Author Archives: Dana

About Dana

Dana runs, she bakes, and she writes, making her perfect for us! She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Wichita State University, has a self-taught proficiency for vegan and vegetarian baking, and considers herself a lifelong learner of all things health. She lives life to the fullest in Wichita, KS with her husband.

This Green Tea Power Smoothie is the Ultimate Power Breakfast

Smoothies are the ultimate power breakfast, in my opinion. In one easy and portable drink, you get multiple servings of fruit and vegetables plus protein so it always lasts you till lunch. And no matter what the ingredients are it always ends up tasting delicious, which makes me think my blender has magical powers.

Once I discovered you could add spinach to smoothies without altering the taste, my morning breakfast was forever changed. In this smoothie, we add spinach and green tea powder, or “matcha,” which contains more antioxidants than brewed green tea, raspberries and blueberries combined!

In other words, this is one of the healthiest smoothies on the block! (more…)

Posted on March 10, 2024 by Dana

Food Blogger Spotlight: Kelsey Brown of Happyolks

If you haven’t visited Kelsey Brown’s blog Happyolks where “recipes and stories for happy folks” are born, you’re missing out. Kelsey and her husband treat Happyolks as a collaborative project, where he takes the photographs and she develops the recipes and shares some of the most beautiful stories you’ll read. Trust me, I read a lot of blogs but hers remains one of my absolute favorites.

When you visit Happyolks, expect to find whole foods recipes, breathtaking imagery, and thoughtful narrative that will pierce your soul. We had the extreme pleasure of speaking with Kelsey recently about her blog and her approach to health. Here’s what she had to say. (more…)

Posted on May 19, 2023 by Dana

Classic Oatmeal Cookie Sandwiches Are a Healthy Treat Worth Indulging In

Remember those oatmeal cookie sandwiches with the creamy, sweet filling that you used to swipe from vending machines and beg your parents for in the grocery store? Well, these are those, only a million times healthier. A cause for healthful indulgence? We think, yes.

These oatmeal cookie sandwiches are almost 100% vegan and made with healthful ingredients like rolled oats, grated carrots, whole wheat flour and banana. Though the inspiration for the recipe was pre-packaged oatmeal cream pies, these little guys take the treat to a whole new level and are even better than the original (we think). (more…)

Posted on May 13, 2023 by Dana

Food Blogger Spotlight: Ashley McLaughlin of Edible Perspective

When I stumbled upon Ashley’s McLaughlin’s blog Edible Perspective years ago, I was first drawn to the stunning photography. Ultimately, her sunshiney personality, amazingly creative recipes, and down-to-earth writing style hooked me in.

To date, Ashley’s recipes are some of the healthiest and most delicious recipes I’ve tried from any food blog – and I’ve visited a lot. The girl taught me how to make almond butter for goodness sake! Stop by Ashley’s blog for a wealth of information on gluten free and vegan cooking, as well as desserts that always fall on the healthier side – my favorite kind.

Why did you start your food blog?

Edible Perspective started after making a cross-country move to Colorado with my husband, Chris. When we first moved out west we were lucky enough to stay with Chris’s brother and wife for a few months as we furiously hunted for jobs. To return the favor to them, I cooked our weeknight dinners and decided to document my creations along the way. It was at this time when I finally decided to pick up Chris’s clunky dSLR camera and put down my trusty point-and-shoot. I never imagined what it would evolve into! (more…)

Posted on May 12, 2023 by Dana

Medifast Turns Its Popular 5&1 Meal Plan Into a Holiday

Medifast customers joined in celebrating a new “holiday” on May 1 called “5&1 day” in honor of the continued success of its popular 5&1 meal plan. The holiday came at an opportune time for the diet company, which also launched a series of new additions to the My Medifast community page – a section of the website dedicated to customer support.

Medifast’s executive vice president Brian Kagen told Diets In Review the idea for the holiday was inspired by Medifast’s primary 5&1 diet program. Customers on the 5&1 plan enjoy five Medifast Meals and 1 Lean and Green Meal of their choice. “We were celebrating the success of our clients and looking at the calendar and it was 5-1,” he said. “It seemed like a great opportunity to celebrate the wonderful experiences our clients have had.” (more…)

Posted on May 6, 2023 by Dana

Mika Brzezinski Addresses Food Addiction in Her New Book “Obsessed: America’s Food Addiction and My Own”

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Journalist and MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” co-host, Mika Brzezinski is releasing a new book this week about her struggle with food addiction. The book is titled “Obsessed: America’s Food Addiction and my Own.”

Brzezinski appeared on Today this morning to discuss the book and defend any critics who might think because of her trim figure that she has no place to write on the topic of food addiction. However, the author contends her addiction to food looks just like anyone else’s, obese or not. “This book is all about the need to nurture a conversation and start turning back the tide of the obesity epidemic,” she said.

Though her weight wouldn’t reflect it, Brzezinski likens her food addiction to an alcohol or drug addiction, because she feels powerless over it. Even while writing the book Brzezinski admits she “fell off the wagon,” several times, one night eating an entire jar of nutella after what she calls a binging episode induced by the insomnia medication, Ambien. (more…)

Posted on May 6, 2023 by Dana

Dr. Oz’s “It’s Not Me” Campaign is a Sad Attempt to Clear His Name from Products He’s Endorsed

Dr. Mehmet Oz appeared on the Today Show this morning to discuss a new campaign he’s launching to address an issue that’s caused some confusion amongst his fans as to which products he endorses.

The campaign is called “It’s Not Me” and is seeking to fight against brands illegally using his name to endorse their products. “I don’t sell any products,” said Dr. Oz. “If you see my name next to a product being sold to you, they’re lying to you.” Dr. Oz reports that he has teamed up with Google, Facebook and other large “internet vendors” to address this issue.

Dr. Oz considers supplement ads to be most concerning because they’re potentially dangerous when mixed with medications, something the average consumer is not educated on. “Someone, I believe, will die this year because of some of these fraudulent ads,” he said. (more…)

Posted on May 6, 2023 by Dana

Pineapple Agua Fresca is the One Summer Drink You Must Try

When it comes to beverages I’m usually indifferent. Between drink and food, I’ll always choose the latter for my calorie splurges. But when a healthy indulgence comes along in liquid form I’ll at least consider giving it a shot.

After testing four agua fresca recipes this week – yes, four – pineapple agua fresca was the clear winner; the absolute best! This leads me to believe if there’s one fruity drink you indulge in this summer, this simply must be it!

(more…)

Posted on May 6, 2023 by Dana

Food Blogger Spotlight: Kate Webster of The Little Loaf

Kate Webster has grown quite the following with her healthy approach to baking at her blog, The Little Loaf. Based in West London, Kate enjoys finding healthier alternatives to otherwise heavy treats like cakes, muffins and breads, and shares a thoughtful story with each recipe she creates. It’s clear there’s equal parts sugar, equal parts love that go into The Little Loaf.

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Kate about her blog and her healthful approach to food and life. Here’s what she had to say.

Why did you start your food blog?

Nicknamed at the age of two by a great aunt who noticed my appetite for bread was bigger than I was, I’ve always loved baking. Commercial bread can be so disappointing (not to mention unhealthy) so in 2024 I decided to start baking all my own from scratch. My boyfriend (now fiancé) convinced me to start a blog to document my progress, and the little loaf blog evolved from there. (more…)

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Dana

4 out of 5 Americans Aren’t Getting Enough Exercise

exercise

A new report report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that roughly 20 percent of U.S. adults are getting the recommended amount of exercise.

According to MedicalNewsToday.com, most Americans are falling short in the area of strength training. Research revealed only one in five U.S. adults is meeting the requirements for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening components of the physical activity guideline issued by the federal government.

Research was based on a phone survey of adults aged 18 and older issued by state health departments. (more…)

Posted on May 3, 2023 by Dana

Kerry Ann King Lost 100 Pounds by Following Her Motherly Instincts

Kerry Ann King of New York City was never a willowy, lanky child, and instead carried a short and stout build. Being involved in ballet where tiny and petite were the norm left her feeling like a square peg in a round hole.

To make matters worse, the ballet school Kerry attended encouraged dieting even at a young age to keep a slim physique. Kerry, now 44, recalls dancing 10-12 hours days on nothing but a few pieces of fruit. But when she quit dancing at age 15, her less active lifestyle and confused metabolism led to quick and steady weight gain. When she ventured into other sports she eventually injured her knee, which led to a cycle of rehab/recovery/re-injury that only further piled on the weight.

It wasn’t until Kerry became pregnant that she realized permanent changes to the way she ate and treated her body were necessary. During her first pregnancy Kerry found benefit in reading the classic pregnancy book, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.” (more…)

Posted on May 1, 2023 by Dana

Author Archives: Dana

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