Diet and Nutrition

Nature’s Best Nutrition Secret is Raw Cacao

I get many funny looks when I tell my health coaching clients that I whole-heartedly endorse a fully stocked chocolate supply in every household. Afterall, it’s one of the most important food groups!

We’ve all heard about the benefits of dark chocolate, but you can get even more nutrition by eating the beans themselves. Raw, unprocessed cacao is one of nature’s best nutrition secrets.

It’s super food with super powers:

Loaded with tons of magnesium for muscle and nerve function and to stabilize heart rhythms
More antioxidants and disease fighting properties than red wine or green tea!
Improves focus and pleasure: cacao stimulates the euphoric neurotransmitters in the brain
Aids in calcium absorption
Stabilizes mood swings (more…)

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Katie McGrath

5 Fun Ways to Enjoy an Adult Spring Break!

Happy Spring Break, guys! Even if you do not have a week off of like back in the school days, I have good news: There are plenty of ways to enjoy adult versions of Spring Break! Here are five easy, fun, and most importantly, healthy ways to enjoy Spring Break.

1. Take a hiking trip!
Even if you only have a day or two off of work (aka, a weekend), that is plenty of time to go on a long hike. Make it a picnic by packing sparkling water, hummus, and mixed raw vegetables. Becuase I know I always need something to look forward to—besides the beautiful view—by the time I make it to the top! (more…)

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Jessica Tholmer

The Secret Health Benefit of Cruciferous Veggies

By Team Best Life

All vegetables are good for you, but certain groups may pack a greater nutritional punch than others. Take cruciferous vegetables, the family that includes broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy and more. They’re loaded with antioxidant vitamins and phytochemicals, which offer protection against a number of illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s, according to research.

Now, experts say they may have figured out why these veggies are so beneficial: They seem to reduce inflammation, which plays a role in many of these diseases. In the study, people who ate the most cruciferous veggies had the lowest levels of three different inflammatory compounds—as much as 25 percent less—in their blood compared to those who ate the least cruciferous veggies. (more…)

Posted on April 15, 2024 by BestLifeDiet

The Goodbun: A Fast Food Revolution

Alec Fernandez and Daniel del Campo, two young, innovative gentleman from Miami, Florida, have a grand plan: to revolutionize the fast food industry as we know it. Ferndandez and del Campo fully understand the struggles of balancing a jam-packed schedule and eating healthy on the fly because, let’s face it: sometimes, the only option is to grab food on the go. Their idea is to create better options for Americans who need to occasionally rely on fast food.

On a recent Nielsen survey, the number one reason people choose fast food is to save time. People are literally claiming to not have the right time to eat healthfully, and that is something that we have to change. The duo acknowledges that there is no real good-for-you-fast-food choice. Until now. (more…)

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Jessica Tholmer

Work it Off: 3 Ways to Burn Off a 612-Calorie Margarita

This week I met up with a couple of girlfriends for a welcome home dinner. We went out for healthy Mexican food at Porque No?, one of my favorite restaurants here in Portland. They have tasty fish tacos, homemade tortilla chips, and delish guacamole. They also make a mean margarita. I ordered one, but I got way more than I bargained for—a margarita served in a full-on pint glass. (As in, way bigger than the one below:)

A pint of margarita means essentially two cocktails in one, at least. Margaritas are already known for being one of the more sugary, calorie-loaded cocktails out there so I knew I was breaking some sort of rule by drinking it. (At least I stopped at one!) When I checked the calorie count for this tequila spiked treat I found that a 3.3 fl oz serving has 153 calories. Not bad, until you factor in that the one I had was around 16 fl oz! Multiply that number by 4 and you’ve got over 600 calories in a glass!

(Too bad they weren’t following our recipe for a Skinny Margarita!

What are a few ways I could have burned off the 612 calories in this big and tasty drink? (more…)

Posted on April 13, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

Kelly Therieau Lost 113 Pounds But She’s Not Focused On The Number – “I’ll Stop When I’m Healthy.”

There is not a specific number that I am shooting for – I’ll stop when I’m healthy.

Kelly Therieau isn’t striving to reach a magical number on the scale, she just wants to be a better, healthier version of herself. After losing 113 pounds, she’s well on her way. Today, Kelly opens up about the “light bulb” moment that created clarity for her “cold turkey” weight loss, and the way she’s using her journey to help others.

At almost 300 pounds, Kelly knew she was headed into dangerous territory. When diabetes, liver issues and heart distress made her a weekly visitor to her doctor’s office, she felt her health spiraling further out of control. Her doctor confirmed this when he sat her down and told her if she didn’t make a huge lifestyle change, she wouldn’t live to see 40. She was only 36.

She had often joked that she was still carrying 19 years worth of baby fat, but sitting in the car after that appointment, she remembers having a, “huge meltdown.” At that moment she knew it was time for the jokes and excuses to end. A lifetime of bad eating habits and inactivity had taken their toll.

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Posted on April 12, 2024 by Dani Stone

Students Not Drinking Enough Water, Even When It’s Handed to Them

Less than one-third of kids and teens meet the daily recommended daily water intake for their age group. To improve that statistic, the USDA issued a mandate to go into effect at the beginning of the 2024-2024 school year stating the schools participating in the National School Lunch Program must provide free drinking water to students.

Researchers from the University of Michigan and University of Illinois have found the majority of schools have met the mandate and provide water to their students during lunch. But the real trick is getting students to actually drink more water.

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Posted on April 11, 2024 by Elizabeth

Get Creative in the Kitchen with DIY Taco Seasoning

Improvising can be a lot harder than it looks. (Just ask the cast of “Saturday Night Live”.) Going off-script in the kitchen can be especially challenging, at least at first—after all, what if you screw up and make something that doesn’t taste good?!

But once you get over those initial fears of failure—which is a lot easier once you remind yourself that you can always get takeout!—adding a spirit of adventure to your cooking will likely make the entire experience more enjoyable. Before you know it you’ll be adding a dash of this and a pinch of that to your home creations.

But before you start yelling “Bam” like Emeril and dreaming up crazy-but-tasty flavor explosions, start small.

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Posted on April 10, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

You’re Not Crazy. The Cereal Box is Designed to Stare at You

Ever feel like your cereal box is staring at you? If you do, you’re not alone. New research from Cornell University Food and Brand Lab shows the somewhat creepy, blank stares of popular cereal mascots are designed to specifically to stare you down as you decide which brand to buy. They’re also probably part of the reason kids seem to be drawn to sugary, less healthful brands.

The study also found what most of us already know. In stores, cereals targeted at children tend to be on lower, easy-to-reach shelves. They’re also at an optimal height to be in kids’ lines of sight. Healthier “adult” cereals tend to be placed higher up and out of kids’ easy reach.

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Posted on April 10, 2024 by Elizabeth

6 Health Habits to Take Home from Japan

Recently I was lucky enough to spend 10 days in Japan. It was cherry blossom season—and a trip that’s been on my bucket list for a while. I only learned two new Japanese words—”konichiwa” is “hello” and “arigato” is “thank you”—but I figured out at least a few explanations for why Japan continues to rate high in rankings of the world’s healthiest countries. Here are a few tricks that are helping our neighbors to the west—who boast the greatest proportion of citizens over 100—live long and healthy lives:

Fish comes first: Eaten raw, cooked, or somewhere in between, not a day went by that I didn’t have fish during my trip. All of this seafood was good for my body and brain: the blend of lean protein and healthy fats makes fish a staple in many diet and healthy eating programs. I’ve always liked sushi, but this visit gave me a new appreciation for sashimi—basically raw fish any rice: You get all of the benefits of the fish without the calories or sugar of the rice!

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Posted on April 10, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

America the Fat? Nationwide Obesity Rates are at Highest Levels Since 2024

Obesity rates are above 15 percent in all but one of the 189 communities surveyed by Gallup and Healthways, despite the goal set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2024 program.

In fact, according to their survey, the U.S. obesity rate as a whole rose to 27.1 percent, which is the highest rate recorded nationwide since Gallup and Healthways began tracking in 2024.

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Posted on April 8, 2024 by Elizabeth

Diet and Nutrition

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