Set health goals for a healthier you in 2019? 50% of people set weight loss as their New Year resolution. There is a lot of hype and confusion about the fad diet for weight loss. Fad diets are restrictive and difficult to stick to. Don't be sucked in. Instead, focus on healthy habits. Here are my top 5 tips for success.

Let me share why I just love using oats. They have a low GI, keeping you full longer and packed with beta glucan, they are fabulous for the heart as well as digestion. Oats are never boring.

My Health for Life program is free. Groups meet fortnightly and help you build the motivation to make sustainable and achievable changes to improve. You'll also receive a workbook and manual to help guide you through the steps.

The beginning of a new year is a time when we develop goals for the year. Many of us choose to make goals to improve our health such as losing weight, managing stress and improving our fitness. Sometimes it can be hard to stick to these goals. Susan shows us how to form resolutions that work.

A quick and easy fix can be extremely appealing, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This morning I was reading about "neophilia" or our fascination with new and novel ideas and how it applies to nutrition. It is this love for a new and novel idea that sometimes compels us to try ridiculous fad diets and products such as green kale smoothies and paleo diets.

The My Health for Life program maintains that lifestyle change can have a huge impact on our future health. Healthy changes are best taken in small manageable steps in a supportive environment. If you live on the Brisbane Southside, you may contact Susan Phillips, dietitian and qualified My Health for Life facilitator for a free health assessment.

Have you struggled in the past with achieving diet changes and sticking to a commitment to a healthier you? Often life just gets in the way of our plans. Don't feel disheartened. This is a normal part of life. To help you with your journey Susan is holding free group courses with My Health for Life in conjunction with Diabetes Australia. The purpose of these groups is to reduce your risk of developing chronic or lifestyle related diseases such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease and kidney disease. Susan has groups organised in Acacia Ridge and Browns Plains.

Dietitians provide expert advice on food and nutrition to suit the needs of all people. A good time to see a dietitian is when you experience a change in your health status, a new diagnosis or your lifestyle changes. A dietitian is qualified to provide a diet prescription to suit your personal needs. There are many reasons you may benefit from seeing a dietitian.

As we near the end of Dry July it is timely to reflect on our drinking habits. Responsible drinking means balancing your enjoyment of alcohol with the potential harm that alcohol can cause. Choosing no more than 2 standard drinks per day reduces your risk of alcohol related harm. How does your drinking add up? Here are some tips for managing your drinking behaviours.

I chopped up a pile of vegetables including onion, carrot, leek, celery, broccoli, swede and parsnip. I placed these in my slow cooker with a lamb shank, a good handful of soup mix (barley & split peas) and fresh herbs such as rosemary, bay leaf, thyme and sage. Lamb & Barley Soup is on the menu for dinner tonight.