I told him I would follow-up online. I did, and I encourage you to do the same. Click here to read more about CALPIRG’s campaign to stop taxpayer subsidies to agribusiness. From there, if you’re interested in supporting the campaign, click on “Send an Email” to send an email to your state senators (no payment required).

Then I gave it some water and, presto magic, it started to feel better.

By the end of that day, it was a completely different tulip.

So how much water do we need? According to the Mayo Clinic, we should drink enough so we don’t feel thirsty AND we produce about six cups or more of “colorless or light yellow urine a day.” (Get out those measuring cups!)

Does it have to be water? No. Just about any liquid will do, even water from food counts. But water is cheaper than food or lattes or beer, and it doesn’t add extra calories. Drink up!

The point is, it’s easy to get caught up in work and life. The problem is when we let it interfere with taking good care of ourselves. So our tip for the day is:

Don’t let your physical well-being be last on your list of priorities.

Moms spend their days working and taking care of the kids. Dads spend their days working and taking out the trash. Okay, so we’re generalizing, but you get the idea. Taking care of ourselves tends to fall by the wayside.

Suze Orman said on CNN today, you can’t take care of others until you take care of yourself. And we agree. So whether it’s getting to bed a little earlier so we get enough rest, drinking enough water and staying hydrated, or getting some exercise to help us manage our stress better, we have to make it a priority or it just won’t happen.

With the award season in full swing, we’re reminded of something Ellen DeGeneres once said. ”In the scheme of things winning an Emmy is not important. Let’s get our priorities straight. I think we all know what’s really important in life – winning an Oscar.”

You get the idea.

Our next Diet Joke Health Tip:

Get back on track.

Or, as we saw on Facebook:

In other words, every day is a new opportunity to start fresh. If you’ve already abandoned your New Year’s Resolution to be healthier, eat better and get some exercise, guess what? You still have 50 weeks left to accomplish it. Get back on track.

Weigh yourself.

No, we’re not in a bad mood and taking it out on you. Well, we’re sort of in a bad mood, but that’s because we just weighed ourselves. Scales suck because they’re so darn truthful. Stretch jeans lie all you want. Of course they still fit. They’re made out of spandex.

We want you to weigh yourself for the same reason we weighed ourselves: to assess the damage. Yes, most of us tend to eat a little more over the holidays, and yes, most of us tend to gain a pound or two. The problem is most of us never bother to take it off. Next thing you know, it’s the holidays again and we add a few more pounds. This goes on for years. It’s why everyone looks so chubby at the high school reunion.

So weigh yourself now. That way you know where you’re at. If you didn’t add an ounce during the holidays, good for you. If, like the rest of us, you added plenty of ounces, make note of the extra weight and make the proper adjustment, as in watch your caloric intake and make sure you’re getting some exercise. Before you know it, you’ll be right back on track.

The Diet Joke Health Tip #9:

Have some soup.

We at The Diet Joke love a bowl of delicious soup. It’s so satisfying on a cold winter night. Plus, because you don’t drink it with a straw, it goes down a lot slower than a chocolate milkshake. And soup is filling so we tend to eat a little less (that’s the theory).

Here’s a delicious soup we invented that’s low in calories, inexpensive and easy to make:

Cauliflower Soup

2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic (We keep a jar of minced garlic in the fridge for easy cooking.)
1 large onion, chopped
1 20-ounce bag frozen cauliflower (We stock up on frozen veggies when they’re on sale and then have them in the freezer just for days like this.)
4 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup milk

Melt butter over low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft, but not browned, about 15 minutes. Add 2 cups water and frozen cauliflower. Cover and increase heat to medium. Cook until cauliflower is soft, about 15 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups of water, salt, thyme, and pepper. Cover and cook for 10 more minutes. Let cool slightly and then blend until smooth with a hand blender. Stir in milk.

Pack a lunch.

It’s not just better for our waistlines. It’s better for our pocketbooks too.

You don’t need to get fancy. You don’t even need a fridge at work. The basic peanut butter and jelly sandwich with an apple will last for days. Want to make some friends? Pack an egg salad sandwich. We at The Diet Joke love egg salad sandwiches. And tuna, too! Peanut butter and banana? Delish. Our favorite? Not so much now, but when we were a kid? Bologna and ketchup! Oh man, those were the days.

And yes, bologna and ketchup isn’t the healthiest thing on the planet, but put it on some serious whole-grain whole-wheat bread and it’s better than fast food. Fill up your water bottle instead of hitting the soda machine, and man, are you saving money now, not to mention calories.

The trick to packing lunches? Try to do it the night before. Just about anything we plan to do in the morning before we go to work is likely to fall by the wayside.

Make sure you get your Vitamin F.

F stands for friends. We can think of something else F stands for and you need that, too. But that’s for another day.

We know the whole “get your Vitamin F” thing is making the rounds lately, courtesy of Dr. Oz, who says having friends is good for our health. And we thank our friend, Kathy, for sending it to us. We were sort of in a bind tonight, what with a show to get to and time running out to get up our post. We could have gotten all stressed-out, but no need. See how having friends helps.

So what makes a good friend? According to Mark Twain, “The proper office of a friend is to side with you when you are wrong. Nearly anybody will side with you when you are right.”

The Diet Joke Health Tip #6:

Watch the alcohol.

We’re not saying you have to skip it altogether. According to some studies, one to two drinks a day may actually be good for the brain and reduce the risk of dementia, but don’t go overboard. Nothing impairs good judgment like too much alcohol, and yes, we’re speaking from experience.

If “Stop Doing Stupid Things” is on your list of resolutions for the new year (it’s on our list every year), you will help yourself a lot by only drinking in moderation.

As the great Knute Rockne once said, “Drink the first. Sip the second slowly. Skip the third.”

Or to put it another way:

“Health – what my friends are always drinking to before they fall down.”– Phyllis Diller

Have an orange!

High in Vitamin C and filled with fiber, these juicy babies aren’t just good for you, they’ll satisfy your sweet tooth too. Even kids like them! Delicious, seedless Navel oranges are in peak season from January to March so they’re easy to find and often on sale.

Here’s some corny orange humor:

Why did the orange go out with the prune?

Because he couldn’t find a date.

Why did the orange stop running?

He ran out of juice.

What is a navy officer’s favourite fruit?

Naval oranges.

Have a naturally sweet day!