Diet and Nutrition

May is National Salad Month

vegetable-saladI know – who knew that there was a National Salad Month?  Certainly not me, and I eat a LOT of salad.  I try, every day, to eat my recommended five fruits and veggies, and a salad at lunch is a terrific way to bump those numbers up quickly. It’s yummy as well! Many salads, especially those you can get in restaurants or fast-food places, aren’t as healthy as they could be, full of fat and loaded with high calorie ingredients such as dressings and croutons.  How can you transform that calorie laden dish into a lighter, even more flavorful dish? (more…)

Posted on May 9, 2024 by Carmen

Feeling the Squeeze: 4 Signs Your Eating Plan is too Restrictive

Rebecca Scritchfield, MA, RD, ACSM HFS is a Washington, D.C. based dietitian and weight management expert. Together with Bernie Salazar, at-home winner of The Biggest Loser, she co-created “The Nurture Principles” – Five mantras to help people change their lives and find wellness within.

If you’ve ever lost weight by cutting calories then you can understand the allure of restricting further to accelerate weight loss. But just because a little is good – more is not better. An eating plan that is too restrictive is a first-class ticket to sabotage. Find out if your current plan needs loosening up.

You cut out foods you love.

If your diet has you avoiding specific foods, especially ones you love, it is essentially setting you up for failure. There’s no reason that even the most “forbidden” food can’t be included in a healthy eating plan. You deserve to love the foods you eat. Include a small portion of something that satisfies – whether you crave sweet or salty foods. (more…)

Posted on May 9, 2024 by GuestBlogger

125 Packaged Foods That Won’t Wreck Your Diet

grocery shoppingEating packaged foods is often the most economical option. The problem is, they’re also often the most unhealthy. On top of that, labels are confusing, and even intentionally misleading. You have terms like “50 percent less fat” or “reduced sodium.” But those phrases beg the questions: 50 percent less fat, but how much fat is left? And, reduced sodium… from what level? I realize that it’s simply a matter of reading the labels, but for the average person, the implication of something being healthier by subtraction seems to validate the product. Not so.

There’s help on the way. (more…)

Posted on May 8, 2024 by Jason

Interview with Allison Fishman of Cook Yourself Thin

Allison Fishman, left, of Cook Yourself Thin with co-stars Harry Eastwood and Candice Kumai.

Allison Fishman, left, of Cook Yourself Thin with co-stars Harry Eastwood and Candice Kumai.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Allison Fishman, one of the co-stars of Lifetime’s new show Cook Yourself Thin, which made its American debut just this past week. Allison is a passionate chef  who owns The Wooden Spoon, a Brooklyn-based culinary school, who sharpened her own culinary skills while working for Martha Stewart, the Food Network and TLC’s Home Made Simple. She shared with us how she got her start cooking healthy (it’s a story, all working women can relate to) and some of her favorite slimming secrets in the kitchen.

Listen now to the interview in its entirety, or continue to read the highlights from my interview with Allison Fishman.


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Posted on May 7, 2024 by heather

5 Good Reasons to Shop a Farmer’s Market

farmers-marketFarmer’s markets are markets that allow customers to purchase locally grown, flavorful, farm-fresh, organic produce.  This type of market is great because it comes straight from the ground to your hands.  This type of market allows farmers to develop personal relationships with the buyers and the consumers can show their loyalty with the farmers.  The setup to the market varies, but typically it takes place once or twice a week at a designated public place.  Some markets even make it more of a social get-together by providing live entertainment. (more…)

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Kinsey

The Blood Type Diet

eat-right-4-your-typeThe popularity of Facebook quizzes is a pretty good indication that people enjoy learning about themselves through short descriptions. As a student of psychology, I have studied several personality and psychological tests from the Rorschach to MMPI to Myers Briggs Type Indicator. I have spent a lot of time learning about the MBTI and find it very helpful in understanding communication and relationships. Many people take the MBTI during college at some point. The MMPI is one of the tests most often used when evaluating for the courts. Less scientific tests are often used for Human Resources departments. In Japan, the most popular personality measure is blood type; they use it for everything from employment to dating to marketing. (more…)

Posted on May 5, 2024 by Brooke Randolph

Top 10 Must-Have Pantry Basics

pantry-basicsSo, you’ve got a busy life.  Classes, work, errands, a few kids thrown in the mixture that have this annoying habit of wanting to eat on a regular schedule.  What’s a busy mom to do?  Well, wait – scratch that.  A busy mom might not think twice about hitting the drive-thru a few times a week.  That’s not great for your wallet, and it definitely plays havoc on your health.  I’m trying to focus more on the healthy side of the balance, though, and fast-food drive-ins don’t play well.  So here’s a list of items that I keep on hand all the time to make a quick, healthy meal on the fly.

1 – Canned Beans. HUGE amounts of flavor, fiber and protein, and low in both fat and calories.

2- Whole Grain Pasta. Quick cooking and high in protein, you can make virtually anything – pasta salad, serve it with sauce, mix it with beans.

3- Frozen Vegetables and Fruits. Flash frozen straight from the field, they have a surprisingly high vitamin content and you can add them to tomato sauce to help fill little tummies.  Frozen fruits make excellent smoothies, perfect for a fast breakfast. (more…)

Posted on May 5, 2024 by Carmen

Frugal Cooking Tips from Clara, a Great Depression Survivor

Great Depression Cooking with Clara

Great Depression Cooking with Clara

In these uncertain financial times, it’s always good to be aware of how much you’re spending on food. If you’re looking for frugal cooking tips, go no further than this spunky 93-year-old cook named Clara. If anyone knows what it’s like to survive in tough times, it would be someone who lived through the Great Depression. She turned that experience into valuable inspiration for the rest of us.

It’s those experiences that were the inspiration for her Great Depression Cooking with Clara DVD. It’s a collection of her popular YouTube cooking shows, plus extra features you can’t find anywhere else.

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Posted on May 4, 2024 by Jason

The 4 Most Common Workout Mistakes

fitnessWorking out is not rocket science, but people often make a few crucial mistakes while trying to find the right program. Nutrition, length and style of exercise, and goal selection are among the few common mistakes made in today’s fitness driven world.

  • Poor Nutrition. Nutrition is just as, if not more important than exercise itself. Finding the right diet for the level and type of exercise routine you are doing is crucial to helping you reach your goals.
  • Length of Exercise. Another big mistake is exercising for too long or too short a time. You should find a length of workout time that is suitable for your current level of fitness and goal. This will help you by not over-doing it or under-doing it. (more…)
Posted on May 4, 2024 by Matt

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with these Healthy Tips

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for the 5th of May) is right around the corner and I know many people are planning to partake in this Mexican holiday.  Depending on how you celebrate this holiday I know a lot of fun, music, food, and alcohol are involved. This year I want to give you some simple tips to keep in mind to have a healthier Cinco de Mayo celebration.chips-and-salsa

  • Remember Mexican food with vegetables, seafood, and fruit is healthy, light, and lower in calories.
  • Make the food at home.  This way you can use lower fat products (2% milk cheeses) to help control calories and fat.
Posted on May 3, 2024 by Kinsey

We Love Revolution Foods and Fruitabu

revolution-foods-mashupsToday’s guest blog comes from an in-the-know mom. Naomi Shapiro is the stay-at-home mom who “didn’t expect to be” over at Superdumb Supervillain. She’s got two kiddos to chase after and fill both hers and their diets with foods they’ll eat, enjoy and will be good for them. Today she offers a great product recommendation.

This week, we love putting something in our kiddo’s lunchbox that we can feel good about. And that they’ll actually want to eat… Like fruit. Only, without the annoying tendency to bruise when tossed around in a backpack. Or the need to wash, peel or even slice it.

Mashups by Revolution Foods are organic 100% fruit purees that come in three kid-friendly flavors (grape, berry, tropical fruit) and contain no preservatives or added sugar. Perhaps more importantly- and certainly more fun!- they come in a squeezable pouch that requires no utensils. Hands-free Mashups are resealable, which is convenient for feeding babies on the go. The 90g pouches each contain 60 calories or less, making them a decent snack option for calorie counting parents, too. (more…)

Posted on May 3, 2024 by Natalie K