Besides preaching “Eat right! Eat right!” part of my job as a nutritionist is teaching people which foods are of the best quality to help them eat right. Whenever people ask me which foods to eat, I normally tell them to eat wholesome foods and less of the packaged, fake stuff. And when you break down whole foods, taste and nutrition are what matters most.

Now that spring is here and you’ve taken time to breathe and recharge, you’ve got to make sure you’re stocking up the fridge with the right foods.

The “Should I eat organic or not?” questions are prominent as more and more people are learning about foods and making changes to their eating habits.

One thing to ponder is, “Where is my food coming from?” 

I’m a big believer in buying foods that are in season from a local vendor, be it a small or big company. Most local companies use sustainable and organic practices, but just don’t meet, can’t afford or don’t agree with the USDA’s standards of organic certification. That’s ok because those labels don’t always mean much. Manufacturers now add unnecessary labels to products and market them as organic, and it just ends up confusing people anyway. Who cares about organic Cheetos chips?

But you don’t have to stress over it any more. Here is a list of the Dirty Dozen Plus and the Clean Fifteen. The Dirty Dozen + is a list of produce that contains the most amount of chemical residue (including pesticides) and the Clean 15 lists produce with some of the lowest chemical exposures according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

But there’s a list missing. Keep reading and you’ll understand why you need to know about these foods. Knowing this difference makes a huge difference in the taste and nutrition of the foods you eat. Continue reading →

 Let’s connect on

 Facebook | Twitter  | Instagram | Google +

Rolling up our sleeves to clean out the fridge and pantry is painful but so necessary this spring if we want a swimsuit body by summer (ok that’s me, but remember making a health resolution earlier this year?).

This is my least favorite part of being in the kitchen (I’m so good at making a mess!). But like I always do with tasks I don’t enjoy, I put on some of my favorite jams and start cleaning- because it just has to be done.

Having a clean refrigerator provides us with easy access to foods at their peak flavor and freshness.  Also, tossing out junky temptations while restocking the shelves with healthier, portion-controlled options creates a helpful environment that truly makes a difference in how we eat for the rest of the season and year. Use this shelf-by-shelf fridge and pantry cleaning guide to save time, space, money and most importantly, your health: Continue reading →

Don’t make this common mistake. It really makes all the difference in your journey through an experience and in your health results.

Not a lot of people know they’re making this mistake when changing any lifestyle habit, so their minds go crazy that they can’t figure out what they’re doing wrong- AND they’re doing what they’ve been told by professionals is the right thing to do.

Creating a stable environment for ourselves. It’s do or die.

It really is a matter of life or death sometimes. You can’t progress in life with stress that does nothing but drag you down… And although life isn’t supposed to be easy, it isn’t supposed to be impossible either.

You don’t even have to be trying to change anything in your life for this to be true. It’s good to have a stable environment for peace of mind and general well-being. Imagine being stressed out all the time? It’s not a good place to be. Trust me. I know. I’ve got the medical bills to prove it.

Creating a healthy environment for change is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. We won’t get where we want to be in life if and we can’t be healthy without a good support system.

If you are ready to change or adapt a new eating behavior, it’s important that you’re in a supportive environment- more specifically, an environment that promotes healthy eating so that it’s easier to make the change and maintain the behavior for life. Continue reading →

Happy 2013 everyone!

As I write this, I’m on the East Coast of the country with one of my girlfriends. I’m wishing you much love, health and happiness from the dirty, dirty South.

I love that the New Year is always full of fresh, new beginnings for people. I’m excited for what this year will offer me and you!

…with all the New Year talk, I’ve got to ask does a new year necessarily mean a new you?

New beginnings come with a price. That price is sacrifice, putting in the work it takes to really get what you want.

When we say hello to exciting, new beginnings, we also may have to let go of nasty, old things that got in our way of reaching a goal in the first place. We must get good at letting go.

Now to the subject at hand: break-ups.

When I say now is the perfect time for a break-up, I mean with all types of relationships, whether it’s an unhealthy relationship with a loved one, work, an extreme diet, a bad habit or an attitude about ourself.

Break-ups are probably the hardest things we have to go through to grow. The majority of them don’t end well. I’ve seen break-ups dragged out for days, months and even years, which is why they just suck and sometimes we avoid them altogether.

Break-ups don’t have to suck. They can be painful, yes. Dramatic? No. Think of break-ups like this: If it really wasn’t a good idea to break-up, then wouldn’t both parties just stay happy and prosper in the relationship?

There’s a positive side of break-ups and while they are painful, they’re also beneficial. So here’s why you should just break-up with that nasty relationship now:

1. You deserve everything and anything that makes you happy in this lifetime. 
Everyone says it because it’s true: Life is short. The fact that life will be better as a result of your break-up is a good enough reason to just get it over with. Why postpone your happiness?

Think of all the new, fun things you will be able to do after the break-up. Open new opportunities for yourself this year.  Remember that when one door shuts, many others open.

As I heard my baby sister once say, there’s no use in crying over spilled milk. Just pour yourself another glass.

2. You’ll never gain back all the time you’ve already wasted procrastinating. 

This particular moment in time will never repeat itself, which is why it’s important to live and be present in the moment. Do what’s right for you now.

Many times we second guess ourselves. Trust your intuition. Trust your gut feelings. We are so much smarter and stronger than we give ourselves credit for.

If you’ve been contemplating ending a bad relationship, now’s the time to do it. Take action and stop procrastinating because things can get worse. Now is always a good time for a break-up. 

3. Unhealthy relationships can stop you from reaching your goals. Obviously not one relationship is perfect. They all take work, but there are some relationships that will never work and need to be let go of. They lead nowhere good and are just (hate to say it) pointless.

 I totally get the thrill of the holiday shopping craze aka the carnival of capitalism.  Shopping isn’t something we periodically do anymore. It’s a way of life.

Nowadays, in the United States, shopping is considered a cardio workout to people (or is that just for crazy shopoholics I know?). And the holidays, well that’s just another reason for us to spend our hard-earned money.

But for others, holiday shopping is a sport- a game to get real competitive with and push for real team efforts (having your peeps stand in line multiples for you to get a deal ring a bell?).

I’ve seen so much craze (maybe too much).  Like I said. I get it. Shopping can be exciting when it’s not violent. We all want a good deal, right?

Guess what? You don’t always have to get out of bed for a good deal. You can leave the jungle behind and shop online and it doesn’t have to be only on Cyber Monday.

So what if we changed our minds about the shopping craze?
What if we put more craze into how creative and thoughtful our gifts are and not about how much cheaper your gift?

Don’t you think our gifts would have more meaning?

Wouldn’t you like to receive a gift of good quality that doesn’t break in a week? I know I want that (hint, hint people. No gifts from China unless it’s a plane ticket there).

Here at IM Nutrition, we’re participating in the Shift Your Spending Campaign along with other great local, Utah businesses. Local First Utah is a non-profit organization my health consulting company works with to educate and promote people about quality products made (and local businesses) right here in the good ol’ U.S.A., most specifically in Utah. I’m super passionate about the local movement.

When you stop and think about our economy in its current recession, don’t you think that buying locally would help strengthen our national economy?

If the buy local movement is new to you, read this article in Time and watch Time’s video interview with Peter Schiff who was criticized for predicting our nation’s economic collapse, but inspires consumers to help save our economy. We have more control over helping our economy recover than we think.

Take a look at the picture below. I spent the majority of my summer harvesting and buying my own produce from my favorite local U-Pick farm.

Every time I bought food I got an education in food which is not something you normally get at a grocery store. This is the real reason I choose to buy locally first, for the superior quality service.

These are also great reasons to shift our spending this holiday season.  If we shifted 10% of our spending at local businesses, that would mean millions of dollars more for our community’s economy.

At the bottom of this page, you can see how much money shifting your spending would return to your county in Utah. Almost half a million dollars would be invested back into Orem city, where my office is located. Nearly 4 million dollars would be the economic impact in Utah county and 9 million dollars in Salt Lake City county. Amazing, right?

Allow local business owner guide you through holiday shopping
Personally, I believe that spending our dollars on local products is one way we can improve the American economy. The local movement principles apply to you whether you’re in California,  New York or right here in Utah.

So when you’re thinking about what to give your loved ones, think about the gift that always gives, health. There really is no bigger wealth than health and you can get healthy any way you choose:

• The Diet Tune Up (Nutrition Consulting + Diet Assessment)
• Grocery Shop Like a Boss (Grocery Shopping + Food Education Tour)
• All About Me Meal Menu (28 Day Customized Meal Plans)
• Cook Without a Book (Healthy Cooking Lessons)_

Let’s connect on

I don’t have children of my own, but I’ve had tons of practice with kids.

When I was a kid, all I did was play parent to my younger siblings. I fed, bathed, and even styled them. Fast forward the years to now where  I’m the proudest aunt alive.

1. Include kids in the meal planning
Getting kids involved in meal planning is great because it opens space for creativity and gives kids meals to look forward to. Ask kids what foods they want to eat and follow through. I usually make cupcakes with my niece and nephew. They look forward to kitchen play dates with their aunt!

2. Give them only healthy options to choose from
Making a choice gives all people empowerment- imagine the positive impact on a kids’ self-esteem! When grocery shopping, take your kids to a farmer’s market or take your kids through the produce sections of a supermarket, where fresh fruit and veggies are showcased and readily available. Stay clear of the aisles filled with junk. Outta sight. Outta mind.

3. Let kids help in the kitchen
Don’t shun kids away from the kitchen.  Kids learn by doing and they want to help you in the kitchen! Chances are if they make it, they’re more inclined to eat it because they’ve invested effort in it. Even if it’s just helping crack an egg, or whisking or using their fingers as kitchen tools, let them help. They’ll love it!

You can have your cake and eat it too- but only if the ingredients are right. If you want kids to eat right, they have to eat wholesome, real foods. There’s no reason to deprive kids of pizzas, or burgers, or sweets even. Just make sure ingredients are whole and real- nothing packaged. You can always make your favorite take-out foods at home too. The meal will be cheaper and taste better too.

5. Mix familiar foods with new foods. 
Surprising your child with new foods all at once can backfire. Not everyone likes an unexpected surprise. If you know your kids love pasta (familiar), try sneaking in the (unfamiliar) food in it. If you introduce them to all foreign foods, you run the risk of them hating it. They’ll get completely turned off, you become the enemy, and you either end up fighting with a kid or you end up begging or forcing them to eat.

6. Tell them you love healthy foods too. 
   It might be the most precious thing about children- they look up to adults and want to be just like us. If you say you love healthy eating, then they will too. Kids are like sponges. They’re soaking up the world assuming everything about it is right. Kids might not entirely understand words, but they understand tone. So be positive about the foods you bring to the table.

7. Be patient. Being persistent always pays off.
It might take a while for a child to like a new food so don’t get frustrated if a kid is resistant. They have to get used to the smell, taste, texture and idea of a food before they begin to become familiarized with it and like it. It’s like a commercial. At first it may be annoying, but after a few exposures you get the liking for a product. Same goes for trying new foods. It can take as much as 10 exposures to acquire a liking for new foods.