Why You Need Fat In Your Life Over the years, fat has become a dirty word because it has been blamed for obesity, diabetes and a whole host of other health problems. This bad rap is unfortunate because you need to consume healthy fats for your body to survive. Fat, along with protein and carbohydrates, […]
Carb Crazy
Carbohydrates have an especially important role in providing the energy needed for exercise and life. Carbs are the most easily used source of fuel for your body and can be found in fruit, vegetables, grains, beans and dairy products. Carbs are also important in the metabolism of fat for energy. Fat, protein and carbohydrates provide […]
Focus on Oats
For the past 30 days, some friends and I have been doing the Whole 30. It is a fairly restrictive, short term diet plan designed to help you identify some of the potential food triggers that may be causing digestion and inflammation issues in your life. One of the limitations it places is to avoid […]
3 Nutrition No-No’s
Recently a client of the Refinery asked me for my three biggest nutrition “don’ts”. I rarely liked to talk about what not to do because I like to focus on framing change in a more positive way but the question did get me thinking about where I feel is most important to concentrate my attention […]
Good Mood Food
As a mental health professional, I see a steady stream of people of all ages struggling with anxiety and depression. Unfortunately this summer, traditionally a time I see a drop in referrals, has been very busy. It seems we live in an anxious world. My dual training in mental health and nutrition often leads me […]
Fats: An Important Part of a Healthy Diet
Fat is probably the macro nutrient that has the most negative reputation. However, it is absolutely essential for healthy body function and contributes to feelings of satiety, leading to consumption of fewer calories. Fat is another of the macro nutrients necessary for survival. Fat is an essential nutrient necessary for normal body function. It supplies energy, is […]
What Is A Real Foods Diet?
What is a Real Foods diet? A real foods diet can take a variety of forms including vegetarian, vegan, Paleo, flexitarian, raw foods, etc but the one characteristic all real foods diets share is a focus on eating food in its most natural form. This means consuming food as it is found in nature- not food that has been packaged or significantly altered […]
Foods to Aid Hormone Balance
It has been a beautiful Fall day here in Portland, reminding me to get outside and take advantage of the natural source of Vitamin D the sun offers. Soon the sun will feel like a distant memory so I feel like I need to soak up as much as possible while I can. Recently other […]