Improving Health

Every day we have air to breathe is a day that food temptations exist. Whether we’re at an event or in our home, unhealthy foods are accessible. Our surroundings are filled with toxic foods that stimulate the mind.

Foods that we crave are often available, making it close to impossible to pass up. If you are trying to make a food change in your life, but your surroundings are filled with unhealthy restaurants, ice cream joints, and bakery shops, don’t cave into your cravings.

It’s easy to always do what you’ve always done, but that will only result in the same type of progress. If the food that you love the most is unhealthy, but it’s the food that’s most available, then you have no choice but to challenge yourself and say no.

We all know that eating a healthy diet is an important part of living a healthy lifestyle.

However, with jobs, families, and other responsibilities to handle each week, putting together healthy meals each day can quickly fall to the bottom of the priority list. 

Below, we're sharing five quick tips to help you develop weekly healthy meal plans to ensure that you'll be prepared with delicious, good-for-you meals all week long.

Whether you are getting the kids ready for trick-or-treating or having a couple of friends over for some Halloween fun, chances are you are looking for some healthy treats to serve. 

We've got some festive ideas to get guests of any age in the Halloween spirit without sacrificing healthy eating!

Eating healthy can feel like a real chore sometimes, and when you are living on a budget you might find it nearly impossible to forego convenience meals and cheap, fast food in order to save a buck.

While shelling out for processed foods and quick "dollar menu" options might seem like a budget conscious decision, it can actually cost you a great deal of money, as well as your health.

We've collected a few tips and tricks that can help you create healthy meals, even if you are on a shoestring budget, and they will taste delicious, too.

It’s okay to have your burger, your pizza, and French fries, but with a little modification to the mix, you can give all your favorites a healthy spin while still keeping the food tasty. Avoiding your all-time favorite dish or a staple "go-to" treat in your life can ultimately lead to a food binge.

Reducing unhealthy foods is wise, but going cold turkey can be damaging and mentally challenging. When trying to reduce or rid the "bad" food in your life, take small, meaningful steps for permanent change.

Cooler weather is moving in, and with it comes a beautiful variety at the farmers market. Tons of superfoods hit their peak season in the fall, so be sure to stop by your farmer’s market weekly and take advantage of local treasures this time of year!

Nothing soothes the soul better than some homemade vegetable soup, butternut squash risotto, or warm baked apples on cool fall nights.

Try incorporating some fall superfoods in your dishes this week!

Getting your little ones to eat a healthy meal can be a bit of a struggle, even if you've been blessed with a child who loves to eat. Early in life, your child's tastes are developing and they are struggling to gain control over something in their daily life.

Often times, food becomes that sticking point. We know the struggle, so we've collected a few healthy meal ideas that will have your kids eating up without a fuss. Not only will they gobble down their food, but you can rest assured they are getting all of their necessary nutrients, too!

I’m sure we all know that one person who says they eat perfectly... No-preservative-only-organic-no-processed-food-eating folks are out there and strive for nutrition perfection.

This is an easy trap to fall into, and it can steer one away from healthy food focus. We should live by the 80/20 rule, where we allow room for foods every now and then that aren’t considered top notch.

Immediately reaching out your hand for the salt shaker as soon as you sit down, or asking for extra salt packets at the drive through, can be a dangerous yet difficult lifestyle habit to break. If you’ve always added salt to your food once it was on your plate, you may have a salt addiction. No one can blame you – it’s just like a drug.

The addition of salt to your already sodium-packed food can become so addicting that you find yourself adding salt every time you sit down to eat.

It becomes a staple at each meal, no matter how salty the food already is. Salt can easily be labeled as a side dish to many entrées, considering how often some people use it. 

When you hear the word "diet," it provokes images of eating nothing but lettuce and rice cakes, but according to research done by Harvard and Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, you can continue to eat what you like, as long as you can reduce your extra calorie intake by at least 100 calories a day.

The study showed that participants lost thirteen pounds in a six-month period, regardless of their diet, as long as they reduced their extra calorie intake.

If you can cut 100 calories a day you can lose up to ten pounds a year, or if you can reduce your extra calorie intake by 250 calories a day, you can lose twenty-six pounds in the same time frame.