. When eating becomes an all-or-nothing scenario -- you're either a "good eater" (celery and beans) or a "bad eater" (ice cream and pizza) -- anytime you want to indulge, you have to come up with an excuse.

Plus: The Rules of Snacking

But this pattern can sabotage our healthy eating

The Good News?
Shuffling the food around can make a huge difference in what we consume every day. "Studies have shown that we reach for what's convenient and what's visible," says Janet Polivy, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Toronto in Canada. We talked to psychologists, dietitians, and food experts to create a refrigerator that fosters healthy eating. Here's what it looks like.

Top Shelf: Fresh Food Snacks
Think of this eye-level shelf as your kitchen's primary fuel station. Place washed, dried, and cut-up raw vegetables in airtight containers on the top shelf. The same goes for washed, cut-up chunks of pineapple and melon. "This way, they're the first things you see, and they're ready to eat," says Detroit-based dietitian Bethany Thayer. Berries are perishable, so rinse only before eating. Add a few hard-boiled eggs for a quick peel-and-eat protein boost. Consume all foods here within two or three days, and replenish.

Plus: The Rules of Snacking

Second Shelf:

Keep Your Heart Healthy
During the hot summer months, it can be hard to psych yourself up to "get out and sweat." But according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), intense cardio isn't the only way to boost heart health.

Gentle poses can tone this life-giving muscle, too, by stretching and compressing the torso and rib cage, which house and protect the heart, and by activating the meridian (energy path) that carries the heart's energy.

"When you hold a pose and relax into it, you stimulate the connective tissues that the deeper meridians run through, improving their ability to function," says Sarah Powers, author of "Insight Yoga."

The Routine
Powers developed this sequence of poses to address the major body parts through which the heart meridian flows. "The idea is to relax, release stress, and let your body rest," she says, "so it can balance and heal itself."

For optimal heart health, alternate between a day of quiet practice and a day of more active exercise like Vinyasa

We all love a good snack: Something to hold us over between breakfast and lunch. A quick pick-me-up when we hit that 3 p.m. slump. And, of course, dessert after dinner. If we don't choose the right types of snacks, though, these between-meal treats can cause us to pack on the pounds, feel sluggish and sick, and, ironically, develop cravings for more of the same.

But when done right, snacks can be a secret weapon against weight gain and unhealthy habits. Here's what you need to know about eating more, weighing less, and getting a handle on nutritious (and satisfying) snacking.

1. Count the Calories
"Snacks can make or break your diet," says New York City-based nutritionist Rachel Meltzer Warren, R.D. "For most people, if you eat your meals three to five hours apart then you really don't need snacks to tide you over. But if you go for long stretches between meals -- or tend to feel ravenous when you get to dinner -- then eating a well-balanced snack can really help."

The right amount

When I picked up the new book "Click: The Magic of Instant Connections," I knew that the co-authors, psychologist Rom Brafman, Ph.D., and his brother, Ori, an entrepreneur, had my number. The best-selling authors of "Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior" claim to have uncovered the mystery behind how people connect instantly.

According to their theory, the recipe for clicking contains five ingredients: proximity, vulnerability, resonance, similarity, and a safe place.

In other words, you're more likely to click with someone if you're in her immediate vicinity, disclose something personal, tune in to her emotions, have something in common, and share a frame of reference (via your church, your culture -- anything that separates you two from the rest of the world).

Wired for Connections
As you might have guessed, some people are wired for instant connection. The Brafmans refer to these folks as "high self-monitors," borrowing a term from personality researcher Mark

Yes, the list changes often. But for now you can choose from these five options and feel good about it.

Wild Alaskan Salmon

Eco Cred: Strict monitoring by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has fostered a robust, resilient population.

Shopping Tip: Pacific Northwest wild-caught salmon is the next-best alternative. Farmed salmon is notoriously wasteful and hazardous to ecosystems; the fish harvested in contained farms on land is a better bet.

Look for: Fresh around May through September; frozen year-round

Plus: Healthy Salmon Recipes

Pacific Halibut

Eco Cred: Most of these bottom-dwelling flatfish are caught in Alaska with fishing lines that float just above the ocean bottom, causing little damage or bycatch. Annual population assessments and catch limits make for an abundance of the fish.

Shopping Tip: Skip Atlantic (it's overfished) and California (it has high levels of mercury).

Look for: Fresh March through October; frozen year-round

Mussels

Eco Cred: Seaver jokes that

A couple of extra bites at dinner. A second cookie nibbled with your afternoon tea. In the grand scheme of overeating, these tidbits don't seem like much.

But consider this: "If you consume 100 calories more than you burn every day, you'll gain 10 pounds by the end of a year," says Gail Altschuler, M.D., medical director of the Altschuler Clinic, a center for weight loss and wellness in Novato, California.

Sounds demoralizing. But now take that fact and turn it around: 100 calories isn't a lot of food, after all -- and you can use that to your advantage. "You don't have to make enormous changes to see benefits and get results," says Altschuler.

With that point in mind, we combed the research to find surprisingly simple ways to eat a little less. "Stack a few of these tips together," Altschuler says, "and you could really see an impact."

1. Take a Seat
Whenever you eat, sit at a table and use cutlery and a plate, rather than eat on the run, standing up, or at your desk. That way,

The latest health trend? Pop open a cold beer. It's just one of a few guilty pleasures that have gotten an image makeover: They're now downright good for you! If you're ready to indulge, we've got great news.

Wait long enough, and even high-waisted pants come back in style. In similar fashion, it may be time to pull some of your old, banned habits out of the closet: A number of formerly sinful luxuries now seem to be healthy -- and this according to scientists from highly regarded universities.

In fact, if you didn't cheat, you'd be cheating yourself.

Napping
Old Rep: Lazy pastime
New Cred: Recharge tactic

Sneaking in an afternoon snooze can seem irresponsible with email, deadlines, and crusty dishes piling up. But a nap is exactly what your brain and body need to recharge. Call it Mother Nature's patented Ritalin: an antidote to mental fuzziness without the unpleasant side effects.

Even rocket scientists are recommending naps. In one NASA study, 21 long-haul pilots were assigned