Yesterday, while driving between Alegent hospitals, I listened to “talk radio” (not sure why) but I heard the national host say that he was following a gluten free diet. He was recommending it to everyone. In the grocery store, I see gluten free products appearing everywhere. Restaurant menus and ads list gluten free options. I am wondering if gluten free has become a “fad diet”. As a student studying nutrition therapy for managing chronic diseases, I thought a gluten free diet was a hardship. As a practicing dietitian, my patients … Continue reading
As you can see by this blog’s title, our topic is about getting and staying healthy from a mental-health perspective. Quite often, we hear about how to stay physically healthy – good nutrition, decent sleep, some exercise – those types of things really do help us all work toward or maintain good physical health. What’s really interesting to me is that some of the very same things that help us stay physically fit can help us stay mentally fit. Good nutrition, decent sleep, and some reasonable exercise can help each … Continue reading
May is a busy month for families. So many happy events occur during the month; with first communion, confirmation, graduations, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, many families gather with extended family and friends to celebrate. The most frequent question that I hear throughout the year, but especially in December and May is, “Do you have a healthy dessert?” That question puzzles me every time. For me the word healthy means health-promoting. A food filled with nutrients like protein, carbohydrate, fiber, vitamins and minerals. So for me, the healthiest dessert is … Continue reading
I had many great suggestions this week regarding what to blog about. For those who recommended I blog about grief and loss, PTSD, marital struggles, and other topics I give you a big thank you! I will do my best to write on those topics in the near future. The topic of bullying, however, came up quite a bit this week – so that’s where this blog is headed. Conflict, as most of us know, is a normal part of life. As adults, we are often faced with various frustrations … Continue reading
Whenever I quote the latest recommendation from the American Heart Association (AHA) or the USDA concerning seafood, I am met with the same statement, “I do not like fish”. Sometimes I wonder how this could be true. During the Lenten season, the social halls at the local Catholic Churches are filled with happy customers eating fried or baked fish and all the trimmings. Maybe it is simply that people do not like to prepare and cook seafood at home. Did you know that the AHA and the USDA recommend eating … Continue reading