Natalie the Nutritionist in Tempe AZ

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When is the last time you ate at a chain restaurant? There are some that are better than others. I have been pretty impressed with the efforts of fast food joints such as Chipotle that uses meat never given antibiotics or added hormones, local/organic produce, and dairy not treated with rBGH and Baja Fresh that uses no freezers, can openers or microwaves. A similar kind of progressive thinking is what’s behind the new laws for menu labeling in some states.

Menu labeling is hot right now. Starting in New York, and spreading to cities in PA, WA, OR, and the state of California, there’s a move to educate diners who, until now, have been ‘forced’ to eat foods they knew nothing about. The final act will close when the newly-passed health care bill will ‘force’ all restaurant chains with more than 20 locations to post food calorie counts on their menus.

What’s really going on here? Who’s forcing whom? Do chain restaurants other than Chipotle or Baja Fresh even care about the health of our country at all? Do American restaurant-goers even want to be educated? Take a look at what some diners said in a New read more

How many of you like eating? Think about how many times in this past week you ate a meal that you fully focused on, with a full round of chewing on each bite – just like our parents used to tell us to do. It is astounding how many people are able to eat every one of their meals barely even chewing their food at all.

Today our culture has become accustomed to what I call entertainment eating.

Enjoyment

Enjoyment is like a tune that you just can’t get out of your head, but you don’t care because of how much you like it. You’re glad it’s stuck in there because of how it brightens your day and makes each task you have to do seem easier. Like the saying, ‘whistle while you work.’ Enjoyment is active. Any act that is able to add joy to your spirit is enjoyable.

Entertainment

Entertainment is like hearing that same song sung in a musical on broadway. Entertainment is passive. There is nothing wrong with entertainment, but it is fleeting. Beyond the performance and without an audience, that musical doesn’t exist. . . Unless, of course the read more

Who will win? Adults or Kids

My favorite type of news to read is health news. I’m sure you probably could’ve guessed that  But, simply keeping up on the current health happenings can be complicated and overwhelming.

When I was catching up on some fast food & obesity studies that were showcased in the New York Times, I came up with a great idea for a little health competition. Read on . . .

In June of this year the New York Times published some statistics on health trends. One article focused on children’s health trends. The other article focused on adults’ health trends.

But before you take a look at the following comparison I put together, see if you can make any predictions. Let’s make this a family affair. Go get your kids from the other room. I’ll wait . . . and see if your children can try to make some better predictions than you.

Parents & Children, Welcome to the Face Off!

Who is Healthier & Smarter?

Make your predictions first:

1.) Who has been getting more fruits and veggies into their diet? Adults? or Kids?

2.) Who has been slacking because they have been eating less fruits and veggies than they used to? Adults? or Kids?

3.) Who has been making healthier beverage choices this past year than they have ever made before? Adults? or Kids?

4.) Who has been consuming more before & after-dinner-drinks than in previous years? (I guess this one is a ‘give-away’ because we aren’t gonna even touch the topic of underage drinking here.)

5.) Who have been seen to take steps to fight obesity? (One example is by choosing the healthier options on fast food menus) Adults? or Kids?

6.) Who has seen an overall rise in obesity? (One reason is a decrease in exercise) Adults? or Kids?

Let's See Who Wins!

O.k. – No Cheating!

Only read on after answering all 6 questions! read more

There are so many ways to “tune-out”. There are so many reasons why we need some down-time each day. Our modern world offers everything from mild distractions (like when the 51 is backed up and too slow, let’s tune out by turning on the radio) -to outright vices.

Is there any rhyme or reason to the ways & techniques you choose to spend your down time?

I know I’ve found myself at the end of a day thinking, “Where did all my time go?”

Are there any reasons to reconsider the way we do our rest & relaxation?

There are pro’s and con’s for any activity. Some people might choose meditation as a way to refresh their spirits. Others prefer watching their favorite show on television. But no matter what you do, make sure you have made a conscious choice. Only when you are happy with your reasons for doing something will you be at peace with yourself. Only then will your spirits truly feel refreshed.

The videos I’ve included at the top of this page are some that I hope you will enjoy. They are intended for you to watch and feel like your brain was enriched instead of zapped.

Here are some more reasons why it is in our best interest to be conscious of what we do for rest & relaxation:

• After so many hours with the t.v., we can become desensitized to the commercial messages, thereby adopting the beliefs of the ad agency (without even knowing it) as our own.
• If you are not conscious of what you are doing, you might be cheating yourself out of read more

With all the craziness surrounding health care, prevention is the best way to go for those of us who are worried about insurance and health care costs.

40% of American households polled by Reuters at the beginning of the summer planned on skipping any routine doctor visits because of the recession. Time Magazine reported this as a health care disaster waiting to happen, but I think more people than ever are realizing the value of getting in control of their own health in a holistic way!

Lets start our own informal poll here. We can get ideas from each other on ways to take steps toward taking control of our own health care.

What do you do to make sure you will need less medical attention this year and in the long run?

What’s Fo’ Suppa’? Change Yo’ Name?

Have you ever experienced a thought so funny that it tickled your funny bone the whole day? In my experience, those things that make me giggle the most are completely lost to others around me.

There was a new Vietnamese restaurant, Pho Sapa, near our home in Phoenix, AZ that my husband and I wanted to try out. I had driven by it on numerous occasions without paying much attention. This time, as we pulled into the parking lot and as I saw the name in large letters across the front of the building, I came down with an incurable case of the giggles.

Do you know much about Vietnamese food? I don’t know about it too much, other than that my favorite dish is Pho. Pho is the word that means noodle soup. I’ve had it with beef, with just vegetables, or just like chicken noodle soup. I love it! I’ve even made it at home! Also, in my limited knowledge I’d have to say that everyone in Vietnam probably eats it regularly.

Like I said, most things that make me giggle are lost on others. My husband and I were opening the door when I told him what I thought was so funny. I was really hoping he read more