Several years ago I was diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency and treating this deficiency has made a huge difference! My blood levels were tested recently and I was well within the normal range which is great.

Beans are a vital part of a plant-based diet and my favorite is definitely the garbanzo bean a.k.a. the chickpea. They are extremely versatile fitting into most dishes for a little added protein and satiety.

The big news story in the newspaper and on TV this week was all about a new diet study published in The BMJ. This peaked my interest so I paid close attention to the findings.

How many pounds will you gain during the holidays this year? We all want the answer to be zero but the truth lies somewhere in the range of 1-5 pounds.

November is finally here and with it the smell of pumpkins everywhere: pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin scented lotion, pumpkin scented candles and even pumpkin scented kitty litter (yep it's a real thing)!

This well-known gourd is everywhere but how much do you really know about it!

We all think exercise and diet are the keys to weight loss. While that is largely true, sleep is an often overlooked component to health and wellness that could significantly affect you ability to lose weight.

Two of my favorite people in the world, Bruce and Mindy Mylrea, always talk about the importance of filling your "why cup." Basically it means that you should always be seeking additional knowledge to support you in your endeavors.

Cacao. What is it and how do you pronounce it? Many people confuse it with cocoa powder. After all the two words differ only by one letter! Let's dive into what exactly Cacao is and how it's different from cocoa.

I started my nutrition journey in earnest 2 years ago when I attended a seminar called One Day to Wellness. I had dabbled in eating a healthy diet and thought I knew what that looked like. However, I must admit I was failing! I had tried fad diets and trends like a lot of people do trying to maintain my weight.

Kombucha is being touted as an amazing drink full of health benefits. What is Kombucha and does it live up to its reputation? Kombucha is a fermented, lightly effervescent black or green tea drink with its origins in China or Japan.

Ready for school to start but not ready for the need for a quick breakfast before the kiddos rush out the door or the packed lunch that no one ever eats? I feel like my kid's diets have gone off the rails a bit this summer so I'm looking forward to the chance to fill them up with healthy yet delicious food.

Did you know that cabbage is the world’s most popular vegetable? In the U.S., however, it ranks behind vegetables like potatoes, corn and green beans. According to Jo Robinson, author of “Eating on the Wild Side,”

Never heard of it before? Neither had I until my husband went to Costco one day and discovered this treasure! It is a fantastic way to increase your intake of greens which we all need to do.

Calcium is a critical element to our health. It plays a role in maintaining strong bones and teeth, in signaling other cells, in the maintenance of a regular heart beat, and in blood clotting, muscle contraction, and nerve function . In order to maintain appropriate calcium levels we should obtain between 500-100 mg of calcium daily.

There is little doubt in my mind that oil is not a health promoting food. As I discussed in a previous blog (click here to check it out), oil is quite detrimental to your health so when we cook we should try to limit our use of oil as much as possible.

Vitamin D is an essential building block of health and is most commonly gotten through sun exposure. However, in a world where we often spend little time outside, sun exposure and subsequently Vitamin D exposure has become a problem.

In this low carb world where carbohydrates are evil, beans get a bad reputation! In fact they are an amazing source of protein packed with other nutrients and are inexpensive to top it all off!

Vitamin B12 is important to the support of our immune system, the health of our nervous system and in the production of DNA and red blood cells. When we are deficient in B12 we experience fatigue, light headedness, heart palpitations and pale skin.

There are 7 building blocks to good health: protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and Omega 3 fatty acids.

Watermelon is thought to contain few nutrients and be high in sugar. However, watermelon is packed with lots of vitamins all for very minimal calories.