The Conflict Between Pleasure and Happiness

Does "easy" make you happy?

How would you like to lose weight and get in fantastic shape with little to no effort at all?!  Right!  Seems ridiculous doesn’t it?  Yet we see and hear ads like this every day.  We are correct in thinking that “with little to no effort” doesn’t exist. So why would an advertiser want to appeal to you on that level?

Let me draw your attention to this (it might make your fat loss efforts more successful): 

Gluten Free Recipes

Delicious gluten/dairy/soy free recipes

You’ve probably heard it before; gluten-free, dairy-free diets are the healthiest way to eat; for a variety of reasons.  Rather than go into a long, explanation of the benefits of going gluten/dairy free, I’ll let Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre do it.  In this wonderful cookbook, they give a general explanation of the foundations of health, the threats to those foundations, and the solution to the problem-all in one book and then they follow it up with over 300 delicious recipes. 

As the authors of Nourishing Meals, they do an excellent job of explaining why a big part of the solution to better health is removing gluten and dairy from your diet.  In addition to educating you on the why

Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are no longer just for Thanksgiving and as the weather starts cooling down  and fall approaches, we naturally start moving away from lighter summer meals and into more...satisfying fare.

Sweet potatoes are a great way to get your small portion of starchy carbs and this recipe will really kick up the flavor a notch or two without piling on all the fat and sugary stuff that jacks up the calories and destroys the natural flavors.

The recipe appears just as I found it.  It's borrowed from The Food Network's chef Alton Brown.  I've made it many times and it is good!  The smoky chipotle flavor lends an exotic taste to the traditional autumn tuber but don't go crazy with the peppers-things can get real spicy, real fast.

My suggestion?  To make it healthier, use only 1 tablespoon of butter and keep the portion small. 

Yams go yummy with the smoky flavor of chipotle 

What are Menstrual Cramps?

Cramps; they can be debilitating

Last week, I reviewed a book about men making healthier choices (while still having fun.)  Guys, if you haven’t figured it out, this one’s for the ladies; though most of you have a wife, girlfriend, roommate, mother, sister, client or close friend who is a female dealing with this and it might behoove you to know a little bit more about it.

But first, a little background
 
Working with women as a trainer for as long as I have, you can imagine the excuses I’ve heard from people who want to get out of their workout. To say that I’ve heard it all is an understatement.  Let’s just say, I could write a book (and most of the time the excuses are for sessions they have already paid for!)  The texts come through with just one word…“cramps.” The rest is understood.

So what are cramps exactly? 

I Married a Nutritionist

Helps guys make healthier choices

My friends wrote a book. 

Now, when your friends write a book, you’re obligated to like it; are you not?  Well, you’re obligated to at least read it.  Then, you know that you’ll have to be honest and tell the world what you really think of it-if you are a true professional, or at least someone who wishes to remain in integrity.  This can obviously, be risky.

But, being one who takes pride in taking the high road whenever possible, (and suffering the consequences if necessary), I have to say…that I love this book!  I Married a Nutritionist: Things I've Learned that Every Guy Should Know  is a delight.  My friends Karen and Steve Roth did a wonderful job and created something really special with this book.  

Jini's Double Chocolate Shake

Dbl. Choc. Protein Shake made with Thorne's Whey Protein

Anyone who knows me or has read anything I’ve ever written knows that I’m all about the chocolate; (if you have any doubts, check out the chocolate page on my website.)  I have to admit I do a pretty good job of sticking to the prescribed one square of dark chocolate a day despite the lavish praise I dole out to the vendors on my chocolate page.  But a girl can dream; can’t she?

I long ago came up with a whey (pun intended) to marry my love of chocolate to my morning protein shake.  By itself, this shake is packed with nutrients, healthy fat, fiber, quality protein and

The Search for the Perfect Vitamin

Professional supplements can be as powerful as some medications

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post on whether or not you should take nutritional supplements. Personally, I am a big believer in them. In the past, when I’d find myself in a bit of a financial crunch, the one thing I refused to give up would be my supplements. Shoes? Gone. Cosmetics? Gone. Organic chicken… (hmm…even I have my limits.) 

I still take quite a few supplements with each meal. But are all those supplements actually doing anything? Until you run some lab tests on yourself, you could be popping pills for years that you don’t need (and then you really would have expensive pee.) I’ve been there…you read something interesting about a supplement, the outcome from taking it sounds like something you’d really like to experience like shinier hair, long, strong finger nails or best of all: the promise of abundant energy. You might also take supplements be-