* A 'Low-Fat Plus' Diet that's rich in vegetables, beans, and whole grains lowered LDL (bad) cholesterol by 14 points in just 4 weeks. If you follow an ordinary low-fat diet and aren't adding beans, vegetables and whole grain foods you may be cheating yourself.  After 4 weeks on the ordinary low-fat diet your LDL will drop by only 7 points. Ask Brooke!

* Keep a bag of frozen berries on hand for a quick wintertime smoothie made with non-fat milk, a ripe banana, and a handful of frozen berries.

* Regardless of what types of food a person eats, the basic rule concerning weight-loss is that to lose weight people must consume fewer calories than they expend. However, a limitation of intake need not be based on calories.  A feeling of being full is another reason that people stop eating.  In other words, don't be a member of the clean your plate club! Ask Brooke!

* Latest research shows you need to shoot for  30-60 minutes of exercise 6-7 days a week!

* Healthy Snack Tip: lightly brown 2 teaspoons of pine nuts in a dry skillet (shake the pan so they don't burn).  Add 4 cups of just-washed, damp baby spinach and 2 tablespoons of raisins.  Cover & cook about 2 minutes, just until the spinach is slightly wilted.  Enjoy the nutrition!

* You can lose 10 pound in just one year by eliminating only 100 calories from your diet every day (ie, 1 tablespoon of butter/margarine). Whereas, you can gain 10 pounds in just one year by eating only 100 extra calories a day.

* Cranberry Juice Cocktail has more sugar than most soft drinks.

*Do you have Pre-Diabetes? People with pre-diabetes have blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be diabetic. The cut-offs depend on whether your blood is tested after a 12-hour fast (fasting blood sugar) or two hours after you're given a glucose-laden liquid to drink (oral glucose tolerance test). Ask Brooke!

* As your weight increases so does your risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and death!

* Oscar Mayer Lunchables - bologna and american cheese has 7 1/2 teaspoons of saturated/trans fat.  That is more than you get in a Big Mac.

* An 'imitation' product is one that resembles the original products, but is nutritionally inferior to it.  A 'substitute' product resembles the original product, and is nutritionally equivalent to it.

* The artificial sweeteners are still heavily debated. Nutrasweet and Equal (the sweetener aspartame) DID cause lymphomas and leukemias in female, but not male, rats.  Until the dust settles, switch to only items sweetened with sucralose (Splenda). Ask Brooke!

* For a quick, healthy sandwich, stuff a whole-wheat pita with veggies like sliced tomato, cucumber, red pepper,  and avocado.  Top with some plain yogurt, crushed garlic and a drizzle of olive oil.

* The number of deaths that occur because of the excess sodium in the average americans diet is equivalent to a jumbo jet crashing every single day!  Getting rid of your salt shaker is not enough!  Ask Brooke!

* If you have high blood pressure, in addition to medication, here is how to lower it: lose excess weight, follow a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods, exercise daily, limit salt intake to only 1,500 mg per day (this is a tough one), limit alcohol to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 drink a day for women. Ask Brooke!

* Americans sleep less than they used to and this could be part of the reason why more of us are now overweight. Too little sleep may make you hungry, especially for calorie-dense foods, and may prime your body to try to hold on to the calories you eat.  It may also boost your insulin levels, which increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes.  Ask Brooke!