In the last couple years that I’ve spent healing my gut, the days I’ve felt most sick or uncomfortable, I’ve also usually felt quite anxious.
It’s hard to feel settled in your skin when your belly sounds like a bad hip-hop concert. Not only is the physical discomfort a burden to bear, but symptoms often include emotional unrest, too.
Nutrition Therapy Institute is launching a groundbreaking, board-certified nutrition program for the prevention and management of cancer with classes beginning in the spring of 2017!
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Our mission is to educate and empower people to take back control of their own health through the healing power of food.
Approximately 85% of all cancer cases are caused by diet and lifestyle.
Valentine's Day is quickly approaching! What better way to celebrate than with chocolate?
This year, why not skip store-bought, sugar-loaded chocolates and opt to make your own?
I created these Cacao Almond Butter Cups to satisfy the sweetest tooth. I’ve made them with and without honey. Sometimes I want the rich, bitter taste of chocolate without any sweetness, and sometimes I want a touch of added sweet. They’re great both ways. Make them how you want.
In A Nutritional Guide to Oils: Part 1, we discussed the challenges of choosing the best oils to cook with. As I mentioned, with the multitude of opinions and health information available to the public, it can feel almost impossible to decipher between what is actually supportive of your health when it comes to fats and oils.
OILS TO USE, HOW TO USE AND STORE, HELPFUL TIPS
We hear a lot about female hormones and the role they play in women’s health, but of course men have hormones too! The primary male sex hormone is testosterone, which regulates many functions in the body including muscle growth and libido. Testosterone (T) levels decline with age, and low levels are associated with depression, weight gain, fatigue and erectile dysfunction. Not surprisingly, maintaining healthy testosterone levels is a big concern for many men, especially as they age.
We’ve all been there: chatting with friends, or worse, casual acquaintances after a meal and we start to feel it… that rumbling and grumbling in the belly that can only mean one thing. It’s time to find a bathroom, and fast.
If you’re like a lot of guys out there, this time of year means probably trying to enjoy the holidays and all the accompanying delicious treats while making it to January without getting sick or having to buy bigger pants! With that goal in mind, this holiday edition of Dude’s Foods is here to help you navigate the holidays.
In addition to weight gain, another common goal guys have this time of year is avoiding the seasonal colds and flus we pass around. And as luck would have it, a nutritional strategy that will help you maintain a healthy weight will also support your immune system and its natural defenses!
One main culprit in both weight gain and immune system dysfunction is the consumption of refined carbohydrates, particularly refined sugars. Sugar suppresses the immune system[i] and all refined carbohydrates including bread, pasta, pancakes and tortillas play a role in weight gain.
Because refined carbohydrates have been processed to contain only simple starches that are quickly metabolized by the body, they have a dramatic effect on blood sugar. Refined carbohydrates and sugar cause us to be hungry again sooner and crave more of these foods to bring our blood sugar back up, trapping us in a spiral of weight gain. The antidote to this problem is the body’s other source of energy, fats!
In contrast to carbohydrates and sugar, healthy fats and oils provide long-burning energy that promotes stable blood sugar and can actually help us lose weight. If we aren’t getting our calories from carbohydrates we’ve got to get them from somewhere, and healthy fats are the answer. When selecting healthy fats it’s important to buy organic because most toxins are fat-soluble and they become concentrated in fats.
In addition to promoting a healthy weight, dietary fat is also crucial to help us absorb fat-soluble nutrients like Vitamin D, which not coincidentally plays a critical role in immune system function[ii].
Good food sources of Vitamin D include:
Here a few foods to avoid:
Finally, here is a delicious and easy recipe for spicy rosemary nuts, perfect for taking to a holiday party. The cayenne will warm you up and the healthy fats will keep you warm!
Rosemary Walnuts
2 cups walnuts [or pecans/almonds]
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp dried rosemary
1 tsp sea salt
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Melt butter in a medium pot and add rosemary, salt and cayenne. Toss walnuts with butter and spices, spread on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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Happy holidays all you dudes out there. Enjoy the time with your families!
Aaron Mello is a Master Nutrition Therapist and founder of MoodFood Clinic. He can be contacted at 720-683-8715 or aaron@moodfoodclinic.com, or view his website at www.moodfoodclinic.com.
Nutrition Therapy Institute
NTI creates optimal health through nutrition education.
This week, there were 9 students that graduated from the NTI Natural Foods Chef program. This group of students were super passionate and ready to learn. I am sure that their choice to follow their passion will help make the world healthier...
I had the pleasure of speaking with Marlee, one of our grads and this is what she had to say…
I became a Natural Food Chef because: 