Most women know that we can lose significant amounts of bone as we get older as a result of osteoporosis. However, sarcopenia doesn’t seem to get as much notice. What is sarcopenia and why does it matter to weight control?

Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle mass, quality and strength that begins to unfold pretty early in life. Even at age 30 we may begin to lose some of the muscle that we use on a regular basis. As for it’s relationship with weight management, there’s a couple of factors:

In the health and wellness world, the word "adaptogen" is something that you've probably encountered plenty of times, whether it be in health food stores, online forums, or even in articles in magazines. You might find this word in recipe books or pretty much anywhere else that focuses on health, fitness, and wellness. But the question that is still on the mind of many is "what exactly are adaptogens?"

The Ketogenic, or "Keto" diet is all the rage right now in the weight loss and health world. The Keto diet is somewhat like the low-carb Atkins diet of the 90s, except instead of low-carb, like the Atkins diet, the Keto diet focuses on eating almost no carbs at all.

By ingesting low amounts (or in this case, hardly any at all) of carbohydrates, your body will enter ketosis, which is a state where your body ultimately uses fat for fuel instead of using carbohydrates. This can be a great way to lose weight, but not necessarily a great way to be healthy….

Nutritional yeast is a great way to pack a lot more nutrients into your diet, especially if you choose a vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based diet. There are some nutrients that you may be able to get from nutritional yeast if you are trying to eat healthier. Nutritional yeast has the ability to make this easier for you!​

Food addiction is a real thing, and it is something that many people find themselves suffering from on a regular basis. From eating too much to finding yourself eating the wrong types of foods (think unhealthy processed foods, high fat and calorie foods, etc.), it can be really difficult to break free of this addiction, especially if you have spent many years eating a certain way or too much altogether. You might not even realize that you have an addiction to certain kinds of foods.​

If you are looking to start a new way of eating, you're probably overwhelmed by all of the types of diets and lifestyle choices that you can make to help you reach your goals. There are plenty of them, and among them are plant-based eating options: whole food plant-based, and vegan. In order to decide which one is best for you and which choice would better fit your lifestyle, it is important for you to know the differences between the two, and fully understand what each of these eating styles represents. ​

When you first start out with a weight loss goal in mind, you try to be conscious to everything that you are doing. You probably work hard to make sure you eat healthier, exercise more, and keep the lifestyle changes up. However, you can unknowingly be sabotaging your weight loss efforts without even realizing you're doing it, preventing you from achieving success. Pay attention to the following points to see if you are doing any of these things without even realizing it, and maybe you can get your healthy lifestyle back on track toward and headed towards your weight loss goals!​

Grocery shopping is a task that many people are not crazy about, even though it's one of the most important household tasks out there if you plan on eating well! Since you can't rely on fast food and take out for every meal without suffering health issues, you will need to keep fresh groceries in your home, which means you have to shop for them!

This list will provide you with a few "rules" to keep in mind when shopping for your groceries. They can help make the task easier and allow you to figure out how to make the most out of your shopping trip without overspending, purchasing too much junk food, or buying items that you aren't sure you can use right away.​

Eating disorder rates in teenagers continue to be on the rise. Teens often feel pressure to look and act a certain way and this mindset can cause disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. While some eating disorders are more easily recognizable than others, it is important to keep in mind that all four of these eating disorders exist and can cause problems with loved ones, friends, and family.

While all parents have the hope that their children will not develop eating disorders or have any trouble with food, the scary truth is that it does happen, and you need to be on the lookout for signs of these eating disorders, as well as have an understanding of what each eating disorder is.

You've heard it many times - berries are beneficial to your health and can be one of the best fruits you can choose in your quest for a healthy lifestyle. Each berry has their own set of nutritional value - some more than others, and can offer you plenty of different benefits to help keep you healthy. Berries have actually been thought of as one of the healthiest foods on the planet!

From raspberries to strawberries to blackberries, each variety of berry has something to offer you that can keep you healthy! For example, did you know that berries tend to be very high in vitamin C, even higher than oranges? This can help you to fight off germs and keep your immune system boosted. Let's take a look at some of the most popular berries and see what kinds of health benefits they offer!​

There is a big difference between dieting and healthy living, and while the two of them can often go hand in hand, they are also very different. Both dieting and healthy living can have a place in your lifestyle, and both of them can be acknowledged for different purposes throughout your life.

What is Dieting?

Dieting is the act of restricting certain foods and/or counting calories, carbohydrates, sugars, etc. Dieting is often used in conjunction with rigorous exercise to try and bring about weight loss. You might hear of some people trying to lose weight before a big event, such as a wedding, so they try dieting as a means of doing so. ​

There are many different kinds of vegetables out there - green veggies, such as broccoli and kale, root veggies, such as potatoes and beets, and aromatics, such as garlic, onion, and ginger.

If you're wondering why these aromatic vegetables are so important (aside from how wonderful they can make a dish taste), and whether or not you should add them to your regular cooking regime, here are a few things that you might find great to know!

Cortisol is a steroid hormone that is produced in the adrenal gland, and many people have thought of cortisol as the “stress hormone”, as it tends to be released during times of great stress. When it comes to weight, cortisol is usually thought of negatively, as stress, and the resulting cortisol response, can actually hinder your weight loss efforts, and sometimes even cause your body to gain weight.​

Even if you try your hardest to maintain a healthy diet and get in regular exercise, sometimes it can be more difficult than others. And binge eating only further complicates those efforts! In fact, binge eating can have some serious negative effects on your body. From causing too much bloating to making you feel sick the next day, binge eating can also wreck your metabolism and make it difficult for you to lose weight and keep it off in the future!​

Creating your own healthy meals can be both one of the most rewarding, yet difficult, decisions to make when you are striving to eat healthy. There are so many different possibilities of ingredients that you can add to your smoothies to increase the amount of nutrition, but you also have to remain mindful of things like added sugars which, if aren't watched, can add up quickly, making your healthy eating go straight out the window. So what are some of the best things to add into your smoothies in order to make them more nutritious, vitamin packed, and full of good-for-you foods?

Cruciferous vegetables offer a plethora of health benefits that make them worth incorporating into your daily diet. There are plenty of these vegetables out there, and they can easily be worked into lunches, dinners, and even breakfast smoothies to give you a boost of nutrition in the beginning of your day. Easy to prepare and include in many different dishes, these vegetables are often rich in many vitamins and minerals and are great choices for your body.​

It's not a bad thing to want to be healthy. In fact, getting fit and focusing on your physical, mental, and emotional health is a great way to tackle day to day life. For those who are looking to better themselves physically or to get in shape, joining a gym is often the way to go. Spending hours each week sweating out stress and trying to be your best physical self can make all the difference in your life - but it's important to remember that there is a fine line between being a gym rat and being someone who has a gym obsession.​

While cooking with oil can make food taste delicious, brown better, and add flavor, it can also add extra calories and fat, as well as take away from the healthiness of the dish you are preparing. Because of this, many people are choosing to use healthier oils or cook without oils completely, coming up with new ways to prepare beloved dishes that might have once relied on oils heavily.

There are a variety of ways to cook without oils, or with minimal oils, allowing you to still retain a great amount of flavor in your dishes while making them healthier. This way you can consume your favorites more often or without any of the guilt that you might have if you were coating them in oils.​

Instagram is a fun way to share photographs with friends, family, and the rest of the world. It features everything from pets, to food, to fitness and models in exotic locations. It can be a great way to meet new people and fall in love with new places and things (finding a new favorite restaurant, for example). But what happens if Instagram starts to impact out lives in a negative way?

Whether you are trying to lose weight, stay healthy, or just looking for an alternative to regular sugars when you are cooking and baking, there are a variety of alternative sweeteners out there that can easily help you take charge of your healthier lifestyle.

There are a great deal of sugar alternatives on the market today, so it is important to take a look at your dietary needs and what you plan to do with it. Here is a brief listing of some of the more popular sugar alternatives, what makes them different, how to use them, and when to use them.​

Everyone has special foods they crave from chips to cookies and beyond. Cravings are nothing new. We all have them. But what cause you to crave these foods instead of, say, salads for example?

Certain parts of our brain are responsible for this. Eating these fatty, sugary, and carb-filled foods triggers the pleasure sensors in our brains and stimulates memories. So when we feel stressed and the cravings hit, our brains are drumming up memories telling us to enjoy these foods because they make us feel good.

As we all know though, that food-fueled joy is only temporary. After that, we tend to feel bad for snarfing down massive quantities of these fatty foods. While a planned and portioned indulgence is a nice treat, binging is something we should avoid. Here’s how you can handle your cravings and have more control. ​

There’s no denying it. Most of us sprinkle salt into just about everything we cook. It keeps foods from tasting bland. But there are many different types of salt out there which might make you wonder if any one of them is better than the other.

​Salt is made up of sodium and chlorine, both of them necessary elements for our survival. These elements help brain and nerve function. So, we need salt. It’s often seen as unhealthy though because it can bind to the water in your bloodstream which elevates blood pressure, however this is only when salt is used in large amounts.

They say, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” however that seems to apply to women as well. Especially when it comes to the workplace. Feeding your employees with snacks will not only make them happier, but it will also make them more productive.

Why? Well, who doesn’t love free food? But there’s more to it than that. When employees aren’t fueled properly with food, they become tired, irritable, and they can’t stay focused. It’s not enough to just dump some boxes of donuts in the breakroom and let them fight over the Boston cream ones though. When employees are given healthy snacks that boost their energy levels, they’ll work harder and smarter. Plus, they’ll make fewer insurance claims because their overall health improves. Basically, it’s a win-win.

So how to motivate the team through food? Here are top tips.​

Think back to your halcyon days of elementary school when one of your school day experiments was to sprout seeds. The germination process is still a part of most curriculums today, however more and more people are doing it at home too for the incredible health benefits they gain from sprouting.

Sprouted seeds from grains, beans, nuts, as well as other seeds, are all easier to digest, plus they give your body more nutrients than unsprouted seeds. That’s just one benefit. Here are some more to chew over.

They say life is what happens when you make other plans. Between your job, your spouse’s job, the kids and all their assorted activities, it can feel like you’re all spread too thin. Plus, you want to keep everyone happy and healthy from mind to body to spirit.

If things are feeling a bit chaotic and you’re not sure how to make healthfulness a priority for your family, check out these tips for fast solutions to get you all back on track for healthier times ahead.

Countless health-related studies point to the importance of eating healthy, unprocessed, unrefined food to lower the chance of developing cancer. In fact, for cancer prevention, present-day nutrition guidelines in the U.S. are nearly identical to those for preventing other illnesses, like diabetes and heart disease. These general guidelines, as outlined below, were created to show us how to choose healthy, wholesome foods, to significantly reduce the risk of developing cancer.​

Time and time again, we've heard about the importance of omega-3 fatty acids in our diet. Yet, the vast majority of Americans lack sufficient amounts, even though these polyunsaturated fats are crucial to several bodily functions. That's because, in American cuisine, our fatty acids are often unbalanced, coming in too low with omega-3s and too high with omega-6s. The result of such a diet is internal inflammation, along with a slew of other equally dangerous health conditions. To avoid this dilemma, let's examine these vital fatty acids, and find out how to incorporate more of them into our meals.

Are your favorite shortbread cookies whispering sweet nothings from the kitchen counter? Is the half-eaten pint of Chunky Monkey screaming your name every time you open your freezer? Do the chocolate croissants call to you every morning when you pick up your coffee, seducing you with their sinfully delicious scent? Obviously, it's not the actual food that's pestering you... it's the cravings!

Aside from experiencing cultural attractions and breathtaking landscapes, enjoying local ethnic food is right at the top of the list as being the best part of a vacation. As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. That means savoring sushi in Japan, enjoying a baguette and Gruyère cheese in France, and delighting in Italy's fresh, handmade pasta, not to mention their unbelievable gelato. But, just because you're on a much-needed vacay doesn't mean you should overindulge your inner foodie. That's not to say you can't enjoy yourself, but rather you should moderate by finding a healthy balance.

How does one moderate their food desires when faced with such mouth-watering delights? Well, here are a few sure-fire tricks to keep you both satiated and sane while on your trip.

Do you spend your workouts worrying that you're not exercising the right way? Have you ever wondered if you're pushing too much, or not enough? How do you know if you're doing this whole workout thing correctly? Oh, if only there were a simple way to figure everything out!

Well, there is, and it has to do with understanding heart rate ranges and how it affects the way you exercise. When you exercise in your target heart rate zone, you lessen the potential risks and maximize the overall benefits of working out. Simply put, Target Heart Rate (THR) is when your heart rate, or pulse, is 60-80% of your maximum heart rate during periods of exercise. THR is the exercises "sweet spot," a critical element in physical exercise that will help you reach your fitness goals and lose weight.

Paleo, Raw, Atkins, South Beach... which diet is best for our bodies when it comes to macronutrient ratio? One scientist claims their diet is "revolutionary" while another claims that their diet is the "key" to rid the world of obesity. Truthfully, it's all a confusing blur. There are so many fad and extreme diets out there that it's nearly impossible to tell what a human being needs for their wellbeing.

​When it comes to weight-loss, many people follow low-carb and low-fat diets. But, is it really that simple? If it was, wouldn't everyone be cutting out that same macronutrient from their diet to reduce cholesterol or lose weight? Is this approach the right thing to do?

Have you been struggling to lose weight, but just can't seem to make your efforts pay off? Believe it or not, you could be unknowingly sabotaging your own health plan with a proven metabolism killer. From doing the wrong exercises to eating the wrong amount of carbs to ingesting the wrong type of fat, your regular habits could be what's affecting your fat-burning process, and it's all just wrong, wrong, wrong!

Let's find out what metabolism killers wreak havoc on your weight so you can right those wrongs.

Are you an exhausted parent shuffling kids to and from afterschool activities? A self-employed individual struggling to make ends meet? An underappreciated employee by day and a binge-eating, couch surfer by night? Do you turn to food to fill a void? The truth is, you are not alone. Stress makes us do some pretty wacky things, one of which is overeating. And, as many of you already know, stress-related overeating leads to weight-gain and other health issues.

But, there's a solution to this problem, so don't get even more stressed about stress! Let's explore the top four reasons why stress leads to overeating and what you can do to reverse the stress effect.

Have you heard of Curcuma Longa? Well it is more commonly known as turmeric. It’s a ginger-like root that gives curry its orangey color and has numerous health-boosting qualities! Aside from adding a savory flavor to food, it's also a highly revered plant in Indian Ayurvedic medicine, praised for its powerful healing abilities. Nowadays, modern medicine recognizes turmeric for its unquestionable medicinal qualities, most notably its effects as a healing agent and pain reliever.

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Have you been thinking about adding turmeric to your diet? Read on to find out more about turmeric's top 4 health benefits and how it can improve your health.

Most women know that we can lose significant amounts of bone as we get older as a result of osteoporosis. However, sarcopenia doesn’t seem to get as much notice. What is sarcopenia and why does it matter to weight control?

Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle mass, quality and strength that begins to unfold pretty early in life. Even at age 30 we may begin to lose some of the muscle that we use on a regular basis. As for it’s relationship with weight management, there’s a couple of factors:

There's a lot of hype online about apple cider vinegar (ACV) and its vast array of phenomenal health benefits. Some sites tout it as an end-all home remedy cure while others highlight scientific evidence. From weight loss to blood pressure, acid reflux to osteoporosis, are any of these benefits genuine? Inquisitive minds want the truth, and, thanks to our sleuthing skills, we're here to set the record straight!

Will you be adding ACV to your daily routine? Check out these top five scientifically-backed health benefits and decide for yourself if this versatile vinegar is something you want to add to your health repertoire.

Bacteria is a cringe worthy word, no doubt. But it is important to know that not all bacteria is bad. In fact, the gut houses both good and bad bacteria where the balance between the two needs to be in sync for optimal digestive functioning.​

In cases where the good bacteria outnumbers the bad ones, the person enjoys good health, mental clarity, a healthy weight and no serious digestive issues. On the flip side, when there is more of the harmful bacteria, it starts to raise concerns like unwanted weight gain, susceptibility to digestive issues, brain fog and overall malaise.

If you know me, you know that yoga is not my forte! But I truly understand and appreciate the value of it which is why I’ve made a concerted effort to make it a part of my life. If you read my 30 Days of Yoga blog, you may have gone through that journey with me! I have primarily stuck with vinyasa and flow based yoga as I enjoy the pacing of it. But my interest was piqued recently when I came upon an article about Yin Yoga. Piqued enough for me to actually follow through and give it a whirl. What was so interesting? Well...

Sometimes referred to as middle-aged spread, peri and post menopausal weight gain is an unwanted visitor for many women. So, are all the extra pounds here to stay or are there some things worth trying if your weight feels too high for you?

Statistically, being overweight brings with it increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease as well as potentially interference with quality of life and sexual function. So, no surprise that middle-aged weight gain is a focus of research. And this research does have something to say about ways to give peri-menopausal weight gain a run for its money...​

Ah, yes, the after-school witching hours, when kids are hungry, tired and maybe even grumpy about today’s homework. In those circumstances, having a good snack waiting for them can be a very convenient distraction from the trials and tribulations of the school day.

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Firstly, let’s clarify that “good” snacks don’t only refer to those snacks that are good for your body. A good snack is also one that is enjoyable – if your child hates the hummus and carrots that you carefully prepared for his return home, it probably isn’t a good snack for him.

Who doesn’t want to have a healthy, happy brain as long as possible? And so, we try to get enough sleep (or at least, we should be trying to get enough sleep!), we wear helmets when we bike, and our kids know better than to get on their skateboards without their helmet (right?!). But what about nutrition? Are there choices we can make to help keep our brains in peak condition?​

Fructose is the scientific name for fruit sugar. Not surprisingly, Fructose naturally occurs in foods such as honey, root vegetables (think of sweet carrots and tasty beets) and fruit.

Where else does fructose show up in our food supply? Ever heard of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)? I’m guessing the answer is “yes’, but as a quick review, HFCS is a mix of glucose (another type of sugar) and fructose. In this form, fructose isn’t exactly considered a health food. In fact, there are concerns that HFCS can increase the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the most common cause of chronic liver disease.

Sometimes it can feel like you’re doing your part. Eating sensibly and finding time to go to the gym or run around your neighborhood. But still, you’re that stubborn 5 (or 10 or 20 or…) pounds, doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Could there be something else at play?

One possibility is that your metabolism isn’t working at its best. So instead of burning “X” number of calories per day, you’re burning less than X. And over time, that can make a difference to your weight management efforts.

Kombucha, Kimchi, even sauerkraut are receiving their fair share of attention as fermented foods enjoy their fame. But it this a fleeting fad or is it time to sit up and take notice?

Firstly, fermentation means using bacteria or yeast to turn starches and sugars into acidic compounds. Hence, the tangy tasty you find in your jar of pickles. Not only can fermentation provide some flavor “zip” but the bacteria responsible are considered to be of the “healthy” variety. So, healthy in fact that some experts in the field include fermented foods as a separate group. But what is it that these foods offer that a bowl full of brown rice and steamed broccoli can’t provide? Probiotics, baby, probiotics!​

Given the popularity of grills in American homes, there is a fair chunk of the population who get some serious enjoyment out of grilling to perfection on the BBQ. But in recent years, science has rained on that parade by warning us of the health risks that can accompany charring.

Does that mean making a stack of BBQ for you and your family is mutually exclusive with eating healthy? Or, are there things that can be done to minimize the not-so-good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to grilling?

When it comes to weight management, every day offers an opportunity to shed an old habit and try on a new one. Creating a morning routine that can contribute to your weight management/weight loss goals means that every day you have a predictable opportunity to take a step, no matter how small, towards your goals.

Granted, mornings can be hectic and some days it may feel like you hardly have time to breathe let alone roll out a weight loss routine. But remember, life long weight management does not require perfection or sticking to your plan 100% of the time. Follow these suggestions when you can fit it in!

It’s not uncommon for chronic dieters to have an aversion to nuts. At close to 200 calories an ounce of walnuts, many diet plans have suggested avoiding nuts at all cost. (Maybe you remember the advice to fill up on cut vegetables and avoid the bowl of holiday nut mix?) But (thankfully) the “celery good, nuts bad” philosophy no longer has a place in healthy weight management. Love nuts? Then you’re in luck because you can accrue all sorts of nutritional benefits by making them a regular part of your diet. And, even better, due to the fiber, protein and healthy fats in nuts, they can keep hunger at bay a lot longer than the bag of chips you’ve been eyeing.

Not sure what nut to choose?

If you are watching your weight, chances are that baking is something you avoid. Loaded with sugar, fat, and excess calories, baked goods are usually on the no-no list. But baking adds a wonderful element to our eating repertoire and swapping in the foods listed below can help put baked goods back on your yes-yes list! :-)​

Legumes have gotten some pretty good press lately. Often included in lists of “superfoods”, they are recommended for helping people lose weight and for helping the planet not be so darn hot (reduced greenhouse gases as opposed to eating meat). It's hard to argue against adding legumes to your diet as they are often called sustainable, affordable, and nutrient dense.

Let’s review some of the reasons why legumes are a recommended part of your weekly meal plan:​

No one likes to feel deprived, yet strict diets that call for rapid elimination of favorite foods is almost certain to leave you feeling deprived. Focusing on avoiding forbidden foods often results in you fixating on ‘bad’ foods far more than you ever did before.

Instead of a mindset of deprivation, we are far more likely to succeed in improving diet if the focus is on adding in nutritious foods. Not only will this positive mindset help you make more long term changes, but you’ll likely find that in these positive additions will gradually replace the less healthy foods in your diet and spur you on to more healthy choices!

The allure of crash diets is easy enough to see: rapid results brought on with minimal effort. Added to this already considerable allure is the fact that we are constantly bombarded with celebrities and reality TV stars testifying how their own personal favorite crash diet is the secret to their svelte figures and quick post-baby body bounce backs. With claims and testimonies such as these, who would not want to take part in these dietary miracles?​

Regardless of what your dietary needs and preferences may be, there is one thing that every person young and old needs throughout every day. WATER. Water sustains life, keeps your metabolism humming, boosts energy, supports brain function, prevents overeating, and aids in flushing out toxins. Water can even help skin look clearer! Every organ in your body needs water to work properly and keep you feeling and functioning your best!​

Indulging your sweet tooth vs. following a healthy diet—it’s the never-ending battle we all face. But what if having a sweet treat did not have to mean derailing your healthy eating goals? With these guilt free sweet treats, satisfying your sweet tooth can actually be good for you? Don’t believe me? Give them a try tonight! ​

Have you heard this term, carb cycling? Wondering what it's all about? No, it's not about eating French bread on a bicycle- It's actually an eating plan that alternates between high carb days and low carb days. This eating plan stems from the bodybuilding world, but has been adapted by many as a means to lower their body fat percentage or to finally lose those last stubborn 10 pounds. In comparison to other diet and meal plans, carb cycling can be very convenient as it doesn't require any specific foods or vilify others, so you still get to eat foods you love.​

I go to the gym a lot. I may even be considered a gym rat. When it comes to working out, I can handle just about anything you can throw at me; anything except for my nemesis: yoga. I am a lot of things, but flexible is not one of them! ;-) For this reason, I've always had a fear and anxiety around yoga. I have tried it several times over the past decade, but not consistently. Every time I found myself struggling to get into positions and to hold them effectively without looking like a giraffe balancing on one leg. The fact that I always seems to be in a yoga room filled with what seemed to be former Cirque Du Soleil acrobats didn't help my confidence either. So, I always got discouraged and walked away. But something always drew me back again...

If you've gone to the grocery store lately for poultry or eggs, chances are you are overwhelmed by all the different labels you see: 'Organic,' 'Free Range,' 'Farm Fresh,' 'Natural,' 'Humane,'- the list goes on and on most people don't know the difference between any of those labels! Well, the majority of those labels come from the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) which creates the language used to label agricultural food products. And even though that sounds pretty official, a lot of those labels don't mean much at all. So, here's a quick rundown of what all these labels means, or what you should look for, what's less important, and what's meaningless when it come to poultry and egg labels.​

We live in a world where Starbucks is on every corner so, whether you like it or not, it's a part of our lives and often a part of our diet. What you may not realize is just how much that daily Starbucks fix is impacting your waistline! Because your caffeine fix might be impacting you more than you realize, here a list of ways to make your coffee shop order a bit healthier!​

It is very common to hear people talk about losing weight, but is weight loss really our goal or is it fat loss? Most often, the answer is both, but fat loss is really the primary goal. Here's why: You've probably heard comments all the time about muscle weighing more than fat. What this really means is that muscle is denser than fat, so it takes of less space than the equivalent weight of fat. So, if you are building muscle, you may not see the number on the scale decrease, despite the fact that you are tonight, losing body fat, and losing inches. ​

If asked, most people would say that they would like to eat a healthier diet. Yet, when we it comes time for food shopping, there is one common stumbling block to filling our carts with healthy foods: budget.

Sticker shock at the price of some healthier food choices can make it seem as though a nutritious diet is not an attainable goal. If this scenario sounds all too familiar to you, we’ve got good news for you! It is entirely possible to shop for healthy foods while on a budget. Follow these smart strategies to get the nutritious foods you want while still sticking to your budget. ​

Coffee-- that cup of black gold is on the list of morning must-haves for the majority of people in this country. In fact, for most Americans, coffee is their single largest source of antioxidants. Black, sweetened, or with cream, everyone has a personal favorite way to drink their cup (or two!) of joe. But in recent years a whole new way of drinking coffee has emerged. Adding butter and MCT oil to coffee is being hailed as a way to supercharge your coffee and your day. This bulletproof coffee, as coffee blended with butter is most commonly known, is gaining attention and popularity. Read on to find out more about this trend, and if it may be the morning boost you need. ​

For thousands of years food was used not only to nourish and fill, but also to heal. As scientific advances allowed for the creation of pharmaceuticals, the use of the healing powers contained in many foods took a backseat in favor of prescriptions. But today research is proving what ancient cultures have known for centuries: the foods we eat play a powerful role in our health and wellness.

Exercise tends to be a polarizing force: most people either love it or hate it. If you fall into the latter camp (and plenty of us do), the problem probably doesn’t lie in exercise itself, but rather in the fact that you may not have found the exercise that’s right for YOU. Just like you have food, music, and clothing preferences that suit your personality and lifestyle, the same can be said of exercise. So if the thought of exercise fills you with dread, check out these questions to guide you to the exercise program that will be your perfect fit, and may just change your opinion of exercising!​

Experts have differing opinions on what the most ideal diet for optimal health and wellness is, but when it comes to achieving and maintaining a trim figure there is one universal principle: excess calorie consumption leads to weight gain. Focusing on eating real, nutrient-dense foods in moderate proportions is the key to achieving good eating habits and healthy weight levels. Choosing the right foods is half the battle; the other half is eating reasonable portions. Learn the best foods to help you control your hunger to add to your kitchen today! ​

These days it seems like the term "organic" is being thrown around everywhere! The idea is that organic is better, but that generally comes with a much bigger price tag. In fact, studies have found that organic food can be as much as 47% higher than the non-organic equivalent. That's quite a markup considering the cost of organic farming is about 5-7% higher than non-organic farming! So, what do we get for all of that money?

There are a lot of unhealthy foods out there, but some are worse than others. And there are some that are so unhealthy and non-nutritive that we would benefit by never having them in our diet. Take a look at my top 5 foods to avoid:

When people talk about weight loss and healthy lifestyles, the two things that most often come up are diet and exercise. But there is a big part of this equation that people often forget- sleep! You read that correctly; sleep can be a vital part of any weight loss program and every healthy lifestyle.​

Mindful Eating is an awareness and connection with food and what you are putting in your body. In today's fast-paced society, we are significantly more likely to engage in mindLESS eating, which is usually what we are doing when we are eating in the car, in front of the TV, in a meeting, or simply in a hurry. The problem with MindLESS eating is that we lose our connection to our food and thus the enjoyment that comes with eating, nourishing our bodies, and satiating ourselves.

As if it isn’t already hard enough to make healthy choices, marketing execs at food companies further complicate the challenge by spending millions of dollars each year to convince us that unhealthy foods are really healthy. If your healthy diet isn’t yielding the results you’re after, take a closer to look to see if these imposters are sneaking into your diet!​

Most of us understand the idea that meditation can be a valuable tool in helping with focus and anxiety, and generally keeping us grounded. But weight loss? Well, that is a novel idea to most! Let's take a look at different types of meditation and how they might be beneficial to upping your weight loss success:​

In today’s hyper body conscious society, it is all too easy to pick apart every flaw and minor imperfection about your body. With the barrage of airbrushed model images we are exposed to on a near daily basis, you may find yourself critiquing your body constantly. The truth is that each and every body has its own unique beauty that can’t be captured by one prototype. If you find yourself berating your body, read on to find out seven things you can do today to love your body more! ​