10 Ways to Add More Fruits and Vegetables to Your Diet
By Bailey Personette, RD, CD, Wellness Dietitian We’re always told to eat our fruits and vegetables, but have you ever actually thought about how many, if any, you get in a day? The number may surprise you. The goal is to eat five fruits and vegetables each day, but most people don’t reach that goal. […]
Understanding Cholesterol: HDL, LDL and Triglycerides
By Carol Gelatt, RN, BSN There are two types of grocery shoppers—those who race in with a list in hand and meticulously grab every item on the list before checking out and leaving, and those who meander up and down every aisle, not sure what they want until they see it on the shelf. But […]
Sugar 101: Do You Know What You’re Eating?
By Brittany Nelson, MS, RD Most of us have heard that fruit juices have little to no nutritional value. But sometimes people will point out that fruit itself also has a lot of sugar. Don’t be fooled into thinking a banana has too much sugar! There’s a big difference between sugar found naturally in foods […]
10 Tips for Adding Heart Healthy Foods to Your Diet
By Brittany Nelson, RD, CHWC You see them on menus everywhere—in sandwiches, salads, omelettes and more. Avocados have become trendy during the past few years—and with good reason. They’re full of healthy fats, which was one of the recommendations of the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The guidelines also warned against eating foods with refined […]
Carbohydrates: Friend not Foe
By Katie Boscia, MS, RD, IBCLC, CDE Everyone can benefit from a carbohydrate-conscious diet, not just people living with diabetes. When people are first diagnosed with diabetes, they sometimes cut carbohydrates, or carbs, completely from their diet. This is unfortunately not the way to go. Any extreme diet restriction that’s not medically necessary can deprive […]
DASH for Heart Health
By Katie Boscia, MS, RD The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, known as the DASH diet, was designed to help prevent and lower high blood pressure. If you follow this diet and add in some exercise, you can lose weight and reduce your risk for strokes, heart disease and kidney stones. The DASH eating […]
5 Tips for Reading Nutrition Labels
By Ryan Lawson, Exercise Specialist at Riverview Health Rehab & Fitness Nutrition labels provide a wealth of information about the contents of packaged foods and drinks. However, this information can seem a bit overwhelming if you don’t know what to look for or how to interpret it. Nutrition labels are required on packaged foods by […]
Healthy Recipes to Spice Up Your Dinners
By Kristin Lamb, CHWC Changing your eating habits to include healthier foods can be hard. And it’s even more challenging to find healthy meals that actually taste good. But we’re here to help! Below are recipes for two great dishes you can throw into your dinner rotation. Maple Chicken Sandwich with Roasted Peaches and Goat […]
5 Ways to Control Your Cholesterol with Food
By Katie Boscia, RD, IBCLC There are several aspects of your diet that can be changed to lower or control your cholesterol. Many of these changes also help with weight loss, blood pressure and blood sugar control, as well as overall heart health. Eating healthier and exercising will help tremendously in improving your overall wellbeing. […]
Defining the Four-Letter Word, “Diet”
By Mindi Matthews, director of Health and Wellness at Riverview Health What does the word “diet” mean to you? The word actually comes from the Greek word “diaita,” which means “way of life.” For many people, however, it means following a specific food plan to lose weight. Once the weight is off, many people go […]