New Year...new tricks for 2010!

After a brief holiday hiatus and respite, the blog is back up and running. And to kick this new year and new decade off in tune with everyone's sound (and of course lasting) resolutions to eat better, get their booties to the gym and bust those extra lbs, I figured I'd do a brief feature on a few items to jumpstart (and actually stick to!) 2010.

1) New year, new on-the-go snack. In the spirit of giving your body really good food despite all that life and crazy schedules throw at us, there's a brand-spanking new granola bar that's fresh on the market for 2010. Get your snack-loving, energy-boosting, 4pm fix on...this is an awesome, all-natural addition to your snack roster (conveniently stashable in your desk, purse, man-bag, gym bag, what-have-you). I've mentioned 18 Rabbits in the past, you know I'm picky about granola bars, and these are darn tasty, super satisfying, and contain all recognizable REAL, organic ingredients (from pecans and dried bing cherries to cocao nibs, sesame seeds, and flaxseed). They're also made with natural sweeteners like honey and agave and come in around 200 calories. 18 Rabbits has come out with their fifth granola bar, Belle Bananas Foster, which I recently had the pleasure of taste-testing (I know, I have such a tough job). Made with caramelized bananas and dates, it's absolutely delicious, not too sweet and the right amount of crunch and chewiness. You'll find 18 Rabbits' granola and granola bars at certain Whole Foods, local Dean & Deluca stores and of course online.

2) Variety...and more of it. If you're looking to stir things up a bit in the New Year, get out of your holiday/winter weather slump and give yourself a bit of a slimming, pound shedding boost without going to extremes (does anyone really like harsh, starvation juice fasts or chaining themselves to the treadmill 24-7?). Try something as simplistic as variety. Change up your fitness routine - take a new spin class, get back to running or yoga, bottom line do something DIFFERENT! This goes for your diet as well. Work in a new healthy carb like sweet potatoes or wild rice and swap the excess Christmas cookies and holiday chocolate. Our bodies like change and to be challenged, it keeps our metabolisms revved up and will 100% assist in shifting the scale back to where it should be. Check out the current issue of Time Out NY for their annual fitness guide -- the best classes and personal trainers around NYC to literally get your a*s back in gear -- and a quick shout out to one of my favorite people (and top personal trainers), Lacey Stone who was featured as a TONY superstar trainer.

3) Pick up some citrus. This is one of my sneakiest tactics to kissing holiday bloat goodbye. Grab a grapefruit, an orange, throw some lemon in your water or tea for a few days straight. Packed with potassium, citrus fruits combat water retention and help you feel naturally "cleansed" and back on track fast.

Happy 2010, here's to a killer year ahead!