Need to connect with your family after a busy day of school, work, errands, and more? Need to calmly settle a conflict with a member of your clan? Need to work on fine-tuning your healthy diet? Then there's one place you ought to visit: The kitchen table.

I heard a guest on a radio morning program the other day refer to "the kitchen table conference." It's where relationships are formed, sealed, and mended, she explained. I instantly thought that it's also the place where our diet intentions unfold -- or crumble -- and where we teach our kids the merits of nutrition, the power of portion control, the food lessons they'll carry on through life.

There's a lot that goes on at the kitchen table. So next time you are at yours, nestled closely to the ones you love, consider making a conference out of your time together. Talk about health, food, and lifestyle choices. The discussion will do you all some good. The bonding that results will be icing on the cake.