Supplements 101

With the numerous amount of products available, it seems like there is a supplement for everything! As the consumer, it can be overwhelming to figure out which supplements actually provide what they claim as well as which ones are worth the money! How can you be sure what you buy is effective, and most importantly, safe? Let's dive a bit deeper into the topic of supplementation, so you can come away with insight into determining if a supplement is right for you.

Quality Control

As you may or may not know, supplements are not tightly regulated like pharmaceuticals. Most of the supplements that you can purchase at the grocery store have a high likelihood of having added dyes and fillers as well as being contaminated with heavy metals. Unfortunately, most of these products end up being a waste of money. Medical-grade or pharmaceutical grade supplements are brands that have been tested for quality by a third-party. There are some OTC (over the counter) brands that are be...

If you are fixated on the number on the scale, it could be keeping you from reaching your body composition goals. 

Back in 2010, I was at my lowest weight of 125lbs. At that time I ran marathons and felt like I had to earn my calories via exercise. Now, in 2021, I am at my highest weight of 140lbs. I am also the most satisfied with my current body composition...15lbs heavier. Over the past 11 years I have learned a LOT, and I hope that this post resonates with you as you read it.

Like most women, I used to get caught up in the number on the scale. As long as I could “stay below 130lbs” then I was “on the right track.” Why was 130lbs so magical? I couldn’t tell you. Maybe it was because it was what my “small” friends weighed or what the calculated “ideal body weight” was for me. For whatever reason, I had it in my head that I wanted to weigh 130lbs or less. I didn’t understand the concept of weight fluctuations, and any movement up on the scale was bad news, and any movement down wa...

Nutrition Periodization

Have you heard this term before? Unless you are in the health and fitness industry, most likely not. You've probably heard the terms, dieting, calorie counting, or maybe if you are more advanced -- macro counting. 

Nutrition Periodization a fancy-sounding term that refers to your personal nutrition going through phases or “periods.” Just like we have different seasons - winter, spring, summer, and fall, our health and fitness goals should take on different seasons or "periods." The three different periods are Maintenance, Fat Loss, and Gain or Surplus. Let’s first define each of these phases:

Maintenance: This is when you are eating adequate food to nourish every part of your body. You are giving your body enough nourishment for every physiological function, especially your hormones! This phase is one of the most overlooked in the “diet world,” but I would argue that it is the *MOST* important. If you are not eating at maintenance the majority of the time, wh...

Reason #1: You aren't eating enough. This is one of the hardest concepts for most people to grasp because we are constantly fed the message "eat less, exercise more." Oftentimes, though I find that a lot of people live in a state of caloric restriction. Fat-free, low calorie, 100 calorie pack, reduced sugar, light... these are terms a lot of Americans think are "healthy." Or maybe you've been yo-yo-ing between intermittent fasting, Whole 30, or Weight Watchers. If you can't remember the last time you WERE NOT restricting food, then you most likely are not eating enough. It might be that you don't eat until the end of the day or you find yourself eating only 1 or 2 meals. Just because you are full doesn't mean you are necessarily eating enough for a healthy metabolism. 

You see, when we eat less than our Energy Requirements over an extended period of time, our body naturally adapts. This is called metabolic adaptation. Think about it this way: you go for a 3-day hike and realize that y...

 Post Written with the help of Leslie MacManus, Dietetic Intern 

You may have heard of the term “omega-3 fatty acids” but do not know what they are, where they come from, or if they can be of benefit to you. If this resonates with you, you are not alone. Let’s take a closer look at these essential fatty acids and learn a bit more! 

There are three main omega-3 fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These are called “essential fatty acids” because they cannot be produced by the body alone so they must be consumed in the diet. EPA and DHA are found in fish and other seafood, while ALA serves as a good vegetarian source as it is found in plant oils.

They play an essential role in brain health, aiding in function, growth and development as well as providing energy for the body to carry out normal functions. Furthermore, omega-3s have been shown to be effective anti-inflammatory agents and even help improve symptoms ...

Do you want to know the secret to losing weight and getting lean?

The secret is…

That there is NO secret, and if someone tells you that the secret is “this diet, this pill, this shake, this cleanse, this workout program,” then they are lying to you and do NOT have your best interests in mind. 

The truth is, there is no secret to losing weight or getting lean. The key to fat loss is CONSISTENCY. If you cannot sustain a diet (way of eating) for the long haul, then you shouldn’t be doing it. This is why so many diets fail.

Yes, there are times for specific dietary (i.e. elimination diets for a specific health concern, sports that require meeting weight, etc.), but if you are looking to achieve long-term fat loss, then a restrictive diet or program is not going to KEEP you there. It might GET you there, but who wants to achieve these great results only to lose them in 3-6 months?

That is why when I work with a client I will RARELY recommend any type of restrictive diet,...

Tell me if this sounds familiar. You have made some significant diet and lifestyle changes. You are feeling confident and are sure that you have lost weight. You pull out the scale that you’ve avoided for years, you are now ready to weigh because you are feeling so good with the changes you’ve made!

You step on the scale and your mindset abruptly changes to disappointment when you see the number. The scale hasn’t moved at all or maybe it has only moved 1 or 2lbs.

The scale has a powerful way of getting into our head, doesn’t it? The number on the scale can make us feel confident or discouraged like we have failed or we have succeeded. All of that power in the way that we PERCEIVE a number. A lot of women tie that number to their self-worth.

I know I have been guilty of this. One week I feel confident in my body, the next I find myself picking apart my flaws.

The Way Hormones Affect Weight

If you didn’t know this already, as women, our hormones are a legit rollercoa...

I am a Registered Dietitian, trained in Integrative/Functional Nutrition. I believe that the body is an interconnected network, and the foods we put in our body, our lifestyle choices, and our environment have a big impact on our overall health. I believe that food is powerful and has the ability to heal the body. I know from experience that certain conditions can be reversed through diet and lifestyle changes. I have seen women find complete freedom in their health through natural approaches, taking a medication-free approach.

I believe these things, yet I take an anti-depressant. I have been on an anti-depressant for about 13 years of my adolescent and young adult life to address the serious anxiety that I have experienced from childhood. 

About 4 years ago, I took a big shift in my career as a dietitian and started learning about integrative/holistic approaches to health. I started to develop a belief that medication was the “easy way out” and a “band-aide” to a deeper-rooted i...

“I just do not understand why I cannot seem to lose weight. The number on the scale will not budge! I feel like I have been on a diet forever, and I am exercising at least 5 days a week. I am so discouraged.” Does this sound familiar? I hear something along these lines from clients on a regular basis. What I say next usually surprises people. What are the reasons that they (and you) may not be able to lose weight in spite of your hard efforts?

YOU ARE NOT EATING ENOUGH. Say what? “Rachel, I thought that in order to lose weight I had to eat less and exercise more?” Yes, this is true to a certain extent, but most of my clients have been following diets for most of their adult life, severely calorie restricting. Chronic dieting/calorie restriction will slow down your metabolism.   Our bodies were not meant to be on long term diets, and they will adjust to the number of calories that they are given. When we restrict calories, our body senses that there is some type of emergency (famine, d...

I titled this post “The Christian Dilemma,” because I have greatly struggled with being a follower of Jesus, yet dealing with anxiety and depression. I have experienced guilt, embarrassment, and anger. The guilt and embarrassment stemmed from the misconception that, as a Christian, I just “needed more faith.” The anger has previously been targeted at God, thinking that He would just “take it all away” if he truly loved me. There have been moments that I have held bitterness towards God for allowing me to have such crippling anxiety, ultimately holding Him responsible.

I believe most of the guilt and embarrassment is rooted in the lie that as a Christian, one should not chronically deal with anxiety or depression. I could probably quote almost every scripture related to anxiety in the Bible, because for a long time, I believed that I just needed more faith or to pray more in order to feel better. Unfortunately, many pastors, with pure intentions, preach this from stage. Their lens o...