The new year is a great time because it inspires so many people to get healthy. Many of you might decide to kick off the new year with a juice cleanse. To be honest I’m not a big fan of juice cleanses as they’re very high in sugar. A few days might serve you but anything longer then that might not be the best option in supporting your weight loss and health goals.

Have you ever followed a calorie restricting diet? I know I have, and chances are you have been through the grueling experience as well.

And even though the pounds fell off quickly, think about what happened when you got off the diet – did the pounds stay off for long?

They didn’t, did they?

Everyone has a different opinion about supplements. People tend to go one of two ways: conservative or liberal. Conservatives think that we can get all the nutrients we need from our diet, and liberals think that supplements can make up for a bad diet.

I often get the question from clients whether they should be juicing or smoothie-ing.

And my answer is BOTH.

Buy organic. Don’t buy organic. Regardless of your decision, the bottom line is that eating fruits and veggies is better than not eating them at all.

How many times have you suffered from aches and pains, and quickly reached for the bottle of Advil?

Would you like to look younger than your age for as long as possible AND have more energy? (Me! Me! Me!)

Conscious eating is a major and necessary feature of our plant-based philosophy, a philosophy that extends out of the kitchen, off of our plates and into the wider world, informing how we interact with others and how we treat our environment.

Your gut is responsible for much more than just digesting your lunch. Your gut, and the 100 trillions of bacteria that call it home, are responsible for your overall mental and physical wellbeing. Hippocrates said 2,000 years ago that “all disease begins in the gut”, and modern scientist are just now realizing how true this statement is.

Meat consumption has dramatically increased in the US over the past century, and sadly, the quality of meat has declined. A large amount of the meat consumed is of poor quality, originating in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) where animals are kept in unclean and inhuman conditions.

One of the most popular misconceptions that people have about a plant based diet is that it is impossible to get enough protein without meat. Well guess what? I’m here to inform you that this is a myth!

In July of 2018 ( *Sigh* I know, I wish it was sooner as well!) new nutrition labels will start appearing on food items in the U.S. But what do these labels mean for you and your family? Today, the nice people over at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition will give us all the details about this huge win for the consumers.

Fermented foods are my jam. I love them more than most anything, as I know how healthy and vibrant they make my body. The key to good health is maintaining healthy bacteria in our gut- it’s pretty much crucial to our physical wellbeing, and as we have learned, our mental wellbeing as well.

If you are trying to get healthy but are still eating white rice, pasta, or white bread, you might find you are paddling upstream with no paddles. If you are serious about reaching your optimum weight and wish to feel healthy, abundant and vibrant, you must switch to whole grains.

The human microbiome and gut health have been all the rage this year – and for good reason! Did you know that in the human body microorganisms outnumber human cells by 10 to 1? While these bacteria only make up about 2-6 pounds of our body weight, it’s important to keep them healthy and happy, because they help dictate everything from our weight to our moods.

Depression is a subject that hits close to home, as I struggled with ADD and depression from the age of 10. When I was 18, I ditched the anti depressants and instead started focusing on my diet and lifestyle. And guess what? It worked!

Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, kamut, barley, spelt, and some oats. It is formed when the two proteins called Gliadin and Glutenin are combined with water. Gluten is touch and rubbery, and responsible for allowing bread o stretch and rise. Chances are you eat a lot of gluten, as the standard western diet consists of pizza, pasta, bread (to find out what is wrong with supermarket bread click HERE) , and processed foods- all very high in gluten.

Wheat is the largest staple in the world and is consumed by millions of people across the globe. In today’s world we are faced with the dilemma that the bread we eat is drastically different from the bread our ancestors ate. Bread is supposed to be a simple food with only three ingredients, but most of the store-bought bread found on the shelves today has up to 37.

I have a love affair with fat. I must be making up for lost time in the 90’s. But sadly, many lovely people are missing out because of a silly fad that began in the 1980’s.

Let’s talk milk. Dairy is controversial and is the cause of many debates between health professionals. Some say dairy is healthy while others believe it should be avoided like the bubonic plague. The truth is, around 60% of the entire world is somewhat lactose intolerant, which means they can’t digest the milk protein, lactose.