In trying to reduce – or at least control – sugar in my diet, I find it works best to keep a little sweetness on the menu. I’m proud to say I’m at least 12 months’ Krispy Kreme-free; instead, I like to indulge in an occasional piece of Double-Bubble sour apple bubble gum. The sugar-free Werther’s caramel hard candies I keep in a bowl on my desk also are great when I need a smidge of the sweet stuff.

But come on, people, moderation in moderation. And next week brings Valentine’s Day, when many of us like to treat our sweeties – and be treated – to chocolate.

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DMU has a new student organization that’s also a feather in the University’s cap: The Genetics Student Interest Group of Des Moines University recently made DMU one of only seven medical schools in the U.S., and the first and only osteopathic medical school, to earn affiliation with the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG).

Alisdair “Rod” Philp, Ph.D., a DMU assistant professor of biochemistry and nutrition, was inspired to help students create the group because of student anxiety over genetics questions on medical licensing examinations. He is an elected affiliated scientist of the ACMG, which enabled the student interest group’s affiliation. Philp says the rapid advancement in genetic knowledge and research, along with DMU students’ interest in both, affirmed the idea for such an organization.

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Other than my occasional indulgence in a heap of crispy French fries, I’ve never been a big fan of white potatoes. It isn’t that they aren’t healthy; baked or boiled, they’re a fine source of potassium and fiber. I just find them bland unless they’re fried, covered in ketchup or bathed in butter and sour cream – definitely not healthy.

That’s why these recipes, in the February issue of Better Homes and Gardens magazine, caught my eye: These healthful mashes will sate your comfort-food cravings without wrecking your waistline.

No offense, Mr. Potato Head, but you're just a little boring.

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It chagrins me that I missed several of January’s colorful holidays, including those celebrating stellar foods: January 6 is Bean Day; January 19, National Popcorn Day; January 22, National Blonde Brownie Day; and – especially close to my Iowa heart – January 24, Eskimo Pie Patent Day, in honor of schoolteacher/candy store owner Christian Kent Nelson, who invented that tasty chocolate-and-ice-cream concoction in 1920 in Onawa, Iowa. Today, incidentally, is Punch the Clock Day and Thomas Crapper Day, the latter in honor of the man who invented the flush toilet.

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Winter is a great time for comfort food. But that doesn’t have to mean the heavy, fat-filled stuff you’ll regret eating when it’s time to put your swimsuit on. Think of comfort dishes instead as body-and-soul-nourishing recipes full of flavor, nutrition and tastebud delights. I especially like these recipes, provided by DMU Wellness Director Joy Schiller, M.S., CHES: The soup provides multiple servings as a great treat on cold winter days, and the biscotti are a guilt-free indulgence with my morning coffee.

Southwestern chicken soup

Soup is an ideal winter comfort food.

• 1 teaspoon olive oil

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For a truly effective work-out, I think music is as important as a full water bottle and a good pair of tennis shoes. Music does more than take one’s mind off one’s burning muscles, though: Neuroscientist Robert Zatorre recently told National Public Radio’s Linda Wertheimer that music and exercise are linked.

“Music has some kind of privileged access to the motor system,” Zatorre said. “When you are perceiving very rhythmic sounds, particularly those that are used in music, these sounds engage the areas in networks of the brain that allow us to move and in particular synchronize different muscle groups.

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