As the Year Turns

While you can make a case that any behavior worth changing on January 1st is worth changing anytime, the fact is that beginnings and transitions are natural times for us to switch things up a bit. The New Year is a big one, but the first of the month -- even the first of the week, like the Healthy Mondays program About runs with Columbia University's Postman School of Public Health -- is another opportune time to look at small changes and work them into your routine.

My colleague Nancy Lapid just wrote a great article about New Year's resolutions for people with celiac disease, and so many of them are applicable for anyone on any restricted diet for a food allergy or intolerance -- reminding yourself in advance why it's so important not to cheat, keeping safe comfort foods in the house, trying to change your outlook and think more positively if you look at your diet as a drag, and changing your health routine to get more exercise and healthy foods within the constraints of your dietary restrictions. I highly recommend it for anyone who reads this site -- and I hope everyone has a happy New Year's celebration and a lovely 2009.