Enjoy a Hot Dog & Beer at the Ballpark!


With baseball season right around the corner, this might be timely advice. I know, I know, I’m a nutritionist so why would I encourage you to eat a hot dog and drink a beer? Because it’s really not about that. It’s about getting your body in tip top shape so when you want to indulge a little, it has very little impact on how good you feel.

One piece of wisdom I latched onto in nutrition school (from one of my coolest professors) was that we want our clients to feel good enough so they can go to the ballpark, have a hot dog and a beer, and not feel terrible afterwards. I thought, “YES! We can be healthy and still have fun. Wow, this is great!”

If you imagine yourself eating a hot dog and drinking a beer right now, you can almost feel the indigestion, bloating, burping and maybe fatigue not too long after. It doesn’t have to be this way! When you get your body tuned up, you will be able to indulge a little and feel just fine later.

Start your ballpark tune up by getting the junk out of your diet. Be thoughtful about your food choices and mindful when you eat. Clean out your kitchen cupboards and refrigerator and get rid of all the low-nutrient packaged foods. Replace them with whole, real foods such as fresh vegetables, fruits, nut butters, wholesome soups, whole grains such as brown rice, free range meats and fish, and nuts and seeds. Follow this with restorative sleep every night (8-9 hours, no sleep meds) and you will be well on your way to a fun day at the ball game!

This is one reason why I am so passionate about a healthy lifestyle. I feel great most of the time. I go to the ballpark and don’t always take my healthy snacks. I wake up in the morning and go all day long without caffeine or a nap to make it through. As my younger son says, “Mom, you have the bunny inside,” and now I wouldn’t expect or accept anything less.

So go Giants! (… or A’s, or Padres, or Cubbies or whoever your favorite team might be). Life is good.

Love That Dark Chocolate!


For many of us, chocolate is a must in our diets. So it is helpful to know more about its health benefits and health risks.

Chocolate has several benefits. It is the highest food source of magnesium. Those low in magnesium often crave chocolate. In addition, chocolate is a rich source of powerful antioxidant flavonoids. When the antioxidant status of the blood increases, it helps protect us from inflammation and damage to the heart and blood vessels. It also results in improved blood pressure, decreased LDL oxidation and may guard DNA from damage that can lead to cancer.

Apart from these health advantages, chocolate just tastes good (14 out of 10 individuals love chocolate!). It also contains a chemical that reproduces the feeling of falling in love. And it contains serotonin which acts as an anti-depressant, stimulating endorphin production. That makes us feel good!

Alas, the danger is in too much of a good thing. In spite of the benefits obtained from eating dark organic chocolate, it contains oxalic acid which interfers with calcium absorption, and the caffeine may keep you up at night. (more)