Four years ago, when I decided that I was going to finally lose weight and this time it would be for good, I knew that the only way I was going to do it was to ditch the diet mentality and see it as a lifestyle. This meant finding a balance.

Can you cheat on your diet and still lose weight or maintain a healthy weight? Nutrition professionals say "yes," and we frequently cheat, ourselves. Here's what I and 10 other top nutrition pros indulge on, and how they fit these less-than-healthy treats in their diet.

Fresh-baked bread with cream cheese is not something I eat daily. Sometimes not even weekly. But it is something I enjoy in moderation. Even if I'm being strict with my eating plan (something that, for the record, I'm always paying close attention to, even when "treating" myself).

I remember a time before the BlackBerry. And while I appreciate its value for emergencies, mapping and the like, I am not fond of its other effects. Today, we are flooded with distraction and noise, and the skill is not drowning in it all.

The response to Paula Deen's revelation that she has Type 2 diabetes highlights the false "either-or" dilemma that plagues our culture's approach to eating (and most other things): good or bad, right or wrong, all or nothing.

I have discovered that if you adhere to a few common-sense guidelines as you totter through the seasonal minefield of office parties, neighborhood potlucks and family get togethers, you can feast and frolic without incurring an excessive shroud of post-holiday guilt.

Listening to our bodies' cravings is okay, as long as we take the time to get our bodies moving as well. That's how I've managed to find my happiness.

To grow in awareness of who we truly are and to make choices that align us with our essential authentic self allows us to nurture our true gifts and offerings like strong healthy carrots.

Every Wednesday is Tip Day, or Quiz Day. This Wednesday, back by popular demand: Quiz -- are you a moderator or abstainer? One of the great myst...

The West is in a constant war with reality: perpetually dissatisfied with what is, we are desperately trying to perfect it. This one and only reality...