April 22 is Earth Day. What will you do on this day to celebrate the diversity of life on our planet? What will you do promote a healthier environment? My mom thinks I should start a compost pile. Our local Home Depot is selling compost bins for $35. This would be a pretty affordable way to make a difference by cutting down on yard and kitchen trash and nourishing the soil in my yard.

Publix GreenWise Market magazine recommends I honor Earth Day by putting together a tropical snack mix with ingredients from around the world. Each yummy item listed below comes from a crop grown in ways that protect the rain forest.

• Dried papaya, diced (Mexico)

• Dried pineapple, diced (Phillipines)

• Dried banana chips (Central and South America)

• Flaked coconut, unsweetened (Philipines)

• Macadamia nuts, chopped (Hawaii)

• Cashews, raw (India)

For more Earth Day inspiration, visit earthday.net.

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After one last ungodly roar of sub-zero temperatures, it seems as though Old Man Winter may soon be off to bed. Believe you me, there is not a single tear of sorrow being shed from my eyes for his departure. The warm(er) weather will be back very shortly, and besides being able to do just about anything outdoors without the fear of freezing to death, it's also a good time to start road work again. No, not construction -- well, come to think of it, construction actually is appropriate a term to use, because you can now resume construction on your bodies. Only now, it is safe to leave the confines of the gym and start walking, jogging and/or running (or hiking, biking, etc.) outside.

There is more than enough research circulating that stresses the important role that exercise plays in total body health, so to point to any would simply be redundant. That being said, our health should be among the most important parts of our lives, so getting your 'exercise on' should be just as much a part of your day as brushing your teeth. Okay, that's out of the way -- now back to the whole exercising outside bit.

In the gym, the treadmills, ellipticals, recumbent bikes and such all have those handy readout screens. They tell us how much time has elapsed, how many calories have been burned (roughly, anyway), our heart rate, the winning lottery numbers, the meaning of life -- you name it, they tell you. But, when you're outside, you don't really have the information handy (other than time, which can be kept on a wristwatch). Another option is the Nike/iPod combination that pumps your favorite tunes through your earbuds while keeping tabs on how many steps you've taken and how much further you have to go to complete your programmed goal. Again, this is an option, but it of course involves shelling out the dough to buy the special sneakers (and iPod, because it does not support any other .mp3 players).

Halloween is upon us. And I'm scared. Not because of ghosts, goblins, witches, and warlocks, though. It's the candy that does it for me -- the sheer excess of sugar that will fill my kids' treat buckets on the night of trick-or-treat. My boys, who will quickly become beggars, will know no limits and will haunt me for weeks with their sweet requests. I haven't yet decided how I'll manage to trash a good portion of the goo my guys will score on this spooky night. But I do know I'd love it if nutritious treats could somehow find a place in the Halloween tradition. Maybe I need to nix the whole door-to-door thing and host my own little healthy hang-out -- complete with these Halloween treats.

• Organic apples, pears, and other fruits could be provided for easy munching. A little caramel dipping sauce could spice things up a bit.

• A handful of salt-free pretzels, sesame seeds, whole grain cereal, dried cranberries, and other dried fruits would make a perfect crunchy mix.
  

• Seedless grapes added to flavored sugar-free Jello could be the start of one favorite fruity indulgence.

There are many horribly healthy options out there. But will they -- can they -- ever replace what what kids have come to love so much about Halloween? It's the candy that keeps them coming back for more.

It's the candy that keeps me afraid of those knocks on the door.

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Eating healthy, low-calorie foods all the time isn't much fun, nor is it very realistic. Who wants to eat salad without dressing or pizza without cheese? Not me, that's for sure. Unfortunately, it's also not a good idea to always go overboard on tasty but fatty items. I think that a balance of the two is a reasonable compromise so was excited about this piece that recommends mixing your favorite high-calorie, fatty or sugary foods with healthier alternatives.

The five half-and-half suggestions are:

• Mix fruit juice like pomegranate or blueberry with sparkling water to cut calories while still getting nutrients from the juice.
• Combine grated, full-fat cheese with the no-fat variety to keep the calcium while getting rid of 50% of the fat and calories
• Add half a cup of All-Bran, or another high-fiber cereal, to your favorite sweet one and decrease sugar while increasing daily fiber intake.
• Enjoy a creamy salad dressing but lower the fat by mixing Ranch or Blue Cheese with vinegar.
• Keep the protein but get rid of fat and calories by mixing ground beef with soy "veggie meat" when making lasagna or burgers.

Can you think of any food combinations that would keep the flavor while cutting fat, sugar and calories?

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Associated Content has a great article on how to make your own lean trail mix with granola that can be used for just about anything. You're probably most familiar with those granola bars which make great snacks. Luckily, it can be used for breakfast, trail mix or just by itself as well. This high-energy combination is baked for a healthy consistency which makes it light enough to take on the go.

So how do you make your own anyway? If you arm yourself with a skillet, some baking sheets, and a plethora of nuts and dried fruits, you will find that it may be a lot easier than you think. Follow the directions carefully and it will give you enough mix to feed ten. Check out the full article here for the list of instructions on how to make your very own trail mix granola.

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