Courtney the RDN

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep /how-to-sleep-well-as-you-age.htm Sleep is required for our bodies to repair and re-energize. It is recommended that the average person get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. But, the average American does not meet this recommendation. They either go to bed too late, wake up too early, or are unable to fall asleep or stay asleep at night. Research is showing that those who get less than 7 hours of sleep a night are more likely to be overweight, develop cardiovascular disease, and diabetes more often than those who sleep more than 7 hours a night.   https://www.news-medical.net/health/Ghrelin-and-Leptin.aspx What’s going on? Why does lack of sleep affect our weight? Part of it has to do with hormones. Our body produces a leptin, our fullness hormone. When we have plenty of leptin, our body gives us signals when we are full or satiated from meals. We also make grehlin. Grehlin is our hunger hormone which causes us to crave ...

Does this daily routine sound familiar? Wake up for work, get ready, run out the door without breakfast. Thirty minute lunch break comes around. No time to drive to get food and come back; skip lunch. Or, go to drive through for a quick lunch. Back home after work, starving because of no breakfast and no lunch. Eat some chips while thinking of what to have for dinner. End up eating a frozen dinner or going out to eat because it would take too long to go to the store and cook a meal. Sit down to watch TV before bed. Cravings for candy, ice cream, and cookies start.   Does some or all of this sound familiar to you? Is this the endless cycle you find yourself in each week? Ready to stop the madness and start healthy eating habits? It can be easy with a little planning and preparation.   Our lives are filled with constant decision making. We make decisions about work, what to wear, how to exercise, who to speak with, what to post on social media, etc. all of these decisio...

Weight loss can be a fickle thing. In the beginning, maybe weight comes off fast, a pound a day or five pounds a week. You can actually see your hard work paying off. But, inevitably, weight loss will slow down. You may even experience weight fluctuations. One or two pounds are gained, before three pounds are dropped. For some people, weight loss never happens quickly. They completely stop loosing weight after some time, no matter what they do or how hard they try. This can be discouraging. It makes choosing healthy foods and scheduling gym time less rewarding.   But, eating healthy and exercise help with more than just the number on the scale. Sometimes, to stay encouraged long term, we need to take note of our non-scale victories.  First of all, think about your reasons for wanting to lose weight. Was it to have more energy, get rid of obesity related diseases and medications, or maybe to have more confidence and better emotional health? Find out what your driving motiv...