Eating more vegetables and fruits continues to be good advice. The problem is putting that into practice. If you're looking for some vegetarian recipes, Madhu Gadia, a registered dietitian, has a few to try, published recently in her new book, The Indian Vegan Kitchen.

"Everyone should be eating more vegetables, and they're looking for recipes that have more flavour," said Gadia, who also authored New Indian Home Cooking and has taught cooking classes.

Don't think curry when Indian food is mentioned - that's just one of many spice blends that Gadia uses in the book, which has been featured in the October issue of Oprah's O magazine. The new book is egg-free and dairy-free with quick and healthy recipes.

"I grew up surrounded with vegetarian food," she said. "In India, being vegetarian is considered 'normal' and eating meat is an anomaly. Even meat eaters eat vegetarian meals several times a week," said Gadia. "Working as a dietitian, I have seen the traditional American diet change over the last couple of decades. I live in the Midwest, where meat and potatoes are the staple, and encouraging people to eat more vegetables is a constant challenge."

Her answer is to try Indian vegetarian dishes that are full of flavour.

Best time to exercise

Q: What time of day is exercise most helpful?

A: Time of day is not the most important influence on the benefits of exercise. The best time for activity is when you will do it. Overall, whether for weight control or disease prevention benefits, time of day does not seem to make much difference. Many people find that getting in at least some physical activity at the beginning of the day makes it less likely to get pushed aside by other items on the 'to-do' list. Even if they don't initially love getting up a little earlier to make sure there's time, they often end up deciding that it starts the day on a great note.

Activity dependent

However, if your mornings are so hectic that you end up skipping the activity you planned, try to find a time of day that you can more successfully keep open. Some evidence suggests that strength training (e.g. with weights or elastic resistance bands) is most effective through the afternoon and early evening, and greater flexibility then decreases chance of injury.

As for other influences, people with diabetes need to talk to their physician or diabetes educator about what timing in relation to meals is best for them.

People training for races or other athletic events may most successfully train at the same time of day the event occurs. If your activity is early-morning outdoor walks, you may want to consider adjustments in time or place during winter months if morning darkness is a safety concern.

- American Institute for Cancer Research

Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian at www.creators.com.