As the mother of five and a journalist, I've always encouraged people to empower themselves with information on healthy foods and lifestyles. Nurturing our children with healthy food is one of the most important jobs we have, yet as families have become busier or drifted apart, meal times have been sacrificed.

For as long as I can remember, food and its preparation have played an important role in my life, serving as both physical nourishment and spiritual comfort. But it’s hard to carry the fat gene, grow up with a grandmother who taught you how to make the best soul food ever and not pay a high price as an adult. Fried chicken and cornbread may have always been a treat when I was younger and could afford the calories, but they certainly don’t do anything for my waistline now. Add familial hypertension, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster, which is why I decided to learn how to make my soul food healthier.

Why use butter when you can use olive oil? Or fry the chicken when it tastes even better baked? My collard greens use no flesh what-so-ever, and you don’t even miss it. My mac n’ cheese keeps your spoon in the pot, but for only half of the calories. And my soups will make you forget your name. Healthy food doesn’t have to be anemic and it can certainly fill you to the brim.

Healthy Southern Comforts is committed to the belief that food and our relationship to it directly impact our state of minds, as well as our health. By teaching our children from a young age to help prepare and to like healthy foods, we are encouraging a lifetime of wellness habits.

WABW bloggers Yvonne and Mae are back with a few of their friends to try again to trim their waistlines in our Melt the Middle Health Challenge. All are hoping to trim it down in time for either their 40th high school reunion (Yvonne and friends) or Mother's Day (Mae and friends).

So, follow them and cheer them on.

It's not impossible to live healthy and well in body and mind. There are many of us out here who are eating the right foods, trying to keep a positive attitude and worrying as little as possible to maintain a sense of well-being.

I'd like to hear how you are managing it, with both food and life. Please share with me via my Contact page.