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My dear friend Jenn likes to say there’s a difference between treating yourself and treating yourself well — and she’s right. Treating yourself is fun in the moment, but treating yourself well is the kind of care your heart actually feels. This Valentine’s Day, the smallest choices can be the ones that show your heart the most love.

A simple kitchen trick that helps pasta, rice, oatmeal, and other grains fare easier on your blood sugar — without giving up the warm, cozy meals you love.

In the early days of Covid, when hospitals were quiet and cardiac rehab had gone remote, I met a patient who didn’t fit the usual picture of heart disease. Tom was a healthy, active 45‑year‑old whose heart attack made no sense — until we looked at a marker most people have never been told to check: Lipoprotein(a), or Lp(a). Knowing this number can change the way you care for your heart, not with fear, but with clarity and confidence

A lot of people feel like they’ve already blown their New Year’s resolutions by now — and that feeling can take the wind right out of your sails. But one slip doesn’t erase your progress. Just like fixing a flat tire instead of slashing the other three, you can pause, reset, and take the next small step forward.

With the new Dietary Guidelines stirring up confusion about ultra‑processed foods, it’s easy to lump everything into one category. But a new review shows a clear difference: ultra‑processed animal products raise risk, while many ultra‑processed plant‑based foods are linked with better health outcomes. Not all processing is the same, and gently processed plant foods can absolutely support a healthy, plant‑forward life. At the end of the day, the basics still matter most: vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, whole grains, and plant‑powered meals.

The healthy choice isn’t always the easy one. Life gets busy, attention drifts, and what you wanted for yourself slips away. Peggy In My Pocket began with one patient who needed a simple daily reminder — and it worked. Those quick texts grew into a gentle way to support you with the habits you want to build. It’s not a program or a challenge. It’s support, right when you need it.

Every choice you make is either a deposit or a withdrawal in your health savings account. Nourishing meals, movement, and rest build your reserves; stress, skipped meals, and late nights drain them. As the year ends, this is the perfect moment to reset, get clear on what matters, and start stacking deposits again. It’s not about guilt — it’s about strategy and building the health you want, one choice at a time.

No one’s perfect. But progress is powerful. It’s the choices you keep making that move you forward, and that’s what deserves celebrating. Thank you for letting me support you this year — in your choices, your progress, and your wins. As Jean Nidetch said, “It’s choice—not chance—that determines your destiny.”

Sweets are everywhere this time of year.And for most people, eliminating them isn’t realistic.Like stress, sweets aren’t something you can