Category: Healthy Eating Tips

Practical tips for improving your nutrition

The 30 Day Easy Way Nutrition Upgrade

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Monica Reinagel MS, LDN (2)What would it take to change your eating habits for the better (and for good)?

Maybe less than you think!

In this one-hour class, you’ll learn a simple approach that will help you gently reshape your eating habits and upgrade your nutrition, starting exactly where you are right now.

No judgment. No breast-beating. No forbidden foods.

Cost: $20

Includes:

  • Immediate access to the 45-minute introductory video. (Watch at your convenience, as many times as you like.)
  • Downloadable handouts and other program materials.
  • Access to a private forum for ongoing connection and support.

What this Isn’t

This is not a detox program (although you will probably eat cleaner)

This is not a weight loss program (although you may lose weight)

You won’t have to log everything you eat (unless you want to).

This isn’t an all-or-nothing challenge that you white-knuckle it through for 30 days in exchange for bragging rights (I went 30 days without sugar!) or a split of the pot (I lost 5% of my body weight in 4 weeks!). If that’s what you’re looking for, you might want to check out the Whole Life Challenge or Diet Bet.

I don’t have anything against those sorts of games. But, we both know you can do just about anything for 30 days. And then what? As motivating as these games are in the short-term, they rarely lead to sustainable change. And that’s what I’m all about.

RegisterNow

 

What This Is

The 30-Day Easy Way Nutrition Upgrade is a simple–but powerful–program that runs quietly in the background, subtly reshaping your habits.  You’ll learn the whole system in the webinar but here are the broad strokes:

Every day for 30 days, you’ll answer 10 yes-or-no questions about what you ate that day and get instant feedback on how your choices are adding up and how you can easily upgrade your nutrition.  It takes about two minutes a day and can be effortlessly incorporated in to any daily routine.

And because it’s so simple (and kinda fun), most people simply keep on going when the 30 days is over, and continue to reap the benefits of their improved eating habits.

Here’s what some recent participants said:

“This is the opposite of a diet. It’s more like playing a game—and I end up eating better.”

“Two weeks in and I am loving the upgrade! Thanks, Monica, for the guilt-free, pain-free plan.”

“I can’t tell you how much this program has done for me! Best $20 I have spent in a long time!”

“I’m only on Day 5 but I am loving this tool. I love how simple it is and the daily feedback keeps me motivated.”

“I’m loving the program! Feeling great and so psyched  to be making sustainable changes rather than embarking on yet another intense, radical, short-term overhaul that ends up fizzling out.”

Will You Join Us?

RegisterNow

I could keep going on about why I’m so excited about this. But I really don’t think I can say any better than this recent participant:

“Good nutrition isn’t about perfection; it’s about finding a balance between healthy habits and things you might eat simply for pleasure. Setting unrealistic goals or pushing yourself too hard will backfire sooner or later.”

What she said!

If any of that resonates with you, this program is for you. (In fact, it’s my most popular and successful program.)

Cost: $20

Includes:

  • Immediate access to the 45-minute introductory video. (Watch at your convenience, as many times as you like.)
  • Downloadable handouts and other program materials.
  • Access to a private forum for ongoing connection and support.

RegisterNow

What’s the science behind an anti-inflammatory diet?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Martha writes: “How does anyone really know what causes inflammation and what fights it, in the way of foods?”

Science of Anti-Inflammatory DietsA lot of people (myself included) are touting the benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet these days.  Then again, people tout all kinds of diets–and some of them are complete hooey. So Martha’s question is completely justified: What do we really know about how food affects inflammation?

The evidence on diet and inflammation

In fact, there is quite a bit of data to go on, starting with a lot of observational evidence. In these types of studies, we don’t try to change what people eat; we simply gather data on what they are eating and other aspects of their health and look for patterns. And we can see consistent relationships between various nutrients and foods and the blood markers that indicate systemic inflammation.  Continue reading “What’s the science behind an anti-inflammatory diet?” >

Cast iron pans can increase your iron intake

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Shrimp Stir Fry

Q. I enjoy using cast-iron cookware and I have heard that it can increase the iron content of some foods during cooking.  Is this a safe source of iron and are there any foods that I shouldn’t be cooking in cast-iron?

A. It’s true! Acidic foods like tomatoes can react with the metal in a cast-iron skillet and actually absorb some of the iron molecules. This is a safe and effective way to increase your iron intake.

So, how much of a difference does this make in the iron content of foods? Potentially, a lot. Continue reading “Cast iron pans can increase your iron intake” >

My SNAP Challenge

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

After Gwyneth Paltrow’s spectacular fail last week, I decided to try a virtual SNAP challenge of my own. Could I buy enough groceries to eat nutritiously for a week on $29?

Paltrow’s grocery haul was perfectly respectable in terms of nutrition. The problem was that it didn’t contain nearly enough calories to sustain an adult for a week.

I’m not saying that the following rations would win any gourmet awards. But it would supply 2,000 calories per day and meet 100% of almost all of your dietary requirements…for just over $4/day.  (Prices were sourced from my local grocery store, using their online shopping tool.) Continue reading “My SNAP Challenge” >

Water: The Overlooked Ingredient

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

7417277818_24db95a92e_z[1]Remember when there were just two kinds of coffee: regular and decaf? Now, we’re invited to savor the subtle distinctions between coffee grown in the Andes versus beans from Ethiopia. It’s the same with chocolate, olive oil, wine…even salt! Down the street from my house is a store devoted entirely to salt, with hundreds of types from around the world. And it’s not simply about finding your favorite: one is perfect for fish, another for tomatoes, a third ideal for sprinkling over fruit salad.

Despite all the minute attention being given to ingredients these days, the quality of the water we use in our food and beverages is all too often overlooked. Click here to learn more.

[The linked article is part of a collaboration with PUR water filters.]

Is shellfish as nutritious as fish?

by Monica Reinagel, MS, LDN

Q. “I hear a lot about the health benefits of eating fish, but are other types of seafood (such as shrimp, mussels, oysters, calamari, etc.) just as good for us? I enjoy eating them but would love to know more about how they fit into a healthy diet.”

A. Absolutely! Seafood can be broken down into several different categories: finfish (which include fish like salmon and trout), mollusks (which include clams, calamari, oysters, scallops, and mussels), and crustaceans (which include shrimp, crab, and lobster). And let’s not forget about those sea vegetables!

As is the case with land animals (and vegetables), each type of seafood has its own unique nutritional profile, but we can also make some generalizations:

  • All seafood (with the exception of sea vegetables) are good sources of protein.
  • Seafood is one of the better dietary sources of vitamin D.
  • Mollusks tend to be rich in selenium and zinc.
  • Crustaceans are often high in cholesterol
  • Because most seafood lives in salt water, they also are relatively high in sodium, compared with other animal proteins.

Of course, one of the main health benefits of fish is the omega-3 fatty acids. But the amount of omega-3 varies considerably from type to type. Tilapia, orange roughy, and cod, for example, are all relatively low in omega-3 fatty acids.

Among the best sources of omega-3s are salmon, sardines, sablefish, anchovies, and herring. Among the shellfish, oysters are the only ones with comparable omega-3 levels.

This article was originally published on QuickandDirtyTips.com