You can get enough iron to meet your requirements by eating such foods as beans, spinach, iron-fortified cereals and breads, bulgur and dried fruits. Eating these foods with a good source of vitamin C such as orange juice or a citrus fruit salad can insure a high level of iron absorption by the body.

Distilled water is very pure but the minerals have been removed. This makes the water acidic and your body has to pull calcium and minerals to balance this out in the bloodstream. It is important to drink filtered water that is filtered with a carbon filter. This gets rid of toxins but leaves the minerals intact. Filters that use reverse osmosis filter out minerals. Look for bottled water that still includes minerals.

Yes, but you always want to be warmed up before you stretch. Sometimes I have athletes do a 10 minutes stretching routine after a hot shower or bath. This is what we call a passive warm-up. Or take your dog for a 10 minute walk or jog to warm-up and come back in for stretching. A good yoga DVD or Michele Assaf’s Active Isolated Flexibility program are ideal if you want something more structured.

Think about including complex carbohydrates, lean plant protein, and healthy fat. A balance of these three macronutrients will provide energy and help you feel satisfied for several hours. Ideas:

• One whole wheat English muffin with almond or peanut butter, sliced banana, and one cup of soy, rice, or almond milk.
• A whole wheat waffle with blueberries, strawberries, or sliced bananas, go light on the syrup and serve with a glass of soy, rice, or almond milk.
• One cup organic oatmeal with dried fruit and nuts.
• In a hurry? Put everything into a smoothie. I use ground flaxseed, a banana, frozen fruit, soy milk and Juice Plus Complete French Vanilla Flavor.