Smoothies are all the rage these days, but are they really all they’re cracked up to be? From the green vegetable variety to the more-like-milkshake fare, we’ve got the skinny on smoothies here.     Do you want to boost your health, energy, and mood with a simple and delicious drink? If so, you might want to try smoothies! Smoothies are not only tasty, but also packed with benefits for your body and mind. In this column, you will learn how smoothies can help you improve your nutrition, digestion, immunity, cognition, and more. You will also discover how to avoid... Read More

Recently, an article in Forbes magazine highlighted a study in Australia that claimed, when it came to weight loss, there was no significant difference in people assigned to skip breakfast and those assigned to eat it. Some in the intermittent fasting community say you should not eat anything before 11AM, so your eating cycle can go on later in the day and make you less likely to break the fast before bedtime. While these assertions may be true, there are some good reasons to eat breakfast. There are studies that show those who eat earlier in the day lose more weight than those who eat later in... Read More

Sugar is everywhere, almost impossible to avoid.  It’s in foods like bread, pasta sauce, salad dressing, and ketchup. It can be challenging to find sugar in your food because nutrition labels are not required to list all sugar.  In 2018, nutrition labels will be required to call out all added sugar but, in the meantime, you’ll have to do some sugar sleuthing to manage your sugar intake. The Institute of Medicine has made recommendations for sugar intake.  Since sugar isn’t a required nutrient in the diet, the institute has not issued a recommended dietary allowance, but does suggest... Read More

Did you know that a green (unripe) banana confers its own unique health benefits? Green bananas are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and contain resistant starch which cannot be broken down by enzymes in your digestive system and, therefore, acts more like fiber. Including foods high in resistant starch in your diet may reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease by aiding in blood sugar control and lowering blood cholesterol levels. Bananas have higher levels of antioxidants as they ripen. Fully ripened bananas produce a substance called Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF). TNF regulates... Read More

Cruciferous vegetables are vegetables of the family Brassicaceae such as cauliflower, cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and similar green leaf vegetables. High in vitamin C and soluble fiber with multiple nutrients and phytochemicals, cruciferous vegetables are one of the dominant food crops worldwide. In the fall, cruciferous veggies like Brussels sprouts and cauliflower are abundant.  Perhaps you’d like to try something new?  Allow me to introduce you to some cruciferous veggies you might not have tried. Mizuna.  Also known as Japanese mustard greens, mizuna has a rich, peppery... Read More

If you’re looking to eat right and feel great at the same time, there are some foods that you should consider adding to your menu. While there are plenty of healthy foods out there that you can choose from, the foods listed in this article are some of my favorites. They are all super nutritious and will help you to maintain robust health and a strong physique. These foods will also enhance your body’s health from the inside to the outside!   Chia seeds – A powerhouse of vitamins and nutrients, chia seeds are also a great alternative to the more processed grains you may be faced... Read More

Recently, I had dinner at my favorite Mexican restaurant.  Usually I get a meal and don’t have room for the sopapilla that comes with it, but this time I took the sopapilla home to eat later. When I was ready to eat it, I was surprised to see that the “honey” for the sopapilla was not honey at all. It was fake honey made with corn syrup. I happened to have some locally source honey at home and used that instead of the faux honey. This is just one of the reasons it’s important to read labels. If you’re trying to change your life by eating fewer processed foods, less sugar, or any number... Read More

This weekend I will be joining the MJFITNUT Team in taking on my first Spartan obstacle course! My training for this 3-5 mile race, with 15-20 obstacles, has included cannabis, and I will be consuming cannabis on race day. My teammates for this race are also cannabis users. Joining me is my husband Antonio, and Marie Peel, who is a co-owner of Denver’s 420 friendly transportation service, High End Transportation. Peel is an excellent example of a Spartan who uses cannabis. She is a U.S. Navy Veteran who has completed several Spartan Races. She’s even completed the famed Trifecta. Joining the... Read More

Having recently made a personal commitment to achieve a better work life balance, I find myself feeling encouraged to talk about stress, mental health, and even share a bit about my own life’s stressors. Mental health is very important, and the stress of life’s bountiful challenges can take a toll on it very quickly. Gary Vaynerchuk is quoted as saying, “Everybody has shit”, and he’s right. We all have our own shit in our lives we have to deal with. It can often be easy to get caught up in it, to the point you may not consider other people are going through their own shit, so keep that... Read More

For me, the morning is the most important part of my day. I like to wake up early, around 5:00 or 6:00, to enjoy the sunrise and peacefulness the morning has to offer. This time sets my mind and body for the rest of the day, so I try to make it as productive and beneficial to get it started on good vibes. However, I wake up daily to one of my cats crawling all over me and meowing in my face until I get out of bed. He really likes his snacks and to be let outside on the deck to watch the birds. I then start the coffee and consume cannabis. I suffer from idiopathic epilepsy with grand mal seizures,... Read More