Looking for a super healthy summer appetizer or light dinner? Look no further than rice paper rolls! They're colorful, tasty and a cinch to make as long as you don't mind chopping veggies into thin strips...To make things quicker/easier you could buy pre-chopped veggies such as julienned carrots, strips of bell pepper, etc. Feel free to get creative with what you put in your rolls! Rice paper rolls can be the perfect 'kitchen sink' meal, i.e. a way to use up all the veggies leftover in the fridge at the end of the week!
Read MoreSpring is the time of year when our bodies naturally want to "spring clean" or detox after the heaviness of winter. If you tune in, you may notice that your appetite naturally begins to wane during the months of spring. Spring boosts natural fat metabolism which, in turn, decreases cravings, hunger and appetite in order to reset fat burning, start detox and loose any extra weight carried over from winter.
Read MoreHippocrates, the Father of Medicine, said disease begins in the gut. True, and so does health. There is growing research showing that the state of your gut health impacts everything from your immune system to the glow of your skin. We know that having lots of good bacteria taking up residence in your gut leaves little room for the bad bacteria (i.e. candida) to proliferate. All this healthy gut flora inoculates your intestinal tract keeping you happy, healthy, balanced and beautiful.
Read MoreAs a nutrition coach, I always trying to get my clients to eat more vegetables. I follow a general approach of teaching my clients to 'crowd out' the junk by adding in lots of nutrient-dense foods, especially veggies. One of the common hurdles on the road to a plant-based diet is that fresh produce often entails a lot of prep work (washing, peeling, chopping) and that takes time! Time that most people don't have! So what do I tell them?? Eat frozen veggies. When it comes out of my mouth, a tiny part of me cringes a little because few things make me happier than coming home from the farmers market / grocery store and stocking my shelves and fridge with heaps of fresh fruits and veggies, and I want my clients to share in a similar (probably not quite so enthusiastic) joy. BUT I would much rather them eat all frozen produce than put the idea of eating vegetables in the "too hard basket" in view of the time factor. That said, I decided to do a little bit of research around the nutritional value of fresh versus frozen vegetables and I was pleasantly surprised and humbled. The science gave me the humbling I needed to shut down that little cringer when I promote frozen produce to my clients.
There is no denying the convenience of frozen produce, but let's check the science on whether we are sacrificing micronutrient and antioxidant value for the sake of luxury...
Read More