Fall is the Pear-fect Time for Sweet Swaps

Let me set the record straight: there’s no one food that’s a miracle cure for all ailments, nor is there just one food that is responsible for causing all of our health issues. Balance is what’s key when it comes to a healthy diet. If there is one food that adds calories without adding much value, it’s sugar. Sugar is what I call, The Master of Disguise, appearing more often on food labels than you might realize, and not always spelled as s-u-g-a-r. These aliases can show up on ingredient lists as molasses, high fructose corn syrup, organic cane juice, and dozens of other names. The good news is that our new food labels (on or before January 2020) will finally differentiate between natural sugar (the sugar that is inherently within foods like milk, yogurt and fruit) and added sugar Continue reading

Chocolate, Colored Eggs, and…Pears!

Bunny ears. Jellybeans. Honey ham. Fruit. Ever since I can remember, Easter meals have always included the same family traditions, from “egg fights” to Mom’s homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Egg fights aren’t as messy as they sound, by the way: you just bump your hard-boiled Easter egg against your sister’s or your dad’s, and if your egg comes out unscathed, you’re the winner! Then you choose another opponent and continue “fighting” until both ends of your egg are cracked, then you peel it and eat it. It’s a fun way to play with your food and eat it, too! Now that I’m older, I still appreciate some of the chocolate and the familiar old eggs, but I also look forward to including fresh fruit in our meal. To me, Easter not only signifies new life and celebration, but a Continue reading