Recently my family experienced a scare that many, many other families have had. My husband woke in the middle of the night feeling bad, but unable to pinpoint the problem. Bottom line is that he was having a heart attack. He is a very lucky man in that he got the medical attention he needed, and has no permanent damage. What is permanently affected, though, is his lifestyle!

We are not extremists or reactionaries, by any stretch of the imagination. But clearly there were changes that needed to happen.

Not surprisingly, the basic advice is universal; eat healthy and excercise. Ever hear that before? I'm hoping the old adage "It's never too late" holds true because regardless of where we are, we're making a sharp turn in the road!

You know how you never pay any attention to car ads on TV until your car breaks down? Apparently for me, it's the same with health. I've just taken it for granted. But now, everywhere I look there are books to help make better decisions about what to eat. And I'm reading them!

The one I'm reading now is perfect for non-extremist me. I'm not totally removing any one thing from my diet, but learning to make better choices every day, and develop habits that will keep me healthier longer.

There are a whole series of the "Eat This, Not That" books. There's one for restaurant eating, navigating the supermarket, one especially for kids, and there's even a "Drink This Not That" edition.

With recommendations from the likes of Dr. Oz, Rachael Ray and Ellen Degeneres, and Matt Lauer on The Today Show, it's pretty crazy that I'm just catching on. But now I know to maneuver around the perimeter of the grocery store where the fresh, raw foods are, and limit my time in the center shelves where the canned, packaged, processed foods are found.

See? I'm getting smarter and healthier by the minute!

Happy Reading (and healthy eating)!
Frances