by Melissa Diane Smith, author of Going Against the Grain

Even if you don’t smoke cigarettes, take notice: If you’re having a hard time giving up bread, pasta, and other refined grain products, you’re putting yourself at increased risk of developing lung cancer, according to a recent study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

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Learn how to substitute starchy foods with satisfying low-carb veggies that pair well with hearty winter dishes

Ask The Nutritionist

by Melissa Diane Smith

Q: I ate too many baked goods, breads, and potatoes during the holidays and ended up gaining 15 pounds! I am more successful at losing weight when I cut back on carbs, but it’s easier for me to do this in the summer (when I just naturally crave salads and raw veggies). It’s freezing here in the winter, and all I want to eat are warm, hearty meals. Can you suggest a few satisfying low-carb vegetables that I can put on my winter menu?  —Sue M., Minneapolis

A: No matter what time of year it is, the general idea of cutting carbs to lose weight should be to replace grain products and starchy vegetables with lower-carb, non-starchy vegetables. Here are a few of my favorite low-carb foods to use as ingredients in wintertime meals.

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by Melissa Diane Smith

People typically shop in natural food stores to buy cleaner, healthier foods than what they’ll find in conventional supermarkets. It’s common for shoppers to get confused by the meanings of various labels on products, but many now realize that the “cleanest” of all foods offered in stores are those labeled with the USDA Organic seal. The majority of U.S consumers now say they prefer organic foods and at least occasionally buy and eat organic.

Why the growing preference for organic products? When you choose organically produced products, you:
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Ask the Nutritionist

by Melissa Diane Smith

Try a liver detox program to give your body a reboot.

Q: I overindulged in alcohol and sweets during the holidays, then ate a lot of heavy foods during the winter, got sick a number of times, and now feel overweight and sluggish. What do you suggest I do to “spring clean” my diet to help give my body a fresh start?

– Samuel from Cleveland, OH

You sound like a perfect candidate for a liver detox program. Most people are, and spring is considered the best time of year to employ nutrition strategies that cleanse and revitalize the liver to help produce a personal spring within.

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Ask the Nutritionist

by Melissa Diane Smith

Keep your kitchen stocked with these powerful healers to protect against illness.

Q: Are there any foods you recommend having on hand to prevent or treat colds and flu?

There sure are! Check out the following foods that can help you fend off – or get relief from – cold or flu symptoms when you start getting sick. Try combining them with the others on the list for extra healing power.

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by Melissa Diane Smith

In this age of instant access to information, it’s ironic that I sometimes run into people who say they love one of my books, but aren’t aware of, or haven’t read, any of the others. It’s time to connect the dots between my four main books—Syndrome X, Going Against the Grain, Gluten Free Throughout the Year, and Going Against GMOs—and let you know how reading all of them can give you a thorough understanding of the spectrum of nutrition-related health issues that affect Americans today. I’m so confident that reading even one of my books you haven’t read before will give you knowledge that improves your health, that I’m giving you extra incentive to do just that: Click here to learn how you can get a discount on counseling or coaching with me if you buy any one of these books through February 18, 2015.

Click here to go to my Amazon Author page.

If you aren’t familiar with my main books, here’s a rundown:

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This Sunday will be my last scheduled book signing in Tucson before the holidays! It will be at the High Energy Agriculture booth at the Viva La Local Food Festival from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.:

BOOK SIGNING

of Going Against GMOs, Going Against the Grain,

and Gluten Free Throughout the Year,

from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Sunday, November 16^th

at the High Energy Agriculture booth

at the Viva La Local Food Festival ($4.00 admission to the festival)

at Rillito Raceway Park, 4502 N. 1st Ave.
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