Hopefully, most of you made great choices for your health yesterday, on Thanksgiving Day. You exercised in the morning, avoided too many appetizers and stuck to only one piece of pie. If you did that, congratulations -- I'm proud of you!

If you went a little nut-so on the nuts and gobbled up several different desserts, though ... it's time to get to work. Weight gain comes as a direct result of consuming more calories than you burn. It's quite possible that you actually gained anywhere from a half a pound to three in just one day. Yeesh!

Your second priority is to force vigorous exercise into each day during the next week as well. Vigorous exercise leaves you huffing, puffing and sweating profusely. Do lots of it.

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I consider myself a pretty good eater. I mostly consume fruits, veggies, non-red lean meats, some whole grains, and only an occasional basket of bread -- ah, my weakness. I'm sure I eat the appropriate amount of calories in a day -- not too many, not too few -- but one thing that makes me wonder a bit is this: Am I getting enough of the good stuff in my diet -- the protein, the fiber, the calcium, the iron? My mom and I discussed this the other evening while power walking through our neighborhood. Protein was the topic. After our walk, I came home and did some research. Here's what I found.

Apparently, most Americans get more than enough protein in their diets, according to Health Central's MyDietExercise.com. Sometimes, though, our erratic eating habits and tendencies toward fad diets throw our protein intake out of whack, which undermines energy, exercise performance, and overall health.

So how much exactly is enough protein? Well, it depends on a few factors, says Health Central -- like age, gender, and activity level. For me, after plugging my stats into their handy dandy calculator, I learned that I need 81 grams per day. Seems like a lot but check out how these common foods stack up in the protein department -- chicken has 35 grams per four-ounce breast and salmon has 23 grams per three-ounce serving. One six-ounce can of tuna has 40 grams, four ounces of cottage cheese has 14, and one egg has six.

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I just read a little "Did You Know" blurb in the January 2008 issue of Woman's Day magazine that informed me of this little fact: About 20 percent of people eat a diet composed entirely of just 10 or fewer foods. Hmmm. Let's see if this is true for me.

I generally eat all sorts of fruit -- strawberries, grapes, kiwi, watermelon, and apples, to name just a few. I regularly consume a few vegetables -- peas, broccoli, and corn are my favorites -- and I eat fish, chicken, and ground turkey. I also like multi-grain crackers, a bit of peanut butter, bread every now and then, a favorite organic cereal, and OK, I'll stop there. That's 15 different foods and while there are a few more I could rattle off, I'd say I come in at under 20.

So I don't fit the 10-foods profile, but this little exercise has been enlightening. I would have guessed my diet consisted of a whole lot more than 15-20 food items. Who knew?

What's your list look like? Jot it down just for kicks. Then identify any problem foods, cross them off the list, and substitute healthier items. Start eating off this list and see how nutritious your world can become.

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Want to model some of the best eating habits in the world? Then consider adopting a Mediterranean diet. People from this region of the world have low cholesterol, few incidences of coronary heart disease and cancer, and much longer lives than those who eat the typical American diet. Amazingly, their diet is significantly higher in fat than what the American Heart Association recommends. How do they do it?

Well, they eat loads of plant foods rich in antioxidants. Think colorful fruits and vegetables. Seafood, abundant with heart-healthy nutrients, is also a staple in their diet. Most important: Their diet is free of the two bad fats we tend to consume without a second thought -- saturated fats and trans fats, the ones that stick to our arteries like glue. Try extra virgin olive oil and grapeseed oils to trim your intake of these fats.

It seems the Mediterraneans have the right idea. We should be so wise to follow their lead.

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My husband and I have revamped our diet. We're not "on a diet." We've "changed" our diet. One is temporary. One is permanent -- this is the approach we've embraced.

Why?

I want to prevent a cancer recurrence -- I developed breast cancer three years ago -- and my husband's doctor urged him to drop 10 pounds. So we restocked our kitchen with healthy foods -- we nixed sweets and soda and acquired a low-sugar, low-fat, no-red-meat diet loaded with fruits and veggies. It's gone well. We've lost weight -- John shed 35 pounds; I lost 14 -- and we love how we're fueling our bodies. Still, it wasn't easy.

Even for people who read label's religiously, it's not always easy to figure out the best and worst foods to consume (or not consume). Everybody out there is obviously interested in finding out as is evidenced by Adams' incredibly popular post on the top 10 terrible foods to always avoid. But what about the good stuff?

A dietician from the Mayo Clinic has made a list of what he feels are the top 10 best foods to eat based on a number of factors including:

• Whether the food is a good source of fibre, vitamens and minerals
• Whether the food can reduce the risk of heart disease and other conditions
• Whether the food is high in vitamens A and E, as well as beta carotene
• Whether the food is readily available and,
• Whether the food is high in calorie denstity (ie. larger portions with less calories)

To be eligible for the list, the products had to meet three or more of the points on the list. So what came out on top? Fruits and veggies like apples, broccoli. blueberries, spinach and sweet potatoes. Salmon also made the list as did almonds and red beans. To see the rest of the top 10 and find out why all of these foods are so fabulous, take a look here.

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I just noticed the coolest thing on the inside of a Reese's peanut butter cup package my daughter and I shared. It actually has a message on the inside of the wrapper that says "Candy is a treat. Please consume in moderation." Amen to that, and thank you Hershey's! I'm so excited that they're making this effort.

Do they have to do it? No! Is it a thoughtful message sent from a company that could make a fortune off of people over-indulging? Yes! So.....I say thank you to Hershey. Not only do I adore and enjoy your milk chocolate as a 'sometimes' treat, but I value your interest in the health of your consumers. This fitness expert is sending you a moral high five. Way to go!

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