Spring has finally sprung, and brings with it the stirring of growing things all around us.  One of my favorite memories from childhood was seeing the big field across the street from our house transform from muddy, snow blotched thatch to lush green grass, suitable for barefoot games of tag and running bases with my friends.

As Americans, we tend to be a nation of gobblers when it comes to eating.  In other cultures, meals and conversation can run on into the evening, with family members enjoying conversation and sharing the news of the day.  On average, our meals last a whopping 11 minutes—and that's for dinner.  Breakfast and lunch clock in at under 5 minutes for some people. The good news is, to realize an abundance of health benefits all we need to do is slooooooow dooooooown.  And here are few good reasons why:

One of the best ways to enhance nutrition and improve your health is to bypass processed and pre-packaged foods in favor of fresh vegetables, fruits, grains and proteins. 

As with almost any health-related topic, we find ourselves bombarded with "expert" and frequently conflicting advice from all quarters -- nutrition is no exception.  How many meals a day are the best?  How many servings of vegetables?  Of grains and cereals?  Is white sugar ever okay?

As American Heart Month draws to a close, it's important to encourage continued, year-round awareness of heart health as well as correct some of the common heart health myths or misconceptions people may have about heart disease: People who are physically fit and active are not at risk for heart disease. 

Many Americans are in a nutritional quandary.  On the one hand, frequently published studies and nutritional experts bombard us with the fact that we don't eat enough vegetables and fruit - the "good stuff" -  to provide proper nutrition; on the other, proponents of organic farming and anti-pesticide activists strive to alert us to the dangers of many of the chemical compounds that are used in commercial agriculture and conventional farming methods.

So you want to stay youthful and maintain your best look, but the thought of turning into Joan Rivers gives you the creeps. And what if you’re a middle aged man? You’ve had an entire life of people telling you that you shouldn’t worry about aging because it’s all inevitable, right?

Remember what your mom used to say about not believing everything you hear or read? Well, the same goes for believing that what you are being told by TV advertisements is good medicine for you. The worst medicine is the kind that “seems” to be true but for which there is no evidence. “Colon cleansers” are a big business but there’s not much evidence they work and because most are herbal-based, the government doesn’t regulate them the same as they do for other medicine. So it’s not even sure they’re safe.

Drinking eight 8 ounce glasses of water a day is encouraged by most weight loss programs, but the water is not what makes you lose weight. Drinking that much water gives you the feeling that you’re full – and you are, sort of.