LEARN MORE ABOUT THE NAPKIN!
Memorial Day is often called the unofficial kickoff to summer. And if you’re like us, that means it’s officially grilling season! We all know burgers, brats and hot dogs get most of the attention this time of year. But honestly – some of the foods we get MOST excited about throwing on the grill are […]
Have you filed your taxes yet? Yes, tomorrow is the dreaded “Tax Day!” Let’s be honest…most of us don’t exactly look forward to tax season. There are forms to track down. Numbers to calculate. Decisions to make that feel way above our pay grade. And yet…what if we told you that, for many Americans, figuring […]
Do you ever wonder why grocery stores are laid out the way they are? Why does the milk always seem to be in the farthest corner from the entrance? Why do you see the floral section right when you walk in? This might surprise you. The same behavioral design principles used to keep people inside […]
Have you seen the new version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans? If not, here is a link – you can find them at the new website realfood.gov. The second sentence in the document? “The message is simple: eat real food.” While the guidelines certainly aren’t perfect, can we just pause for a moment and […]
Do you remember our coaching tip last December about the highly anticipated update to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines? If not, we encourage you to check it out here! Federal law requires the guidelines to be updated every 5 years, and since the last update was in 2020, the new guidelines were to be finalized in […]
Do you wonder whether you should be eating more organic foods? Are you confused about what “organic” really means? This past week, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) released its most recent Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists, so this is a perfect time to revisit this topic. And let’s face it – there is no […]
Last week, we explored why a good chef’s knife can be a game changer in your kitchen. Once you own that perfect knife, getting comfortable using it makes prepping vegetables, fruits and other ingredients so much faster, safer, and more fun! In many of our cooking demos, participants comment that they wish they were better […]
When we started cooking more frequently, one of our first lessons had to do with… knives. “You only need one,” says Mark Bittman, an American food journalist. We couldn’t agree more with Mark that all you really need to have a complete kitchen is a good chef’s knife. Mark says it well: “A good paring […]
Most of us have heard this buzzword thrown around when a food is described as “healthy.” Or, you may have seen it on the front of the boxes in the cereal aisle. But do we really understand what antioxidants are and what they do for our bodies and our health? Understanding antioxidants is VERY […]
Do you ever stop and think about how you are aging? Now that we are in our 50’s (how did that happen?!) we are becoming VERY aware of how our bodies change as we get older. We also often hear from those older than us, “do the trips and experiences while you can!” I […]
Did you read our coaching tip last week? Did the thought of eating 30 different varieties of plants every week seem overwhelming? To keep you inspired and motivated to enjoy a wide variety of these plants, we wanted to share a fantastic idea to help you do just that. Plus, it is a great way […]
Do you count numbers as part of your diet? Some people count calories. Others count carbs, sodium, fat, or added sugars. We know there are situations where it might be helpful to track these things, but let’s think differently for a moment. What if you took a different approach to counting and didn’t have to […]
With 2024 just a few days away, and everyone anxiously awaiting the announcement of their “New Year’s Resolutions,” we’d like to FIRST encourage you to take a moment and reflect on your accomplishments from this past year — and count every single one of them! For instance, maybe you: Started roasting vegetables multiple times […]
Have you or someone you love just been told… “You have prediabetes” (or “you have diabetes”)? Unfortunately, this is currently happening at an alarming rate, and we have had numerous recent encounters with people facing this exact situation. According to the CDC, almost 12% of the U.S. population has diabetes. On top of that, 38% of […]
Do you ever wonder if you are getting enough iron? Have you been told you need to get more iron in your diet? If so, you’re not alone. We were doing a cooking demo a couple of weeks ago and one of the participants asked if there were specific things she could do […]
What if you could live to 100? And, we are talking about REALLY LIVING and REALLY THRIVING! Think of all the great moments, experiences and memories! Imagine being part of not just your grandchildren’s lives, but your great grandchildren…and great, great grandchildren! Have you heard of the Blue Zones project? Over a period of 10+ […]
With 2023 just a few days away, and everyone anxiously awaiting to announce their “New Year’s Resolutions,” we’d like to FIRST encourage you to take a moment and reflect on the accomplishments you’ve made this past year — and celebrate every single one of them! We have seen more progress this year than ever in […]
Do you know someone who eats the same foods over and over, each and every day? Some people may find comfort in this routine. Others would find themselves in the uncomfortable and frustrating situation of feeling “stuck in a rut.” A few years ago, we ran across someone who literally ate the same thing every […]
How much sodium are you consuming every day? Believe it or not, the average American consumes over 3,500 mg of sodium daily! The CDC also reports that about 90% of Americans 2 years old and older consume too much sodium. Current recommendations are for less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day (ideally less than […]
Are you a spiralizer fan? If so, have you ventured beyond zucchini? Since we will soon be surrounded by amazing late spring and summer produce, we wanted to revisit one of our favorite kitchen gadgets… …the “spiralizer” Years ago, when we first heard of the spiralizer, we initially dismissed it as just another fad […]