March is National Nutrition Month, a great excuse to start eating well to keep your body strong and healthy.  But often people begin a new healthy eating plan only to see it go out the window after only a few weeks.  However, with a little preparation, long-term healthy eating might be easier than you think.  Here are a few tricks to get you started! 1. Make a list. Studies show that people who shop for groceries without a list will buy more unhealthy foods, not to mention spend more money in general.  So take some time in advance to put
Read More

Snacks can get us into trouble.  When we are searching for the perfect food to sustain us between meals, we often go for what we crave.  We want salty, sweet, or fatty foods that can put us over our caloric limit for the day.  One bad snack is all it takes to ruin a day’s healthy diet. Luckily, there is one salty, fatty snack that we can consume without all the guilt – nuts!  Whether you crave the sweetness of almonds, the creaminess of cashews, or the crunch of pistachios, there’s a healthy nut for everyone.  Here are a few
Read More

Healthy eating is important for everyone, but seniors need to take extra special care to eat well.  Eating right will not only keep your body strong, but also your mind and spirit. Although many seniors know what they should be eating, it doesn’t make it any easier to pass up those morning cinnamon rolls or evening sweet treats. Here are a few helpful tips to keep yourself healthy: Go beyond the four food groups.  We learned in school that we should have grains, dairy, meat, and fruits and vegetables at each meal.  Well, the idea of a healthy meal has gone
Read More

Sugar.  It makes life a little sweeter.  Unfortunately, it could also make life a little shorter or just less healthy. We all know that too much sugar is not healthy, but few know how dangerous it really is.  It affects our body in many ways, some of which could be potentially fatal over time.  So if you need a reason to put down the Valentine’s chocolate, here are four body parts on which sugar wreaks havoc. Your heart.  Although doctors aren’t exactly sure how sugar leads to deadly heart problems, they know it causes many changes in the cardiovascular system. 
Read More

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends, but a big part of the holiday revolves around the food. While we are all enjoying the treats of the season, diabetics are left between keeping their blood-sugar levels in check and eating what they want.  Here are some tricks to enjoying Thanksgiving as a diabetic. Start with the turkey.  Foods high in carbohydrates can quickly elevate blood-sugar levels.  Put food on your plate high in fiber and protein before you get to the carbohydrate-laden foods.  Begin with a salad, some turkey, and vegetables.  And, no, candied sweet potatoes do not count
Read More

As we age, bone health becomes increasingly important.  Exercise is a great way to keep our bones healthy, but we can also include some bone-strengthening foods to our diet. Here are some foods that will help keep your bones strong. 1. Yogurt.  Bones need lots of calcium and yogurt has plenty.  It is also fortified with vitamin D, an important nutrient that will help calcium to be absorbed.  If you can, avoid Greek yogurt, as it tends to contain less calcium and vitamin D than other varieties. 2. Eggs.  Although eggs contain less vitamin D than dairy sources, they are a quick
Read More

We know that stress is bad for the cardiovascular system, but now studies show that it also affects the brain.  Women who experience great amounts of stress have a higher chance of developing dementia later in life.  It indicated that stress can give someone up to a 21% higher likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease. But how do we keep stress levels down?  Of course, there’s exercise, meditation, and yoga, but you can also relieve some stress by eating the right foods.  Here are some foods that can keep you feeling calm. Eat More Avocados.  This delicious fruit is loaded with
Read More

The holidays are upon us which means only one thing: Sweets will soon be everywhere.  First is Halloween with candy, then Thanksgiving with its delicious pumpkin pie, and then all of the sweets that surround the winter holidays – no wonder everyone struggles to avoid gaining weight during these holidays. And we know that too much sugar isn’t good for us.  But we don’t consider it especially bad when eaten in moderation. Many people may overlook the actual harm that sugar can cause to your body when eaten in large amounts too frequently. According to MedicalDaily.com, a scientist in Amsterdam is
Read More