Totally Taboo: Swimsuit Season!!

Ladies, ladies ladies,
I've done it - I have opened the can of worms that is swimsuit season. Today, March 20th, marks the first day of Spring. It's official, we have one season to get our bodies ready to slip into our bathing suits (note: I said "slip into" not "spill out of"). Don't fret! We have two months to shed those pounds you've been hiding under bulky sweaters and winter layers. BUT we must act now if we want our bodies to be as hot as the weather come June.
So let's set our goals, with a two month timeline, starting NOW. How do you wish to feel at the dawn of summer? I want you to feel confident and self assured (and maybe a little bit sexy too). How can we assure that you feel that way? By continuing our health-conscious lifestyles: mindful of calories in, mindful of calories out.
Here's our plan:
*if executed rigorously, you'll be splashing in the waves this summer, not hiding behind a boogie-board.

- Start with Breakfast: Dr. Layman of the University of Illinois says that people who start the day with a protein-rich breakfast save about 200 calories a day when compared to consume a carb-heavy meal.
- Drink only water (with lemon) or unsweetened iced-tea: According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition the average person consumes 450 calories a day from sweetened beverages.
- Sit down for family dinners and turn off the TV: Distracted eaters eat more food for longer periods of time, consuming more than 300 extra calories per meal according to a study published in Trends in Food Science & Technology.
- Pack lunch and eat dinner at home: Avoid restaurants and fast foods chains and you'll save close to 200 calories - the average number we additionally consume when eating out.
- Put FITNESS in your planner: hit the gym (tone those muscles), join a walking group (cardio, cardio, cardio), and recruit your family in the quest for burn-worthy fun (go hiking or play tennis together).
* tips taken and revised from The Lean Belly Perscription by Dr. Travis Stork

If you incorporate all of these lifestyle changes into your routine, you'll shed approximately 1,500 calories per day. Paired with the raw, natural nutrition plan we've integrated (no packaged foods, no added sugar, no white flour), you'll be dying to plan the next family beach trip. Maybe you'll even be sporting a new tankini to your next Aqua Zumba class!!
Lets go ladies, make it a healthy spring and you'll be ready to say 'hello' to summer.

Food Inc.

Recently, my family and I watched Food Inc. - a film exposing the mechanistic processes behind the food industry, the industry the American consumer succumbs to every time we peruse the grocery store isles. This film unveils the shocking truths behind what we eat, how it's manufactured, and who we have become as a nation.
Today we buy bigger-breasted chickens, herbicide-ridden seeds and perfectly plastic produce...but at what price? I'm not referring to the dollar amount (although grocery inflation has it's battle to fight as well), but to the environmental cost: obesity, diabetes, E-coli, and other bacterial illnesses.
We are blind consumers.

I challenge us fight oblivion, reign in our apathy and educate ourselves. The information is out there, let's not turn a blind eye but become involved!! The farmers and producers will manufacture what you (the consumer) wants - you call the shots. Don't let your silence set the standard for the food industry, stand up!!
Watch this film and tell me what you think. My personal reaction - organic vegetarianism (at least until I learn more and revolutionize the system).