What makes you feel amazing? What can snap you out of a bad mood in seconds?

One of the key things we learn at Integrative Nutrition is how to feel our whole selves with what we call “Primary Food” – the relationships, activities, work, exercise, and spiritual practices that fulfill our lives and fill us up in ways that food cannot.

Our community is great at feeding themselves with healthy doses of Vitamin L (love) and primary food. We asked our community what makes them feel their best, and here’s what they told us:

Building core strength is important, but who knew it could be so sexy? A recent study has shown that women who do extended abdominal exercises may be able to really, really enjoy their core workouts.

According to a study helmed by author and researcher Dr. Debby Herbenick, the curiosity known as the “coregasm” is legit. Along with her team, Herbenick, who acts as the co-director of Indiana University’s Center for Sexual Health Promotion, surveyed 370 women to gather information about this titillating phenomenon.

Here’s a powerful exercise to try: wherever you are, wherever you go, simply look at the people around you. According to recent findings from the American Heart Association, one third of everyone you see has high blood pressure.

Hypertension is not just for grandfathers any longer. A whopping one in three Americans now have it. According to the Centers for Disease Control, hypertension is now common in everyone from toddlers to college students to grandpas (and grandmas.)

Scary, right?

More commonly known as high blood pressure, the disease occurs when blood pumps too forcefully through blood vessels. The great push of blood stretches veins and arteries out of shape. The vessels then tear and develop scar tissue as they try to heal. These scars act like burrs, on which cholesterol gets caught and builds up. Another scenario: vessels tear and rupture, sending fast-flowing blood everywhere.  

Let’s get real: New Year’s resolutions are so last year. Why do we make these arbitrary lists of ways to improve ourselves and then make them again the following year? What is it about them that keep us coming back for more every January? 

Perhaps it’s because we set goals that are too lofty to pursue for more than the first few weeks. Or maybe it’s because we aren’t really interested in keeping the resolutions. Or maybe it’s because we feel obliged to make resolutions.

Whatever the case may be, why not try on some New Year’s resolutions you can actually keep? Here are a few ideas to make 2012 your happiest, healthiest year yet.

Dogs are known to be man’s best friend, and according to recent studies, they may just be man’s best workout partner, too.

People who own dogs are more likely to walk more, walk faster, and enjoy a more active lifestyle than people who don’t, experts say. The obligation to take the dog out no matter the weather, season, or temperature drives people to get moving when they might not otherwise: “When it’s dark, when it’s raining, the dog needs a walk, every day,” says animal behaviorist Dr. Sandra McCune. Among dog owners who regularly walk their four-legged friends, 60% meet the criteria for regular moderate or vigorous exercise and are far less likely to be obese.

As a key source of primary food, animal companionship has long been known to offer a wide variety of health benefits, largely because pets help people effectively manage stress. Study after study proves it: Owning a pet helped lower the blood pressure of stockbrokers who suffered from stress-related hypertension even better than medication did. Cat owners are one third less likely to have a heart attack. The CDC reports that pets can decrease both your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

The benefits go far beyond the physical – pets also reinforce social bonds, stave off loneliness, and help fight depression. Animals don’t judge or ask questions; they simply offer a wordless, unconditional sense of comfort that makes people feel safe and loved. “When children are asked who they want to talk to when they get upset, a lot of times their first answer is their pet,” says Dr. James Griffin, an expert in child development at the National Institute of Health.

It's only two weeks away until Integrative Nutrition Live in NYC: Fall IINto Action! We're thrilled that so many of you are travelling from so far, and we want to help you feel as at home in New York City as we can. That's why we've put together our NYC Health Living Guide to Restaurants and Parks & Walking Tours.

If you're looking to get in a good workout while you're here, New York City has some unique options for staying fit and healthy - and many are free! Check out our suggestions to boost your heart rate, New York-style.

Check out all of Integrative Nutrition's Healthy Living Guides!

Fitness

The High Line Skate Rink

New York City is famous for their creative pop-up shops, and the Uniqlo roller skating rink is no exception. The retailer opened up a small Uniqlo outpost under the High Line Park and roller skating rink next to it. For $12 you can rent skates and get a fun work out with some serious New York flair. (Photo Credit: Liz Ligon)

Yoga to the People 

Take a relaxing break from the hustle and bustle of New York streets with a class at Yoga to the People. The studio provides Power Vinyasa and Traditional Hot Yoga classes for free at all four of their Manhattan locations.  Check their schedule online and make sure you get there early as classes fill up quick!

Fitting in exercise can be a real chore. Between work, family time, errands, and social lives, there's often little time left over for sleep, let alone for the gym.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends adults get 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate activity every week. For some of us, that's almost hilariously impractical. If only there were 36 hours in everyday.

There's good news, though! According to a study reported on in TIME, even small amounts of exercise can improve heart health.

Post New Years sometimes comes with guilty feelings, credit card debt and weight gain. Every year we make our list and by January 31 we are tossing it in the trash….

It doesn't need to be that way! Here is a round up of some alternative ideas for your health-related resolutions from experts like Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Oz and Pooja R. Mottl on the Huffington Post…

1.    Aim to adopt a broader framework for health that can be sustainable instead of setting a ton of rigid, unrealistic orders that will leave you feeling disappointed if they don’t stick.

2.    Strive to learn about the best options for YOU (and you only)! Instead of jumping on the bandwagon of yet another fad diet, commit to take some time to investigate your own personal body and mind. What kind of eating habits make you feel best? What types of exercise do you enjoy and realistically do most often?

3.    Make the phrase, “No one knows you as well as you know yourself,” the truth! It can help you to become healthier and more connected to your own experience.

4.    Ditch diet goals like cutting out entire food groups that can lead to restrictive feelings and negativity. Try concentrating on eating whole foods—ones in their most natural state. You know the drill: focus on mainly plant-based items like veggies, fruits, whole grains, beans and legumes.

5.    Focus on all of the things that you CAN have as opposed to all of the “bad” things you “shouldn’t” have. Be less restrictive and become healthier and less stressed out about reaching your goals. It’s so much easier for your body to get all of the important nutrients it needs from simple, whole foods-- and there are so many options out there!

6.    Move Differently: If you get bored on the treadmill, try moving your body in different ways that feel enjoyable to you. Try engaging muscles that you don’t use in your day-to-day activities. Put on your favorite music and have your own personal dance party.  

7.    Like routine? Or enjoy exercising based on your mood or energy level? Try committing to moving in some way each day and have that be enough—quieting the judgmental self inside of you can be tough, but who wants to move when they are being yelled at all the time?

8.    Move less: Often New Year’s resolutions zero in on things like losing weight or exercising more, but possible deeper reasons for why they are issues in the first place may be good to investigate. Take some time to be quiet with yourself and evaluate what else might need some work (besides just eating and exercise habits).

9.    Stay positive. There are a lot of statistics that say New Year’s Resolutions don’t stick, but what is preventing you from being the one that does successfully follow through in creating real, sustainable change?

Looking for more inspiration for the New Year?  Check out our Facebook page to see what our community has planned for 2011!

Going to the gym, running on a treadmill and lifting weights isn’t for everyone. Just like food is bio-individual, so is exercise. This recent New York Times article talks about how gyms are expanding what they offer to entice people to sign up and get moving!

Check out some of these classes:

Jukari Fit to Fly: uses modified circus equipment as part of a cardiovascular workout

AntiGravity Yoga Wings class: students hang upside down from diaphanous hammocks suspended from the ceiling, their feet twisted in the fabric, as they attempt to execute an inversion by flipping into a bat-like

How cool! Health club executives say they are creating more entertaining workouts, so it’s not just about sweating, but also about having fun. Even if you have a set workout routine, sometimes it’s good to switch it up a little. If you are stuck in a rut and just can’t get yourself to the gym because the thought of doing a spinning or conditioning class bores you, check out your local gym to see if they have any new and fun classes.

Let us know what fun classes you have taken.

It seems odd to even broach this topic when 34% of the population is obese and millions of people suffer from preventable diseases every year. Millions of Americans can afford to adapt a healthier lifestyle by improving the foods they eat and adding more movement to their daily routine, but many people have an all-or-nothing mentality. When some people decide to improve their health they change their eating and lifestyle patterns too quickly and obsess over eating only veggies and exercising if not one, but multiple times a day. This is when the behavior becomes unhealthy and one may develop orthorexia nervosa.

This doesn’t seem like it would be a problem, but drastic changes often backfire and result in bad outcomes. One nutrition professor says that making sudden changes may cause an imbalance of neurotransmitters, leading to a decrease in joy and an excess of fear.

Improving your health can be a simple and enjoyable experience. Think of how you want to improve your health. Do you want to eat better or start exercising more, or do you want to do both?

If you eat mostly processed foods, don’t cut them out right away. Instead, pick one vegetable that you’ve been dying to try and add it to your diet. Maybe it’s edamame or even kale. Pick a recipe that is easy and sounds interesting to you. Prepare it once or twice this week. Notice how you feel after eating it. If this dish isn’t delicious, don’t give up. There are many other vegetables to try and creative ways to prepare them.

If you’re one that finds the gym boring, summer is the perfect time to explore new and fun ways to get moving. Simply call up a friend and go for a walk. Grab your bike and go for a ride in the park. Schedule two or three days this week that you’ll get outside to move around a little.

As you slowly incorporate more veggies into your diet and more movement you will realize that healthy living doesn’t require drastic measures and can actually be fun. What are you going to try this week?