I have worked with hundreds of clients, some who come right into my office and tell me they are addicted to sugar.    It’s a common theme that is explored individually.   After reviewing patterns and lifestyles, recommendations are made to change the makeup of meals as well as the timing and almost always we are able to decrease the intensity of the cravings once we fuel the body correctly.   I was intrigued to read the study led by Yale University and the University of Southern California who reviewed the relationship between glucose drops and responses by the brain.   The study was published September 19 th in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.   The Yale scientists manipulated glucose levels intravenously and monitored blood glucose levels while subjects were shown pictures of high calorie foods, low calorie food, and non food items.   Each subject underwent MRI scans which showed that when glucose levels dropped, the hypothalamus sensed the...

Here we are again, it’s the holiday season. It seems to come up faster and faster the older I get.    As I continue to see clients and get busier and busier, the common theme during the holidays is to work towards a goal of weight maintenance or continued weight loss through the holidays. This can certainly be a difficult thing to do as the holiday season is themed around all different types of food events.   Ask anyone what they think of when they hear Thanksgiving and I guarantee the majority say turkey with all the fixings. Since our society puts a lot of focus on food and how it makes us feel, it’s no wonder that some can become quite anxious this week.   I’m choosing to forego any big research topics this week to provide some tips on how to make this holiday healthy.   1)         Focus on the true meaning of the holiday and not the food it’s centered around.   Celebrate the relationships you are thankful for and make ...

A recent study completed by the University of Montreal and published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine suggests that it may be possible to predict obesity as early as 3.5 years of age.   Laura Pryor, a PhD candidate, and her team analyzed data drawn from the Quebec Longitudinal study of child development which ran from 1998 to 2006.   1,957 children’s height and weights were analyzed from 5 months to 8 years of age.   In addition to weight and height, BMI’s (body mass index) were configured and analyzed and differentiated into three trajectory groups: children with low but stable BMI, children with moderate BMI, and high- rising BMI (elevated BMI that was rising). An interesting summary from this study was that the research team noticed that all three trajectory groups were similar until about 2.5 years of age.   The BMI’s of the high-rising trajectory group increased significantly at 2.5 years of age and by middle school 50% of these children w...

As we enter into the month of November and gear up for the holidays, Angela Farris helps familiarize us with the many types of squash as well as giving us tips on how to prepare.  Enjoy! Squash is not only colorful, it’s tasty! Winter squash varietals come in various shapes and sizes but share similar characteristics. Winter squash tends to have a hard outer shell that encloses a vibrant flesh that can boast many vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, C & E, beta-carotene, magnesium, manganese and potassium. A quick, easy way to prepare your squash is to oven bake it. Preheat your oven to 350°. Scrub the outside of your squash thoroughly, cut in half length wise ( Beware! squash can be difficult to cut due to its size and firmness. Take extra precautions and find a firm grip before slicing ), remove the seeds and place face down in a roasting pan. Add half an inch of water in the bottom of the pan to provide moisture. Depending on size, bake between 1 – 2 hrs...

As some of you know, I trained for and completed my first Half Marathon Saturday October 15, 2011.   In my younger years (high school) I ran sprints and hurdles in track along with all year round soccer.   I continued soccer through my college years and in my twenties through club and co-ed teams and also ran, mostly for exercise, right up until I had children.   I would say I’ve always been an athletic person by nature but running anything more than 200 yards really wasn’t my cup of tea. As years passed on, I started my family and was very lucky to have two beautiful children seventeen months apart.   Boy did that put some stress on my body!   After three years of being pregnant and breast feeding you can imagine how off my game I was with the whole physical activity aspect of life.   For a dietitian, who has always been active, you can imagine how lost I felt as I continued to put myself at the bottom of the priority list.   So, last October I w...

Read below as  Sarah writes about recovery and strength.  Sarah is hopeful and determined and making strides each and every day.  Let's cheer her on as she continues to gain strength through her recovery process. In the past several weeks, I have been on the threshold of recovery's door demonstrating a balancing act most trapeze artists would be in awe of. Each time I have found myself faced with which direction to step, each time, I somehow found the strength to step towards change and recovery. In my opinion recovery is different for every one. So I had to stand back and ask myself “What is recovery to me?” Is recovery the switch that has gone off in my head which says, “Fight harder! You are not going to let this control you anymore!”? Is it the ghost of a friend saying, “What are you doing?! I had no choice in my death, you do! Wake up!”? Is recovery the hope and dream to one day wake up and never have to think about food? Is it the chance to finally be comfortable...

I see clients of all ages, from infancy to geriatrics.   The common theme of all of my clients is at one time or another they were toddlers.   Sometimes I see older clients who describe early patterns that I suspect are partly responsible for the way a current client eats or “diets.”   At other times, I see toddlers who “rule their roost” and need a little nudge from their parents for a stricter regimen. I’ve written a lot about toddlers.   Mostly because I think this is a very specific time to start introducing good nutrition habits, but also because I am in the toddler zone with a four and almost three year old.   This is a time when textures, smells, and taste can be very scary.   If you mix that in with a child who is developing their independence, this can be one challenging time. I have many parents ask me what the right thing to do is for their toddler and I’ve addressed this in some of my other articles (check them out by searching toddler in t...