The first day of the week can be a daunting prospect with so much undone ahead of you. Look at it from another point of view, though, and Monday is a perfect day for starting new habits and striving towards new goals.

If you ask around the office here at Integrative Nutrition, our goals include many small intentions, like exercising more often, accomplishing creative projects, learning a new skill or language, and keeping our apartments cleaner.

These goals can fall through the cracks, though, because they seem too ambitious or maybe we just forget to work on them. They would be much more manageable if broken up into small chunks. So why not resolve to work towards these goals a little bit everyday?

Last week, the first incidence of mad cow disease since 2006 was discovered in a dairy cow in Tulare County, California. The 10-year-old Holstein was tested for the disease after it developed lameness and could not stand.

Though the cow was never intended for the meat market and the food supply is not in danger, the development is certainly worrisome. But does that mean you need to give up red meat for good? Not necessarily. Here are the straight facts you need to know about mad cow disease:

Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is a neurodegenerative disease that causes spongy deterioration in the brain and spinal cord.

If you're reading this blog, chances are good that you make a concerted effort to eat well. You probably do this to look and feel your very best, free from unpronounceable ingredients and potentially harmful processed food chemicals. But do you give the same level of care to your outer wellness that you give to your inner wellness?

Harmful toxins can be absorbed not just by consumption, but also through contact with your skin and through the air you breathe. That means that the products you use around your home for cleaning, hygiene, and beauty really matter.

It’s hard to believe that when Joshua Rosenthal founded the school in 1992, it was 20 students in the kitchen. Now, IIN is more than a school; it’s a movement of over 20,000 incredible students and grads in over 90 countries worldwide.

For a larger version of this infographic, click here.

Listen up, healthy-cooking city dwellers – if you want to get as close as possible to your food’s source, the farmer’s market isn’t your last stop.

Even if growing your own food in a world of concrete and brick seems like a pipe dream, with a little flexibility, you too can cultivate your own garden paradise right in your own one-bedroom sixth-story home. You even have at least one crucial advantage over traditional farmers: climate control!

Planting your own vegetables can be not only economical and rewarding, but also decorative, soothing, and healthier than buying conventionally grown produce.

Here’s how you can get started:

Photo Credit: Marina de la Torre, Class of 2011

It's a big weekend for two major world religions - a time for celebration, family, and most of all, spirituality.

At Integrative Nutrition, our curriculum teaches that spirituality is a vital part of a person's primary food that sustains his or her soul. Even if you don't practice in the Christian or Judaic faith, this weekend might be a good time to reconnect, or maybe get in touch for the first time, with your own spirituality.

Spirituality doesn't have to be elaborate. It can be as simple as a hike in the woods or a park, appreciating the beauty of nature. Perhaps quiet meditation or yoga can bring light into your soul. Most of the time, our minds are running at a mile a minute, and for some, a serene setting and a little focus is all they need to connect to their spirituality.

You, our voters, have spoken and the Perfect Smoothie Bracket Challenge has its winners! Without further ado, we announce the Perfect Smoothie:

It's getting down to the Best of the Best in our Perfect Smoothie Bracket Challenge, which means we're only one vote away from our ultimate four-ingredient smoothie!

Last week, we had an Epic Vote in which we pitted sixteen popular smoothie ingredients against each other to determine YOUR favorites. Here are our winners...

• Bases: Coconut Water v. Almond Milk. Winner: Coconut Water!
• Bases: Fruit Juice v. Yogurt. Winner: Yogurt!
  
• Vegetables: Spinach v. Cucumber. Winner: Spinach!
• Vegetables: Seaweed v Carrot. Winner: Carrot!
  
• Add-ins: Flax Seeds v. Chia Seeds. Winner: Chia Seeds!
• Add-ins: Maca v. Cacao. Winner: Cacao!
  
• Fruits: Mango v. Banana. Winner: Banana!
• Fruits: Avocado v. Berries. Winner: Berries!

We're getting so close to the Perfect Smoothie! This round of voting is epic, because we're facing off sixteen ingredients all at once! But first, the winners of last week's challenges...

• Bases: Cow's Milk v Yogurt. Winner: Yogurt!
• Vegetables: Carrot v. Beet. Winner: Carrot!
• Add-ins: Cacao v Wheat Germ. Winner: Cacao!
• Fruits: Grapes v Berries. Winner: Berries!

Here's our updated bracket:

Hooray for the winners of Round Four of our Perfect Smoothie Bracket Challenge, and here they are!

• Bases: Fruit Juice v. Ice Cream. Winner: Fruit Juice!
• Vegetables: Seaweed v Kale. Winner: Seaweed!
• Add-ins: Ginger v Maca. Winner: Maca!
• Fruits: Pear v Avocado. Winner: Avocado!

Here's our updated bracket: