What you need to know about Noom, according to a nutritionist
Update!! Back in January 2020, I published a post on why Noom is not for me. This fall (2020), I decided to check out the weight loss app again to see if anything had changed. Noom is still not for me for a long list of reasons. And, as a nutritionist, there are six things I think you need to know about Noom before you try or buy. Praise for Noom: Noom works like a Christmas miracle for some people! That’s awesome, and I’m glad that an app like Noom can really make a difference in so many lives. Noom even has a CDC-endorsed Diabetes Prevention plan, which is a…
How to Eliminate Common Nutrient Deficiencies
Women's diets tend to be low in key nutrients. The good news is that a few small changes can eliminate common nutrient deficiencies.
Coconut Oil’s Health Benefits Are Exaggerated
What is it with coconut oil? A few years ago, it was super expensive and only available in small jars at the local hippy grocery store. Now, you can get a 5-gallon bucket of it at Costco. And, as you know, any product that makes it into the industrial-sized Costco version has reached a fever-pitch of popularity. Taste-wise, unless you’re making a coconut curry, coconut oil tastes … coconutty, which, in my opinion, is weird and off-putting in a lot of dishes. Yes, you can buy ultra-refined coconut oil that doesn’t taste like coconut, but then why not just use butter or lard or olive oil? You’re probably somewhat aware…
5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Intermittent Fasting
Weight loss is difficult – could intermittent fasting (IF) be the answer? This eating pattern – that defines WHEN, not WHAT , you eat – has actually proven to help people lose weight. At least, in the short-term. IF is Different Than Other Diets With IF, you can eat anything you want – that’s the primary difference between it and regular diets. There’s no “food rules” or supplements to buy, you don’t have to eat lots of kale or drink mystery diet elixirs. Sounds easy, right? Well … what makes IF effective is that you cycle between regular periods of eating and not eating. And, the non-eating timeframes can be…
5 Reasons Intermittent Fasting is So Popular
Why people choose to go hungry on a regular basis. Intermittent Fasting is an “eating plan” that is credited with everything from weight loss to making you live longer. The big question is, “Is changing when you eat worth it?” Intermittent Fasting is Worth it for Some People Fifty million people have done it. A lot of them have lost a lot of weight, improved their overall health, and feel energized. One can’t argue with success, right? Proponents of IF say that it works by putting your body is in a truly fasted state, say 12 hours after your last meal. The argument is that, when you don’t eat for…
Intermittent Fasting 101
What is it? Intermittent fasting is like regular fasting (not eating), except on a regularly-planned schedule, totally optional, and usually done to lose weight. Intermittent Fasting is Hugely Popular In 2013, the Canadian Medical Association Journal predicted that intermittent fasting (IF) would be the next big weight-loss fad. As we know, many predictions don’t come true, but this one sure did! Intermittent fasting – rotating periods of eating and fasting – is a huge trend in diet culture right now. A 2020 poll found that IF is one of the most popular weight-loss diet Americans have ever tried. Yes, ever in recorded dieting history. An estimated 24% of US adults…
Leaky Gut Syndrome – What It Is and How to Know If You Have It
What is Leaky Gut? Leaky Gut Syndrome vs leaky gut Leaky gut syndrome (LGS) is a well-publicized but medically unrecognized condition that is separate and distinct from the scientific phenomenon of leaky gut (aka, increased intestinal permeability), a known factor in diseases such as celiac and Crohn’s disease. The hypothesis of leaky gut syndrome is that when the junctions in our intestinal lining are malfunctioning, the intestines become hyperpermeable. This then allows harmful substances through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. Proponents of LGS claim that a host of maladies – from bloating to autism – are caused by the immune system reacting to germs, toxins or other substances that…
4 Reasons to Break Up With Your Fitness Tracker
Or “take a break” … or “just be friends” Here’s recent imaginary conversation between me and my fitness watch: Me: “It’s not me, it’s you. You only love me when I walk 10,000 steps per day, you take a lot of my work and exercise for granted, and I’m afraid you’ll share my personal information without my permission. In short, I invest a lot of time and effort in you, yet end up feeling inadequate and betrayed. I think we should just be friends.” Fitness watch: [silent] Fitness trackers are great for a lot of things – like setting a morning alarm that won’t wake your spouse. That is the…
Health At Every Size – What It Is, Why It’s Important, and Where It Goes Too Far
In my recovery from Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA), I’ve been listening to some podcasts that discuss the topic. Because the majority of HAers are restricting food and exercising excessively, a lot of these podcasts delve into eating disorders, diet culture, and a principle called Health At Every Size®, or HAES. What is HAES? In short, the HAES approach to both policy and individual decision-making that rejects the following: The use of weight, size, or BMI as proxies for health, and The myth that weight is a choice. The Health At Every Size® Principles are: Weight Inclusivity: Accept and respect the inherent diversity of body shapes and sizes and reject the idealizing…
Turmeric and Curcumin: The Super Nutrient Spice?
How to know whether turmeric supplements are for you. If you live near a Natural Grocers (NG) health food store, you may be familiar with their regular publication, the “good4u Health Hotline Magazine”. This is a legit magazine that is part sales flyer, but also includes nutrition articles, recipes, and store events. I really get into reading these, especially the nutrition articles. They vary from the typical – “eat more organic vegetables” – to the obscure – “methylation adaptogens to restore methylation balance”. (What?! I’ll have to do some research on that one!) The January edition of good4u Health Hotline included the eye-catching article “Natural Grocers Top 10 Trends for…
Small Bites, Big Results
