Healthy Holiday Gift Guide
Nikki Ownby
A gift is an opportunity to show a special someone that you see them, you love them, and you’re grateful for them in your life. These are a few of the things that we love as to give (and receive) to elevate the health of our loved ones. We hope they help you find the perfect gift for at least one person on your list! We’ve included our top picks for the fashionista, the foodie, the traveler, the weightlifter and HIIT enthusiast, the runner, the golfer, the outdoorsman, the yogi and the cyclist.
Are You Eating Enough?
Julia Barber
Whether you’re trying to lose, maintain or gain weight, eating enough is one of the most important things you can do to reach your goal. When trying to achieve weight loss/maintenance goals, it’s tempting to consume less calories in an effort to speed up the process, but not eating enough can actually have negative effects on your goals and overall health.
Overcoming Sugar Addiction
Allison Lesko RD LD
Whether we are consuming sweet desserts, snacks or drinks, studies have finally shown that sugar is in everything. Not only is this the case, but it has been found to have actual addictive properties which makes it even harder to say no to them. Just like a person with a drug addiction, once we stop consuming sugar, our body immediately craves it.
5 Scary Health Myths
Julia Barber
In honor of the spookiest time of the year, let's talk about what scares us! Zombies? Vampires? Werewolves? How about carbs? Or maybe eggs? While it’s always fun to get a little spooky for Halloween, most of us know that zombies, vampires, and werewolves aren’t real.
What Happens When You Eat Quality Food
Jillian Tedesco
When I finally decided to “trust the process,” and give quality food a chance (rather than eating mountains of low-calorie, processed foods/drinks), I drastically improved my relationship with food, lost over 20lbs, and have sustained my results ever since.
Master Portion Control with These 5 Tips
Julia Barber
Practicing portion control is not just something you should do when you’re trying to lose weight. Controlling your portions is essential for good health and nutrition as well as your relationship with food. It’s also important to note that it’s just as easy to under-eat as it is to overeat and both can have negative effects on your health.
5 Steps to Make a Meal Plan
Julia Barber
A goal without a plan is just a wish. Let's talk planning, meal planning to be exact. Do you know what you’re eating for lunch or dinner 2 days from now? Being hungry after a long day and realizing you have nothing to eat is without question stressful. Instead of making your 3rd last minute trip to the grocery store or drive thru for the week, maybe a meal plan is what you need.
5 Healthy BBQ Recipes
Jillian Tedesco
As a healthy chef, I love to grill but you won’t find me cooking hotdogs or heavy meats. I grill to bring flavor and dimension to my meals, all while creating an experience for my guests. We typically think of Memorial Day, Labor Day or the 4th of July as an opportunity to have a BBQ. So, I’m going to show you how you can make an amazing meal and not worry about throwing your healthy habits down the drain with heavy meats, processed carbs, or fattening potato salad.
4 Tips to Snack Healthfully
Allison Lesko RD LD
In the past, snacking has gotten a bad wrap due to its long-term association with mindless acts of boredom and giving into emotions, only leading to weight gain. Contrary to its historic connotation, snacking has been shown to promote weight loss and keep it off for life--if done properly. In this blog I’ll cover what healthy snacking is, benefits of snacking, and how to snack to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle.
How to Get Started Eating Healthy
Julia Barber
Changing your eating habits can often feel like an ongoing, impossible task. This is hugely related to most people simply not knowing where to start or what “healthy eating” even means. So if you find yourself lost and needing some guidance and motivation to get started, stay tuned, we got you!
How to Ditch Bad Habits (and Form Good Ones)
Julia Barber
Before fully committing and making progress towards ditching your bad habits, it’s important to understand what stage of behavior change you’re in. Theoretically, there are 4 stages of habit change: contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance.
6 Tips for Eating Healthy at a Restaurant
Julia Barber
Eating out at a restaurant should be a fun treat, but can often be scary or frustrating if you’re worried about what to eat in unfamiliar territory. What do I order? Do I eat before so I don't eat too much? Should I just order a drink? Should I even go? No need to fear! With these helpful tips you’ll be able to dine out like a pro without the guilt or fear of sabotaging your healthy lifestyle.
4 Tips to Practice Intuitive Eating
Allison Lesko RD LD
An intuitive eater is defined as a person who makes food choices without experiencing guilt. This is because their focus is on listening to the body and eating foods that satisfy and nourish it. This way of thinking is used to heal the mind and move away from the mentality that you have to be “on a diet” in order to be happy with your body.
How to Build A Healthy Relationship With Food
Allison Lesko RD LD
Imagine ordering a big juicy cheeseburger at the restaurant you’ve been craving just to find yourself feeling guilty for that decision the rest of the day. If you’re reading this, you probably have a love for food - but we all can admit, it’s not always the easiest relationship to manage.
How to Find Balance in Your Life
Jillian Tedesco
Do you ever hear people say I need balance, or on the other end of the spectrum, balance is not realistic? Think to yourself: what does balance even mean or look like to you? Why would you want balance in your life?
How to Create & Find Healthy Sauces
Jillian Tedesco
A healthy sauce is one with ingredients your body can easily digest, as well as ones that are not high in sugars, saturated fats and salt. These things do not help when it comes to weight loss/management. Almost everything is fine in moderation, but if you want to enjoy delicious food more often, healthier sauces are going to be key.
Jillian's Healthier Margarita
Jillian Tedesco
While no alcohol is truly healthy, responsibly enjoying an adult beverage in moderation isn't all bad as part of a balanced, healthy lifestyle. Tequila, for example, has been shown to have the following properties when consumed in small amounts (1-2 servings):
Why You Should Eat More Pineapple
Julia Barber
With so many micronutrients, pineapples have many health benefits. The largest benefit is vitamin C--an essential dietary component since we cannot make it ourselves. Vitamin C is required for the production of collagen and certain neurotransmitters, it’s involved in protein metabolism and is important for connective tissue and wound healing.
How to Create A Flavor Profile
Jillian Tedesco
...this dish was poppin’ with flavors from the balance of ingredients, spices, and sauces--creamy tomato puree, bright citrus salsa, aromatic cilantro marinade, flakey grilled fish, spicy Spanish rice. I think we all can agree this is why we go out to eat and don’t cook at home. We like food that tastes good and leave the hard work to the chefs. Or, is this something we can experience in our homes and with our skills? Let me explain what a flavor profile is and walk you through how you CAN make a chef inspired dish at home!
A Quick History of Waffles
Julia Barber
Imagine this...a small, crisp batter cake, baked in between two shallow metal pans hinged together, filling the room with the smell of warm maple.
Waffles! We’re talking about waffles! The traditional toasty breakfast treat that we love to top with syrup or fresh fruit, mix with chocolate chips, and even serve alongside some crispy chicken.