Tips to Avoid Overeating on Thanksgiving

One of the benefits of getting older is the life experience and wisdom you gleam from years of living. You know that what may seem like a great idea in the moment, will have repercussions that aren’t worth it. Take overeating at Thanksgiving. As a child, I loved Thanksgiving. Who doesn’t? My mom use to bake the turkey with strips of bacon on top, so that the bacon would baste the turkey. As strange as it may sound, you have not had bacon until you have had bacon that has been baked on top of a turkey. As you can imagine, when one starts the meal with [...]

More Ways to Nurture Your Gut Microbiome

In my last post, I spoke about the importance of hitting a daily fiber goal of at least 30 grams per day, ideally 50, to nurture your gut microbiome – those good bacteria that live in your gut. Fiber is the non-digestible part of plant foods, and high fiber foods include vegetables, beans, and berries, among others. Your microbiome loves fiber. While adopting a diet high in fiber is one of the most important things you can do to support your microbiome, there are other habits that can provide additional benefit. Let’s take a closer look at what else you can do to keep your gut happy. [...]

Feeding Your Gut Microbiome

If you have been keeping up with the latest health information, then you have probably heard the term “microbiome” a few times. The microbiome is essentially all the bacteria that live in and on your body, and it has a huge impact on overall health, in particular the immune system. In fact, our guts are home to trillions of bacteria. Did you know that there are more bacteria that live in your gut, than there are cells in your body? Pretty amazing. For those practitioners who have a focus on holistic nutrition, we have always understood the importance of a healthy gut and the microbes that live [...]

How to Target Your Protein Intake

How much protein should one get each day? This has been a hotly debated question for many years, if not decades in the nutrition field. Let’s start with some basics though. The recommended dietary allowance or RDA is the amount needed to maintain the health of 97 to 98 percent of individuals in groups according to age and gender. The RDA for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. That translates to an average of 46 grams of protein daily for women and 56 grams of protein for men. Keep in mind though, that the RDA represents the minimum amount you [...]

Think Twice about Eating Shrimp

By now, most of us are educated as to the reasons to avoid farmed salmon. For instance, farmed salmon harbor PCB’s in their flesh, are administered higher levels of antibiotics than livestock, and are kept in containment areas that restrict movement, which can lead to disease. But you may not be aware as to why you should be cautious when purchasing and eating one of the most popular seafood items in the United States. What is it? Shrimp. Oh, we all love shrimp. You see, Americans tend to favor a mild taste when it comes to seafood. I can attest to this. For years I have been trying [...]

Where’s the “Grass Fed” Beef?

We are at the height of grilling season, and for many of you that might mean throwing a nice steak on the grill. But for years we have been told to cut back on beef. The general dietary consensus has been that beef raises your cholesterol, and clogs your arteries. So can beef be part of a healthy diet? Well the issue is a little more complex than “yes” or “no”, so let’s look at some of the finer points. If we go back in time, and look at the Paleolithic diet of our ancestors, we see that animal foods were an important part of the diet. [...]

Cheese. Should you eat it? Yes or No?

Ah, cheese. Most people like it, but many might think that they shouldn't eat it. Why? Because it is high in fat, especially the saturated kind, and high in calories. Well, yes cheese is high in fat, and most of it is saturated fat. But saturated fat isn't nearly as bad for you as you might have been led to believe. The good news is that saturated fat has finally been vindicated after many years of being a nutritional demon. More on that to come. But there may be other reasons to avoid cheese, or at least cut back. Let's break it down. The primary reason to avoid cheese would [...]

Survival Tips for Eating Out

Eating out is is much more prevalent in our daily lives today than it was twenty years ago. With fast-paced lifestyles, and overbooked calendars, it is only natural to turn to restaurant eating more. After all, we can make that meeting into a business lunch or a social get-together. And let's face it, dining options have improved and the variety is amazing! To keep on a healthy track though, it is important to treat eating out like any other meal you might eat. Here are some tips to help you stick to your health goals, while eating out. Don’t go to dinner with the enemy – when [...]

Creamy Chocolate Goodness

I don’t know about you, but when summer hits, I start craving a little bit of ice cream. It probably doesn’t help that there seem to be more and more gourmet ice cream shops opening up in every neighborhood, adding to the temptation. Thank goodness the lines at those stores snake out the door, or it would be far too easy to give in. Well, I’m here to the rescue. I have something today that can hopefully give you that sweet, creamy deliciousness you want out of ice-cream, without all the sugar and calories. This is a great recipe for chocolate lovers. You can make this chocolate [...]

Grilled Sesame Lime Chicken

Serves 4 - 6 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 8 skinless chicken thighs 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon Asian-style fish sauce 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 large limes 2 tablespoons sesame oil, more as needed Coarsely chopped cilantro Thinly sliced red or green chilies, seeded, for garnish (optional) Preparation: Place chicken between two sheets of parchment or plastic wrap. Using a mallet or rolling pin, pound each to an even thickness of 1/2 inch. Do not make them any thinner or they could dry out. In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, fish sauce, ginger and garlic. Grate in zest of 1 lime and squeeze in its juice. Whisk in [...]

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