intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is the practice of eating little or nothing for some periods of time. On fasting days a person might eat nothing or no solid food or they might eat less than a quarter of the food that they normally would. Some alternate days with eating with days of fasting. Others eat normally five days a week and fast for two days. A third option is to fast for a set time every day – no food after 3pm, for example.¹ Continue reading

Do you eat breakfast? If you answered no, you are not alone. Only 44% of Americans eat breakfast daily¹. The rest of us skip breakfast for a variety of reasons, such as lack of time and lack of options due to poor planning. Schedules continue to get busier, which limits the amount of time for preparing and eating. It may seem impossible to include breakfast in your busy routine, but it’s not. A little planning can make all the difference. Eating breakfast daily can be easy and beneficial for your health. Some easy strategies shared later in this post can help you fit breakfast into your day.
Continue reading

grains

Inflammation is one of those “buzz” words. It is usually seen as a “villain” and is blamed for certain health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. But, first we must ask, what exactly is inflammation? Is all inflammation created equal? Can the food we eat affect inflammation? How can we eat to promote health and avoid chronic inflammation? And, what can you do to stay as healthy as possible? Let’s begin at the beginning.
Continue reading

grains

These days it seems that conflicting messages come at us from all different directions.  Choose a lucrative career, but make sure it’s your passion.  Live life to the fullest, but don’t be irresponsible.  Love your body size but don’t get too big, it’s unhealthy.  For anyone who’s struggled with weight, this last one can be incredibly painful to hear.  The confusing advice on weight loss and dieting only makes change even harder.  In the last quarter century, the nutrients blamed for weight gain and glorified for weight loss have varied between fat and carbohydrate.  Most recently, the Paleo and Whole 30 diets mark a shift towards a low carb/high fat approach to weight loss.  But are they all they’re cracked up to be? Lets find out. Continue reading

Veganism is the strictest form of vegetarianism, in which individuals avoid all animal products such as meat, dairy, eggs, and even honey. Other forms of vegetarianism include semi-vegetarian (avoiding red meat), pescatarian (only eat seafood and fish), and lacto-ovo vegetarian (no animal meats, but will eat dairy and eggs).  Does becoming a vegan intrigue you? Have you heard that following a vegan diet could improve your hair, skin and nails? Famous folks like Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Mike Tyson, Ellen Degeneres, Usher, and Alanis Morissette are vegans, but would you feel socially isolated and unable to eat at parties or order food at restaurants? What about nutrient deficiencies and getting enough protein? Maybe it could help you lose weight…Read on to learn which common beliefs about vegan diets are fact, and which are just pure fiction. Continue reading