Diet and Nutrition

Why Nutrition and Exercise are Essential to Mental Health

Why would a mental health therapist write and talk about nutrition, exercise, and weight loss? Believe it or not, these are very common subjects in group and individual therapy, as well as coaching. One of the reasons I have chosen to use a sliding-fee scale rather than insurance reimbursements in my private practice is to allow my clients to focus on the goals that are most meaningful to them. Weight loss and health improvement are very important goals to many, allowing them to increase energy and improve self-esteem.

Improving physical energy habits, including sleep, diet, and exercise, is often the first line of attack against the most common mental health concerns of anxiety and depression. Often, counselors must address such topics as part of a treatment plan when a client experiences the common side effect of weight gain as a result of taking medications to fight depression, bipolar disorder, psychotic symptoms, etc. In some cases, anti-depressant medication may be an optional tool to allow a client the extra boost needed to do the therapeutic work that can bring him or her out of that depression. (more…)

Posted on March 22, 2024 by Brooke Randolph

We Love Sea Point Farms Edamame and Goji Blend

This week, we love Sea Point Farms’ dry roasted Edamame and Goji Berry Blend. This super healthy snack is the perfect combination of salty and sweet. Crunchy dry roasted edamame and chewy, tangy, dried goji berries make the perfect duo when you are looking for something yummy to snack on that’s healthy, too!

One one-ounce serving has 120 calories, 3 grams of fat, a whopping 7 grams of fiber and 11 grams of muscle-building protein, thanks to the protein punch of the baby soybeans. (more…)

Posted on March 20, 2024 by heather

Experience the Health Benefits of Mushrooms

I know I say it and I’m sure you have heard others say it, “when eating fruits and veggies, pick the colorful produce because they are the most nutrient-dense.” While this statement is very true, it unfortunately leaves out a very plainly colored, but healthy veggie, the mushroom. People enjoy mushrooms for its versatility in foods, from a pizza topping, to an ingredient in soup, pastas, meat dishes, and more.

Mushrooms offer many essential nutrients (a nutrient required for normal body functioning that cannot be synthesized by the body and thus must be obtained from a dietary source), including: (more…)

Posted on March 20, 2024 by Kinsey

National Nutrition Month Reminds Older Adults and Kids How To “Eat Right”

National Nutrition Month (NNM) is an annual campaign focusing on nutrition education and providing health information, which is complied by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). The National Nutrition Month campaign focuses on making healthy food choices, developing sound eating habits, and being physically active everyday. The ADA makes a point to highlight specific nutrition facts for the older adults and kids.

Special Nutrient Needs for Older Adults

Calcium and Vitamin D. More vitamin D and calcium are needed as we age to help maintain bone health. The best way to assure you are getting enough is to include three servings of vitamin D-fortified, low-fat or fat-free milk and yogurt each day. Other calcium-rich foods sources include: fortified cereals and fruit juices, dark green leafy vegetables and canned fish with soft bones. (If you take a calcium supplement or multivitamin, choose one that contains vitamin D.) (more…)

Posted on March 18, 2024 by Kinsey

Study Finds Benefits of Beer after Exercise

Beer or no beer? A study of 25 college students was performed a few years back and found that beer may have some positive influences on the body after a long tough workout. The students were split into two groups and asked to exercise in 104 degree weather. One group was given beer and the other group was given water to help them recover. The study was conducted for several months and according to the professors and scientists in charge, the students that were given beer appeared to be better hydrated than those given water. They believe that beer helps you retain liquid better than water and the carbohydrates in the beer help replace lost calories.

On the other hand, most of us exercise to lose weight and drinking beer after exercising pretty much defeats the purpose. (The average light beer has 103 calories, 5.7g carbs and 14mg sodium.) Why put empty calories back in your body after trying to burn them? I recommend drinking plenty of water while exercising and then eating a healthy meal or snack after the bout of exercise to help replenish the body. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and I will get back to as soon as possible.

Posted on March 17, 2024 by Matt

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Delicious Irish Soda Bread

Joining us in March as the Featured Guest Blogger of the Month is California Raisins. They’ve got a team of nutrition professionals who want to ensure all of us are living as healthy as possible, providing information about healthy, natural snacks.

The first St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the United States date back to parades in the mid-1700s and to this day the tradition continues. Today, four-leaf clovers, wearing green, tales of Leprechauns, and of course, serving Irish foods to friends and family, are all iconic of a cheerful stateside St. Patrick’s Day celebration. One of the most popular Irish foods for St. Patrick’s Day festivities is Irish Soda Bread.

Irish Soda Bread is a dense quick bread that uses baking soda for leavening, rather than yeast, making it a quick and easy recipe to bake at home. Various recipes for soda bread are popular throughout Ireland, but American versions of Irish Soda Bread traditionally include California raisins, which add a scrumptious sweetness and also help to keep the soda bread moist. Raisins are naturally fat- and cholesterol-free and contain potassium, fiber and iron – all important to help keep up strength for St. Patrick’s Day merriment! Below is our guilt-free, yet indulgently delicious, Irish Soda Bread recipe made with the natural goodness of whole grains and raisins. (more…)

Posted on March 17, 2024 by Natalie K

“Eat Right!” for National Nutrition Month

National Nutrition Month® is the annual nutrition campaign held in March to provide nutrition education and information. This campaign was created by the American Dietetic Association (ADA), in which they strives to improve Americans’ eating habits by stressing the importance of making healthy food choices, developing nutritious eating habits, and helping to incorporate physical activity to your every day life.

This year’s theme is simple and to the point: “Eat Right,” and the ADA website provides us with the 2024 Key Messages to help make sure we “Eat Right.”

Eating Right Messages for Everyone
Eating right and staying fit are important at every age! By making healthy food choices and being physically active every day you will help yourself live a more energized and healthier life (not to mention, feeling great about yourself!). Don’t get stressed and feel like eating right is complicated, start with these recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans: (more…)

Posted on March 16, 2024 by Kinsey

5 Health Signs Women Shouldn’t Ignore

This morning on the Today Show, they discussed eight signs women should not ignore and the causes of them. I found this very informative and helpful information for us all. Below are the five signs and symptoms that women should not ignore that I found to be the most pressing. You can view the list in its entirety at the Today Show.

Flu-like symptoms: (Fatigue, chills, sweating, nausea) Most likely caused by a virus, but could be a sign of a heart attack. Other signs of a heart attack could be: pain in chest, dizziness, shortness of breath, or pain in the back or arms.
Burning or tingling feet: Most likely caused by tight fitting shoes, but could be a sign of pre-diabetes. Other signs of diabetes are excessive weight loss, extreme hunger and thirst, or fatigue. (more…)

Posted on March 16, 2024 by Matt

Food Fight: Kahiki Vegetable Egg Rolls vs. Trader Joe’s Stir-Fried Veggie Rolls

Who doesn’t love egg rolls? Crispy on the outside, stuffed with soft veggies and spices and dipped in a sweet sauce…they are a Chinese take-out staple. But considering that an average egg roll packs about 400 calories and 16 grams of fat, they kind of sabotage the lean calories in your well-intentioned steamed Buddha’s Feast.

Food manufacturers have been hard at work creating low-fat and low-cal egg rolls that serve up heaps of taste, but not heaps of weight. When it comes to store-bought egg rolls, we love both Kahiki’s new veggie egg rolls and Trader Joe’s. So we’ve decided to pin them against each other in a food fight. Here are how their stats stack up: (more…)

Posted on March 16, 2024 by heather

Find the Healthiest Fast-Food Restaurants

We always hear about how unhealthy restaurants are with their giant portion sizes and fat-laden meals, but what about shedding some positive light on restaurants? After all, many restaurants go to great lengths to ensure they’re serving delicious food that let you make healthy dining choices.

The Chick-Fil-A chargrilled chicken sandwich helps this restaurant earn an A- from Eat This, Not That.

David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, of Men’s Health magazine and co-creators of the Eat This, Not That series, have researched the country’s healthiest restaurants and rated them on a number of different factors. They looked at the calories contained in an average restaurant entree, which is also an indicator of portion size as well as whether or not the restaurant served a fruit or veggie side dish, if they offered whole grains and whether they cooked with trans fats.

Here are their top picks for healthy restaurants: (more…)

Posted on March 14, 2024 by heather

We Love Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

This week, we can’t stop munching and crunching on blue corn tortilla chips! These snack-friendly chips are not just your ordinary tortilla chips. Not only are they more colorful, but they pack 20% more protein than a white or yellow corn tortilla and they score lower on the glycemic index than their paler counterparts since they only contain about 68% starch (white contains 75%).

Just in case you were wondering, according to WebMD, the blue color comes from the antioxidant anthocyanin in the corn, which are the same compounds found in berries and red wine.

Our favorite bag of blue chips comes from Garden of Eatin’. They’re organic, and have a variety of options to keep your blue chip dippin’ interesting.

Next time you’re scooping some salsa, up the nutritional content and yum-factor and grab a bag of blues!

Posted on March 13, 2024 by heather

Diet and Nutrition

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