People say this all the time, “dark chocolate is good for your heart.” Okay – if only that were it. But it isn’t. There is so much more to this.

While there are many foods you can add to your diet for heart health, consider some simple swaps for things you are already eating. Not all foods warrant a trade or swap, but consider what you could do. Today I list five simple food swaps for your heart and your health.

Many things contribute to heart disease and heart health. Rather than what foods to avoid, which often comes to mind, consider what to add to your overall diet to reduce your risk of heart disease. Consider adding these foods to your daily (or weekly) routine.

February is American Heart Month. It is also Cancer Prevention Awareness Month. So this month, most of my articles/posts will address several things related to both disease classes. However, this post explains a bit more about what is considered heart disease (there are many things) and that cancer is not just one disease but many. Consider this article foundational for additional information coming in the following several articles.

Being a dietitian for over two decades, I guarantee that I have heard all kinds of reasons why people have challenges with healthy living. I know these are authentic and valid obstacles. I get it. Like many people, I have many roles, some running concurrently. I get it. I promise you I do. This is why I address what I hear are the top 5 obstacles to healthy living.

The case for meal planning. Now, don’t confuse this with meal prep – making the bulk of your week’s meals in one major cooking session at the start of the week. That is a different topic. Meal planning and meal prepping are two different topics. This is meal planning to save you time.

Are you frustrated with your scale and apparent lack of weight loss? Consider this: the number on the scale tells only part of the overall health story. Does it say anything about our overall health? Not really. It just shows mass, and changes in mass, day-to-day. That's it.

In the last post, I wrote about fueling fitness and how most people either don’t do it correctly or at all or believe it requires supplements. So today, I am giving the top five things to ensure you properly fuel, and recover from, your fitness.

One of the most significant issues I see when it comes to diet and exercise is that people need to fuel their bodies in preparation for exercise - but they don't. While doing a 30-45, or even 60-minute run or lifting session, there isn't a need to carbo load, pound protein, or take pre-workout. However, properly fueling will help with a productive workout and feeling like it is easier.

The previous post included the top five myths regarding weight loss. But I couldn’t stop there. This post includes five more myths: low carb, exercise, and that healthy food tastes like cardboard - does it?

While I am always promoting that people should focus on their overall health and mental and physical wellness, weight loss is still a big focus for many people – not just in January, but year-round. Many drastic measures to lose weight are temporary and will result in weight regain when old habits return. I have found that many weight loss myths persist. Here are the top five myths regarding weight loss.

As people start to eat healthier, they often find it overwhelming, time-consuming, and challenging. But it doesn’t have to be. Here are five ways to make eating healthier easier. And don’t worry - you don’t have to adopt all five immediately. Take small steps.

Here we are in January 2023, and once again, people say they would like to lose weight. Great. Now what? Whether this is your first, fourteenth, or 40th time embarking on a weight loss plan, you need to find what will work and is sustainable for you and your lifestyle. What is the reason, or reasons, for doing this? Why now? Because it is January? To look better, feel healthier, have more energy, or all of these? No matter the reason, consider small steps to reach more significant changes rather than a temporary overhaul.

January often brings forward a list of don’ts or eliminate such as alcohol or sugar, or “carbs.” So, here is the list of five things to consider stopping or eliminating in 2023.

With the new year less than one week away and another inevitable list of resolutions for a healthier life, today is a list of the top five things you can do now and for life to help ensure a healthier life. And you may think this is nothing “new” here. Of course, it isn’t, but oddly, this comes up perennially, so why not repeat it?

With the new year comes the inevitable talk of resolutions. Do you make resolutions? Do you keep them? Do you even bother? What is the big thing about January and the new year? The fresh start? First, I encourage people to make goals rather than resolutions. And make these goals SMART.

As we enter this last couple of weeks of the year and a couple more holiday celebrations, let’s talk about quality vs. quantity. Not about gifts, nor about time with family and friends, though it should apply. It is about food.

Have you heard that it takes 21 days to create a new habit? It sounds so simple: do something every day for 21 days to create a habit. Right? Perhaps, but not necessarily.

When it comes to food and our behaviors around the food, we need to stop thinking in black and white. It is NOT ONE food, one meal, or even one day that turns our health for the better or, the worse. But the consistency of that food, meal, or day over and over.

Many times, people have a CHEAT DAY with their diet. And others may only have a CHEAT MEAL. What does this mean? Cheating? Is this a good approach to eating?