Detox Diets and Body Cleanses: Are They Even Safe? Detox diets…body cleanses…colon cleanses…bowel cleanses… You’ve probably heard all of these terms used in reference to “ridding your system of unhealthy toxins” -- but what do these terms actually mean? Do you really need to be on a ‘detox diet’ or ‘cleansing’ your body? Are programs and products marketed as detoxes and cleanses even safe to do? To start us off, all of these terms get a LOT of hype in the media, and people te

HFLC (High-Fat Low-Carb) vs. the Ketogenic Diet - What’s The Difference? It may seem like everywhere you turn the ketogenic diet, or keto for short, is being hailed as a miracle diet for weight loss and increased energy levels. Keto is the “it” diet of the moment, but before you decide to jump on the bandwagon yourself, let’s take a look at what this diet is all about. Keto is an extremely low-carbohydrate diet that replaces carbohydrates with moderate amounts of protein and

The Great Soda Debate: Regular or Diet - is one really healthier than the other? You don’t have to be a health nut to know that soda isn’t good for you. But is it really all that bad? Is it ok to just have it once in a while? And if you’re going to have it, is it better to have the regular ol’ sugar-filled version or the zero calorie “diet” kind? Well, let’s weigh-in on the facts: Regular soda - as bad as they say? PROS: It doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners (aspartame, su

Low Carb Diet 101 Low carb diets have been popular on and off since the dawn of the Atkins fame (and maybe even earlier?). But, what exactly defines low carb? Does eating this way actually help with weight loss? Are there any other health benefits (or risks) to eating fewer carbs? Let’s see. What is a carb? A carb, or carbohydrate, is one of our three main macronutrients. Carbs, along with protein and fat that are needed for optimal health in quantities larger than vitamins a

Ketogenic Diet 101 The ketogenic diet is a very low carb, very high-fat diet. It has recently gained a lot of popularity in the wellness sphere because of some of its health benefits. A ketogenic diet has been shown to help some people lose weight (yes, even with high fat). It can also help improve certain health conditions, like epilepsy in children. Read on for some of the lowdown on how it reprograms your metabolism (for “ketosis”), and whether or not it’s something for yo

Paleo Diet 101 You may have heard of the "paleo" diet. It was the world's most popular diet in 2013. But what is it? Is it a fad? Is it right for you? Scientist and "Paleo Mom" Sarah Ballentyne, Ph.D. defines it as: “The Paleo diet is a nutrient-dense whole foods diet based on eating a variety of quality meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. It improves health by providing balanced and complete nutrition while avoiding most processed and refined foods and

Haven't Changed Anything in Your Diet But Getting Fatter? You are positive that you're not eating more food or “junkier” food but you're still gaining weight. Is this possible? Yes! You are NOT crazy! And here's why. We both know that the whole “calories in, calories out” argument is an overly simplistic view of weight. There's definitely more to the story than just what you're eating, right? A lot of this comes right down to your metabolic rate which is affected by things l

Food Preservatives A food preservative is a substance added to foods to make them last longer; to "preserve" them. Preservatives are added to foods that go bad quickly and have found themselves in all kinds of products in our grocery stores. Preservatives work to preserve food in a few different ways. Some prevent the growth of bacteria and mold. Others prevent delicate fats from going rancid. There are so many preservatives out there. While preservatives added to foods shoul

Why Your Waist Circumference Matters 100x More Than What You Weigh You totally want to ditch your scale, don't you? You may have this weird kind of relationship with your “weight”. I mean, it doesn't define you (obviously). What you weigh can matter but only to a certain extent. Let's look at your waist circumference (well...you look at yours and I'll look at mine). Waist Circumference (AKA “Belly Fat”): Do you remember the fruity body shape descriptions being like an “apple”

Why is My Metabolism Slow? You may feel tired, cold or that you've gained weight. Maybe your digestion seems a bit more “sluggish”. You may be convinced that your metabolism is slow. Why does this happen? Why do metabolic rates slow down? What can slow my metabolism? Metabolism includes all of the biochemical reactions in your body that use nutrients and oxygen to create energy. And there are lots of factors that affect how quickly (or slowly) it works, i.e. your “metaboli