From Nicholas Cage movies to prerequisite discussions in social studies classes, the Declaration of Independence is one of the most iconic documents of American culture. Perhaps the most memorable component of this historic piece, besides John Hancock’s outsized signature, is a phrase coined by Thomas Jefferson - "All men are created equal." (Sorry to go all history geek on you; I promise there won’t be a multiple choice test later.)  That sentiment has been amended over time to include women and people of all races, religions and backgrounds. But people aside, there’s one thing that will never be equal, no matter how hard brand marketers try – calories.

Like a little black dress or string of pearls, products with reduced calories never go out of fashion. Take one bite of their goods and suddenly you’ll have more pep in your step, be able to wear a bikini to the beach and perhaps broker world peace (okay, the advertisements haven’t made that claim yet, but I’m sure it’s on the horizon).  That lowered calorie count doesn’t mean much though once the food is processed by the body. Skimp on the nutritional value and you aren’t doing yourself any favors.

Certified Integrative Nutritionist Cheryl Howlin, BS, CHHC, illustrates this point using the example of a Nabisco Cookie Snack Pack and a banana, which both contain 100 calories.  “The difference lies in how these foods are assimilated into the body,” notes Cheryl.  “Those cookies are comprised primarily of  processed and refined carbohydrates that are very quickly digested into the body, raise blood sugar and within one hour produces a sense of hunger for more food.  Full of essential vitamins and minerals, the banana is processed much slower, its nutrients used by the body as proper fuel for both physical and mental tasks.”

When it comes to calories, individuals all too often just look at caloric math and nothing else.  That certainly was the case with my yo-yo dieting past. During my senior year in high school, I drastically cut calories without any regard for nutrition. Lunch every day was a scoop of ice cream, which ultimately made it hard to stay awake during afternoon classes.  As soon as I started eating normal quantities of food again, the lost pounds reappeared and brought friends along for the ride. Yeah, the good old days.

What are the most important nutritional considerations in your diet?  Are calories king or do other factors have equal or greater importance?

You know that saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?” While it’s unlikely that my 74-year-old mom will start tweeting anytime soon or participate in a flash mob, I have to call B.S. on it. Because when it comes to wellness, people can pursue healthier habits at any point in their life.

Are you shaking your head at the screen, ready to tell me how hard it is to lose weight after 40? Yes, I know it’s true. Metabolism gets slower when the prospect of getting an AARP card looms just a few years away, or Samantha from “Sex and the City” became your favorite character when you both starting experiencing menopause symptoms. Sure, many people tend to be less active as they age, grabbing a remote control instead of tossing a football or jamming on the dance floor. But even if fitness comes to you as naturally as breathing, all of us have to deal with the fact that muscle mass, which helps burn calories, decreases as people get older. Kind of sucks, right? But you can do something about it.

Just ask Dee St. Laurents of Atlanta, Georgia. “Age should not make a difference,” explains Dee, who has maintained an 80 pound weight loss with the help of Weight Watchers for over eight years now.  “I was six months shy of fifty when starting my weight loss journey. No matter what age you are, you have just as much right as the next person to look good or be healthy.”

Like Dee, I’ve interviewed numerous people who lost weight or got into much better shape well into their fifties, sixties and beyond. It’s never too late to get started. I asked Dr. Pamela Peeke, M.D. M.P.H. F.A.C.P., an internationally recognized expert, physician and scientist in the fields of nutrition, stress, fitness and public health, to pass along some scoop for us all. Author of the bestselling Fight Fat After 40 and Body for Life for Women, not to mention Chief Medical Correspondent for Discovery Health, Dr. Peeke never sugar coats the truth.

“People can embrace wellness at any age,” notes Dr. Peeke. “What you really want is to obtain optimal physical and mental fitness throughout your life.”

Inspired to start now? Consider these helpful tips from Dr. Peeke to maximize your success:

1.       Create a plan with measurable outcomes. Sit down and think first. Be clear about your vision.

2.       Start with small mini goals or milestones; it is not just numerical. Think about items like increased stamina, clothing fit, being able to climb several flights of stairs with ease that once made you feel winded.

3.       Clean up chaos and clutter that distracts from your goals. Just as a cluttered desk may keep you from maximizing effectiveness at work, so does an overcrowded fridge or pantry. The mind is a powerful comment in wellness, triggering emotional and stress eating. If your brain isn’t “quiet,” regroup regularly with activities like meditation or yoga that promote rejuvenation.

4.       Start ritualizing how you want to eat. For example, say every Saturday I will buy healthy food for the house or perhaps Sunday afternoons is the time you prepare several healthy meals to enjoy throughout the week. I know in my house, we have to reload fruits, veggies and healthy snacks on Wednesdays to ensure good choices are easily available.

5.       Get physically active. Just stand up and be vertical throughout the day. You don’t have to join an Olympic boot camp. The easiest thing in the world is walking. Taking simple small steps will allow you to build a strong foundation.

Interested in gaining more insight from Dr. Peeke? In addition to previously published works and columns, her new book on food addiction called The Hunger Fix will be available this May.

Have you gotten in better shape as you've gotten older and if so, how? What are some wellness challenges you’ve faced in different decades of your life?

I’m about to let you into my inner sanctum. Before you think this entails a healthy living “bat cave” complete with a butler named Alfred who brings me smoothies, let’s set the record straight. What I’m referring to is something much closer to my gut than my heart - the contents of my refrigerator.

You can tell a lot about a person from what they keep in their fridge. A frequent hostess, I opted for one of those larger, “French door” kinds that easily hold multiple party trays. This bright, shiny model  could accommodate enough groceries to feed a family of ten for a week, even though it is just used on a daily basis by me and my super cool boyfriend.  Hopefully I’ve put all of that great insight gained from nutritional experts along the way to use inside of my fridge (as opposed to the cupboard, where highly addictive roasted cashews with dried cranberries and the last of the chocolates sent over by Justin’s parents from England reside.)

Check out this video and let me know what you think. I apologize in advance for any unintentional “Blair Witch Project” camera angles in this very first video post:

What does your fridge say about you?

What does your refrigerator say about you? Is it filled more with apples and spinach or leftover pizza and cookie dough?

When it comes to billboards, I’ve seen just about everything driving throughout Atlanta’s myriad highways. Wacky photos of television morning show personalities trying too hard to entice you to watch their broadcast.  A cooling and heating company’s dog mascot promising to keep your home temperate despite his lack of opposable thumbs. Chick-fil-A cows that extol the virtues of consuming more chicken. But the most memorable billboard I’ve seen in a while featured a very different image – a black and white photo of an overweight young girl with the piercing message “WARNING. It’s hard to be a little girl if you’re not.” Yes, we’ve reached the age where billboards are being used to fight childhood obesity instead of just selling the products that help cause it.

Apparently the timing was ripe to use more aggressive marketing tactics to educate people about this growing problem. While Georgia is known for peaches, peanuts, the 1996 Olympic Games and the world’s busiest airport, we also have the second highest childhood obesity rates in the country.

Children’s Healthcare, an excellent pediatric health system, created the public service campaign. Called Strong4Life, it aims to get parents to “stop sugarcoating” the childhood obesity crisis. The visually arresting, almost jarring ads are clearly calling attention to an issue that’s often ignored. Even Time Magazine noticed in this recent article about the uneasy reaction some experts have to this tactic.

As a former fat kid myself, I applaud the billboards for raising greater awareness.  Knowing more about the problem is essential in order to treat and prevent it. Concerns have also been raised about potential backlash from kids being bullied at school or made to feel bad about themselves. But that prompts me to ask, isn’t that already taking place? The difference is now its being openly discussed instead of ignored.

What do you think? Should billboards be used to fight childhood obesity? Do you think this campaign is helpful or a hindrance in dealing with the issue?

I know January has only been around for six days now. But like a dashboard Hula dancer doll or the camera angles in a low-budget slasher flick, many freshly-minted New Year’s resolutions are already starting to get shaky. Better health and wellness tops many lists, whether motivated by a doctor’s urging or a closet full of clothes that are all suddenly too small. Each year, you are determined to start jogging before work or hit a Zumba class after car pool. You devour weight loss success stories from magazines and websites as though they are the Holy Grail. But then when it comes time to actually start eating healthier and become more active, the steam runs out of your engine pretty fast.

Well, it doesn’t have to be that way anymore. Here are five tips to make your wellness goals stick in 2012 and beyond:

1. Understand your motivation. Do you want to get in better shape because you deserve more health and happiness, or is it to make someone else happier with you? The key to making it work this time is to do it for yourself. Deborah Klein, MS, RD, an expert on nutrition and fitness, has potential clients complete an assessment form with a scale of 1- 10 in terms of their commitment level. “The people circling tens are ready to make changes, clear about why they want to do so and their hurdles,” she notes. “But If they mark a two or a three, they are not in the right place and really don’t want to change their ways.”
2. Be realistic. Unless you are a contestant on a reality show, chances are good that you won’t drop 50 pounds in just a few months. Taking slow, deliberate steps to eat better and become more active is the key to losing weight and keeping it off for good. It took me fifteen months to lose 50 pounds back in 1992 through 1993, which also gave me more time to get used to a shrinking body.
3. Do your homework. Joining a gym for the first time? Check out this hilarious list of 27 ways to conquer the gym from the Wall Street Journal. The author’s tone might be irreverent but there is truth to everything he says, from practicing common courtesy to others and developing a routine. Rather than jump into the latest diet fad, research programs that help people learn how to eat better for the long-haul.
4. Seek expert advice. So you’ve read about the virtues of strength training in numerous articles. But strolling into a weight room and randomly picking up free weights without any prior instruction is a recipe for disaster.  Ideally, it pays to hire a trainer for at least a few sessions or start slowly by taking a strength building class with others. You can also pick up great fitness tips online from resources like Workout Nirvana, Fun and Fit and many others. In terms of food, consulting with a nutrition expert ensures that you develop and follow the best eating plan for your individual needs. Some great resources I follow include A Girl and Her Carrot, Crave Nutrition and The Nutritionista.
5. Get support. Like that 1960’s tune proclaims, sometimes you get by easier with a little help from your friends. Seek in-person support from organizations that include weekly support meeting such as Weight Watchers, TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly), Overeaters Anonymous and numerous others. Join an online community like Spark People or Live Strong that provides education and understanding from peers. Bring a group of buddies in the neighborhood to walk together each morning before carting the kids off to school.

What are your biggest challenges in making wellness stick? How have you overcome them to claim a healthier, happier life?

In some ways, I’ve been a late bloomer. Didn’t learn how to ride a bike without training wheels until age eight and never had a serious boyfriend until the year after graduating college. But eventually, I caught up and even sometimes sped ahead in many areas of my life except one – I sucked at taking vacation. My ability to really leave work behind was abysmal, along the lines of the way Elaine danced on Seinfeld or Kim Kardashian’s commitment to wedding vows.

Growing up, I never had anything very interesting to say upon returning to school each year following summer vacation. Usually, detailing how I bagged takeout orders in my parent’s delicatessen, read a boatload of books and floated on inner tubes in the muddy lake of a week-long day camp comprised the key highlights. But that changed over the past month. For the first time in my life, I really did unplug and unwind. Like I told clients, I really didn’t check email. I didn’t write a blog post or tweet. And the impact of really stepping out of my life was fantastic. Here are a few things I learned during my winter vacation:

• Travel is good for your soul – We traveled to Puerto Rico for a week and it was fantastic visiting a different culture and destination. Taking a kayaking excursion to a bioluminescent bay one night made me realize that I need to add more adventure to my life. The experience sparked a thirst to learn Spanish, which has now been added to my bucket list.

• My guy loves me unconditionally – Okay, I knew this fact already. But it was confirmed when I ate something bad and became ill for about 24 hours. He was a sweetheart and helped take care of me while still managing to crack jokes about the situation to get me to smile.

• Going away helps you appreciate home even more – On our last day, we were ready to come back to Atlanta and then really enjoyed the down time in our own home. But unlike the past, I didn’t jump right back into a fast pace. I learned the world doesn’t end if I don’t set an alarm clock or check the Internet daily at home.

• Pausing promotes clarity – I didn’t think much about my book or business during this break. It probably stewed there at the back of my mind but didn’t appear on the surface. So when I decided to start writing again today, it all flowed out beautifully in a way it hasn’t before.

Are you good at unplugging on vacation? What have you learned about yourself or life overall while visiting a different place?

It all started in childhood with Wonder Woman, who showed me that a female superhero could be just as badass as the guys in tights. When I started my career in PR at Days Inn headquarters back in 1989, my boss Carol Bivins was the highest ranking woman in the company. Eschewing the awful floppy bowtie look of the day, she demonstrated that embracing cleverness and creativity would get you much farther than conformity.

In the past decade or so, JK Rowling has topped my list for overcoming her obstacles as a former welfare mother to encouraging millions of kids worldwide to embrace reading.   Then today I started wondering who inspires my desire for wellness – and the answer might surprise you.

At the beginning of my weight loss journey, it was the success stories I read each month in Shape Magazine. I can’t remember any of the names of the real women. But in hearing the details of their lives and efforts to become healthier, it always struck me that if they could do it, I could too. Over the years, I’ve been inspired by acts of wellness both big and small by others around me. Like my mom working with a weight trainer twice a week in her seventies, when that idea would have seemed impossible a few decades ago. Or my friend Monique, who slowly and deliberately lost 100 pounds over a two year period and has kept it off for almost five years now.

The first person who popped into my mind today in pondering that question was Gabrielle Giffords. I’m inspired by her perseverance, positivity and the unconditional love she shares with her husband. She definitely gets my vote in Time Magazine’s "Person of the Year Contest."  But the individual who inspires me most to live a healthy live is myself. I think back to the 25 year-old me who felt trapped and helpless in a cycle of yo-yo dieting and feel her awe in the changes made over time. Zooming ahead into the future, I want to be active, healthy and independent for as long as possible.  When I choose to eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep, I appreciate how good that feels. Because it has become my norm, I’m out of sorts on days like today, where after zealously sampling the treats baked for client holiday gifts last night, a food coma has made me feel lethargic.

Who inspires your wellness journey?  Does that motivation come from an outside source, within or a combination of both?

From vanity license plates to bling-encrusted cell phone covers, personal expression has become a way of life in the United States. Everyone admires the shy friend who tries stand-up comedy or that guy in corporate accounting that attended rock and roll fantasy camp. Traditionally staid wedding processionals can now erupt into dance video sensations and seemingly random strangers have no problem embracing their inner Broadway in flash mobs. But while we applaud these expressions of individuality, one place where you don’t often see someone’s freak flag fly is during fitness.

Conforming to the teacher’s instructions is rightly embraced during body pump, spin classes, zumba or whatever floats your exercise boat. My friends who compete in triathlons attack their swimming, running and cycling training with almost mechanical precision.  I fully understand the benefits of tried and proven methods from certified instructors. However, people doing things a little differently on their own are often mocked. Like in this video from a London fitness club, posted by the Daily Mail, which two guys took of a woman who appears to be executing disco steps and ballet-like leaps on a treadmill.

Yeah, I laughed my butt off the first time the video started. Then it got me thinking. Perhaps picturing herself as a Studio 54 Disco Diva got this woman off the couch and into a higher heart rate zone. If she’s not hurting herself or disrupting anyone else’s workout, can we learn from her lack of inhibitions?  I myself have been called “Stevie Wonder” by friends for unwittingly rocking back and forth from side to side on elliptical machines while lip-synching to new tunes on my workout mixes.  The teasing doesn’t bother me, since having fun keeps me there longer. And if someone thinks I look like a geek, while there might be a kernel of truth in that, I’m probably having a better time than they are getting into shape.

What is the most unusual thing you’ve seen someone else do while pursuing fitness? Have you ever let your freak flag fly while working out?

At this moment, I know how Charlie in “Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” felt the moment he found the golden ticket. Nope, I didn’t win the lottery or receive an invitation to join Oprah and Gayle King on their next road trip. This surprise is even better. My personal trainer told me to eat whatever I want on Thanksgiving and to enjoy it thoroughly.  And I’m actually planning to take his advice.

Allen, the aforementioned personal trainer, knows what he is talking about.  Since starting to work with him a month ago, I’ve gained muscle and taken off four pounds of fat.  Pulling from decades of education and proven experience, he’s used everything from physical therapy and sports training techniques to psychology to help my entire body become stronger.

My dietary habits have shifted too per his suggestions. It was no problem to avoid processed foods, already a core practice. I have significantly increased my protein intake and now eat smaller meals every three hours or so.  When Allen also recommended that one day a week, I eat whatever I like, at first I thought he was joking. Wouldn’t that slow down my momentum?  I tested that theory two Saturdays ago, enjoying potato chips with blue cheese sauce while out on the town with my boyfriend. It was great and the next morning, I slipped right back into the healthy eating patterns. But I felt guilty admitting it  to Allen on Monday morning.

That’s when he explained eating differently one day a week would keep my metabolism from getting completely used to just one pattern. I also realized that planning for this day off each week removed the need to “rebel” against any sort of restrictions. Needless to say, my experience was different this past weekend.  On Friday night, I decided to eat a German Chocolate brownie from Whole Foods for dessert and savored every bite. Then on Saturday morning, like clockwork, I slipped back into healthy habits – this time without a morsel of guilt.

I’ve got add some context here. Raised to be a nice Jewish girl, guilt at times has felt like my middle name. Even now, forgetting to call a friend on their birthday or walking past a Salvation Army bell ringer without making a donation fills me with regret. So intentionally giving up guilt around food – which is typically the Holy Grail of my remorse – is a huge deal. Kind of like if politicians just shook hands and decided to resolve the debt-ceiling once and for all, or if Lady Gaga decided “less is more” and started wearing outfits from J. Crew on the red carpet.

When Thanksgiving rolls around this Thursday, I plan to enjoy sweet potato soufflé, pumpkin pie and a cornbread soufflé to the fullest. Have signed up for a special “turkey burn” spin class that morning and am eating a bit lighter this week beforehand to make room for the holiday goodies. But then on Friday, I’ll be back to my egg white omelets and Greek yogurt without batting an eyelash.

Do you have guilt about what you eat and if so, how do you handle it? This Thanksgiving, do you plan to indulge or eat in moderation?

Some things learned in childhood have stuck with me throughout the years. Like the letter “I” comes before “E” except after “C,” always look both ways before crossing the street and it’s impossible to dig to China from your backyard in Columbia, S.C. (believe me, we tried).  But one very important thing didn’t – the belief that I’d always struggle with my weight. Unfortunately, I’m in the minority here.  Childhood obesity is skyrocketing out of control and unless something changes, those kids are going to be facing adulthood with the scales literally tipped against them.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. In 2008, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.  Efforts are underway to change those statistics, ranging from Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign to the NFL’s Play 60 effort. However it takes more than better eating habits and increased exercise. Kids need to understand that they will feel better about themselves by making healthier choices.

This I know first-hand. Inspired by a slew of Twitter friends ranging from Alexandra Williams to Nora DePalma who joked about posting their childhood photos, I picked out this lovely snapshot of me at my 10^th birthday party. I was the epitome of 1970’s kid sartorial style in my red jumpsuit with lapels wider than Kim Kardashian’s level of sham marriage denial. My little cousin Kevin reached up to give me a kiss but I remember my mind was focused on that jumbo coconut cake in front of me. I was already planning to devour a second helping before the first slice was served.

I’m the daughter of a deli owner, people.  Emotional eating came to me as freely as others breathe.  Statistically, it didn’t appear that I’d be anything except an obese adult. The rollercoaster relationship with my weight continued until I hit my mid 20’s. That’s when my brain got involved. Therapy to improve my self-esteem opened the door to claiming a healthier life. While that’s great and all, my worry is that kids today can’t afford to wait until they are adults to tackle bad habits. The increased onset of childhood diabetes and elevated blood pressure is causing problems during the pre-teen years that may be impossible for them to fix.

Did you struggle with extra pounds as a kid or believe you were pre-destined to be an obese adult?  Have you been able to change that situation and if so, how? What do you believe should be done to combat childhood obesity?