Nutritious choices made simple®
Have you heard of “macro counting” or eating to “fit your macros”? This style of eating plan has been in fashion among fitness-minded folks, bodybuilders and the Cross-Fit set for a while now, but it has filtered down to the general public more recently. It’s used primarily as a weight control/weight loss plan, though technically it could also be used for “leaning out” (dropping body fat but not body muscle) or even gaining weight. Here are the basics…
February is American Heart Month, and in the past I’ve written about sodium and how decreasing one’s salt and sodium intake can bring heart-y benefits for many people, including lower blood pressure. High blood pressure is a risk factor for stroke and heart disease, so doing what we can to keep our blood pressure in a healthy range is a smart strategy for heart-healthy living. There’s more to dietary management of blood pressure than keeping a lid on sodium intake, however. Getting enough potassium is equally important. So, it’s time for some potassium love…
It’s now January and I’m slowly getting back into the gym/workout/fitness groove. It hasn’t been pretty. What does it take to recommit to your workout routine? Here’s what I have learned…
There’s no doubt that watching sports on t.v. and noshing go together. There’s also no doubt that nobody wants to be slaving in the kitchen while everyone else is enjoying the game. That’s where the slow-cooker comes in. Let it help you with some of the cooking on game day, and you’ll have more time to catch the on-screen action. As the author of a couple of slow-cooker cookbooks, I’ve got a few tips that can make your slow-cooker food prep smooth and easy…
It seems like most people either fall into one of two camps when it comes to stress: it either prompts you to eat more than you usually would (science shows that’s about 40% of the population), or it completely takes away your appetite (another 40% fall here; the other 20% don’t change their food intake at all in the face of stress). Add in all the holiday “joy” that’s around right now and it’s not difficult to see that lots of us use food and alcohol to assuage our seasonal stress. And yet, there are ways around it, thank goodness. For the sake of your health and sanity, you owe it to yourself to try and manage your stress in non-food ways.
We believe that milestone birthdays and anniversaries, like our 10th year, warrant extra reflection. As one of the first (and leading) supermarket shopping guidance systems, we’ve seen a lot of food and nutrition trends come and go since 2006—and have persevered through them all! Guiding Stars was even awarded two patents for our database system during our first decade! Won’t you join us as we review some of the most impactful nutrition trends to hit the aisles in the last ten years?
If you use Guiding Stars to help you select healthful food items for yourself or your family, you’re no doubt familiar with the concept of choosing more of the two- and three-star items. (Maybe you even make a game of it—seeing how close you can get to having all the items in your cart be either two- or three-star items!) It’s true, the double and triple-starred items have more of the healthy attributes most of us are looking for (fiber, vitamins and minerals) and less of the things that health authorities recommend we limit (added sugars or trans fats, for example). Making it a habit to aim your food choices at two- and three-star items is a smart shopping strategy for a healthful diet.
Just when it seems like we’ve seen the peak of the pumpkin spice craze, another pumpkin-laced product pops up at the store. Don’t get me wrong, I love pumpkin (and the spices that typically go along with it), but let’s face it, these products are no substitute for something made with actual pumpkin in it! And most don’t taste like real pumpkin pie, which is what I hold as my standard. So, if you want something that tastes like pumpkin pie, your best bet is to cook something that contains pumpkin—no surprise there, right? Not only will you get the great taste that you’re craving this time of year, you’ll get some of the nutrition benefits of pumpkin, too.