Phytonutrients are compounds found in colorful foods that play an important role in our health and well-being. These phytonutrients, which help protect us from a variety of diseases and illnesses, including everything from cancers to heart disease, is why we encourage people to eat a "rainbow a day" of real, whole foods vs. processed foods that are pigmented with various chemicals and dyes.

To get the full benefit of phytonutrients, it is essential to eat a wide range of colorful plant-based foods. This ensures that you are consuming a phytonutrient spectrum that includes all the different phytonutrients, such as carotenoids, flavonoids, and polyphenols. By doing so, you give your body access to the wide range of health benefits of these phytonutrients. Additionally, eating a wide variety of plant-based foods increases prebiotic and probiotic-rich fiber in the diet, which is so necessary for the health of our gut. Studies have shown that the more variety in the diet, the...

Looking for easy breakfast options that are both nutritious and delicious? Look no further than this handy post, featuring some of our favorite on-the-go breakfast ideas.

Whether you're short on time in the mornings or just looking for a quick and healthy way to fuel up before work or school, these tasty options have you covered. Rather than stopping for a donut or fast food on the way to work, you may want to try to prepare these breakfasts in advance or the night before to save you some time! This way, you can start your day off right with increased energy and motivation, rather than with the heavy feeling of a carb coma, bloating, and brain fog. Let's dive right in to some of our favorite breakfast ideas!

During the cold winter months, you can never go wrong with a warm, comforting bowl of hearty oatmeal. The key when having oats in the morning, is to always include healthy fats and protein in order to off set the sugar spike from the complex carbs in the oats, and...

While we are not fans of fad diets, especially for the sole purpose of temporary weight loss, there are specific approaches to nutrition that may benefit those who struggle specifically with brain and mental health disorders. There has been extensive research on the role of the ketogenic diet, or a low-carb diet in healing neurological and brain disorders. Although many people are familiar with the ketogenic diet strictly for weight loss, its original intent was actually to reduce symptoms of epileptic seizures.

A major reason why a low-carb diet may improve mental health symptoms is that insulin signaling is significantly impaired in those dealing with depression, anxiety, Alzheimer's, and even bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Insulin signaling works differently in the brain than in the blood. Studies have shown that a poor diet contributes to insulin resistance in the brain before insulin signaling in the blood is impaired. This means that our brains are impacted...

BDNF, or brain-derived neurotrophic factor, is a protein that plays an important role in promoting brain health and cognitive function. Research has shown that regular exercise and physical activity can boost the expression of bdnf gene levels in the brain, leading to a wide range of mental and physical healing benefits.

It was once thought that physical activity had no direct impact on cognitive performance, but now science reveals that they are very much connected. Exercise and movement are consistently linked with improved mood, reduced stress levels, increased energy, enhanced cognitive function, and better sleep quality. These benefits can be attributed to BDNF – an important factor that promotes neuroplasticity in the brain. This means that exercise increases our ability to adjust to new stressors, adapt to our environment, improve our responses to stress, and improve self-awareness. It is assumed that because exercise and cognitive health go hand in hand, this...

With longer nights and shorter days, no matter how warm the climate you may be living in during the winter months, you may find yourself feeling more tired, lethargic, and a little blue with decreased sunshine. Usually, we associate a low mood and even seasonal affective disorder (SAD) with low levels of vitamin D from less sun exposure. However, there is more to it than just low vitamin D levels. Having a greater understanding of the role of light exposure and sun exposure allows us to have a plan of action when entering into the winter months in order to protect our mood, hormone balance, and energy.

Our skin is our largest organ, and it has a profound ability to stimulate hormone production under specific conditions. Studies show that increased UVB exposure from safe levels of sunlight exposure encourages testosterone production, leading to improved mood and feelings of motivation, increased energy, and maintained libido through improving hormone balance.

Now that...

Environmental toxins may be a serious threat to our health, as they have the ability to suppress immune function, disrupt hormone and metabolic processes, and may even lead to cognitive decline. Anything that the body tags as an antigen, or foreign invader, has the capacity to add stress to our bodies and disrupt essential metabolic pathways. Environmental toxins are often found in schools, buildings, golf courses, and even on certain food items. Toxic chemicals in pesticides, household products, and other sources that were once deemed safe may actually cause inflammation and dis-ease.

It is no wonder that about 1 in 3 Americans suffer from autoimmunity, as our immune systems can become overburdened from excess toxin exposure. This leads to an overacitve immune system that may cause our own immune cells to mistake our own tissue/cells as an antigen.

Fortunately, there are steps we can take to limit our exposure to these harmful substances. Some simple changes in our...

Are sugar cravings getting the best of you this holiday season? Most of us have or will struggle with sugar cravings at some point. Sugar is so sneaky in the way that it impacts our chemistry, hormone balance, cravings, and metabolic function. It is the number one endocrine disruptor, yet it is so prevalent in so many foods produced in the U.S. Sugar itself is not the main issue.. We believe that everyone should have a healthy relationship with their food and enjoy sugar moderately, to whatever degree suits their goals and health concerns. However, it is the over-consumption of sugar in our diets that leads to many issues down the line because of its impact on insulin.

Insulin is a critical hormone that plays an important role in inflammation, hormone imbalance, and cravings. While Insulin resistance is often associated with conditions like Type 2 Diabetes, it can also occur independently and contribute to other metabolic disorders as well. In order to understand the...

Our inner world of emotions is beautifully complex, having the ability to shape our physiology for better or worse depending on what we do with our emotions. Unfortunately, most of us were not taught emotional regulation techniques or emotional coping skills growing up. When left to our own devices, most of us will either adapt behaviors to distract ourselves from painful emotions, suppress or feelings, or develop very poor ways of expressing them. These defense mechanisms and coping strategies are often learned at a very early age and become ingrained into our subconscious, based on what we witnessed growing up.

We do the best we can with what we know at the time, but sometimes what we assume to be a healthy way of coping is actually detrimental to our physical and emotional well-being. We have to be careful to not confuse "normal" with healthy. It takes courage to confront ourselves, our emotions, and our coping strategies but it is so worth it for the betterment of...

Many of us struggle to set boundaries in our lives, whether it be with our friends, family members, or coworkers. This is because many of us have trouble understanding the true benefits of having healthy boundaries. At their core, boundaries are simply a way to take ownership of our own mental, physical and emotional well-being by setting limits on what we will and will not allow ourselves to be subjected to.

While establishing boundaries can seem intimidating at first, there are many ways that we can do so in a kind and compassionate manner. This will definitely be a challenging and maybe even messy process, as it will feel quite uncomfortable for you and others initially. You may not be used to communicating assertively, and others may not be used to you speaking up for yourself or saying "no" when you do not have the capacity to take on their request. One key mistake that many people make when trying to start setting boundaries is expecting others to immediately adapt to...

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate with loved ones, and engage in meaningful conversation around a table while enjoying delicious food. However, some struggle with guilt over eating certain foods, or worry about sabotaging their health goals that they forget to actually enjoy the food and precious moments. This is definitely not an outcome we wish for ourselves or our community!

Here is our philosophy on food and the holidays- We believe that it is important to honor our bodies, minds, and spirit by making choices that support both our physical and mental well-being in the long term. This means focusing on our values first and foremost, and adjusting with occasions to make sure we are living up to those values. For many, this means focusing on gratitude, relationships, rekindling connections with family and friends, and enjoying great company during holidays. This leaves less room for food fixation or guilt for enjoying an extra slice of your grandma's apple pie.

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