Blogs

Introducing Somavance

Most of you know that one of my areas of clinical expertise and interest is pediatrics and pediatric developmental disabilities. It is very difficult to provide nutritional care services to a child without extending support to the parents and families as a whole. While I am honored and humbled to be considered a part of your village and guide you in your nutritional care, I have longed for the day when I would see the flood of chronic nutritionally related illness quell.

3 More Years

Nearly 10 years ago when my mother passed at the age of 76, my father, then 77,

Non-Nurturing Nuggets

About a month ago I was listening to the radio and heard a news story about a 17 year old British girl who was rushed to the hospital after collapsing from breathing problems. While at the hospital, doctors learned that this girl had been eating a daily dose of Chicken McNuggets since she was two years old.

Keeping the Weight Loss Ball Rolling

I'm sure some of you added weight loss to last month's resolution list. Since the initial gusto tends to wane a bit the farther we get from the New Year toast, I thought I'd give you a couple tips to help re-invigorate your weight loss momentum. The following tips will help you reach your weight loss goal in a healthy way.

Revisiting Over-The-Counter Diet Pills

I recently came across a video clip of a CBS Early Show episode I participated in a few years ago about the over-the-counter (OTC) diet pill Alli, a branded version of the prescription drug Xenical (Orlistat).  (see below)  Since weight loss makes its way to many new year’s resolution lists, I thought this would be a good time to revisit the topic.

Food Addictions

There was an interesting story on 60 Minutes a couple Sunday’s ago on the food flavoring industry. You may remember the episode. It was the one with Angelina Jolie. Ok, now you are  probably nodding your head saying oh yeah, I saw that one. Anyway....what interested me about this episode was the segment where Morley Safer interviewed Givaudan, a Swiss corporation that creates designer flavors for the processed food industry. They aim to replicate the greatest flavorist out there, Mother Nature, by chemically re-engeneering her molecules in a lab so your frozen entree tastes like chicken and your soda tastes like orange - even when there is no chicken or orange in there.

Supplements and the Media

sup·ple·ment
noun
1. something added to complete a thing, supply a deficiency, or reinforce or extend a whole.


I've been meaning to write a note about the sensationalized story that made the rounds recently about the dangers of supplements for women.  As if war, revolution, economic malaise, debt crises and the like weren’t enough...the popular media decided to provide more of what we don’t need: fear. A few recent articles were based on a study that examined vitamin and mineral supplements in relation to total mortality in a group of postmenopausal women.

Thanksgiving - An Easy and Healthy Way (Recipe and Tips)

This Thanksgiving, I offer you a few meal planning tips and my one-pan turkey & stuffing recipe.  We all need to reduce calories, carbs and fats, without sacrificing too much, if anything, in the taste department.  Here are a few tips to assist in meal planning:

5 Ways to Win Against Winter

For those of us in the Northeast, the Fall winds (or last weekend’s snow!) can only lead to one place....leafless trees, cold and snow.  However, a few simple tips can help your body prepare for the season and remain strong during this time of year.

A Brief Note About Autism and Special Diets

Dietary interventions are a common complimentary treatment strategy for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Anecdotal evidence and case studies indicate that special diets have benefited individuals with autism. For example, according to Autism Research Institute’s (ARI) ratings gathered from 3,593 parents, almost seven out of ten parents (69%) indicated that a Gluten-Free/Casein-Free (GF/CF) diet improved symptoms of autism in their child.