Posts in Nutrition
WHICH IS BETTER, COFFEE OR GREEN TEA?
WHICH IS BETTER, COFFEE OR GREEN TEA?

Ever wondered why you can’t drink a cup of coffee past 11am or you’ll be staring all the ceiling all night, while your husband can have an espresso after dinner and sleep like a baby? The way your body breaks down and responds to caffeine is actually influenced by your genes! As a result of gene variants, some of us are fast caffeine metabolizers while others are slow metabolizers. Fast metabolizers can guzzle coffee all day and feel great – these lucky dogs get a whole bunch of benefits too, like increased metabolism, mental clarity, etc. Slow metabolizers are better off drinking green tea (which has about half the caffeine as coffee) or even skipping caffeine altogether, otherwise they get jittery, anxious and have disturbed sleep. To learn more about caffeine genes, fast/slow metabolizers, as well as the health benefits of coffee and green tea, check out my post!

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Nutrition, Lifestyle PracticesStephanie Romehello glow, green tea, caffeine tolerance, geneticsComment
SUGAR DETOX: HOW TO CUT OUT SUGAR WITHOUT LOSING TASTE
SUGAR DETOX: HOW TO CUT OUT SUGAR WITHOUT LOSING TASTE

We all know we should be eating less sugar for optimal health. But for many of us with legit sugar additions (the struggle is real!), that’s easier said than done. Lowering your sugar intake doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice taste or feel deprived from your favorite foods. In this post, you’ll learn some savvy swaps and health hacks so you can start detoxing from sugar, recalibrating your taste buds and controlling your cravings.

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NutritionStephanie Romesugar free, sugar detox, root + revelComment
Adaptogens: What's All The Buzz About?
Adaptogens: What's All The Buzz About?

Things like ashwagandha, reishi, maca and are making their way into lattes and smoothies at the trendy health-food cafes. You may have heard of a few of these before but not totally sure what the deal is. Well, they are adaptogens -- plant medicines that protect our bodies from the harmful effects of stress while supporting overall health. Sounds pretty good, right? There are lots of different adaptogens, each with its own set of special skills. I wrote a comprehensive guide to the most popular adaptogens over on Hello Glow. You may find a few that really speak to you in which case you should give them a try! There is almost no downside and lots of upside to being better equip to handle all the stresses life throws your way! 

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NutritionStephanie Romenutritional supplements, stress management, stress relief, healthy habits, hormone balanceComment
Here's Why Your Healthy Friends Are Sipping Mushroom Coffee
Here's Why Your Healthy Friends Are Sipping Mushroom Coffee

Mushrooms are a delicious food to incorporate into your healthy diet. While button, cremini, portobello and oyster mushrooms are all great, there are a group of medicinal mushrooms that go above and beyond in terms of health benefits. These mushroom superfoods do amazing things for your brain, hormones, energy, mood and immune system so it's no wonder they're starting to pop up in coffee, tea, smoothies, elixirs, chocolate, etc. To learn more about these six special fungi, click the button below to be taken to my blog post at Hello Glow. 

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NutritionStephanie Romehormone balance, healthy habits, stress management, stress relief, immunityComment
The Power of Tea
The Power of Tea

Ready to make your 'cuppa' work for you? I've put together a list of my favorite medicinal teas that, in addition to tasting comforting and delicious, pack a punch on the nutritional front! Everything from burning fat with matcha to fighting inflammation with golden milk to detoxing your liver with dandelion, I've tried to cover the gamut when it comes to tea for every ailment. Cheers to the power of tea! 

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NutritionStephanie Romeself-care, healthy habits, healthy lifestyle, stress relief, detoxComment
3-Day Detox
3-Day Detox

Off the back of an indulgent holiday season, many of us feel the the urge to purge in January to get our asses back in gear after being pretty slack for a few weeks (or months)! My gentle 3-day cleanse is the perfect antidote to all that cheese, pie, and champagne from all those holiday parties. I say 'gentle' because there is nothing extreme or restrictive about this cleanse plan. You're eating real food the entire time so no need to worry about feeling deprived or starving. Since it's winter for us here in the Northern Hemisphere, I've designed all of the recipes to be warm and comforting. You'll be having winter-inspired smoothies or porridge for breakfast, Ayurvedic kitchari for lunch and cozy veggie-based soups for dinner. In addition to the yummy recipes, I also put together a list of stress-relieving practices so you can feel lighter, happier and more refreshed after you've finished! All the info for the 3-day cleanse is over at Hello Glow. Click the button below to be taken there. 

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NutritionStephanie Romecleanse, detox, fall/winter, healthy lifestyleComment
1-Day No Fuss Cleanse
1-Day No Fuss Cleanse

This 1-day cleanse is the perfect "reset button" after a holiday, wedding weekend, or one of those weeks of not-so-healthy eating. I know how tough it can be to commit to a cleanse for any real length of time (7, 14, 28 days), so I came up with this 1-day cleanse plan for when you don't want to fuss around with lots of meal prep or put your summer social activities on hold because you're "on a cleanse." A great day to do this cleanse is Monday or Tuesday after, for example, a big weekend of eating, drinking, etc. You can pick up the essentials from the grocery store on Sunday or Monday and get started right after that. As you can see from the photo, I purchased my green juices and nut milk. You can, of course, make these yourself but the beauty of this cleanse is that you don't have to spend much time in the kitchen! 

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NutritionStephanie Romecleanse, detox, healthy lifestyle, gut health, self-care Comments
DNA Doesn't Determine Your Fate
DNA Doesn't Determine Your Fate

We are just at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding what the exact influence of genetics is on our health. Research into epigenetics is starting to provide some interesting answers. Epigenetics, or “control above genetics,” studies how environmental factors influence gene expression, the process of genes transmitting instructions to molecules in the body. Epigenetics is part of a new understanding of gene workings which challenges the long-standing belief that DNA controls biology.

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NutritionStephanie Romeanti-inflammatory, healthy lifestyle, healthy habitsComment
Macronutrient Makeover
Macronutrient Makeover

Let's talk macronutrients... Macronutrients are nutrients that provide energy to the body and are needed in large amounts. There are three: carbohydrate, protein and fat.  

As these are the foundation of your diet, we want to make sure you're getting them right! In today's post, I'm going to help with you to changing out your protein, fat and carb sources to decrease inflammation, reduce your toxic load and support your microbiome.

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NutritionStephanie Romeanti-inflammatory, gut health, healthy weight, healthy lifestyleComment
Power of Protein
Power of Protein

Protein is a hot topic. Carbs have been demonized, fats (until recently) had a bad rap... It's the only macronutrient that rarely, if ever, goes under fire. Brands drive sales of their food products by throwing the word "protein" on the label, exemplifying protein's health halo. It's often connected to everything from weight loss to muscle gains. And maybe this if for good reason! Protein is crucial for the structure, function and regulation of the body's tissues and organs. While protein is essential in the diet, there seems to be a "more is better" mentality which isn't quite right.

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NutritionStephanie Romehealthy weight, healthy lifestyle, meal planning Comment
What You Should Know about Food Labeling
What You Should Know about Food Labeling

Is going to the grocery store a dreaded chore? Does it send you into a state of panic at the realization you actually don't know what to eat? Do all the food product labels make you dizzy with confusion?  I get it. It's a jungle out there! And I want to help you navigate it with grace and ease. By understanding front-of-package marketing labels, you'll be armed against getting duped into buying processed foods with undesirable ingredients just because a "health halo" trips you up. 

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NutritionStephanie Romehealthy lifestyle Comments
10 Tips for Eating Clean on a Budget
10 Tips for Eating Clean on a Budget

One of the most common excuses and/or complaints I commonly hear regarding making the switch to a whole foods diet is that it’s too expensive.  I won’t argue with you that grass fed meat and wild fish are pricier than Hot Pockets and Pizza Bites. By buying organic and making your meals from scratch using real food ingredients, you will no doubt notice a jump in the grand total on your grocery receipts. But once you get started and get the hang of it, you’ll see that there are ways to eat clean and save $green$. You can also think about it this way – eating high-quality, nutrient-dense whole foods is your health insurance policy. By spending a little more each week now, your healthy and disease resistant body will actually save you in medical bills and expensive treatments later on! Do your best to invest in your health today as your future depends on it!

Even on a tight budget, you can make small upgrades that will have a massive impact on your health for the better. Below are some thrifty tips for transitioning into a more plant-based, healthy and happy lifestyle: 

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NutritionStephanie Romehealthy lifestyle, meal planning Comments
What is the Paleo Diet? + Sweet Potato Cookie Recipe
What is the Paleo Diet? + Sweet Potato Cookie Recipe

I'm sure y'all have heard of the Paleo diet by now. It seems to be the latest health trend / buzzword. You may be wondering, though, what actually does the Paleo, or caveman, diet entail... I get asked this question a lot so I thought I'd write what I know about it and also hook you up with a delicious and Paleo-friendly cookie recipe in case you want to jump on board the caveman train. 

In a nutshell, the Paleo diet is about eating in a manner similar to how our caveman ancestors did before the agricultural revolution. This means eating unprocessed meat, saturated fats (from animals, avocados, coconuts, etc.), non-starchy veggies, nuts/seeds, eggs, and a little low-sugar fruit. It also means eliminating any food that arrived since farming and processing began, about 10,000 years ago -- stuff like grains, legumes, dairy, vegetable oil, etc. 

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Recipes, NutritionStephanie Romedesserts, snacks, paleo, gluten free, dairy free, anti-inflammatory, fall/winter, kid-friendly, holidaysComment
My Two Week Red Meat Experiment
My Two Week Red Meat Experiment

For those of you who followed my blog through my Asian travels at the beginning of last year may know that I was 'vegan' for about 6-ish months. You can read more about my meat-free life here. Once I started culinary school in August, it was pretty difficult to maintain a fully vegan diet as we had to learn to cook animal protein and I wanted to taste all our creations! For the time I was in school, I ate and enjoyed whatever animal protein we made, but maintained a vegan diet at home. So, with that, let's call it about a year with limited animal foods, and particularly minimal red meat consumption (probably 5 times the whole year). 

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NutritionStephanie Romepaleo Comments
Fresh is always better? Think again! + Green Detox Soup Recipe
Fresh is always better? Think again! + Green Detox Soup Recipe

As 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...

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Recipes, NutritionStephanie Romesoups/stews, main dishes, sides, paleo, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, anti-inflammatory, cleanse, detoxComment
Is Dairy Scary?
Is Dairy Scary?

Over the last decade or so, dairy has been the subject of much debate in our society. We have alternative practitioners and nutrition-world rock stars preaching the dangers of dairy and how it is totally unnatural to drink the milk of another species.  On the other hand, we have the conventional medical community, as well as the federal government food pyramid, instructing us to consume 2-3 servings per day to satisfy our daily calcium requirement in preventing osteoporosis.  Additionally, we have USDA-managed programs pumping big dollars ($550 million advertising spends) into campaigns urging Americans to buy more animal foods - examples include the (in)famous "Got Milk?" campaign and the widespread slogan: "Milk. It does a body good." With all these conflicting messages coming at us left and right, it is no surprise so many of us are confused about whether or not consuming dairy is a good choice. 

Agribusiness has become a scarily powerful influence over our everyday food-buying choices through its manipulating health claims, artificially low prices, and heavy control over legislation and regulation.  I find it frightening how much control animal producers have over what consumers buy and believe to be healthy.  With around 60% of the world somewhat lactose intolerant, I think it is important for us all to be informed about the potential health risks associated with consuming dairy so that we can decide for ourselves what to eat rather than being told (manipulated?) by the government and/or dairy industry.  

Below are some considerations as to why conventional dairy may be doing more harm than good: 

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NutritionStephanie Rome Comments
Why You Should Eat Fruit Alone
Why You Should Eat Fruit Alone

 ....Not alone as in isolation, but alone as in without any other foods and on an empty tummy. 

There are two main controversies around eating fruit and I'd like to explore both so you can make an informed decision about whether eating fruit is a healthy choice for you. 

The first relates to the sugar content in fruit.  Those who reject fruit as a healthy dietary choice point to the Glycemic Index and claim that eating fruit causes blood sugar spikes.  These fruit-haters also point out that fruit sugar is high in fructose which is difficult for the liver to metabolize and therefore turns directly to fat in the body. While this fructose-becomes-fat assertion is accurate, I don't believe that these critics are looking at the full picture. Fruit does contain fructose, but the whole food package that it comes in also contains fiber.  Fiber not only restrains us from consuming large amounts in one sitting (unlike high-fructose corn syrup or agave), but also, along with antioxidants and vitamin C, it helps to inhibit rapid fructose assimilation into the bloodstream thus minimizing the negative effects.  

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NutritionStephanie Romegut health, healthy habits Comments
How to Turbo-Charge your Smoothie
How to Turbo-Charge your Smoothie

So you’ve warmed up to the idea of adding greens into your smoothies, but then you think, ‘what’s next?’  Enter superfoods and other nutrition boosters! It can be overwhelming perusing the aisles of the health food store and not knowing what’s what with all those potions and powders, some of which you may have heard of but know neither their health benefits nor their taste! Let’s break it down.

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NutritionStephanie Romesmoothies, superfoods, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free Comments