Nutritionally speaking, yogurt is one of my favorite foods since it is a good source of protein and calcium, and most of my clients like it. I often suggest it as a breakfast food, because a lot of people have a hard time getting enough protein in the morning. Also, most people are open to eating yogurt, over other high protein foods like chicken or fish, for breakfast -- and I don't blame them! Before I go further I need to point out that I suggest plain yogurt over the flavored yogurts. This can be a stumbling block for some, because plain yogurt is just too tart [...]

Motivation. Oh, how we love it when we have it. You can probably reflect on some past event in your life where you were keenly set on your goal. Nothing would get in your way. Motivation was at your fingertips, and it greatly propelled you toward your goal. However, as we all know too well, motivation comes and goes. When you have it, nothing can stop you. It is a fantastic feeling. On the other hand, when you aren’t feeling motivated, you start looking for ways to motivate yourself. Let me guess that you have said this before: “I just need to find some motivation”. Well, I [...]

Recent headlines have made the news cycle stating that coconut oil isn’t healthy, and never has been healthy. You most likely heard this story, and perhaps you scratched your head a little and feel more confused than ever. I wanted to weigh-in and give my take. This story was a reaction to an American Heart Association statement alerting Americans to the “dangers of saturated fat”, while stating that we should replace the calories we obtain from saturated fat with poly-unsaturated fats that predominately come from vegetable oils like corn oil, soybean oil, and canola oil. This is interesting, because these oils in excess have been shown to [...]

A few weeks ago, I discussed the importance of maintaining healthy cortisol levels (the primary stress hormone) to discourage the storage of belly fat. But it turns out there is another important hormone that also influences how much fat is stored, and to an extent, where it is stored. That hormone is insulin. Insulin: A key player in fat storage You may have heard before that insulin encourages fat storage. While many hormone imbalances can contribute to an increased girth, elevated insulin levels prove to be a primary contributor. In fact, one of the diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome (which is associated with elevated insulin levels) is a [...]

Today we are talking about testosterone. That muscle-building hormone. However, I'm not going to recommend that you take anabolic steroid hormones. Instead, I want to share how you can boost your testosterone levels naturally with nutrients. Let's take a look. First - get enough zinc Zinc is an essential mineral that supports several processes in your body, including serving as a co-factor for over 300 enzymes. Zinc also bolsters your immune system, helps to produce critical proteins and DNA, and assists with wound healing. In fact, I recommend adding supplemental zinc before and after surgery, to aide in a speedy recovery. Enough zinc is necessary to maintain healthy [...]

Serves 4 2 lbs salmon fillets ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari ¼ cup sesame oil 1 lemon, juiced 2 tablespoons honey 1 – 2 inches of ginger, minced 1 - 2 tablespoons coconut oil 4 tablespoons diced green onions or chives 2 tablespoons sesame seeds Mix soy sauce/tamari, sesame oil, lemon juice, honey and ginger together to make a marinade. Place salmon in a glass dish and cover with marinade, cover, and put in refrigerator. Let marinate for two hours or overnight. Heat a large cast iron frying pan over medium-high heat and add coconut oil. Place salmon in pan, skin side down, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Pour [...]