It seems that every time I go out and gather with others, someone says something like this to me: I took XYZ food out of my diet because I read a book or listened to a podcast that said it isn’t good for you. Each of Our Bodies is Different It may be that the […]
We are knee-deep in summer, and for those of us in the northern hemisphere, salads are a great option for lunch. My goto lunch is usually a salad made with some sort of leftovers and whatever else I have in the refrigerator. You may assume that because I am a nutritionist, I am good in […]
Menopause is a complex transition in a woman’s life. During the process, many women gain weight, especially in the midsection. There are a lot of theories on why this may occur. Increased stress, decreased sleep, decreased insulin sensitivity, loss of muscle mass, and changes in diet and lifestyle are things that we can optimize to […]
Diet and lifestyle changes are my first step in reducing chronic inflammation, but sometimes they are just not enough. Supplements can be a very helpful addition to an inflammation-reducing protocol when added to a diet rich in real, whole foods and accompanied by healthy lifestyle habits. That said, if you are eating a diet high […]
Most of us think of our morning coffee as a reward for getting out of bed. It turns out that plain coffee can help reduce inflammation. Coffee is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help remove free radicals and decrease oxidative stress, key components of inflammation. If we do not have much variety in our diet, coffee can become one of […]
I was recently interviewed for an article on www.Parade.com about the best food for fighting inflammation. While many foods are anti-inflammatory, think colorful plant foods, fatty fish, olive oil, coffee, tea, herbs, and spices, along with eating a variety of different foods each day. I will cut to the chase because I know you want […]
Tuna is high in protein, and low in calories and saturated fat. It is inexpensive, quick to prepare, and keeps in the pantry for several years. Tuna contains anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, although not as much as some of the fattier fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and herring. Tuna also contains vitamin D and selenium, […]
Several months ago, I wrote about wanting to go through my cookbooks and either start using them or give them away. I have finally started on that project. When I opened up Kenji Lopez-Alt’s The Food Lab, I started reading the almost 100-page introduction. It is filled with helpful information about what pots, pans, and […]
I am thrilled to be announcing that I am launching my 5-Day Mindful Eating Challenge June 26-30 in collaboration with BossaBars. You might remember that I offered this challenge last winter and got great feedback from the participants. I wanted to relaunch it again this summer. Mindful eating is a practice. It is easy to get […]
I have been noticing two interesting trends in my practice. First, a lot of my clients are not being tested for vitamin D levels. Second, when they are being tested most of my clients are falling below the optimal range. Today I wanted to talk a little bit about some of the benefits of optimizing […]
I read an opinion piece in the New York Times last week about how we currently treat depression. It left me frustrated. It offered two models of care. Therapy and medication and then went on to show how both can in some cases help and how other times neither is helpful. You can read the […]
For those of us who are working on health and wellness goals, meal planning is an important tool in helping us reach those goals. As the old saying goes, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. When we first think of meal planning, it can seem like one more thing to unsexy thing […]
As we end the year I am reflecting on how many of my friends, clients, and family members mention a symptom like stiff joints or sore muscles, brain fog, and new diagnoses around cardiovascular disease, cancer, or blood sugar, weight gain, and then ask, “I know it is a sign of getting older, but is […]
In my own health journey and those of many of my clients, optimizing gut health has been game-changing. I want to share the experience of one client I worked with recently. She came to me with embarrassing bloating and gas, joint pain, brain fog, and anxiety. We worked on balancing blood sugar, removing foods that caused […]
I read an opinion piece in the New York Times last week about how we currently treat depression. It offered two models of care. Therapy and medication and then went on to show how both can in some cases help and how other times neither is helpful. You can read the opinion here. First and […]
Water is in the news a lot. From Flint to Jackson and from the draught to massive floods. Water is one of our most essential ingredients for life. People can only live a few days without water. Many of my clients are confused about how much water is the optimal amount of water to consume […]
My son, husband, and I were working at home one day last week when my husband volunteered to pick something up for lunch for all of us. Usually, we eat whatever we have in the house, so when he offered, my son and I let out an emphatic yes. Then we started the debate about […]
We all know that our soil is being depleted, most of our farms grow the same few varietals, our food often travels long distances to reach us, and most of our grocery store shelves are filled with refined, processed foods. The result of all of this is that our food is less nutrient dense than it […]
You don’t have to be diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes to be interested in managing your sugar balance. Blood sugar affects mood, weight gain, energy, cognition, sleep, hormones, and appetite, and it can be very, very difficult to fully recover from a chronic disease without balancing blood sugar. Signs of Blood Sugar Imbalances If you […]
I was interviewed by Marin Magazine about superfoods — what they are, how they can help us age well, and how to get more of them in our diets. You can find links to the article (that includes some great looking recipes) and the full issue on aging well here. https://marinmagazine.com/food-drink/recipes/4-summer-superfood-recipes-packed-with-ingredients-that-promote-healthy-aging/ https://marinmagazine.com/
School is out and it is summertime. I was at my son’s college graduation this past weekend. The plane was full and filled with kids of all ages. The sun was out and the ice cream stores were open. For those of us who have special diets or health goals we are trying to reach, summertime […]
According to Mental Health America almost 20% of adults, roughly 50 million people, in the US are experiencing a mental illness right now and roughly one-third of us can expect to experience anxiety, one of the most common mental illnesses, sometime within our lifetime. As we talk more openly in society about mental health issues, […]
Recently, I shared some tips about cardiovascular disease. This week I wanted to dig down a little bit deeper into high blood pressure because I am seeing more and more clients, especially women in midlife being diagnosed with high blood pressure (high cholesterol and pre-diabetes, or high blood sugar, seem to pop up all of […]
As I sit at my desk this morning looking out at new spring flowers popping up in my yard, I am reminded that even in California we have seasonal changes and that it brings joy to celebrate them, as subtle as they sometimes are. I like to use the season changing to check in with […]
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