Posts in Living Well & Anti-Aging
The Alkaline Diet: Is It Just Too Complicated?

Ever wondered if there was really something to those alkaline waters you see on the shelf?  Me too! Yes, even dietitians get intrigued by diet fads and health trends! But more importantly, friends had been asking me about eating the Alkaline Diet over the past few years, and I wanted to understand the premise behind it too. So, naturally, I started researching. Here’s what I found.

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Farmer's Market Friday : Grilled Chicken & Peach Salad

I honestly don't know where to begin with this salad because it is just SO good.  I love the combination of greens, fruit, cheese, nuts and veggies in my salads. Now use my favorite local peaches, arugula, red onion, tomato, walnuts and goat cheese and you've got a pretty top notch salad. Top it with grilled chicken marinaded in my homemade all-purpose marinade and you really can't go wrong! 

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The Plant Paradox: What's FACT, What's FICTION?

Lectin-free is being called the new gluten-free and for good reason! The Plant Paradox by Dr. Stephen Gundry - a diet book that Kelly Clarkson credited on the CMT Awards red carpet a few weeks ago as helping to improve her health and to lose 37 pounds - promotes a lectin-free diet and claims to ultimately cure chronic disease. But is it fact or just fiction?

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Is Grilling Healthy?

Gathering around the grill with friends is one of the reasons I love summer. So when I had the assignment from CL.com to research the effects of consuming grilled food, I was a little nervous to even dive into the research afraid of what I would find! I mean, the grill literally saves dinner hour around here on a weekly basis. It’s easy. It’s quick. And most importantly, it’s a break from the stovetop! So what did I find? Find out here.

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My Summer Survival Guide

What’s in your beach or pool bag has the power to either make your trip with kids in-tow a breeze – or a hot fiasco that makes you start counting down the minutes until bedtime!  Granted my trips aren’t quite as taxing now that my kids are grade-school-age, but being prepared and packed with some key products definitely make for an easier summer outing no matter the ages.  Here are some of my essentials this summer. 

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Is the Keto Diet the Secret to Better Brain Health?

The most common issues affecting brain health—dementia, memory loss, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease—all have slightly different symptoms and etiologies, yet are all the result of some type of reduced brain cell functioning or deterioration. Science hasn’t had much success to date in preventing or slowing brain conditions like these, but following a ketogenic diet is being suggested as a potential way to do this. Is there any truth to it? Let’s find out.

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Introducing : "Ask Carolyn!"

As many of you know, I am fairly new to the social media realm!  I’ll be honest, when I first started, I was really skeptical.  I must say now, though, that I have loved being able to connect with so many of you and I love hearing that content I am creating is something that interests you!  Food is my passion and I love sharing it with you! Join with me down this new adventure to engage more with you!

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Nutritional Yeast - Do You Need to Be Eating It?

True confession : I had no idea what nutritional yeast was until a few months ago.  I definitely didn't know that it was often referred to as “nooch.”  Even worse, I had this unsubstantiated idea that nutritional yeast was probably something I needed in order to truly be eating a “healthy” diet.  Who was I kidding?!  I didn't even know anything about it! Here’s what I learned.

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Eat to Beat Chronic Inflammation

Chronic Inflammation is triggered by the immune system responding to irritants or foreign compounds, often in food or the environment. With no overt symptoms, chronic inflammation is a little harder to understand or even recognize. However, research has linked it with obesity, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis. Here's the scoop on what to eat and what to skip.

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How to Talk to Your Teen About Weight Loss

Did you know that when parents focus on their teen’s weight or encourage their teen to diet it actually leads to weight GAIN, not weight LOSS?  I honestly didn’t realize how big the correlation was until I dug into the latest research about healthy approaches for parents to talk teens about weight. Whether you’re in this spot personally, professionally or both, I hope to help you by breaking down what the research suggests are the most effective things parents can do when talking to their teens about weight.

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The Things You Really Should Be Counting Instead of Calories

Calorie counting is the go-to weight loss method for many. Yet, calories aren’t a great indicator of healthfulness, and many suggest they shouldn’t be your main eating focus. So what do you track instead of calories? Check out my list of things to count, track, or follow that will help you keep your diet in-check, but also encourage healthy choices and habits.

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What's in Your Cereal?

Y'all might remember my post on social media recently that showed a picture of the cereal boxes my children convinced their grandparents to buy while I was out of town for a work conference.  Needless to say, I was inspired to create a blog post on what they best cereal options were these day, what to look for, and what to avoid  - something that I hadn't visited in awhile and wanted to know myself!

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In Defense of Eggs

It’s safe to say that eggs have had their fair share of criticism over the years.  Deemed once a contributor to high cholesterol and heart disease, many people still shy away from making eggs a staple in their diet despite recent studies that prove their reputation false.  In fact, the American Heart Association says it’s okay for most people to have at least one egg per day, and after diving into the nutritional benefits of eggs, it will be no wonder why!

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