This festive recipe is perfect as a side dish or a vegetarian main dish for a holiday occasion. To make it a balanced meal, serve it with a green vegetable and 4 ounces of a protein-rich food.  Serves 2-4  INGREDIENTS   1 large acorn squash  Extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tsp  Butter, 2 pats  Pomegranate seeds, 6 Tbsp (divided into 2 portions of 3 Tbsp each)  Feta cheese, 4 oz (divided into 2 portions of 2 oz each)  Roasted pecans, 4 Tbsp (divided into 2 portions of 2 Tbsp each)   Green onions (dark green parts, chopped), 4 Tbsp ..read more

This may be tough to hear…so I’m going to rip the band-aid off right away to get it over with. Here’s the shocking fact – most GenX women (such as myself) are now either in menopause, in perimenopause or will be approaching this stage of their lives in the next few years. How can this be? It feels like it was just yesterday that we were young and cool, watching Dawson’s Creek and listening to Matchbox 20! For women in the U.S., the average age for reaching menopause is 51 years, and most women will reach menopause in their late 40’s or early 50’s. The perimenopause (premenopause) stage is not ..read more

Discover simple ways to shift to a more plant-based way of eating…without having to give up meat! In this episode, RD Lisa explains what plant-based eating is, explores the multiple benefits of a plant-based diet and gives you her best tips to help you prepare to make the transition to eating more plant-based meals. The post Plant-based Cooking for Carnivores (Part 1) appeared first on Vitalita Health: Nutrition Expertise for Optimal Health ..read more

Today’s show is a re-release from my archives of a podcast episode from September 2020.  It features my interview with Dr. David Maron, Director of Preventive Cardiology at Stanford. We discuss heart disease – how to manage it well and also how to decrease your risk of developing it. He also describes how stress and emotional distress affect the heart and your risks of a heart attack. And, he discusses interesting recent and upcoming research projects on the heart that he’s leading at Stanford. I am a Registered Dietitian and Health Coach. If you would like personalized assistance with im ..read more

If you want to set yourself up for success, 3 mindset qualities are essential as you embark on the journey of improving your diet. I’ve worked with many clients over the years to help them achieve a healthy diet. And I noticed something important: the people who are most successful in their efforts to improve their diet possess these 3 qualities from the outset: commitment, determination and openness to change. In this series, I’ll explore each of these in-depth individually. Let’s start with commitment. Commitment: There is no way to achieve a goal, no matter how small or how big, without fir ..read more

Confused about which fats are healthy and want to understand why omega-3 fats are an important part of a healthy diet? In this podcast episode and blog, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Lisa Henderson clears up the confusion with her simple, clear style. She gives a quick but thorough discussion of: their health benefits, the different types, which foods and supplements are good sources and how much you might aim to get each week. Listen or read – your choice! What are they? Omega 3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fats that are widely considered to be a healthy type of fat and ..read more

Struggling to improve your diet? The key could be locked in your subconscious. This episode features my interview with Registered Dietitian Sarah Krieger who also is a certified hypnotist. We discuss her unique approach in which she blends these 2 disciplines in nutrition consultations with clients. This approach can help people move past blocks that are impeding their efforts to improve their diet. Sarah gives her perspective and surprising insights into this approach. And, she offers suggestions on how you might harness the power of hypnosis on your own to improve your health. Don’t miss out ..read more

Want to learn how to optimize your diet to get the most out of your workouts and improve your health? Today’s episode is focused on performance nutrition for non-athletes, for regular Gen X adults in their 40s and 50s. This episode features my interview with fellow Registered Dietitian Lori Anonsen. Lori has a wealth of experience in both nutrition and fitness and has a deep understanding of Sports Nutrition. She also holds Exercise Science/Fitness certifications through the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. This is a nutrient-rich episode! We talk about ..read more

This episode features a re-release of my 2020 interview with Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge. Dr. St-Onge conducts research on: sleep, diet, weight and cardiometabolic health and the connections between them and she is the Center Director of the Sleep Center of Excellence at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. In this interview, I learned a lot about the findings of current research into sleep. Many GenXers suffer from sleep problems and insomnia, so I think you’ll find this interview valuable and insightful. Enjoy! Dr. St-Onge: https://mr.research.columbia.edu/content/marie-pierre-st-onge The ..read more

Sleep is so critical to good health. Improve the quality of your sleep and aim for the right amount of sleep for you (somewhere between 7-9 hours per night). In doing this, you will improve your health and increase your energy, creativity and enjoyment of life. Sleep hygiene tips: Tip #1: Create an optimal sleep environment. ● Cool: slightly cool temperature in bedroom promotes sleep (around 65 degrees F) ● Quiet: minimize noise from humans, pets and devices Consider ear plugs if unable to control noise (ex: partner snores, loud sounds outside) ● Make your bedroom into an inviting relaxation r ..read more