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Fruit salads are easy to make, so today I'm going to show how to make one that looks as good as it tastes. I'm Susan Bowerman, registered dietitian, and today I'm making a colorful and healthy fruit salad. Fruit salad mixtures are very healthy; you get more of an antioxidant punch when you eat fruits together than when you eat them separately. Fruit salad is also a great way to introduce some new fruits into your diet. My fruit salad recipe for today has watermelon, pineapple, berries, kiwi, mango, and an exotic fruit; but you can create your own fruit salad mixture too. Tell me how your fruit salad turned out in the comments section. For more nutrition advice from Herbalife, visit http://www.DiscoverGoodNutrition.com or take a look at my YouTube playlist: http://hrbl.me/VJ6XEl.

Hi, I'm Susan Bowerman and today I'm going to give you a recipe makeover for hummus. It's usually made with garbanzo beans or chick peas but today I'm going to make it with black beans and show you how easy it is to put together.

I'm starting with a can of black beans that I drained. I didn't rinse them, but, I did save the liquid from the beans because I might need to add a little in case in ends up being too thick. I'm going to put the beans into my food processor. You can do this in a blender too, if you prefer.
Normally hummus is made with olive oil, but instead of olive oil I'm going to use some avocado to add a little bit of healthy fat and some creaminess. Instead of the usual lemon juice I'm going to add some lime juice. 

I'm also going to add a little bit of salt, and a little bit of garlic. These are all optional you can decide how much or how little flavor. I like things strongly flavored so I'm putting in a little bit of cumin and finally I'm putting in some cilantro...

Getting a good night's sleep should be one of the easiest and most natural things to do. But busy lives and hectic schedules make us less likely to eat properly, and bad food habits can prevent us from getting good quality sleep. "When we're busy, we tend to eat less than we should during the day, and then much more than we need in the evening. This is exactly the opposite of what we should be doing," says Herbalife's Luigi Gratton, M.P.H., and Vice President of Nutrition Education.

Gratton suggests being aware of how certain foods can affect our sleep pattern. Protein-heavy foods stimulate the production of chemicals in the brain that keep us alert, and large meals eaten just before bed can lead to indigestion and heartburn - a perfect pairing to keep you up at night.

Low-fat, high carbohydrate meals are digested more quickly, and stimulate the production of different brain chemicals - ones that help aid relaxation and facilitate sleep. So it's best to opt for a high protein breakfast and lunch to keep you alert and clear-headed all day, and save the carbohydrates for dinner.

If you're like most people, caffeine is a stimulant, so a cup of coffee before you hit the sack is probably unwise. Both caffeine and alcohol can disrupt normal sleep patterns; you might be able to fall asleep, but not for long. This makes it hard to reach the deepest and most restful stage of sleep. So even with a full eight hours, you still feel sluggish in the morning. Chances are you'll also be roused from sleep by a full bladder, since both caffeine and alcohol act as diuretics.

Whether or not to snack before you go to bed depends on your usual patterns. If your evening meal is small and light (and early), then a light snack is fine if you feel it helps you sleep and you can afford the extra calories. Calcium-rich foods like milk and yogurt are good choices, since calcium helps muscles to relax.

Good nutrition for a good night's zzzz's:

• Have a lighter dinner, focused on salad, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans
• A bowl of lentil soup with a salad and some fruit for dessert
• If you know that caffeine keeps you awake, avoid caffeine-containing beverages for 6-8 hours before going to bed
• Keep your alcohol intake moderate to avoid sleep disruption
• Drink most of your fluids during the day, and cut back after dinner. If you need to take medications at bedtime, use only a small amount of water
• If you like to have a bedtime snack, include foods that are high in calcium to induce muscle relaxation
• A cup of warm milk is an age-old remedy for sleeplessness, and for good reason

Follow the tips above to help get a restful night's sleep, and develop healthy sleep patterns for a healthy lifestyle.  If you need more ideas about improving your personal wellness goals, Herbalife is a leader in the health and wellness industry, and your Herbalife Independent Distributor can help you discover the best products for your nutritional requirements.