According to most health experts, we’re only supposed to consume one teaspoon of salt per day. That’s it. In an entire day. Guess how much salt the average American consumes per day? Two to three times that amount! And when you go over, you’re really screwing yourself over.

Working out is hard enough already – do you really need someone yelling in your face the entire time? If I want to work out, I can do it entirely on my own. I’m just fine pounding the treadmill alone. With my iPod. And without any camouflage, baggy pants, and whistles! After 7th grade, I resigned myself to the fact that I cannot do a pull-up, and I am more than fine with that.

It’s strange, considering I write the a column on health and fitness, but I really don’t like exercising. I like the benefits of exercising, though, so I’ll do just about anything to get those without having to step foot into the stinky, sticky gym. So when a shoe company’s all, “PSH girl, you don’t need to go to the gym! Just wear these shoes instead!” I get a little excited.

Between classes, clubs, and work, my days start early and end really, really late. My stress levels are so high it’s no surprise I often choose ice cream over vegetables and Degrassi (shh, don’t tell!) over gymming it up. So when I do finally muster up the energy to make it to the gym I know I have to make it count.

While signing my life away last year… I mean, my apartment lease… many things crossed my mind:
1) No more crappy cafeteria food!
2) Yay for bonding! We’ll be all up in each other’s business all the time.
3) We’ll have so much in common – we all have boyfriends!

You know those days when, no matter how much you know you should workout, you just can’t bring yourself to put on a sports bra and sweat for an hour or two? You’re too tired. The futon is too comfortable. And those Project Runway re-runs need to be watched again. Well, don’t be too hard on yourself – you only have so much willpower. Literally.

It’s simple: French fries are good but baked sweet potato fries are better! In every way, I might add. They satisfy junk food cravings without the grease and trans fat. And you can rest easy knowing they will be good to your shrinking Coach wallet at less than a dollar an order.

Your slate is clean (and your pants still fit!), so let this new school year be your opportunity to start fresh and make good, healthy choices. It’s always good to start out with goals you actually will end up completing, so here are some small, completely doable changes for you to consider so that this year finds you healthier and even more fabulous than the last!