Growing up, my parents (and grandparents) had a dinner table rule for my brother, sister, and me: If you wanted in on the Clean Plate Club, then you had to finish everything on your plate. The rules were plain and simple. That is ... until we noticed the vegetables. My brother hates veggies. It didn't matter how hard you begged or how viciously you threatened him -- there was nothing on this earth that would ever, ever, ever make him choke down a broccoli spear without gagging. He'd sit at the table all night, too, to avoid to the icky taste. On the other hand, I love the little green monsters. I think they keep you healthy, nourished, and alert. So it's amazing to me that my brother -- 6'4" and a former three-season athlete in high school and college -- could be just as healthy (if not more) as I am.

He's living, breathing, and buff proof that eating your veggies doesn't really matter as much as we say it does.

Organic. Eco-Friendly. Natural. Pasture-raised. Grass-fed. So many foods making claims that they're better for you. So little time to figure out what it all means. Food labels, catering to our desire to feed our families the healthiest and most environmentally-friendly food we can, have become as common and as useful as Kardashian tweets.

Hundreds of new food labels have popped up on both fresh and processed grocery store items in the past few years, and it's enough to make your head spin. But do eco-claims actually mean anything?

Being the devout organic shopper that I am, I've occasionally gotten into debates with friends about the benefits of buying organic vs. conventional food. They often snicker, "Is it really worth your 'whole paycheck'?" And my argument has always been that it doesn't have to be your "whole paycheck" if you shop smart, not everything you buy needs to be labeled "organic," and ultimately, yes, I'd rather spend more on my food in the short-term, because I see it as an investment in my long-term health. But researchers from Stanford University seem to have a bone to pick with that argument.

They combined data from 237 studies and examined a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and meats over the course of four years for signs of health benefits from adding organic foods to the diet. Their sweeping conclusion? Organic food isn't necessarily more nutritious than non-organic. Unfortunately, the study didn't take into consideration the real reasons people like me go organic.

You have to hand it to Michelle Obama. The First Lady is  trying her best to get the country on the road to eating healthier. She started the "Let's Move!" campaign to get people to adopt healthier lifestyles. The White House staff is on a diet. And she even planted a White House garden. Now, she has a new book out, American Grown. Obama has been raising greens on the South Lawn and she says that the garden is so famous that people all over the world ask her about it. If her book can accomplish anything, perhaps it's to inspire us all to at least TRY to grow our own food. Let's face it, there is nothing healthier than eating what you yourself cultivate.

Summer is just around the corner (Please?? Hurry!!) and you know what that means. Yep. Lots of sweat. Lots of running around, carrying the groceries in one arm, the kid in the other, with the dog tied around your ankle. It's important to keep yourself hydrated during the soaring temps.

Here's are 5 quick, easy, and quenchable recipes from FitSugar and others that will have your skin glowing, your insides sloshing, and your energy level raging like a white-capped river.

Are you a fan of meat? Or just eating as if you lived like a caveman, which means, meat? Then perhaps you've been tempted to try the Paleo diet, which cuts out anything (most anything) that was not around during the time period pre-processed foods. On the surface, this sounds kind of good. Processed foods are the devil! Ditch processed foods!

Here's what else you have to avoid on the Paleo diet: Refined sugars, starchy vegetables like potatoes, grains, legumes, dairy, some oils, and some people cut out alcohol. So we're kind of talking about the Atkins diet but with even more restrictions.

Personally, I couldn't do it but I know people who have and they seem to love it. Like this blogger and diabetic, Steve Cooksey who is being threatened with jail time for advocating the Paleo way of life. Seems like an extreme reaction to a diet you don't like, right?

The Dream TeamIf you had told me that this week would bring the news that both chocolate and coffee can help you lose weight, I would have slapped you and called you a liar. Yet it's true! Hooray!

I love me some coffee. Probably too much, if my Peet's bill is any indication. So when I heard about this study that connects weight loss with green coffee beans, I ran and asked my barista for a cup. Unfortunately, I'm totally on the wrong track, as green coffee beans mean unroasted. Which means, no coffee for you, fatty.

Naturally my next question is, can I get those green coffee beans chocolate covered? No? Okay, what if I do this --

Bust out the Jiffy Pop, everyone! Apparently there is new nutritional information on a snack food that will make you feel good about that midday trip to the microwave. Almost as exciting as when we were told dark chocolate is good for you, this news that popcorn contains antioxidants like those found in fruit is incredibly exciting. I, for one, would much rather eat popcorn than fruit as it satisfies my salty cravings. Also, much neater.

Of course plain old popcorn will get old if you chow down on it every day. Why not trick out your popcorn snack, and try these three options the next time you pop?