The holidays bring feasts and family time. You can help yourself to seconds and be an inspiration, too. How? It’s the choices you make.

Our bodies are built to thrive and heal themselves, and do so given proper nutrition (as well as exercise, smoking cessation, stress management and community). Although mixed messages and diet-of-the-moment hype confuse us, thousands of science-based studies published each year keep proving that heart disease and other chronic illnesses are preventable and even reversible with lifestyle changes.

Author Michael Pollan’s well-known call to “eat (real) food; mostly plants; not too much” can serve as a simple guide. Nutrients in plants are designed to protect our cells and boost our immune system. While some MDs practice wellness-focused, functional medicine, the surprising fact is that most medical doctors get very little nutrition training. But you can take charge of your well being with positive adjustments. In turn, your vitality will inspire friends and family, too. 

For tools and science-based nutrition guidance, visit these leading uplifters and best-selling authors in the wellness community:

• John Robbins and his son, Ocean Robbins, offer the “Plant Powered and Thriving” online course, community forums, and much more via Food Revolution Network

• Michael Gregor, MD’s Nutrition Facts website uses humor and peer-reviewed studies to share current nutrition science, recipes and more

• Dean Ornish, MD has been at the forefront of research and programs supporting lifestyle changes. Visit Ornish Lifestyle Medicine

• Mark Hymen, M.D. directs the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine.

• Joel Fuhruman, MD is president of the Nutritional Research Foundation

• Neal Barnard, MD, founder and president of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, offers a Kickstart Intensive

• Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) offers a newsletter with recipes and more to help you stay on track

  — Hillary Black, Editor

Magic happens when you keep a promise. Sounds simple but it’s not easy. We make promises all day long. “Don’t hit the snooze button tomorrow.” “Write a thank you note to (fill-in-the-blank) today.” “I’ll call you later.” “I will be 15 minutes early for every appointment.” (Anyone who knows me is laughing at that last one.) Busy days and cluttered minds lead to tangled maps and debris-scattered paths that trip us up when we aren’t paying attention. So that’s how to make magic! Pay attention. This might mean “think before you speak” or “listen to what you say” or perhaps it’s both—depending on the circumstance. Either way, we can thoughtfully send words into the air; patiently listen, hear and absorb others’ words (before jumping in with our own); and make promises mindfully, to others and to ourselves. Follow through and—voila! You were up early and accomplished much; you made someone’s day with that thank you card; you learned something new on your phone call; you got time to relax and reflect because you were early. Magic! — Hillary Black