These days, getting anything on the table for dinner can be a challenge, let alone something nutritious! If you're needing some fast ways to add more veggies to your life, this is the post for you! Here are our favorite ways to get some extra veggies in: Don't Forget About Breakfast Some people think of vegetables as only a "lunch and dinner thing," but there are lots of ways to incorporate veggies into the earlier part of your day, too! Consider tossing spinach, peppers, and

Does the idea of meeting with a dietitian scare you? Maybe the thought of talking openly with anyone (let alone someone who studied nutrition for 5+ years) about your relationship with food is intimidating. Oftentimes, people assume that we'll make them swear off all the foods they love or start counting calories. Let's be honest - who wouldn't want to avoid that? Here's some insight into how we actually approach our first visit with a client: We're Not Going To Judge You It'

Ever felt like The Hunger Games was a title better suited for your family mealtimes than for the popular book series? Try as we might, mealtimes with kids can feel more like war zones than peaceful dining experiences. We use our smartest sleuthing tactics to sneak veggies into the foods they least expect (meatloaf, anyone?). We negotiate deals with our children, promising ice cream if they eat just "one more bite" of that dreaded baby carrot. We plead, persuade, and pressure.

[Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash] For many people, meal planning feels like a dreaded burden they have to suffer through each week. And yet, many people would also say that meals feel less chaotic and more consistent if they have some sort of plan in place. A lot of times, when I talk with people about how diets don't work and how to eat more intuitively, they think that means that any form of meal planning is now off the table. Quite the opposite! While highly rig

If you're a Kansas native, you know that summer heat is no joke...and for some of us, it can make even the best exercise routine feel like cruel and unusual punishment. Here are some tips to keep your movement fresh this summer-- no heat stroke required. Time It Right If you're in the habit of spending time outdoors during the hottest parts of the day, consider moving your workout to a cooler time. Do you usually workout over the lunch hour? See if a friend would join you in

"Mommy, am I fat?" These heart-wrenching words are enough to make any parent cringe. Regardless of your child's age, gender, or weight, they are undoubtedly being exposed to the pervasive societal messages that thinness equals beauty and beauty equals value. In line with you at the grocery store, they see the magazine covers plastered with super model images. Watching television after school, they'll see commercials filled with unrealistically toned and sculpted men and women

If you had told me three years ago that I was going to eat dinner with a dietitian (let alone two), I would have been mortified. The word "dietitian" for me evoked mental images of anti-sugar evangelists, pious food police, and kale-obsessed health fanatics. I could just see one of those dietitians swatting a french fry out of my hand or making some snide comment about the mayo on my sandwich. Let's not even mention that the word "diet" is in their job title. Talk about a do

Photo by Logan Nolin on Unsplash You may be surprised to see that we're talking about sleep today! Nutrition is one aspect of overall health but it certainly isn't the only aspect. In fact, I find myself incorporating goals around sleep with my clients quite often. Inadequate sleep not only contributes to chaotic eating patterns, but it activates the stress response, which we know can do a number on many of our body's normal processes. You may have also heard of circadian rhy

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash Boundaries have come up a LOT lately in my sessions with clients. As I mentioned in my last post , working with a dietitian isn't really about learning nutrition information. It's about learning what works well for you and your needs and how to overcome barriers to making those behaviors a reality in your life. How does this apply to setting boundaries? Well, let's start by defining what boundaries are. You probably know what a physical boundary

Photo by Georgie Cobbs on Unsplash I find that a lot of people who step into my office for the first time either aren't quite sure what to expect from a visit to the dietitian or they are surprised at how a visit actually goes. There are a lot of misconceptions about what a dietitian does, so I thought I'd give you a better idea! Granted, there are a lot of different types of dietitians who specialize in different things, but this will be true of many dietitians, particularly

Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash Holidays can be overwhelming for a variety of reasons and food is often one of those reasons. Altered eating schedules, foods that you don't encounter every day, food gifts, and numerous parties all contribute to most people feeling chaotic around food at this time of year. When you've been working to improve your relationship with food, this time of year can give you hope for being able to enjoy food and friends without guilt. However, t

Anyone who has experienced chronic stress would be able to tell you that it isn't great for your health or well-being in the long run. However, stress is probably having a greater impact on your day-to-day body function and coming from more sources than you realize. First, let's look at how your body responds to stress using the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis. This system works great for short-term stress and is essential for keeping us alive. If a lion came around

Most of us roll our eyes at products that promise jaw-dropping results like massive weight loss or effortless fitness. We all know that change is more than downing piles of diet pills or eating like a celebrity for two weeks. At the same time, at some point in your life, you've probably felt discouraged after setting lofty health goals only to fall flat on your face. Maybe you decided to prepare all your dinners from scratch, but within a week you caved and ordered a pizza.

Nowadays, opportunities are everywhere, the career ladder is competitive, and there are a slew of “good things” to do, so it's no surprise that we are an insanely busy society. Stop anyone on the street and ask them, “How are you doing?” and you’ll likely hear the word “busy” in their response. Although a full schedule isn’t inherently unhealthy, sometimes it feels like our schedule is controlling us, not the other way around. There is a strong correlation between stress and

In a culture that can’t wait 15 seconds for the internet to load, cooking and sharing a meal can feel overwhelming. These days, the to-do lists are a mile-long and the calendars have little margin. So, many of us resort to wolfing down food while driving or while we’re sitting in front of the computer. It’s not that we’re trying to be anti-social or that tackling our to-do lists enhances the flavor of our food. It’s just that something has got to give, and sometimes, it’s mea

In our weight-focused, diet-driven culture, experiencing special foods during the holiday season can be tainted by guilt (more about the problem with this mindset here). Many people view exercise as a source of relief from this guilt, promising, “I’ll eat this piece of cheesecake tonight, but tomorrow, I’ll hit the gym hard to make up for it.” Others just sigh to themselves, or comment about how many miles they’d have to run to burn off all the calories they just consumed. Th

With WiFi almost everywhere we turn and smart phones in our pockets, we have almost constant access to social media. Although it may seem subtle at times, the messages we see on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter have a huge impact on how we view ourselves and our surroundings. If the people you follow post their daily meals and workouts, you have the opportunity to constantly compare yourself with others. This can leave you judging yourself for not drinking a smoothie at break

A lot of what we see/read/hear today is that we need to eat or exercise a certain way or a certain amount to be healthy and take care of ourselves. What is really meant in most cases is that attempting to manipulate your body shape or size with food and exercise is equivalent to health and taking care of yourself. This is so not true! The most healthful form of eating or exercise for one person is probably not the most healthful for someone else. This is not to say that we ca