Renew Your Health: Take Advantage of Nutrition Counseling Summer Special!

by Melissa Diane Smith

Would you like to revise your diet to use food as medicine to alleviate a chronic condition, to reverse many risk factors for heart disease, or to help you trim up so you can fit into your favorite swimsuit?

Maybe you need a pep talk to get back on track with your diet after you ate foods on your vacation that set your health back?

Or would you like to learn the tricks of the trade of how to take genetically modified foods out of what you eat? Or how to avoid gluten, grains, or sugar? Or how you can balance a few different types of therapeutic diets in the best way for you?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, now is the best time to consider hiring me for personal nutrition advice to help you meet your health goals. I love counseling with clients and providing them with personalized nutrition advice to improve their health and life, and the beginning of summer is considered a sacred time and often the perfect time to set new goals and get off to a fresh start. That’s why I thought now was the ideal time to launch a 20% discount ($140 instead of the normal price of $175) on my Get Started Combo (an Initial Phone Consultation and a Follow-Up for new clients) this summer. This is a limited-time only deal. Make sure to take advantage of it. The Summer Special will run through August 31, 2018.

(more…)

Going Primal for Valentine’s Day

Use simple whole-food ingredients to prepare a low-fuss romantic meal for two

Ask the Nutritionist

by Melissa Diane Smith

Q: My wife and I both follow a Paleo/Primal and we’re both very busy. We don’t eat out that often because we have trouble finding restaurants that serve hunter-gatherer-type meals. I’d like to surprise my wife this Valentine’s Day by serving a tasty Primal dinner at home. Have any suggestions on easy foods to make that we’d both enjoy? —Mike S., San Diego

A: How thoughtful of you! Your wife is going to love your surprise! Among the many great things about the Paleo/Primal Diet is that it’s easy to use a handful of quality, whole-food ingredients to prepare a decadent, gourmet-tasting dinner with little fuss. Grains and legumes take a lot of time to cook. By cutting out these ingredients, you can really cut down on the prep time.Just think about your wife’s preferences, and decide on red meat, poultry, or seafood. Then add some tastily prepared vegetables and a yummy, easy-to-fix dessert.

_______

Did You Know?

The Paleo and Primal eating plans both avoid grains and legumes, which drastically cuts down prep time.

______
(more…)

Pumpkin Dream Bars

by Melissa Diane Smith, author of Going Against the Grain and and Going Against GMOs


Looking for a healthier alternative to traditional pumpkin pie? Try these Pumpkin Dream Bars. They’re a dream because they are easy to make; they contain no flour or grains; and they have a decadent, light, and moist texture. Both the bars and the whipped coconut cream come out well using a variety of sweeteners.


(more…)

Against-the-Grain, Low-Carb Holidays

How to be carb-smart and enjoy the season without the weight gain using these low carb holiday recipes and tips

Ask the Nutritionist

by Melissa Diane Smith

Q: Somehow, every holiday season, I end up getting sick with some kind of bug, feeling uncomfortably full, and gaining extra pounds. Can you offer any nutritional advice for getting through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s feeling healthy and without gaining unwanted pounds? —Ellen S., Portland, Ore.

A:   As enjoyable as the holiday season can be, it’s also the time of year when we encounter sugar- and carb-laden sweets, beverages, baked goods, and side dishes at every turn. Sugar is an immune suppressor. The more of it we eat, the more apt we are to get sick. And overloading on any type of carbs—not just sweets, but also bread, stuffing, and mashed potatoes—can stimulate our appetite and make us feel bloated and gain weight.

(more…)

‘Going Against the Grain for Health’ Presentation Sept. 20th at New
Natural Grocers in Tucson

NaturalGrocers-0920-memeby Melissa Diane Smith

I am delighted to be a featured speaker during the Grand Opening of the new Natural Grocers natural food supermarket at 5600 E. River Road in Tucson this month.

On Tuesday, September 20, 2016, at 6 p.m., I will present “Going Against the Grain for Health: How to Make Food Your Best Medicine.” In this presentation, I’ll cover the health troubles caused by refined grains, whole grains, gluten grains, and genetically modified ingredients hidden in grain-based foods, and explain how to use this information to lose unwanted weight, reverse disease processes, and revitalize health. I’ll also give my answers to common questions I receive, such as “was wheat always not good for us, or has it become worse for our health in recent years?” and answer any other questions that you have.

(more…)

Handy Grain-Free Bread Substitutes

Looking for a pre-made, ready-to-use, grain-free wrap or bread? These items don’t have the same taste or texture as flour-based tortillas, so you may have to try a few to find one you like. But each of the following products can add convenience and variety to a grain- or gluten-free diet.

COCONUT WRAPS.

Julian-Bakery-Coconut-Wraps Pure Wraps Paleo Coconut Wraps

Both Pure Wraps Paleo Coconut Wraps and Julian Bakery Paleo Wraps offer flexible, low-carb wraps made of coconut meat and water. The Pure Wraps are seasoned with Himalayan pink salt, while the Julian Wraps are salt-free. That makes Pure Wraps great for savory fillings such as grilled chicken and spinach, or eggs and avocado; and the Julian Wraps ideal for desserts, such as berries and whipped coconut cream.

(more…)

Think Outside the Sandwich Bread

Ask the Nutritionist

by Melissa Diane Smith, author of Going Against the Grain

Saying goodbye to bread doesn’t have to mean giving up sandwiches.

Q: I maintain my weight and feel best when I avoid gluten and all grains. I don’t miss the taste of bread, but I do miss the convenience of making sandwiches for quick lunches, especially on hot summer days. Are there any grain-free substitutes that could help me fix easy-to-make “sandwiches”?

—Tamara R., Sacramento, Calif.

A: The short answer is: Yes! If you bake, try making grain-free tortillas or sliceable bread out of almond flour, ground flaxseeds, and/or coconut flour. If you don’t bake—or if you want a quicker alternative—think outside the box and get creative by using vegetables or fruit as alternatives for wraps and buns. These seven produce-based ideas can help you get started.

collard-green-wrap1. Lettuce wraps. For convenience and versatility, nothing beats using large lettuce leaves, such as romaine or Bibb, as tortilla or bread substitutes. Wrap burgers with them, or make BLT (bacon, lettuce, and tomato) “sandwiches,” taco lettuce wraps, fajita wraps, tuna salad wraps, or lettuce cups with Asian-based fillings.

(more…)

Search

See all Monsanto articles

Most Recent Posts

Archives

Categories