Discover The Joys Of Cooking Healthful Foods

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Cooking gets a bad rap. When I encourage my clients to cook real food, I hear a lot of excuses like it’s time-consuming, difficult, or inconvenient. Would you believe that Americans spend more time watching cooking shows on TV than actually cooking in their kitchens? Many are living on processed and fast foods, and our younger generations don’t know how to cook. I’d like to help you discover the joys of cooking healthful foods.

Did you cook in the kitchen with your mother or grandmother? Cooking is an act of love that strengthens relationships and can support wellness. The process of cooking teaches life skills to your children who need to know how to follow a recipe and create a meal that offers balanced nutrition. Cooking is also an important first step in good digestion and nourishing your body.

Whatever your experience in the kitchen, these strategies simplify the process and encourage healthful cooking in a way that even the busiest novice can enjoy.

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7 Nutrient-Dense Foods To Fuel Healthy Function

7 Nutrient-Dense Foods To Fuel Healthy Function

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When seeking to improve your health, I always recommend starting with what you eat. It can be confusing with so many diets and nutrition plans. Good news –  you don’t always have to start with a “diet.” Simply assess the foods you are currently eating and swap out the processed carbs for nutrient-dense foods to fuel healthy function. Packed with nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fats, and antioxidants, these foods will help so you feel great. Here we talk about 7 nutrient-dense foods to fuel healthy function.

Stock your kitchen with some of these foods next time you’re at the grocery store:

Fatty Fish

Fatty fish like wild-caught salmon, halibut or cod have a rich concentration of omega-3 fatty acids, which help your body function optimally. It also has large amounts of potassium, selenium, B vitamins, and magnesium, making it a great source of nutrition for lunch or dinner. Farmed fish does not offer the same nutrients, so choose wild-caught.

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5 Tips For Simplifying Your Eating Habits

5 Tips For Simplifying Your Eating Habits

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Have you noticed that new diets and eating plans are introduced regularly, touting results that we all are seeking? Each new fad presents itself as “the one” yet what really works is a sustainable change to eating foods that fuel our bodies with needed nutrients. It’s actually far simpler than we are making it. Here are 5 Tips For Simplifying Your Eating Habits.

Eat More Raw, Whole Foods

Eating food in its most natural state is a great way to cut some time and stress from your mealtimes. For example, grab a boiled egg on your way out the door instead of breakfast at the coffee shop. Add some fresh veggies as a side at lunch instead of packing chips. Toss everything in a bowl to create a big salad for dinner instead of a complicated recipe or take-out. Read more

Have a heart for your heart

Have A Heart For Your Heart

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If February had a symbol, it would be a red heart. While it is beneficial to raise awareness of heart health, I believe it’s an area of health that should be consistently reviewed. Heart disease is the #1 killer in the US. Do you have a heart for your heart?

Have A Heart For Your Heart

As a Functional Medicine practitioner, I look at root causes. The standard American diet and a sedentary lifestyle are key players in heart disease because they lead to the physiological issues that put us at risk. Knowing about these and making choices to correct them will put you on a better path.

Chronic Inflammation – this plays a role in almost every chronic disease people have today. Inflammation is caused by excessive oxidative stress on our cells (think rust) which hinders the function of our mitochondria (energy factories). The heart has one of the highest concentrations of mitochondria of our organs, so it suffers the effects of inflammation more quickly.

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How To Get Back On Track

How To Get Back On Track

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Nothing feels better than knowing that you’re progressing in your wellness journey. Yet the holidays can throw a wrench into your progress with delicious baked goods and traditional meals. There really is nothing wrong with those in moderation, but sometimes a few too many treats can cause you to stray from your path.

Just in case you feel you may have strayed and are having trouble finding your way back, here are five tips that can help you get back on track to continue your wellness journey.

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4 Tips For Staying Healthy Through The Holidays

4 Tips to Stay Healthy Through the Holidays

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While the holidays can bring out joy and excitement, there is also more stress from added demands on schedule, finances, and travel plans. Though these stressors can take a toll on your mental and physical health, I have good news! It doesn’t have to drag you down. Approach this time of year with 4 tips to stay healthy through the holidays. Read more

Do You Have Leaky Gut?

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While some fences are effective even when you can see through them, others are only effective when they form a full barrier. This is the case for the junction between your small intestines and your bloodstream. When this internal fence isn’t tight, you have what is called “leaky gut” and this can lead to downstream dis-ease. Do you have leaky gut?

What Is Leaky Gut?

Our gut barrier has the job of letting nutrients into the body while keeping toxins, viruses, parasites and unfriendlies out. When its integrity is impaired, harmful organisms or substances can leak into the bloodstream. Hence the term leaky gut. Read more

You’ve likely heard of food referred to as fuel. But that falls short of reality. Food is far more than fuel, it is also information.

Food Is Far More Than Fuel

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You’ve likely heard of food referred to as fuel – I’ve even spoken that way in the past. But I’m realizing that it’s an analogy that falls short of reality. Food is far more than fuel, it is also information.

Food is what gives your body the energy and nutrients it needs to function. Your body requires fats, proteins and carbs, along with lots of micronutrients – vitamins, minerals and other compounds. All these help it functional properly. Read more

A student of medical history? I have appreciated reflections on the current pandemic in light of prior ones, and the missing messages.

Reflections On The Current Pandemic

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Are you a student of history? I have not studied medical history extensively, yet I have followed others who have done so. I have appreciated their reflections on the current pandemic in light of prior ones.

Emerging diseases take off fast, usually because the pathogens have encountered fresh territory. If the disease is bacterial in nature, it can be countered with antibiotics, but we don’t always know right away. Treatments are explored in a rush to find a cure, but rarely are foundational changes addressed. Read more

Do you battle with stubborn weight? Perhaps you have tried different diet plans with some success, but don't realize hormones are at play.

The Battle With Stubborn Weight

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Do you battle with stubborn weight? Perhaps you have tried a number of different diet plans with some success, but you still hit a wall.  So you visited your doctor and were told to eat less and exercise more. I’m sure you have discovered that’s not your answer either.

While calories can influence weight gain or loss, it’s a more intricate system than most realize. There are a variety of hormones that influence the function of your body and the way it uses the food you consume. Read more