We are raising a generation of Americans who don't know their way around a kitchen or how to prepare a meal from scratch. That is why I have invited everyone to join me in an Eat-In tomorrow, April 7.

We've asked Clean Plates founder Jared Koch to help sort out the different restaurant health certifications out there, and he's written back with six of the best that his email and restaurant guide uses.

Food and fashion aren't so different. Throughout the years, we've seen the good, the bad and the ugly. Sometimes, we look back and say to ourselves, "What was I thinking?" This year is no different. Let's take a look at healthy trends that are in and the not-so-healthy trends that I hope to see on the way out!

The temptation to go on a fad diet and lose and gain, lose and gain, and lose and gain some more, is overwhelming for celebrities, as well as the rest of us. Want to know what really happens with some of these wild and crazy fad diets?

Variety may be the spice of life, but it seems to be the undoing of eating well. It's much easier to call it good when the choices are limited. Subject someone to a buffet and there's a tendency to want to at least sample everything -- and to go back for seconds, and thirds, and fourths.

The moment you become aware that you are eating mindlessly, it's hard not to "see" it anymore. When you sit on the coach robotically eating chips or at a bar popping peanuts into your mouth, you recognize the behavior right away. This little inner voice speaks up and says, "Hey, I am mindlessly eating right now!"

As the holiday season approaches, it seems we all want to channel our inner "Martha" and cook up a storm -- which I love, since cooking is my life. So I offer some food for thought on being healthy through the season of partying.

While healthy eating is our birthright, for many of us it seems like taking the plunge into eating a whole foods-based diet is the equivalent to traveling to some distant land. But it doesn't have to be such a scary or foreign experience.

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably noticed pumpkin products are popping up everywhere. One thing is for sure: I'm loving the trend! Act fast -- pumpkin is only in season from September through November, so start stocking your pantry now.

Not only is there major disagreement over the amount (and type) of protein we should be eating, but there's wild disagreement over the role of fat, the importance of carbs, the value of exercise, the need for calorie counting, and just about anything else you can think of.