Sleep. It’s necessary for good health, for life itself—just as much as the air we breathe and the food we eat. In fact, sleep has been referred to as the “foundational pillar of health.” While drifting off for a good night’s slumber comes easily to some of us, for others … Read More
Erythritol is a natural sugar substitute made by fermenting corn, called a sugar alcohol. Other sugar alcohols are sorbitol and xylitol. Because they are all natural, the FDA does not consider them to be food additives. Other artificial sweeteners like aspartame and saccharine are made from chemicals in a laboratory. … Read More
Kristen N. Smith, PhD, RDN, LD
Counting macros is a common phrase in the gym and among athletes. It’s more fine-tuned than simply counting calories among those who want to lose weight or gain muscle, but counting macros still means counting calories. The difference is a focus on the quality of foods eaten, rather than just … Read More
Research shows that certain foods and diets have an amazing ability to reduce triglycerides naturally. A study of more than 1.5 million healthy adults provided evidence that a Mediterranean diet or triglyceride diet can result in a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular mortality, a lower incidence of cancer … Read More
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans sanctioned a healthy U.S.-style diet, but more common is an unhealthy eating pattern characterized by oversized portions and too much sugar, “bad” fat, and salt. This overindulgence contributes to obesity in more than a third of the adult population; it also factors into a … Read More
One of the most important diet-related steps you can take to counteract fatigue is to stabilize your blood sugar, meaning keeping your blood glucose level from quickly skyrocketing and then crashing. The typical modern Western or standard American diet, which is full of white carbs and sugar, is notorious for … Read More
Looking for a diet that might help you preserve your brain function as you get older? You might consider the so-called MIND diet. "MIND" stands for "Mediterranean-DASH-diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay." Scientists developed it by combining features from those healthy dietary patterns—the Mediterranean-style diet and DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to … Read More
What does a gallbladder attack feel like? And, exactly what is a gallbladder attack? If you experience sudden pain in the middle or upper right section of your abdomen, you may be having one. The gallbladder pain may last a few minutes to a few hours, and it may lessen … Read More
Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveal that approximately 52.5 million Americans suffer from some form of arthritis, including osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and gout. Arthritic diseases may be mild in some people but can be debilitating in others. Symptoms characterized by joint pain, swelling, and stiffness … Read More
Why do we overeat, even though we're aware of the importance of healthier eating? In our modern food environment, we are surrounded by an overabundance of highly processed and/or hyper-palatable foods, both of which encourage us to overeat. With highly processed foods that are stripped of fiber, we need to … Read More
