Feel Your Best

Understand how calories, nutrients, portion sizes, and having a plan play a role in helping you to achieve a healthy relationship with food

When New Year’s Resolutions have a (sad) history of failure, why do we keep attempting sweeping changes? Perhaps setting your sights on something smaller will lead to bigger results in the long run.

It’s that time of year again, when the pressure mounts to stockpile gifts, plan holiday meals and treats, and attend office and friends’ parties.

Let’s be real: When life gets overwhelming, it’s much easier to reach for a candy bar than it is a bowl of vegetables.

If you ever feel like eating healthy is a strain on your wallet, you’re not alone. Between $10 green juices and $8 bags of kale chips, it can feel like healthy food has become a luxury good.

Flexitarian, sometimes vegetarian, plant-forward, omnivore who likes plant-based meals — whatever you want to call such a diet (or not), eating some vegetarian or vegan meals benefits your health and the environment.

Research shows that our gut microbiome — the community of bacteria that reside in our digestive tract, primarily the small intestine — is linked to everything from acne and eczema to diabetes and weight management.

A quick internet search on how to be more productive results in more than 36 million (yes million!) articles. Whether you’re a working professional or a college student, figuring out how to be more productive in the limited hours you have each day may feel like a constant work in progress.

Is there anything better than fresh tomatoes for a late summer meal? Flavor is just one of the 5 reasons to eat seasonally.

In a world where we’re constantly on the go, sitting at the table for a meal with family or friends might feel like a bit of a luxury but taking a break and eating with others offers many benefits.

Good marketing, combined with the number of nutrition supplements available on the market, may have you wondering if it’s possible to ditch eating a healthy diet and, instead, get the nutrients you need from pills and powders.

Green smoothies, green juice, and “shots” of greens are a go-to breakfast, snack, or post-workout drink for many health enthusiasts.

Your bags are packed with all the essentials you need for a great summer vacation. Then you get to the airport and realize you’re stuck in a terminal with one small newsstand and nothing to eat.

Americans are consuming nearly 150 pounds of added sugar per year —  that’s approximately 42 teaspoons per day!

Anti-inflammatory has become a buzzword in the wellness world in recent years. Why are we all so obsessed with fighting inflammation?

The connection between food and healthy aging has been well-established. More recently though, scientists have found a relationship between certain foods and how the brain functions even beyond early development in children.

It can be hard to decipher between sound advice and a total time waster. (Not to mention, wallet buster.) There are a few simple ways to weed out the good advice.

Good fat, bad fat, no fat, low-fat, butter, margarine, olive oil — is your head spinning yet?

Americans put a lot of emphasis on what we should or should not be eating, or what diet plan is going to miraculously shed that unwanted weight forever. Yet, many of us never think about how we are eating.

When it comes to getting healthy, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For many, nutrition and what we eat is at the forefront of wellness. But what if we told you that’s only part of the picture?

While you can’t completely avoid germs, there are many ways to amp up your immune system so your body is ready to fight back.

That 2 o’clock slump — raise your hand if you know what we’re talking about. You’re listless and distracted. Focus? Ha! If there were only a way to power through this feeling…(cue the sound of candy wrappers rustling).

The change of seasons always feels like a good time to reflect and renew any wellness goals, doesn’t it? But it can also mean a shift in your daily routine.

Foods and beverages affect hydration in different ways, depending on factors such as water content and other ingredients.

Backyard barbecues, pool parties, picnics in the park, and trips to the ice cream shop — ahh, the signs of summer! Between a calendar full of festive occasions and the whirlwind of summertime travel, it’s easy to let your healthy habits slide.

Imagine a table filled with freshly caught fish topped with bright green herbs, platters of vibrantly colored vegetables, and a simple bulgur salad lightly tossed in a fragrant citrus and olive oil dressing. Sitting around that table are your closest family and friends, breathing in the sea air and lingering over the meal with great conversation and lots of laughter. Sounds like vacation, right? For those living near the Mediterranean Sea, this is just a typical evening.

Gone are the days of boring steamed broccoli or boiled Brussels sprouts as the (let’s admit, somewhat punishing!) way to eat your vegetables.

When talking about heart disease prevention, often the focus is on what you shouldn’t eat: red meat, cheese, salt, too much alcohol. While removing these foods from your diet can reduce your risk of heart disease, emphasizing what you can add to your plate to better your heart is just as important – and a lot more fun.

Most of us experience a host of challenges to our wellness goals during the holidays. We’re crunched for time, with social gatherings, volunteer service, shopping excursions, family activities, and faith events all crowding the calendar and making it even harder to fit in exercise and healthy meals.

It is well established that the billions of bacteria that reside in your gut are important for digestive health. In recent years, though, scientists have discovered that the state of health in your gut may be a window into your overall health status and risk for certain diseases down the road.

Probiotics have gotten a lot of attention in recent years as helping lay a foundation for a healthy gut. They’ve infiltrated their way into our grocery stores, and supplement makers may have you wondering if a little probiotic pill is the secret to feeling great.

Long, care-free days by the pool, popsicles, and bare feet — don’t you wish summer days could stretch into infinity?

In recent years, sugar has been deemed a major contributor to our nation’s obesity crisis, along with other health conditions. It’s true that added sugars add empty calories to one’s diet, and few of us need more of those!

Staying hydrated keeps you feeling and looking your best, and in warmer months, remembering to drink water is even more important!

Eating a variety of colorful plant foods not only adds variety and texture to each meal, it has been linked to reduced risk of chronic disease, better aging, and general health and wellness.

When it comes to cancer, the stats are scary — one in two men and one in three women will get cancer sometime in their life. While that reality is daunting, don’t let it make you feel powerless.

Imagine cozying up on the couch on a cold day with a steaming cup of tea — just the thought of that is relaxing, isn’t it?

Happy New Year! A fresh, new year, full of promise, resplendent with opportunity…rife with anxiety. Let’s admit it: Many of the resolutions we all set in the New Year are goals we set every year.

Steamed broccoli is so boring, and you just can’t look at another salad. You’re about ready to smother your vegetables in butter and cheese and call it a day. Does this sound familiar?

Research shows that when comparing dietary patterns that work for weight management, there is one commonality: they emphasize whole foods and include lots of plants.

Making smart nutrition choices starts with an understanding of the basics.

The average American adult consumes 22 teaspoons of added sugar per day, which translates into almost 300 extra calories. Most of this sugar comes from soda and other sweetened beverages. So how much is too much?

Learning to cook with herbs and spices not only expands your culinary repertoire, it’s also a great way to boost flavor without adding salt.

From holiday parties and family celebrations to shopping trips and end-of-semester traditions, the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s can feel like one marathon celebration. Pair that with all of the tempting holiday foods and drinks that are everywhere you turn, and it’s easy to see how the average American gains between one to five pounds during the holiday season – many of which unfortunately will stick around after the ball drops on New Year’s Eve.

It has been well established that plant foods are part of a healthy diet.