Take a break with a piece of over 70% cacao dark chocolate. Stick to two to three squares and savor them. Enjoy the antioxidants.

Try eating a new leafy green such as kale, collard, chard or bok-choy. The easiest way to cook them is to sauté 2-5 cloves of chopped garlic in olive oil.  Next, add some chopped greens.  Finally, add a cup of liquid, broth, juice, or water and cover the pot.  The steam will make the greens soft.  Enjoy.

Your mama may have told you not to talk to strangers, but you’re an adult now.

So why talk to strangers? Here’s five great reasons why you should chat with the barista, your cabbie or the person standing next to you in line at the airport:

1. It’s a great distraction. It’s really hard to stay wrapped up in whatever drama is happening at work or with your boyfriend when you’re talking to some random person about the latest celebrity gossip.
2. You’ll learn new things. I’ve gotten book recommendations, learned about new restaurants, found out about neighborhood politics and discovered interesting facts about far-away places from talking to strangers.
3. You’ll probably never see them again. With strangers, you can practice flirting, get a new perspective on a problem you’re facing, or get an honest opinion, all without fear of what they might think.
4. You might make a great connection. Sometimes you’ll get that missing job lead you’ve always wanted, or you’ll be able to help someone out, or you’ll end up being friends with the person who introduces you to your future husband. You never know where a random connection could lead.
5. It makes the world a friendlier place. By being friendly, you give others an opportunity to be friendly back, and 99% of the time, people welcome a chance to connect.

This week, make a point to talk to three strangers, and see how it feels. It doesn’t matter what you talk about; sometimes a genuine “How are you doing today?” is all it takes to make a connection, however brief.

Plan to cook a new healthy recipe this weekend. It doesn’t need to be complex, nor time consuming. Here’s a list of healthy recipe ideas to get you started. Just try one this week.

Drink one glass of water in the morning as soon as you wake up.

For extra credit: add a piece of fresh lemon. For a gold star: Make the lemon organic.

Say No.

For many of us, saying no to people we love or who we want approval from can seem near impossible. But without the ability to say No properly, your “yes” becomes downright meaningless. Whether it’s in business or in love, being willing and able say No without explaining yourself can go a long way toward having the energy and resources to devote to the people and things you care most about.

This week, practice saying No when you can’t do something, when a request violates your principles or boundaries, or when you just simply want some time and energy to yourself.  It may feel strange at first, but the extra freedom will be worth it.

Ok, most of us fall into two camps when it comes to exercise. Camp one: we don’t do it at all or we hit the gym once or twice a week (or month:)). Camp two: we do it because we have to, but we don’t enjoy it, and we try our best to slog through it.

I have a new way to approach exercise - find something that you actually like doing or better yet - might actually fit in with what you really need in your life right now.

Instead of slogging through your regular gym routine or your knee-grinding run, see if any of the following may better meet your current needs:

For those of you in New York, I’ve put some links in here. For the rest of you, I’m sure you can find similar offerings in your area.

Need to de-stress and calm down? Try a yoga clas at a Yoga Studio, not one at a gym. The energy in yoga studios is calming as soon as you walk in the door. And you don’t hear the loud gym music while you are in down-dog.

Need to meet some new friends and fight the lonelies? Try a team sport like flag football or frisbee. Central Park has tons of new leagues that form every week. I have a friend that often plays with leagues from The New York Social Club. You may also want to try one of the recreational running clubs like The New York Harriers. They run in the mornings, but do social events as well.

Feeling totally depressed and unchallenged at work, but unable to leave your situation right now? Try challenging yourself to finish a running race or a triathlon. You can even join a team to help with motivation. Try looking into Full Throttle at Chelsea Piers or the Terrier Triathlon Club. I trained with full throttle for two years. It is tough, but very worth it. The New York Road Runners Club also has tons of great programs.

Feeling sad about the state of the world? Why not make the world a better place and get a flatter stomach? Check out Team in Training or Run for a Dream. Both organizations support great causes.

Ladies, feeling like you could use a little pizzazz in the bedroom? How about taking a strip tease class. You’ll feel it everywhere - and your guy wil thank you. Check out the S-Factor.

Would you like to give up the war you’ve had with your body and make some peace with where you are now (while still burning calories)? Every time I’ve done belly dancing, I come home with a new respect for my body, especially my belly. I look around the room and notice how we are all so beautiful in every shape, size and form. There is just something about this dance that allows for peace and self adoration. Try it, let me know if you agree. I’m not an expert on the best classes, but I’ve taken some at The Open Center that were quite good. Do let me know if you find a teacher you love.

Wish you had more time to shake your booty? But you don’t want to learn a 90-step combination? Try one of the new age dance classes that don’t require you to learn steps, you just feel the music and go. Check out Five Rhythms. You may also like the Brazilian martial art/dance style, called Capoeira. The Alvin Ailey Extension on 55th Street has tons of different dance classes from Zumba to West African.

In a slump and wishing life would just throw you a bone? Perhaps looking at life from a new angle would help - from a trapeze. The Trapeze School may be a fun way to help you get out of your rut and see life a little differently.

Take a moment and look at yourself first. Then pick out an exercise routine that really works for you. Make your exercise routine more than just a route to smaller jeans - it can also be an easy way to upgrade your life.

And for more great tips on Radical Self Care, don’t forget to sign up for our upcoming teleseminar: Radical Self Care: How to Have the Body, Career and Relationships you’ve always wanted.

What three books have had the most impact on you?

Encouraged by my recent volunteer experience, I recently got back in touch with a former mentor and role model of mine.   Since I spoke to him last (which I think was at his son Paul’s wedding many moons ago), Henry’s been appointed by Clinton and Bush to federal executive branch committees and boards (most recently on the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National & Community Service) .   He’s now deputy director of a pretty big foundation in San Francisco.  This man is connected with a capital C in the non-profit (and probably some of the political) world, and he loves me like a second daughter, practically.   I remember when I used to come to his house everyday after school when I was a senior in high school.  Now he’s promised to think about how I could do some contract work for him or people he knows.

Why have I not called him before?  Because somewhere, in the recesses of my powerful little mind, there is always that voice that says…”I can do it myself, damn it!”

In the last week, I’ve thought about how the whole American sense of independence thing has gone to far for too many of us.  In fact, since I began my fascination with the whole concept of leadership, I’ve noticed that the wisest, most successful folks seem to have thrown the idea of being el lobo solo by the way side.  Per the infamous Stephen Covey, a habit of highly effective people is that they choose a more productive, satisfying, and easier alternative - they build on divergent strengths, and they leverage creative collaboration.  They build teams.  They delegate.  They rely on others.  They find partners.  They reach out.  They communicate.

In other words, instead of trying to do it all themselves, they actually get the help they want.   Notice I didn’t say “get the help they NEED.” Why?  Because the reality is, many things in life can be accomplished alone, so for many tasks you don’t technically NEED help.  But does life have to be so hard?  No, my fellow citizens of a country borne from the Protestant-work-ethic, no.

It’s usually not as much fun doing something alone.  In addition, it’s usually harder.  And, you actually can bring joy into other people’s lives by asking or allowing them to help you do something they are naturally talented at.

This is not new stuff.  We’ve all been told we need to learn to delegate, to work as a team, to be cooperative and collaborative.  But why don’t we really believe it?  Talk to your therapist, but it also may be partly because there are still lots of unspoken images and myths abound that still reinforce the opposite ideal, in the media, our own families, our work places.

Reaching out for help, connection, to delegate and to outsource is something we all need to be reminded of again and again to really internalize it.   I had another lesson in this recently, when I mentioned to my best friend, Olivia* that I had a challenging career coaching appointment coming up.  Olivia happens to be job hunting right now (long story, but if you know of some good business development or relationship sales jobs let me know) and before I knew it, she had rattled off at least 5-6 effective approaches and tips for me to use on my call.  Again, I didn’t need to struggle on my own, trying to research on the internet, etc.

I’ve actually gotten worse about this since I became a mother, because of the super-mom myth about us being able to do it all.  Man I would have gotten a lot more hands-on help when I was on maternity leave, home alone with a less than 3 month old, if I’d done more than call my sister for help, who couldn’t come over to help me very often, since she was occupied with infant twins of her own at the time.

Just pick up the god damned phone, ping a friend on Facebook, e-mail, whatever.   Be strong enough and smart enough to stop being so freaking independent.  You don’t have to go it alone.  No man is an island.

Once you start doing this on a regular basis, you’ll actually be more successful in whatever you do, personally or professionally.  Life is easier, too.  And a lot more fun.

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent - that is, me.

What is your favorite money-saving strategy?