Fitness goals vary from one person to another, but all of us would like a healthy body. Healthy bodies are a product of three things: genetics, exercise, and nutrition. The first of these variables is not within our control, but the latter two we control through our choices. Will we have a donut for breakfast or an egg scramble? Will I go to Subway for a chicken chopped salad or succumb to McDonald's Big Mac and fries? Will dinner consist of a bowl of pasta with bolognese sauce and garlic bread or chicken or fish with vegetables?

What you choose to eat every day impacts your health. You get to choose whether you "eat to live" or "live to eat." Disease prevention and weight control are heavily influenced by our dietary choices.

Trends in nutrition ebb and flow. Our nation is fixated on fad diets, and the word "diet" is surrounded by negative associations. It is equated with deprivation, restriction, and limitation. People should approach their "diets" as a selection or prescription for enhancing health, improving moods, and fueling energy, so that we can optimize the one place we have to live in—our bodies. Our every breath is a gift. Be grateful for that gift by respecting and preserving it. We take care of our cars by servicing them and giving them the right oil to run efficiently. Fail to change the oil or provide the wrong fluid, and they will function less than optimally and break down prematurely. The same goes for your body. Abuse it, and you will suffer a breakdown.

Feeding our bodies the right food is not an easy task because there are many delectable temptations that have zero nutritional value. I will be the last one to say to avoid them, as I enjoy my splurges of pizza or cookies on occasion. The magic words here are "on occasion."  Moderation is key to maintaining a healthy diet; however, this is easier to say than to practice. Our relationships with food are not clear cut, because many of us have a psychological dependency on foods. Hormones and feelings of depression, anxiety, and boredom can all influence our eating habits. Additionally, we have to contend with the ingredients that food manufacturers inject into food (e.g., sugar, which has more than 100 aliases) to intentionally feed the addictive tendency of sugar on our brain.

If weight maintenance is your goal, make sure you get a balanced diet from the five major food groups and stay within your recommended caloric intake. If weight loss is your target, then you do have to tighten the reins until you meet your weight loss goal. There is no "magic bullet"—not one that is safe, anyway. The equation is simple—calories in, calories out for weight control. However, there is one additional caveat—healthy calories in. You want to be sure that you are maximizing your nutrition as you are lessening your calories. In order to lose one pound per week, a person needs to have a 3500 calorie deficit weekly. Achieving this on diet or exercise alone is a challenge. Combining diet and exercise is the healthiest approach to reaching your desired weight.