New Year Health Challenge Week 6: Skip the Alcohol

Welcome to Week 6 of the ten-week New Year Health Challenge, courtesy of Christine Kling of Body Basics LLC in Boise ID.  Though there has been recent research link heart benefits with alcohol consumption, the risks/dangers far outweigh the one benefit. Take a look for yourself. The Bad News Calories. Since alcohol is caloric dense at 7 calories per gram, […]

The Magic of Protein Smoothies and Kids

As much as I love preparing dinner, trying new recipes, and introducing my family to different flavors, I struggle with other meal-times– namely, breakfast and snacks. Breakfast is notorious for its high-calorie, high-carb and sugary assortment of options, ranging from cereals to cinnamon rolls. Though eggs are a great alternative, the family will grow weary […]

A High Carb Diet for Your Kids?

Today is part II in a series about how we shape our children’s eating habits. Click here to read part I. For years, we have been blaming our children’s expanding waistline on fast food restaurants, advertisements on TV, sugary beverages and increased screen time. And while all of these factors are indeed culprits, parents and […]

ABCs of Nutrition: Eat a balanced diet

As I mentioned in my last post on weight loss diets, no clinical research has proven that cutting out or down on a macronutrient is advantageous for your health. In fact, the name macronutrient implies that your body needs it! So why do without? Protein can be converted to glucose to supply energy for the body. […]

Paleo: Diet or Lifestyle?

The Paleo Diet is based on whole foods presumably consumed by hunter-gatherers during the Paleolithic era, specifically animal protein and plants. It consists mainly of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed oils. Many tout this diet to be advantageous for weight loss and […]

Is Gluten-Free The Way to Be? (Part II)

Today’s post is Part II of a two part series on gluten: Is gluten-free the way to be? Click here to read Part I. What is gluten? According to Gluten Intolerance Symptoms, gluten is not a protein itself but rather a protein composite, composed of the proteins glutenin and gliadin (in wheat), secalin (in rye) […]

Protein Diets: The Good, Bad and Need to Know

Lately, it seems, I’m hearing a lot about protein. My husband is increasing his protein intake as a means of building muscle mass. I, myself, have increased the amount of protein I eat over the past several years. My incentive is to gain more endurance for distance running and marathons, and my heavy carbohydrate diet […]