As with most things in life, my philosophy is moderation. There are a number of fad diets out right now claiming to help "cleanse" you. But after some thorough research, my word of advice: caution. Do not necessarily discredit all green diets, but when making dieting and lifestyle changes, consider moderation.

There is also insufficient data showing whether these fads are really good for you or not. "Raw" diets, for instance, often deprive your body of certain necessary nutrients only present in foods that ought to be cooked, besides causing your caloric intake to dip far below healthy.

So, if you are going to change your diet, consider moderation and maintain all of the correct amounts of nutrients that you need in each category. The major differences in diet should be to eat foods (whenever possible) that are in season, are grown locally, and are certified organic. Food eaten out of season can have an incredible carbon footprint! Minimizing the distance your food has to travel decreases your footprint. And of course, switching out foods that are grown with chemical fertilizers for foods that were grown organically is better for both you and the environment.

One of my favorite things to eat during this time of year is winter squash, which is healthy, but can also be tasty. Sprinkle a little bit of organic brown sugar over half of a baked acorn squash (with a small amount of butter if you can't resist), and you have created a delectible winter vegetable dish!

Challenge: Choose one major food or beverage (that you purchase frequently) to change to something greener. It is amazing what your environmental impact can be with one simple change. I am switching to organic, fair trade coffee, since I drink a lot of coffee.