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Yesterday would have marked the first day of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s soda ban, an initiative that sought to eliminate the sale of all sugary drinks more than 16 fluid ounces at New York City restaurants, delis, street carts, movie theaters, and sports arenas.

Those who opposed the ban can breathe easier today: a State Supreme Court Justice stuck down the law on Monday, criticizing it as “arbitrary and capricious.” With many confusing loopholes – dairy-based beverages like milkshakes would be exempt, and convenience stores and bodegas would still be able to sell large sugary drinks – the law was unworkable and unenforceable, according to the judge.

The proposed soda ban has been extraordinarily divisive, both in NYC and across the country. In a New York Times poll conducted last August, 60 percent of city residents opposed it.

One of the most challenging times to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle is when you're traveling far from home and have limited options at your disposal.

Whether you have dietary restrictions , certain routines or rituals , or other health requirements, traveling can create an imbalance in more ways than one. But don't let wellness anxiety get in the way of having fun. There are lots of ways to have a great time and stay healthy while doing it, no matter where you roam!

Here are 9 tips for supporting your health during the long (or short) road travelled:

Hundreds of Integrative Nutrition graduates came together last weekend in New York City – and many tuned in via live stream – to enjoy a weekend of health and wellness at our latest IIN Live Conference!

From business-building exercises to coaching techniques, attendees connected about how to take their health coaching practices to the next level. We learned about some amazing things our graduates are doing, including publishing books, working in schools, and creating mobile apps. Over 100 international graduates who flew in from all over the world took the stage to represent their countries.  Those who joined us from home on the live stream followed the conversation on Twitter using #IINLive and on our IIN Live Events Facebook Page.

Throughout the weekend we heard from a list of renowned speakers on a variety of topics. Bestselling author and thought leader Gabrielle Berstein, and creator of The Desire Map and The Fire Starter Sessions Danielle LaPorte, both empowered us with inspirational talks on how to achieve the most out of life.

We’ve long known that too much salt in your diet is a bad thing. The overconsumption of sodium, unfortunately common in the Standard American Diet of fast food and highly processed packaged goods, has been strongly linked to high blood pressure, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.

Now there’s even more reason to ditch the canned soup and frozen meals in favor of fresh, whole foods: several new studies show that too much salt can contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and arthritis of the spine.

According to new reports from teams at MIT, Harvard, and Yale, mice on a high-salt diet produced a type of inflammatory, infection-fighting cell that can cause the body’s defense system to go horribly awry. The mice then developed a severe form of multiple sclerosis called autoimmune encephalomyelitis. “We were all really quite surprised to see how changes in dietary salt could have such a profound effect,” said David Hafler, professor of immunobiology at Yale.