Promises to keep - editor's note - Brief Article

Vegetarian Times, Jan, 2003 by Laurel Lund

Another new year, and I've hardly had time to celebrate 2002! It was a wonderful year--filled with exciting challenges and great promise. We hopefully met the challenges in style, moving our publishing headquarters from Connecticut to Virginia, hiring an all-new, A-list editorial team and, without even giving them a chance to clutter their desks, asking them to relaunch VT--giving it a great new look and expanded editorial. And we hope we fulfilled our great promise by creating a bigger, better VT that truly inspires you to live a happier, healthier lifestyle.

Promises are what January is all about. It's the time of year we resolve to be good to ourselves--to start a new exercise program or join a gym, to spend more time with family and friends, to unclutter our closets (what better time for "out with the old, in with the new"?), to go on the diet we didn't go on last year.

These are all important things to resolve, keeping us in fine fettle, body and soul. That's why this issue offers features to help you keep your promises. In "Diet Right," p. 39, for example, Christina Le Beau helps you select the weight-loss plan that's ideal for you. In "Diet Simple," p. 66, VT nutrition consultant Katherine Tallmadge offers an entire week's menus for easy-to-make, healthy, delicious gourmet meals to help you take off, and keep off, those unwanted pounds. And in "Clutter-Free in '03," p. 82, my friend Lori Tobias helps you sail smoothly into the new year by tossing the flotsam and jetson of your life and uncluttering your home.

And although I, too, have made some New Year's resolutions, I'd rather talk about the resolutions we at VT have made for you. Here's what's in store:

* More low-fat recipes. You want them, and we'll supply them.

* Vegans, rejoice! A new column, debuting this issue, devoted solely to vegan recipes. See "Vegan Gourmet," by Marie Oser, on p. 31.

* More "hard news" about controversial developments in the fields of health and nutrition. Next month, for example, we plan to publish a groundbreaking report on Quorn, the newest meat alternative. We'll also discuss the mounting controversy over fluoride in drinking water.

* More space for our Letters column, which has become a unique forum for free expression of the many differing opinions vegetarians hold today.

* More Q & As, in which you can solicit the health and nutrition advice of experts, many from our top-notch Editorial Advisory Board. Whatever the issue, ask us--by letter, fax or email.

You may have already become aware of some of these changes. Others will not become evident for several months. But these are not New Year's resolutions we will break. I promise!