Restaurant Redo: Defensive Eating Workshop

Cooking at home more consistently is the best way to improve your health. You’ll simply have more control over your food. But, eating out at your favorite restaurant doesn’t have to spell dietary disaster. You can leave your next restaurant experience both satisfied and healthy.

Eating out is taking a toll on our health. It’s well established that diets high in sodium are responsible for more deaths than any cause other than tobacco or alcohol. According to the Center For Science in the Public Interest, cutting sodium in half would save as many as 100,000 lives annually. Taking a more defensive approach to eating out in restaurants would certainly be a strong first step to hitting this goal.

If you eat out more than 3 times a week, the upcoming Restaurant Redo workshop is designed for you. From high end restaurants to grab & go spots, this interactive discussion will prepare you to gain more control over your food choices and protect your health.

Join me in January for Restaurant Redo if you’re in NYC! For details and tickets, click here.

“I Know What To Do, I Just Don’t Do It”

We talk about prevention and lifestyle change, but what does it actually entail?

Prevention means eating healthfully, exercising, getting quality sleep, decreasing stress, enjoying meaningful relationships and managing finances. These all deserve a slice of the wellness pie and are known to be cost-effective strategies for reducing our chances of getting chronic disease or the progression of these burdensome conditions. We know this much.

Our healthcare system can’t support the sickcare model any longer. It’s time to stop talking about prevention. We need to do something. Something large scale, innovative and sustainable. And, we need to do it right now. (more…)

Don’t Fear the Tempeh! Vegan or Not, Put Plant-Based Proteins on Your Radar

Protein. We need it. It’s builds cells and helps repair muscle tissue. Our bones, blood, organs, muscles and skin all need protein to function properly. It’s the building block of neurotransmitters, the messaging cells in our bodies that allow all of our systems to communicate with each other. It’s pretty important stuff.

A google-image search of ‘protein’ brings up glossy images of steak, seafood, eggs and designer whey protein powders. Only a few images include beans and nuts. It’s pretty clear. In the world of protein, many people think of animal sources or supplements.

I recommend plant-based protein sources to both herbivores and omnivores alike. No matter how you classify yourself on the eating spectrum, it’s becoming clear that eating more plant-based foods is a good idea for all of us. From hardcore vegan to hardcore meat lover, plant-based proteins can be beneficial to include daily as they are naturally cholesterol-free, low in saturated fats and also contain healthful antioxidants and fiber. (more…)

Yoga, Wellness & Fantastic Food on Martha’s Vineyard? YES!

What are you doing in exactly a month? How about joining me in Martha’s Vineyard (before it gets too crowded) with two fantastic yoga teachers for a 4-day yoga and wellness retreat! Yes, that’s right. Just sign up.

I’m joining Amy Leydon and Emily Phillips from June 7th-10th for Reboot Camp Wellness Retreat at the Vineyard Arts Project in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard.

• Luxurious accommodations with private bathrooms
• Power Yoga, Barre, Meditation and Restorative Yoga classes throughout the day (all levels welcome)
• Daily outdoor fitness excursions, including guided bike rides and beach workouts
• Nutrition workshop with yours truly and private nutrition consultations also available
• Local, organic, delicious cuisine prepared with love by head cheese maker Jacqueline Foster of Grey Barn Farm–ALL MEALS included

For more information and to register, visit www.amyleydonyoga.com

Butter Me Up?

I keep getting asked about saturated fat after several flashy media reports about sat fat not being the cause of heart disease. The answer isn’t so simple. To me, it begs for a heavy dose of simple common sense.

Here’s an email response to a friend about this topic over the summer. It summarizes my thoughts without getting into the nitty gritty of nutrition epidemiology. I thought it would be worth sharing. Here it is:

Fed Up: A Few Thoughts

A few weeks ago, I was invited to a special preview screening of Fed Up, the new food documentary at the Harvard School of Public Health. The screening was followed by a short panel Q&A with film producer Laurie David, ChopChop Magazine  founder Sally Sampson and Dr. Eric Rimm, nutrition epidemiologist at HSPH.

The film intends to piss people off about the state of food marketing and the inability of the government to make changes to protect our collective health, especially that of American children. (more…)

Who are you getting your nutrition information from?

Load Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or any web site. Search for the nutrition topic of your choice. What will you find? Pages upon pages of information, meaning your simple nutrition question just became a million times more confusing.

So, how do you know what information to trust? One way is to look at the credentials of the writer.

Here is what some of the credentials of nutrition writers mean: (more…)

Coconut Water: Are you drinking the “right beverage” for your workout?

Many articles have been published on the importance of staying hydrated during physical activity. Markets have a wide array of beverages that promote “rehydration” benefits. But, how do you choose the best beverage for your workout?  Do you need Gatorade? Coconut water? Or plain water?

For the everyday exerciser, water is still the only recommended beverage within the scientific literature.

Researchers* have tested active adults’ and athletes’ hydration response to a generic sports drink, coconut water, and water after their exercise routine. All participants performed intense exercises that would dehydrate them. Following that exercise, participants consumed one of the three beverages. Their body weights were recorded prior to exercise, following exercise, and then in hourly intervals following the “rehydration beverage.” For a regular exercise regimen—less intense than an athlete—all beverages had the same effect on hydration. (more…)

Stay on Trend in 2014: Five Foods to Add to Your Grocery List

Check out the 5 popular foods of 2014 that will add something extra to your food repertoire while keeping it healthful and delicious.

Tea

Move over coffee, tea (in a hot or cold preparation) is front and center this year. In 2014, tea bars are opening that exclusively serve tea. But don’t limit yourself to just a tea beverage. Tea can be added to many dishes—try it on proteins—for an herbaceous flavoring similar to traditional seasonings. Along with its great taste and many varieties, tea is an excellent source of polyphenols: a type of antioxidant associated with lowering your risk for multiple chronic diseases. So toast the New Year with a delectable, hot cup of tea.

Asparagus

Roasted asparagus is a thing of the past; this year asparagus ribbons are in. Asparagus ribbons are the new base to the traditional leafy green salad. With a knife or mandolin, asparagus can be thinly sliced lengthwise to make ribbons. If high blood pressure and cardiovascular problems are a concern, the potassium in asparagus should help to reduce your risk. Try asparagus in its new or old form—it will always be delicious. (more…)

New Year, New Resolution, New You

At this time every year, we make resolutions for the future. Often times those resolutions are about getting healthy, losing weight, eating better, and other healthful adjustments to daily living. Unfortunately, shortly after these resolutions are made they are discontinued or placed “on hold”. This year it is possible to make the change and stick to it. All it takes is following the 5 steps of the “stages of change” within the “transtheoretical”, or behavior change, model. These steps include pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.

1. Pre-contemplation- Unprepared to make a change in your behavior.
2. Contemplation- Determine the change you want to make in your life.
3. Preparation- Collect all of the things you need to make your resolution.
4. Action- Make your change and keep it.
5. Maintenance- Keep your resolution for 6 months. You have finally reached maintenance.

(more…)