Healthy Eating

Do you often crave chocolate, cookies or sweets? If so, you are not alone. Sugar cravings are incredibly common because people are born with an innate craving for sweets. Simple carbohydrates, like sugar, light up areas of the brain that release endorphins ("feel-good hormones"), making treats like birthday cake or Christmas cookies even more irresistible. But while a little indulgence is good, it consumes too much added sugar can harm your health. The average American adult eats approx 17 teaspoons (68 grams) of added sugar…

What do cookies, cakes, candy, pasta, bread, fruit and vegetables have in common? Carbohydrates! Although they all fall into the same category of macronutrients, not all carbohydrates are created equal. You've probably heard of simple and complex carbohydrates, but understanding the difference can have a big impact on your health. Here's the breakdown: simple carbohydrates, found in foods like cakes, cookies, candies and sugary drinks, are digested quickly and cause blood sugar spikes. In contrast, complex carbohydrates -…

Setting New Year's resolutions is the easy part – following through is where the challenge begins. If eating healthier is one of your goals for 2025, a great way to stay on track is to plan ahead with simple, healthy dinner ideas. Establishing this habit can make a big difference in sticking to your healthy eating routine. This recipe roundup features 31 weeknight dinner ideas, from hearty chili and lasagna to fresh salads, flavorful noodles, and satisfying sandwiches. With a new recipe to try every day, you have the perfect…

Eating foods high in fiber can do more than just keep you full until your next meal. Fiber supports healthy digestion, helps manage blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and reduces the risk of certain diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Despite these benefits, many processed and fast food options are low in fiber, making it challenging to get enough of this important nutrient in your daily diet. If you're aiming to get more daily fiber, eating a high-fiber lunch might be a good place to start. But how much fiber…

High-protein breakfast foods often seem like a smart, nutritious choice to jumpstart our day. They're hailed as morning heroes, offering sustained energy and keeping you full until your next meal. From protein shakes to egg white omelets, there are a variety of options that make it easy to add more protein to your mornings. But despite all their benefits, some high-protein breakfast foods can have hidden pitfalls that may compromise our weight loss efforts. Many high-protein foods that seem healthy often hide ingredients…

If you want to lose weight in a healthy, sustainable way, it's essential to get adequate levels of protein in your daily diet. For one, consuming healthy protein helps you feel satiated for longer periods of time and reduces your hunger hormones, which can prevent overeating or snacking between meals. Protein also has a higher TEF (thermic effect of food) than fat or carbohydrates, meaning it helps your body burn more calories when you eat it. And on top of that, protein can help you build muscle mass. But while it's…

Thanksgiving is almost here, which means you'll soon be indulging in all your favorite dishes. While the main course of turkey or ham is important, it's the Thanksgiving side dishes that usually get people talking. Either you're hosting dinner yourself or heading to someone else's house and need something to bring, but either way, you probably need an idea or two for delicious sides to bring. If you get tired of cooking the same recipe over and over and want to change it up this year, you've come to the right place. From…

Deciding how to prepare a turkey for Thanksgiving is a real mission. Cooking this traditional holiday poultry comes with a handful of potential difficulties, such as finding the right size turkey for your group, adding enough flavor, leaving enough time to thaw, and avoiding one of the most common turkey-related problems: making sure it makes t dry out. One way to avoid a dry turkey is to brine it, but exactly how do you properly brine a turkey? Brining involves immersing the turkey in a salt water solution, which not only…

Protein is really having a moment these days. From protein-based pastas, breads and yogurts to more traditional powders, bars and shakes, protein shows up big in a variety of foods. And for good reason. Protein keeps you going fuller longerhelp weight loss goals and help maintain and build lean muscle. But how much protein do you really need? In this piece, I've got you covered. I share how to calculate your individual protein needs and whether 150 grams of protein is right for you. Plus, I'll show you how to create a…

A major goal for me this year has been to eat more protein. After learning about the benefits, such as building muscle, reducing cravings, supporting the immune system, and boosting metabolism, I knew I needed to incorporate more protein into my daily diet. After talking with a nutrition coach about my health goals, we set a goal of consuming at least 100 grams of protein a day. This number sounded like a lot at first, and I was worried I would never be able to reach it. However, I quickly realized that reaching 100 grams…