Writer and journalist Johann Hari speaks eloquently about depression and anxiety — these feelings do not mean you are crazy…

Some studies have shown that consumption of nonnutritive sweeteners, mostly in diet sodas, has been associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. Nonnutritive sweeteners possibly promote metabolic dysregulation by affecting our gut bacteria (or microbiota), impacting our sweet-taste receptors, and interfering with our body's response to control blood sugar.

A pantry clean-out is the first step towards creating delicious healthy meals in the kitchen. Begin by removing all sources of food with added sugar (one of the most addictive substances on the planet), refined carbohydrates (bagels, chips, baked goods, cookies, cakes, crackers, pastries, etc.), refined cooking oils (soybean, canola, corn, cottonseed, peanut, safflower, sunflower), and sources of gluten such as whole-wheat bread, noodles, pasta, and cereals.