With the New Year almost inevitably comes the making of resolutions or, at least, the intention of making them.

However, the success rate of these famous resolutions unfortunately remains too low for many of us.

Since health and more specifically improving eating habits are often the subject of resolutions, I couldn't avoid talking to you about it.

Before giving in to the temptation of setting (too) ambitious goals for changes to your diet or embarking on a type of “miracle” diet that promises rapid weight loss or cure of all your ailments , here are five questions to ask yourself:

• Is it realistic to integrate this dietary change or this type of diet into my lifestyle in the long term?
• Does this dietary change or type of diet match my values, tastes and preferences?
• Can the person or organization promoting this dietary change or this type of diet benefit from me adhering to it (example: profits from the sale of meal replacement products)?
• Is there any scientific data or public health organizations that support this dietary change or this type of diet? Parenthesis: If this worked for one person or a few acquaintances, it is not guaranteed that it will work for you.
• Have I weighed the pros and cons of making this dietary change? Do I really have both sides of the coin in adopting this type of diet?

What is certain is that adding more extra virgin olive oil to your recipes can only be beneficial for your health as well as your taste buds!

Happy New Year 2019!

By Dorothée Buteau-Poulin, nutritionist-dietitian