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More and more these days, we’ve begun to hear the axiom that weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise.  In fact, more trainers and experts have begun to talk about it online are starting to recommend this strategy for weight loss and weight maintenance. For those of us that have spent most of our adult lives as firm believers that exercise is the true key to weight loss or that more exercise can make up for an non-optimal diet, it can take some time before we come around to the idea that more exercise is NOT better, and in fact, nutrition is the key.

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The holidays are almost here and stores, restaurants and coffee shops are filled with tasty-sounding treats with minty, chocolaty and spicy winter-time flavors.  It can be tough to resist the call of peppermint mochas, spicy orange chocolates and the multitude of desserts that appear at work and the homes of family and friends during this season.  The good news is, there is ALWAYS a tweak to allow us to enjoy these flavors and get the benefits of healthy nutrition at the same time! Smoothies are the perfect way to experiment with winter time flavors that normally we might only find in shakes, cookies and other sweets.

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It’s officially winter, and there’s definitely a chill in the air. Unfortunately, along with the colder temperatures comes cold and flu season.  But, by eating the right foods we can boost our immune system and greatly increase our resistance to the infections that seem to run rampid during this time of year.  Taking preventative measures for our health is really important, and what better way to do so than through nutrition!  It’s definitely better to let food be your medicine, then to end up taking antibiotics and other medicines later on down the road AFTER you’ve already gotten sick!

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I must have been living under a rock for the past year or so, because only recently did I hear about this diet whose name and headline really got my attention.  The diet is explained in a book, released last year called “The Carb Lovers Diet: Eat What You Love and Get Slim For Life!”  The book was written by two of the editors of Health Magazine, and the magazine aggressively markets the diet to its readers. Continue reading article →

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For many women embarking on a weight loss program, one of the first steps they take is to switch from regular soft drinks to diet soft drinks.  It’s an easy way to cut some calories – about 150 per 12 ounces of pop.  Why don’t folks just simply switch from pop to water?  Somehow, soda just seems to have an addictive quality.  People get used to drinking it as their only beverage, and it’s darn hard to quit.  To many soda drinkers, water is totally unsatisfying due to its lack of flavor.  Others might just be addicted to the regular dose of caffeine.  So, switching to diet when you’re on a diet seems like a happy medium.  At least you don’t have to give up the sensation and flavor of soda, even if you are giving up on sugar, right? Continue reading article →