No, I’m not talking about a new diet from the Kardashian Klan (God, can you even imagine what that would entail?). This DASH Diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, was named the number one diet for the second year in a row by U.S. News.

As someone with a strong addiction to anything hot and caffeinated (*cough* Ryan Gosling sipping coffee in his château *cough*), I’m positive I have found the best combination of drinks to not only warm your hands, toes…all extremities, but also one that will make you feel cozy inside.

I’m sure a few of you saw the title of this post and immediately blanched at “brussel sprouts.” And maybe again that time. But brussels sprouts are not as bad as you might think. They don’t have to be boiled or cooked until they are soft and mushy. Really, they don’t. They can be delicious, I promise.

Did you know that stretching your muscles is just as important as strengthening them? All of the muscles in your body have an optimum length. If all you ever do is work on strengthening, your muscles will actually shorten and become less efficient because they’re not working from this optimum length. So every time you exercise, you want to make sure to stretch out the muscles you have worked.

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Spandex. Estimates suggest that it is found in 80% of the clothing sold in America. Which means that almost every single American owns at least one piece of clothing that has at some amount of Spandex in it. And apparently, some people think that it’s making us fat.

Every Sunday, CollegeCandy attempts to show you how to cook easy foods. I have never been able to cook…I messed up when making hot chocolate the other day. Obviously I should never be near a kitchen, but these recipes are all so good and — best of all — easy that it’s hard to burn down your house when making them.

Once the New Year has been rung in, it’s time to face the facts. The holiday season is over, and there is no excuse to keep gorging on Christmas cookies. You have a few more months to hide in your fat pants, but before you know it bikini season will be here, so don’t get left behind! I know it’s a rough transition from eating like Santa to hitting the gym, so use these tips to take it slow.

I can’t promise you a spinach dip that will magically make you lose weight, but I can promise you a spinach dip that is delicious without adding a week’s worth of calories to your day. Spinach dip is easy to make, slightly healthy (it’s spinach, guys), and great for when you need a little nibble when you’re, say, finishing up your last finals (how are those papers coming!?) or getting ready to work in retail your way through Christmas.

As this month comes to an end, so does this year and this challenge. To say I finished triumphantly would be a lie. This past week I have been depressed about a number of things, mainly this blessed holiday season. With that depression and added stress, I have broken out horrendously and I have been picking a lot.