Recently and fortunately, the American idea of low fat equaling healthy has been turned on it's head. Studies and practictioners have shown just how important fat, the right fats, are to our health and fertility.

Unfortunately, not everyone is on board yet. After nearly two decades of having the medical and nutrition community (not to mention the media, our neighbors, friends, and mamas, too) tell us fat is the antichrist and behind all that is evil, it's no surprise that it's taking some time for many of us to fully embrace fat. But embrace it we must.

Contrary to what we were led to believe for soooo long, fat is not our enemy. If healthy skin, a fertile body, and a happy and peaceful mind are your goals, fat is definitely your friend.

It's that time of year again; Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Which means it's time to give, receive, and eat chocolate! I'm not sure how or why chocolate became THE go-to gift for THE romantic holiday, but I'm not complaining.

So, in celebration of love, chocolate, and the love of chocolate we're taking a look at some health and beauty benefits of one of my favorite things in the world: CHOCOLATE!

Now, before I dive into the good stuff, let me preface all of this with a gentle reminder (to myself...) that good for you does not mean go hog wild on it. The right kind of chocolate or cocoa has loads of benefits but excess is still excess.

Growing up in Southern California, the land of eternal summer, I tend to romanticize snow storms. I am almost embarrassed to admit the number of times I imagined myself lying on a (faux) bear rug in front of a flickering fire place. My outfit of choice was typically a cozy oversized sweater and knee high socks. And there was usually a good book in one hand and a hot beverage in the other. So when Old Man Winter blew into town last weekend and dumped over two feet of snow on NYC, I seized the chance to stay in, stay warm, and live out my dream.

While I don't have a fireplace or a bear rug, I do love wearing a cozy sweater, reading a good book, and sipping tea when the temperature drops. If you are anything like me, you may have been on the lookout for some new drinks to add into the rotation. My five current favorites are below.

Each recipe (I use that term loosely) is simple, just 4 ingredients or less, not including the water, milk, or sweetener, and they all happen to be super healthy. All of the ingredients have anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants. Some even fight against bacteria and viruses. But most importantly, they are tasty. Feel free to play around with the measurements. Find what you like and enjoy. Happy sipping, pinkies up!

PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome, Stein-Leventhal Syndrome, the thief of womanhood. No matter what you call it, let's be honest, it's just not very pleasant. There are the irregular periods, muffin top around the midsection you didn't ask for, fertility issues, the hair loss, and let's not forget the hair growth in less than desirable places. None of which you signed up for. But, there's hope.

You can manage it. You can feel better. You can take back your health. Healthier eating habits and exercise can be a great place to start.

The directive to get to and maintain a healthy weight is usually the first bit (and sometimes the only bit) of lifestyle change advice doled out by healthcare providers to help treat PCOS. But what if you are already at a healthy weight? What if you don't want to lose weight? And if you do, how should you go about it?

2016 has been officially dubbed the International Year of the Pulses by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO.) And for good reason. Seriously, pulses are amazing.

But what the heck are they? Simply put: beans, peas, and lentils that are grown for their dry seed. So fresh beans and fresh peas, as well as legumes grown for their oil don't count, but canned beans, peas, and lentils do. Why do we love them? For one, they are some of the healthiest foods in the world.

They are packing so much nutritional goodness:

• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Phytonutrients
• Fiber
• Protein
• Slowly digesting carbs

Plus they are inexpensive, sustainable, versatile, and just down right tasty. In case you couldn't tell, I'm a fan.

If you're currently prepping for pregnancy, I strongly encourage you to load up on pulses.

Late last year the American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) issued a press release titled, "Most healthy women would benefit from light meal during labor." This was a pretty bold statement, considering fasting during labor has long been the norm. After receiving quite a few comments of concern from members, ASA attempted to clear up the controversy the release stirred up. They stated the release was simply an acknowledgment of research reviewed by a colleague, NOT a change in their position or guidelines.

The no food during labor policy many hospitals follow was birthed out the desire to prevent women from aspirating (fancy for choking on stomach contents if they made their way into their lungs.) Changes to how anesthesia is administered have made this less of a concern for healthy women with a low risk labor and delivery. However, the no food rule continues to reign in many labor and delivery wards.

I am of the opinion that for low risk women, eating during labor is fine as long as the labor team agrees. I would go so far as to say it's more than fine, it's a good idea. Listen, labor is extremely taxing. A woman can use the same amount of energy it takes to run a marathon giving birth. And no one would expect someone to run a marathon without proper fuel, would they?