Lifestyle & Nutrition Counseling

Do you have a plan? Do you go to the mall for gifts without knowing who is on your list? Do you wrap presents without having all your supplies first? Do you celebrate at your in-laws unexpectedly? Probably not. Just as you need some sort of plan for all of these things, you need a plan to keep you from over indulging in food and drinks. Here are some reminders to help keep you from going over board this holiday season: - grab a child’s plate to load up instead of an oversized adult plate. - Drink a large glass of water before dinner to feel full. - Use portion control! 5-6 oz of turkey is enough. - Choose a variety of food groups but most of your plate should contain vegetables and salad. - Don’t sit on the couch after your meal. Get up, move...

The most fattening time of the year is upon us.  Holiday parties, festivities, treats at work, and lots of food!  How are you going to fit into your jeans in January?  You have to give yourself a pep talk now so you can prepare yourself mentally to be strong enough to resist too many of the sabotaging foods.  Remind yourself of all the wonderful reasons you want to be healthy throughout the season and in years to come.  Imagine yourself in February putting on the belt that still fits perfectly.  Remember the feeling you have when you are at your best.  Come up with a thought or activity that will help you when you are tempted to make a poor choice.  You can enjoy all of the festivities but keep in mind what you are putting into your mouth.  Drink...

There is so much information going around about what food is good for you, what food is bad for you, what foods you should never eat, what foods you can eat to lose weight faster, and so on. It doesn’t hurt to listen or read about these foods but in the end you have to do what is best for your body and mind. Pay attention to how you feel when you eat too much sugar.  Are you so hungry shortly after a sugary meal that is causes you to eat more than you should?  Save the sugary treats for exactly that, a treat. Refrain from treating yourself daily to where it becomes a habit for your body to want that sugar. Save the sugar for very special occassions and try to pair it with something healthy. Be prepared with a healthy meal/snack shortly after to keep...

GMO stands for “genetically modified organism”, which is a plant or animal whose DNA has been changed in a lab. The DNA molecules from different sources are combinded into one molecule to create a new set of genes. Those genes are then transferred into an organism, giving it modified genes. The most well known form of GMO’s are those used to protect crops. The USA is the largest commercial grower of genetically modified crops in the world. Many of the foods we eat contain GMO’s. Can you avoid genetically modified food? Click the link to visit WebMD for interesting information.

The choices you make in everyday life can contribute to the development of cancer. Preventing weight gain with proper dietary habits can reduce the risk of many cancers. Eating foods full of sugar and fat calories without much nutritional value will lead to obesity. Scientists have learned about the relationshiop between obesity and cancer. They have concluded that cancers of the colon, breast, endometrium, kidney, and esophagus are associated with obesity. Proper lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of many cancers. Examples of poor lifesyle choices would include smoking, alcoholic drinks, and physical inactivity. Smoking is the leading cause of cancer and death from cancer. The U.S. Surgeon estimates that even living with a smoker increases the...

We all feel we could improve our eating habits but we hear so much information about what we should be eating or what supplements we need just to survive. It’s almost like information overload so unfortunately too many people do nothing. Starting a new nutrition program is like starting a new exercise program. We should begin with small changes we are comfortable with and progress at pace we can live with. The worst thing to do is just completely change everything about our eating habits and put ourselves into a program we are unable or unwilling to sustain for a long period of time (we call those diets!). We start by making some simple, fundamental changes and as time goes by we can begin to add and subtract certain items from our diet. Fundamental...