Category: Diet

3 Steps to Bone Health

May 15th, 2012 by Paula Gallagher

Establishing strong bones should start young. Did you know that 90% of peak bone mass is reached by the age of 18 in girls and 20 in boys? So it would make sense that we do the most we can to increase bone density in our younger years, as opposed to just trying to prevent it when we are older.

Bone is living tissue that changes constantly, with bits of old bone being removed and replaced by new bone. At about the age of 30, the amount of bone being made starts to decrease, increasing the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis.

There are many factors that affect peak bone mass. Some like gender and race cannot be changed. However, there are three factors that you can do something about.

1. Diet/Nutrition: Maintaining a healthy diet that combines calcium-rich foods is important to building and maintaining bone density. Dairy (organic is best), dark leafy greens, almonds and salmon are rich calcium sources and should be incorporated into your diet to achieve the recommended 1000mg of calcium per day. If you have a hard time achieving that with food, supplementing with a calcium product like Pathway Bone Guardian is an important factor to consider. Continue reading “3 Steps to Bone Health”

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Some Reasons Why You May Be Binge Eating

May 1st, 2012 by Debi Silber, The Mojo Coach

It’s 3:00 pm. You’re feeling sluggish and suddenly get an overwhelming urge to eat. You start by telling yourself you’ll make a healthy choice as you quickly assess the options available to you. Before you know it, one bite of something sweet and/or crunchy sets you off on a frenzied binge and the rest is all a blur. After a few minutes, you realize this was another attempt to snack… “gone bad.” You feel guilty, frustrated and angry.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone. With the best of intentions, many of us binge and the first step is discovering the reason why this is happening. It means looking at your current food choices, your habits, behaviors, emotions, triggers, lifestyle and more.

So, ready to dig a little deeper?

Let’s start with your food choices. If you’re currently eating a high sugar diet filled with carbs and empty calories, it’s no wonder you’re struggling with your food. Sugar, in all of it’s various forms trigger us to overeat for so many reasons.  Continue reading “Some Reasons Why You May Be Binge Eating”

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An Easy Way to Cut 248 Calories Each Day

April 24th, 2012 by Paula Gallagher

People who stay up late and sleep in late tend to eat on average 248 calories more per day than those who go to sleep earlier and get up earlier. Research published in the journal Obesity also found that night owls ate twice as much fast food and half as many fruits as vegetables as the early risers.

The extra calories can really add up to significant weight gain, especially if they aren’t balanced with daily exercise. An extra 248 calories per day can mean 2 pounds a month or 24 pounds per year.

So, the next time you feel you are up late and are reaching for a couple of oreos and some milk, you may want to rethink it and hit the sack instead.

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The Pleasure and Pain…of Sugar

April 4th, 2012 by Debi Silber, The Mojo Coach

A few days ago, 60 Minutes aired an episode where Dr. Sanjay Gupta reported that sugar, in the way it’s being consumed today, is a toxin.

The word toxin sounds very serious, especially when talking about sweets and treats we love, crave, and feed our families. But the reality is that many Americans eat a SAD diet. No, that’s not a Standard American Diet, but a Sad American Diet. For many of us, our diets are filled with sugar, dangerous types of fats, chemicals and ingredients that would be found sooner in a lab experiment than a cookbook. These “nutrient void, calorically-dense sub-foods” are wreaking havoc on our bodies and our health. We eat more than we used to, not only because the serving sizes are so much bigger, but because we’re searching for a sense of satiety that these foods simply can’t provide. What’s worse, we slowly build up a tolerance for the “feel good” feeling that we’re hoping for when eating them and need to consume more and more to achieve the same effect.

So, what can we do? Continue reading “The Pleasure and Pain…of Sugar”

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Stay Slim with Chocolate!

April 3rd, 2012 by Paula Gallagher

This is my kind of study! New research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has found that people who eat a small amount of chocolate are thinner than those who eat chocolate less often.

Although this study did not specify the type of chocolate, cocoa (which is most present in dark chocolate) is rich in antioxidants called flavonoids, which help fight inflammation, lower blood pressure and improve overall vascular function.

According to lead author Beatrice Golomb, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of California-San Diego, the antioxidants also affect metabolism and improve insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance contributes to hypertension and obesity.

“The chocolate provided better metabolism for all calories, not just the chocolate calories.”

However, before you starting packing away the candy bars in hopes of keeping weight at bay, keep in mind that most of them contain at least 200 calories, tons of sugar and are made with milk chocolate (little or no cocoa). Limit chocolate to one ounce of dark chocolate per day. For those of you who aren’t dark chocolate fans, here is a tip. Start with one that has a lower percentage of cocoa, like 55%, and let the piece of chocolate melt a little on your tongue. As you acquire a taste for dark, then you can experiment with richer and stronger chocolate.

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Our Bloggers

  • Paula Gallagher
    Paula Gallagher
    Paula is a highly qualified and experienced nutrition counselor on the staff at Village Green.
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  • Margo Gladding
    Margo Gladding
    Margo's impressive knowledge base is the result of a unique blend of educational and professional experience.
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  • Dr. Neal Barnard
    Dr. Neal Barnard
    Dr. Barnard leads programs advocating for preventive medicine, good nutrition, and higher ethical standards in research.
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  • Joseph Pizzorno
    Dr. Joseph Pizzorno
    Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, ND is a pioneer of integrative medicine and a leading authority on science-based natural medicine.
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  • Debi Silber
    Debi Silber
    Debi is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in nutrition, a personal trainer, and whole health coach.
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  • Teri Cochrane
    Teri Cochrane
    Teri is a is a Certified Coach Practitioner with extensive certifications and experience in holistic medicinal practices.
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  • Dr. Rav Ivker
    Dr. Rav Ivker
    Dr. Rav Ivker is a holistic family physician, health educator, and best-selling author.
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    Susan Levin
    Susan writes about the connection between plant-based diets and a reduced risk of chronic diseases.
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    Dr. Rob Brown
    Dr. Brown's blended perspective of healthcare includes a deeply rooted passion for wellness and spiritual exploration.
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