This month's issue marks the three-year anniversary of the Eat Live Laugh newsletter. Each month I get more and more inspired by the stories and feedback I get from my subscribers. My goal has always been to help people and make a difference in their lives whether it's one person or hundreds. I hope you all continue to enjoy this journey and share your comments with me.

In celebration of this third anniversary, I am giving away DietsInReview.com t-shirts to 5 lucky readers.

To enter, just tweet out "I read the natural health newsletter from @dietsinreview and want to win the giveaway! http://bit.ly/93xbhC" or click here to enter automatically.

For those of you who are not followers of mine on Twitter (@eatlivelaugh), I recently revealed that I signed up for my first marathon, which will be held in Bellingham, Washington. While I would love to run in my current hometown of New York City, I'm taking my running to the west coast and have my eye on the finish line post 26.2 miles!! Wish me luck and I'll keep you all updated on my progress as the day gets closer.

Best in Health!
~Amy~

My Favorite Tips From The Past Three Years

Having written three years of newsletters, for a total of 36 issues, I thought this anniversary would be a great time to highlight some important tips and information that I have come across through the years. Below I highlight some of the most important ones and some that are simply my favorites!

Fish/Seafood: Wild fish are grown in free waters and free of antibiotics, pesticides and growth hormones. The next time you are headed to your grocery store, remember that being a label reader doesn't stop at just the packaged goods on the shelf. Make sure to read the labels associated with the seafood products you are purchasing as well and choose wild fish over farm-grown whenever possible.

Water: Did you know that the majority of the human body is made of water (60-70 percent) and our cells consist of 65-90 percent water by weight? This is the key reason why it is so important to ensure we drink enough water every day. A good rule of thumb is to drink about eight glasses of water a day.

Cancer Prevention Foods: Jyl Steinback, a nutrition expert also known as America's healthiest mom, recommends the following foods for reducing the risk of cancer: garlic, soybeans, cabbage, ginger, carrots, celery, parsley, and licorice (not the candy).

Eating With the Seasons: To eat locally with the seasons visit your local farmer's market. It is here you will be able to purchase the freshest in-season produce while supporting your local farmers. You can also join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). As a member, you pay at the start of the season for all of the produce you will receive for your share. These shares can be used for fruits and vegetables, summer and winter. All produce is packed and provided weekly for pick-up.

Chocolate: Including dark chocolate in your diet can certainly have its health benefits. Just be sure not to replace other healthy foods such as protein, carbohydrates and fats. Instead look to replace the unhealthy sweets that we tend to eat too much of. Look for at least 65 percent cacao and chocolate that is organic and fair trade. Some of my favorite brands are Equal Exchange, 365 and Endangered Species but there are many companies and varieties to explore so enjoy and to your health!

High Fructose Corn Syrup: Dr. Mercola, goes on record and gives us a different perspective - "Does HFCS significantly contribute to ill health in the U.S. food chain? Yes, follow the insurance companies scrambling in actuarial panic with a sudden and unexplained spike in heart attack death pay-outs among baby boomers, ingesting too much HFCS and telling MDs to warn patients to get off soda and HFCS-laden products, for profit -- A FACT."

Recipe of the Month: Babycakes Chocolate chip cookies

I featured this recipe in the two-year anniversary issue. It's one of my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipes and what I'll be baking to celebrate our third anniversary. Hope you will all join me!

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 36 Cookies

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 6 tbsp unsweetned applesauce
• 2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups evaporate can juice
• 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour (Try Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1 1/2 tsp xantham gum
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven the 325 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, applesauce, salt, vanilla, and evaporated cane juice. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, baking soda and xanthan gum. Using a rubber spatula, carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a grainy dough is formed. Gently fold in the chocolate chips just until they are evenly distributed through the dough
3. Using a melon baller, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the portions one inch apart. Gently press each with the heel of your hand to help them spread. Bake the cookies on the center rack for 15 minutes, rotating the sheets 180 degrees after 9 minutes. The finished cookies will be crisp on the edges and soft in the center
4. Let the cookies stand on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely before covering. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days

In the News

The Food and Drug Administration has requested that all consumers stop providing their infants and children liquid products. The reason for the recall is that there are manufacturing deficiencies which may affect the quality and potency of the affected products. The products included in the recall fall under the following brand names:

Some of the recalled products have been shown to have a higher concentration of active ingredients than what is specified on the label. The advice being given by the FDA is to stop using these products and not to administer them to your infants or children. To learn more visit the McNeil's Consumer Healthcare site

Giving Back

Didn't think you could make a difference with one dollar? You can. With each dollar donated to Hello Green Tomorrow, a tree will be planted in South America's critically endangered Atlantic Rainforest, which is 93 percent deforested. Not only will you be helping contribute to rebuilding this amazing resource that is being ruined each and every day, but you will receive a thank you certificate that includes "green" tips on how to reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink and replant. Your contribution doesn't stop at the planting of a tree, it continues with sharing these tips with families and friends.

To learn more and to plant your tree visit: Hello Green Tomorrow. In honor of the newsletter's three-year anniversary, I will be donating three dollars, which will result in three new trees being planted. Now that is a breath of fresh air.

Action Items

• Do you have any favorite tips from past newsletters? Would love to hear from you and share those with all our readers!
• Send us a Tweet for your chance to win a DietsInReview t-shirt, in celebration of our 3 year anniversary for the Eat Live Laugh newsletter. Details listed above for entry!
• Check out the DietsinReview.com blog for the latest in health and fitness

Weekly Articles

• Kids Are Eating Fruit In Creative Ways
• WalMart To Donate 1.1 Billion Pounds of Food
• Busting Common Food Myths
• Busting Food Myths Part Two

Forward to a Friend

It’s such a pleasure to help those closest to us become happier and healthier. Please forward this newsletter to friends, family members or colleagues who might be interested and inspired by it.

Also, if there is something you are interested in learning more about or would like me to feature in an upcoming newsletter please contact me.

Eat, Live Laugh newsletters are intended for overall general wellness. If you have condition specific concerns please feel free to contact me.