It may officially be Fall, but that's no excuse to hide unwanted pounds under bulky sweaters and jackets. Now is the perfect time to start gathering the tools you'll need to make it through the temptations of the upcoming holiday season. 

Arguably, the hardest part of any diet is actually starting one. Here is the first tool to keep in your arsenal, not only to get you through the holidays, but also to help you form the good habits you'll need for a healthy life, which is really the ultimate goal to have. It's simple, potent, fail proof, and you've heard about it before: Fiber. By increasing your daily fiber intake, the healthier, and soon, the slimmer, you'll be. 

Let's start with the basics: What is fiber and why is it so important?

Technically, fiber, formerly known as roughage, is a carbohydrate that the body can't digest, and it is found in the outer layers of plants. It is an interesting fact to know that only plants produce fiber. There are two types of fiber: insoluble and soluble.  Insoluble fiber is made up of plant cell walls, and has laxative properties. Soluble fiber is made up of polysaccharides, and is the kind of fiber which can improve your health.  Ideally, you should be consuming approximately 25-30 grams of fiber per day.

Fiber is broken down in the colon by bacteria in a process called fermentation. The acids produced provide fuel for the rest of the body, particularly for the liver. 

Here's the best part: the benefits of adding this power player to a healthy diet are far-reaching, and just might surprise you.

Fiber is one of your best defenses against heart disease. 

By incorporating the suggested daily fiber intake into your diet, you'll lower your cholesterol and high blood pressure, reducing your risk of heart attack or stroke by 21%.¹

Fiber helps control blood sugar levels.

With Type 2 diabetes being the most common form of diabetes, fiber proves to be a significant ally, along with healthy weight and exercise, to help reduce your risk of contracting Type 2 diabetes. 

Fiber helps you maintain a healthy body weight.

A healthy weight provides many health benefits, and fiber will help you get to your goal weight by filling you up. 

Incorporating more fiber into your diet is actually easier than you may think. The easiest change is switching your enriched breads, pastas, and rice to whole wheat or whole grains. Here's the catch: make sure it says 100% whole wheat/grains on the label. The fiber you're looking for is eradicated in enriched products. You can also add fruit to your diet. Apples, pears, and apricots are all high in fiber. If you're at work, try snacking on some nuts. Not only are they an excellent source of Omega-3, they can provide yet another source of fiber for you, and it's a healthy alternative to the office vending machine. Not big on nuts? Salads are also an easy way to stock up on fiber. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots are all full of fiber.  For a more detailed list on which foods have the most fiber, visit http://www.wehealny.org/healthinfo/dietaryfiber/fibercontentchart.html 

Taking these small steps will guarantee a head start on any diet, and before you know it, you'll see the pounds melting off, and you'll be laying the foundation for a healthy life. 

1. Mellen PB, Walsh TF, Herrington DM. Whole grain intake and cardiovascular disease: A meta-analysis. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2007.

The flu season is upon us once again and your best defense against illness is a strong immune system. The body has a natural defense system with highly specialized cells, organs and a lymphatic system, but this defense system needs good nutrition to operate at optimal levels. A deficiency of even one nutrient can affect the ability of the body to fight infection and any health problems. Following a healthful and balanced diet is a great way to bolster the immune system. Choosing a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods is important to protect against illness and to reduce the risk of chronic disease.

The following are nutrients that are essential to promote a healthy immune system and the foods where they are found:

Proteins: are repeated combinations of amino acids that are necessary to build, repair and maintain all body tissue, including the immune system. Examples of excellent protein sources include poultry, beef, pork, veal, fish, shellfish, game meats, eggs, dried beans, lentils, peas, soybean products, nuts and seeds. Selecting lean animal protein sources is beneficial for keeping total fat intake lower.

Vitamin A and the carotenoids: (a form of vitamin A) help prevent infection by keeping the skin and tissues around the mouth, stomach, intestines and the respiratory, genital and urinary tracts healthy and help to regulate the immune system. Vitamin A is found in animal products such as liver, fish oil, eggs, milk fortified with vitamin A and other foods fortified with vitamin A. Carotenoids come from foods of plant origin. They are found in red, yellow, orange and many dark green leafy vegetables.

Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, is a powerful antioxidant. It is a key nutrient to help the body maintain a healthy immune system and plays an important role in fighting infections. Good sources of vitamin C include orange juice; citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines and grapefruit; many berries; red and green bell peppers and tomato juice.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that works as an antioxidant. It may protect from cell damage that can lead to health problems, and it seems to work in conjunction with other antioxidants. Vitamin E is found in vegetable oils. However, heating vegetable oils to a high temperature destroys vitamin E. Salad dressing and processed foods containing vegetable oils contain vitamin E. It is also found in many fortified breakfast cereals, wheat germ, whole-grain products, seeds, nuts and peanut butter. Vitamin E is also added as a preservative to some processed foods.

Zinc promotes cell reproduction and the growth of tissue. Insufficient zinc intake can cause a reduced resistance to infections. Good sources of zinc are animal protein such as meat, seafood and liver. Eggs and milk contain smaller amounts of zinc.

Vitamin B6 or pyridoxine helps the immune system function properly. The best sources include chicken, fish, pork, liver and kidney. Other sources include whole grains, nuts and legumes.

Folate may help to lower homocysteine levels in the blood. Elevated levels of homocysteine may contribute to inflammation that is associated with an increased risk for coronary artery disease. Folate is found in orange juice, lentils, dried beans, spinach, broccoli, peanuts and avocados. Enriched grain products are fortified with folic acid, which is a form of folate.

Selenium boosts immune function. The best sources are seafood, liver and kidney. Other meats also contain selenium. Grain products and seeds also contain selenium in varying amounts.

Iron helps protect against infection because it is part of an enzyme in the immune system. Iron is in a wide variety of foods. The iron in animal products such as meat, poultry and fish is the most absorbable kind of iron.
Copper helps the body make hemoglobin, which is needed to carry oxygen in red blood cells, is a part of many body enzyme systems, helps the body build connective tissue and aids in the production of energy in body cells. It is mostly found in organ meats, particularly liver, seafood, nuts and seeds.

Incorporating a wide variety of nutrient-rich foods is a great way to boost the immune system and protect against other health problems. Include all the above foods in your diet to maintain a healthy immune system as well as reaching a healthy weight; take multivitamin/mineral supplements; exercise at least 30 minutes 4 times per week and sleep 8 hours every night.  A good night's sleep detoxifies the body as well as burns excess fat, so this is good news for dieters.

Last but not least, keep the sugars and added fat low - studies have shown that diets high in both sugars and fat reduce the number of killer cells.  Even as little as 2 sugary drinks a day can lower the power of your immune cells by 40 %.

One of the biggest challenges to people on a weight loss program is facing the holiday season and being swept up in the holiday food frenzy. From mid November to January, it seems that discussions of food abound, people everywhere are pushing tempting treats, and more food ends up on your plate at parties and dinners. What can you do survive that dreaded danger zone without completely destroying all the effort you have put into starting and maintaining your weight loss program? Try some of these tips, and you'll be able to face the scale in January without fear.

DON'T GET CAUGHT HUNGRY

Don't starve yourself all day so that you can have more food selections at dinner. In fact, the worst thing you can do for your diet is go anywhere hungry. When you're hungry you'll be much more likely to give into temptation, or completely over indulge once you do start eating.

If you are going to a holiday occasion at which you know food will be the main event, eat a large but healthy, diet-friendly lunch or brunch that day, and have a snack before you leave the house. It will help you keep your mind off of how much food you can eat, and allow you to enjoy the company of friends and family.

KEEP HEALTHY SNACKS HANDY

If you find your co-workers are celebrating the holiday spirit by spreading sweets around the office, keep snacks that are allowed on your diet: light popcorn, carrot sticks, fresh fruit, low carb chips, or sugarless candy. If you do find yourself wanting to nosh on something, you'll be much more likely to give into temptation if you're hungry and there is nothing else around to eat but junk food. Don't let yourself fall into a candy trap-- when you're offered something you're not supposed to eat, turn it down, walk away, and get out your own snacks.

FIND REASONABLE FACSIMILES

Is there a certain food that you love far too much and afraid that the temptation will be too much to handle? Then find a satisfying substitute that is permissible on your diet, and enjoy that instead.

BRING YOUR OWN DISH

If you're going to a holiday gathering and you are on a special diet, bring a dish of your favorite diet-permitted meal to share. This is especially true if you know your family makes the same fattening menu year after year, or if you don't know if your hosts are very health conscious around the holiday season. By bringing something you made yourself, you are assured to have at least one low calorie (low carb, low fat, dietetic, vegan) dish to make the main portion of your dinner.

DON'T COMPLETELY DEPRIVE YOURSELF

You don't have to abstain from everything that isn't 100% within your diet. In fact, complete deprivation can lead to depression, frustration, and, often in a diet, it can lead to failure. Don't punish yourself. Part of dieting is learning to eat right and take things in moderation. If you know of a couple of things that really make you feel like you're losing control, steer clear of them, but as long as you have been sticking to your diet and exercise program don't forget to treat yourself to a little indulgence every once in a while.

FIND A FOOD-FREE ZONE

When you do go to a party or dinner, try to find an area not close to the foods. Don't spend a lot of time staring at the table of decadent desserts if you can help it. After you've enjoyed your meal, and maybe a little treat, get up and walk away from the table.

SCHEDULE MORE EXERCISE PROGRAMS

As the holidays draw closer, check your schedule and set aside more time to exercise. If you usually walk for 45 minutes per day, make it an hour. If you work out at the gym three days a week, set aside time to go four or even five times. Even though time is tight during the busy season, scheduling extra exercise sessions will have many benefits that will help during the holidays. Additional exercise will raise your energy levels and lower your stress levels, which will help you keep in high spirits and tackle all of the challenging chores coming your way. That will make you feel good about yourself, and when you feel good about yourself it is easier to remain positive and stick to your diet. In addition, extra exercise will burn up that many more calories, giving you more leeway for a higher calorie intake so that you don't have to feel guilty about that buttered roll or sliver of cheesecake.

Myth: Fad diets work for permanent weight loss.

Fact: Fad diets are not the best way to lose weight and keep it off. Fad diets often promise quick weight loss or tell you to cut certain foods out of your diet. You may lose weight at first on one of these diets. But diets that strictly limit calories or food choices are hard to follow. Most people quickly get tired of them and regain any lost weight.

Fad diets may be unhealthy because they may not provide all of the nutrients your body needs. Also, losing weight at a very rapid rate (more than 3 pounds a week after the first couple of weeks) may increase your risk for developing gallstones (clusters of solid material in the gallbladder that can be painful). Diets that provide less than 800 calories per day also could result in heart rhythm abnormalities, which can be fatal.

Tip: Research suggests that losing ½ to 2 pounds a week by making healthy food choices, eating moderate portions, and building physical activity into your daily life is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. By adopting healthy eating and physical activity habits, you may also lower your risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.