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Articles from Danielle VenHuizen | Selfgrowth.com
- Why Is Behavior Change Towards Healthy Diet and Lifestyle So Hard? - by Submitted on Apr 13, 2016 from Danielle VenHuizenI've been pondering this question ever since reading an article that public health officials in the UK want to start labeling foods with "activity equivalents."(1) While only a proposal at this stage, these depictions would let consumers know approximately the time and types of activity required ...
Views: 802(1 vote) - 10 Super Foods to Eat This Spring - by Submitted on Apr 27, 2016 from Danielle VenHuizenWarmer weather is gradually arriving (at least to us in Seattle!) and many of you, like myself, are likely starting to shift your eating. Heavy stews and fortifying soups are on their way out in place of lighter fare with seasonal produce. Personally, I always find this time of year that I've ...
Views: 926 - A Guide to Food "Allergy" Etiquette - by Submitted on Feb 26, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenLikely you've noticed, but there are a growing number of people with food "issues." It might be a food intolerance, a food sensitivity, or even a very serious, life threatening food allergy. I'm one of them. Maybe you are too. But maybe you are not. And maybe you are now daily exposed to ...
Views: 912 - Aflatoxin Exposure: Reason for Concern? - by Submitted on Mar 30, 2014 from Danielle VenHuizenI'll admit it. I haven't been paying much attention to aflatoxins. Sure, I've seen news clips about them here and there, particularly related to peanut contamination (and rather sensationalized at that), however instead of digging further into the health implications I more or less put my ...
Views: 864 - Are diets one size fits all? Research suggests not all diets are created equal when it comes to your genes. - by Submitted on Dec 29, 2017 from Danielle VenHuizenOnce again I’m pondering the research around “diets.” First of all, I hate the word diet. It implies some sort of rigorous eating plan that once completed, will solve all your health problems and somehow miraculously allow you to resume former habits. Or, it alludes to something you hop on/off a ...
Views: 893 - Are Supplements Necessary? - by Submitted on Apr 04, 2017 from Danielle VenHuizenThere has been a lot of talk regarding the necessity, or not, of vitamin supplementation. Some argue that our poor, inadequate diets require it. Others purport that we glean enough from the variety of foods we eat in addition to fortification of grains, so taking supplements is just a huge waste ...
Views: 841 - Artificial Sweeteners and our Children’s Health - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2017 from Danielle VenHuizenRecent articles have discussed the growing use of artificial sweeteners among children in the US. It seems, with the increased understanding of how harmful sugar is to our health, especially in youth, a trend towards artificial sweeteners has begun. But is it safe? Artificial sweeteners ...
Views: 753 - As a Dietitian, What Do MY Kids Eat For Breakfast? - by Submitted on Jul 11, 2014 from Danielle VenHuizenAs I Dietitian, I know people are constantly scrutinizing what I and my family eat. I'm not complaining; I get it. It's no different than when I examine the outfit of a personal stylist or the teeth of a dentist. We all have to represent our brand. In my case, however, it's not always easy to ...
Views: 1031 - Bananas. What Are They Good for? - by Submitted on Mar 27, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenBananas sure get a bad rap, don't they? I can't even tell you how many clients have looked at me and said, "I heard bananas are bad for you, so I don't eat them," and then proceed to fill me in on all the high carb, processed foods they do eat which somehow are much healthier or more acceptable ...
Views: 884 - Bolster Your Immune System Naturally - by Submitted on Jan 28, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenHappy New Year! I hope all of you enjoyed a happy and healthy holiday season. My family had a wonderful time, with no sickness (knock on wood), but I must admit, getting ill in December is always a worry, especially since we were sick as dogs just a few Christmases ago. Since then I've been much ...
Views: 896 - Bone Health: It’s Not All About Calcium - by Submitted on Oct 29, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenSeems every time we read about supporting healthy bones we talk about Calcium. “Drink milk for strong bones!” Who hasn’t heard that before. Who hasn’t seen a concerned look from a doctor or pediatrician when you say you or your kid isn’t eating many dairy products? And who hasn’t in some time in ...
Views: 899 - Book Review: Attract Your Ideal Weight: 8 Secrets of People Who Lose Weight and Keep It Off - by Submitted on Dec 11, 2014 from Danielle VenHuizenAttract Your Ideal Weight: 8 Secrets of People Who Lose Weight and Keep it Off - By Zaheen Nanji Have you ever wondered how some people manage to lose weight successfully and maintain it while others never succeed despite repeated attempts? I ponder these questions myself, frequently in fact. ...
Views: 640 - Book Review: The Virgin Diet by JJ Virgin - by Submitted on Jun 20, 2014 from Danielle VenHuizenIt seems that amongst the continual slog of new diet books coming on the market, more and more of them are touting programs that resemble the classic elimination diet. Given that I do not recommend elimination diets that aren't tailored and unique to each person for many reasons, I thought I ...
Views: 932 - Can Diet Calm an Anxious Mind? - by Submitted on Feb 02, 2018 from Danielle VenHuizenAnxiety. It’s a common ailment. When my clients list their medical history, anxiety is often on the list. It seems to be more prevalent than ever. Maybe we are now recognizing and diagnosing it more often, but it is not uncommon for a person of any age, even children, to report various levels of ...
Views: 875 - Can you fight your genes? The importance of healthy lifestyle factors in gene expression. - by Submitted on Sep 29, 2017 from Danielle VenHuizenGenetics. It is a hot topic right now. Well, it has been a hot topic for quite some time, ever since the human gemone project was completed in 2003. We now have the ability to look at someone’s unique DNA and assess risk for a host of health conditions. In many cases, we do not even fully ...
Views: 928 - Childhood Obesity and Carbohydrate Intake: Review of the Recent Study “Isocaloric fructose restriction and metabolic improvement in children with obesity and metabolic syndrome.” - by Submitted on Nov 06, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenI think it’s safe to say that we all know obesity is a problem in this country. Sometimes we might be in denial about what an enormous problem it is, but once you pay attention and look around, you realize we have an epidemic on our hands. This is going to cripple our nation in terms of rising ...
Views: 934 - Decoding Whole Grains - by Submitted on Sep 24, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenDecoding whole grains It's National Whole Gain month, if you didn't know already (but of course you did, right?). This month's blog post comes to us by former dietetic intern Katherine Doughty, MS, IBCLC. Choosing whole grains can be confusing at times, but read along to understand more about ...
Views: 849 - Diet Diaries Go High Tech - by Submitted on Jul 25, 2014 from Danielle VenHuizenYou can ditch the pen and paper. Keeping track of what you eat has never been easier. First there were online diet diaries where you could easily log in from anywhere and record every morsel that passed your lips. Now these programs are available as apps on your phone, making diet tracking ...
Views: 879 - Easing Menopause with Diet - by Submitted on May 26, 2018 from Danielle VenHuizenOh menopause. The "change," as they say. This season of life is so often regarded as a very challenging time for women, one filled with hormonal upheaval, mood changes, temperature dysregulation, and undesired fluctuations in weight. Basically, it sucks. But does it have to? Numerous books ...
Views: 669 - Easy Tips to Spice up Your Diet! - by Submitted on Sep 21, 2016 from Danielle VenHuizenI love adding spices to my cooking. Besides some of the well-hyped health benefits, they just make food more interesting. The same ingredients from one dish can be magically transformed into something completely different just based on the spice profile. It can set apart one region’s or even one ...
Views: 814 - Eat This For A Healthy Summer Skin - by Submitted on Jun 27, 2018 from Danielle VenHuizenWarmer weather is finally upon us, and with that, it seems everyone is trying to look and feel their best while taking advantage of the outdoors. Weight management is certainly a huge part of that, with everyone trying to increase their exercise and improve their diet, but surprisingly skincare ...
Views: 871 - Eat Your Way to Heart Health - by Submitted on Feb 10, 2016 from Danielle VenHuizenIt's February, and that means it's American Heart month! Despite all the talk about heart health, I think we honestly forget what a big deal Heart Disease is in this country. It is the number one cause of death in the United States. Numero Uno. That is not something to take lightly. Certainly ...
Views: 946 - Eating Healthy on Vacation: Can it be Done? - by Submitted on Jul 27, 2016 from Danielle VenHuizenIt’s that time of year again… summer travel! The thing I hear over and over again is this. “Well, I’m ready to start eating healthy, but first I’ve got this vacation.” There are so many things wrong with this statement, and let me tell you why. First of all, getting a healthy diet in place, ...
Views: 773 - Elimination Diets: The Gold Standard for Food Sensitivities? - by Submitted on Jun 06, 2014 from Danielle VenHuizenHave you ever gone through the rigor of an elimination diet to see if there are foods in your diet that are causing unpleasant symptoms? Many of us have, or at the very least thought about it. The classic Elimination Diet is still the gold standard for uncovering food sensitivities. It was ...
Views: 1090 - Everything in Moderation? - by Submitted on Apr 18, 2014 from Danielle VenHuizenI got to thinking about this phrase recently. We definitely use it a lot, often towards the purpose of helping ourselves eat healthier. But then I started thinking about what this means and what it says to society given the abundance of fast food, junk food, and processed foods. Clearly this ...
Views: 724 - Exercise: Is it really less important than diet for weight loss? - by Submitted on Apr 06, 2018 from Danielle VenHuizenI have been hearing for some time now that when it comes to weight loss, exercise is not king. Diet is paramount. I mean, the NY Times said it, so it must be true.1 To be fair, they cited many reputable studies in their report that seem to indicate exercise only goes so far in weight ...
Views: 723 - FDA To Start Testing for Glyphosate in Food Products - by Submitted on Feb 24, 2016 from Danielle VenHuizenThis week the FDA announced it will start testing certain foods for residues of the world’s most widely used weed killer, glyphosate (1). It appears the FDA is finally bowing to pressure from the public regarding safety concerns. Private groups, citing suspected risks to human health, have gone ...
Views: 771 - Five Overlooked Ways to Help Improve a Sluggish Gut - by Submitted on Jun 19, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenAre you one of those people that always seem to have slow digestion? Maybe you commonly complain of indigestion, burping, stomach pain, reflux, constipation, or just a sense that food is "stuck" in your system. If so, believe me, this is not uncommon. I talk to clients frequently who complain of ...
Views: 864 - Food Additive Watch: Azodicarbonamide - by Submitted on Feb 18, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenIf you are like me, the only reason you might recognize this lengthy word is because of Food Babe, the online food sleuth, who popularized it last year by calling it the "yoga mat" chemical. Subway was the main target, being called out for having this compound in their breads. While they took ...
Views: 902 - Food Additive Watch: Guar Gum - by Submitted on Nov 13, 2014 from Danielle VenHuizenGuar Gum. It's always seemed harmless to me, a simple gum used to thicken many familiar foods like yogurts, dressings, ice creams, pie fillings, etc. I really never gave much though to its presence, surprisingly, assuming it was a more natural product. Of course as a food sensitivity Dietitian I ...
Views: 925 - Food Additive Watch: Should You Avoid Carrageenan? - by Submitted on Oct 24, 2014 from Danielle VenHuizenI realize carrageenan has already been all over the news, so you'd think by now most people would have a good grasp of what it is and whether it's safe or not. Strangely, that's not the case. Most of the time when I mention the addition of carrageenan to a product, I get asked whether or not ...
Views: 839 - Friend Don't Let Friends Do IgG Testing - by Submitted on May 16, 2014 from Danielle VenHuizenAre you like me? Did some well-meaning practitioner at some point recommend IgG testing as a means to find out if you have food sensitivities? Maybe you had nagging digestive issues, body aches, fatigue, or unexplained migraines. A blood test, they said, could help us see what foods your body ...
Views: 895 - Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Your School Age Child - by Submitted on Mar 09, 2016 from Danielle VenHuizenIt caught my eye that this week is National School Breakfast Week. Sadly my first thought was, "Really? Yuck." Maybe that was yours just now too. We all remember school lunch from back in the day. Mine was soggy pizza and limp fries, or maybe an iceberg salad with ranch and a few mystery meat ...
Views: 849 - Hitting Home the Importance of Fiber - by Submitted on Sep 01, 2017 from Danielle VenHuizenI know, you probably think you have heard enough about fiber over the years. Well guess what, you haven’t. We certainly talk a lot about fiber but Americans continue to eat less than is recommended. The average American maybe eats 15g of fiber per day, and we are supposed to get at least 25-38g ...
Views: 933 - Holiday Stollen: A Tasty Tradition - by Submitted on Nov 19, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenI love this time of year when the doldrums of cold days and dark nights are broken up by some of our favorite holidays. Thanksgiving gets things started and soon enough Christmas is on its heels. The various holiday foods are definitely one of my favorite parts. It’s typically but once a year I ...
Views: 1042 - How to Keep Your (Diet) Sanity During the Holidays! - by Submitted on Dec 10, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenYep, it's here, Christmas season! While this is a joyous occasion for most, are you one of those dreading the stream of Christmas parties, office treats, and edible gifts? The amount of sugar can seem endless. Even for the most motivated it can be incredibly difficult to resist overindulging, if ...
Views: 861 - How to Practice Moderation During the Holidays: Giving Yourself Permission - by Submitted on Dec 26, 2014 from Danielle VenHuizenIt happens every year. Right around mid-November onwards, the bakers start baking and the stores start displaying vast arrays of holiday goodies. Office break rooms start filling up with ginger cookies, sweet breads, candy canes and truffles. In fact, one of the biggest complaints from many of ...
Views: 818 - IBS and SIBO: One and the Same? - by Submitted on Jul 18, 2016 from Danielle VenHuizenDo any of these sound familiar to you? Painful bloating. Irregular bowel movements (constipation, diarrhea, or both). Excessive gas. Fatigue. Reflux. Abdominal cramping. In other words, does your overall digestion generally just suck? For many, these types of symptoms result in a diagnosis of ...
Views: 845 - Is Instant Oatmeal Evil? - by Submitted on Jan 14, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenAs I was pouring myself a packet of instant oats a few months back, topping it with scalding water and then other condiments, I got to thinking of a headline I'd read somewhere online about how seriously unhealthy instant oats were for you. I didn't actually read the article, but the message ...
Views: 941 - Is saturated fat good for you? - by Submitted on Dec 28, 2016 from Danielle VenHuizenLikely by now you’ve heard the debate. Is fat, and in particular saturated fat, bad for you or not? In the 80’s and 90’s we made fat the villain and steered our entire country towards a low fat mentality, but in recent years perceptions have evolved. Studies have come out to contradict previous ...
Views: 771 - Keeping those New Year’s Resolutions Going from January and Beyond… - by Submitted on Mar 08, 2018 from Danielle VenHuizenOk friends, it’s done and gone! If you were on a “diet” or had other resolutions you were working on in January…..you made it! The first month of 2018 is over. How did you do? Maybe you have already achieved your stated goal (no alcohol for a month, for example) or maybe you are still working ...
Views: 818 - L Is for Leafy Greens - by Submitted on May 25, 2016 from Danielle VenHuizen"Eat more leafy greens!" Do you hear that all the time? Or is it just me? Seems like a saying that just won't go away. I know we are always commanded by health gurus to eat this or eat that, but with leafy greens, I think there is a reason this mandate has stuck around. What are leafy greens ...
Views: 797 - Low Carb Diet and Gut Health: Are we doing more harm than good? - by Submitted on Nov 22, 2016 from Danielle VenHuizenLow-carb diets are all the rage right now, and with good reason. They have shown promising results in promoting weight loss and encouraging people to eat less white flour, sugar, and other unhealthy foods. Hard to argue with that. I’m on board. What’s the big deal? Well, research is now ...
Views: 1213 - Lower Your Blood Pressure... Naturally! - by Submitted on Apr 16, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenHave you ever been told you need to lower your blood pressure? If so, were you started on medications to help bring it down? That is often the first step in making sure your blood pressure does not get out of control. But did anyone ever tell you that in some cases diet can work just as well as ...
Views: 780 - National Nutrition Month: New Changes Ahead for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans - by Submitted on Mar 13, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenIt's National Nutrition month, and what better way to celebrate than to get excited about the upcoming changes to the Dietary Guidelines? I know, it might sound a little dry, but there really is reason to take an interest. Some BIG and much needed revisions are on the horizon. As you know, ...
Views: 908 - Personalized Nutrition: There Is No One "Right" Diet for Everyone - by Submitted on Jan 28, 2016 from Danielle VenHuizenIt seems everyone has an opinion on nutrition these days. It's not even so much of an opinion anymore but a sort of dogma. "Thou shalt eat this way or risk ones health irreparably." You read it all over the internet and magazines every day. There is always someone spouting the "real" healthy ...
Views: 870 - Research Support For Coconut Oil to Treat and Prevent Candida Albicans - by Submitted on Dec 23, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenYou have probably heard the word Candida before. It's a term thrown around casually at times in reference to those with suspected tummy troubles or general malaise, especially when diet choices seem to exacerbate the condition. I've even heard people ask if Candida is even a real thing. Whatever ...
Views: 812 - Skipping breakfast hardens your arteries? More reasons to charge up in the morning with a healthy (and preferably potassium-rich) meal! - by Submitted on Oct 25, 2017 from Danielle VenHuizenAccording to a recent study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, those who skip breakfast are more likely to experience atherosclerosis, aka hardening of the arteries, than those who ate a daily, healthy meal in the morning. 1 The connection, it appears, is that those who are ...
Views: 867 - Skyr Yogurt: Why You Don't Always Have to Go Greek - by Submitted on Oct 08, 2015 from Danielle VenHuizenI love to travel. Besides the sights and sounds of a new place, one of my favorite things is to experience new food. I think I love visiting grocery stores in foreign places about as much as I like museums and natural wonders. I know, it's weird, but I enjoy learning about how other people live, ...
Views: 888 - Smart Summer Snacking - by Submitted on Jun 21, 2017 from Danielle VenHuizenSummer is just about here….we in Seattle can feel it. It’s been a long winter. Finally the days are longer and we are getting outside. More importantly, many of us are planning trips, outings, picnics, etc. What do these things always involve? FOOD of course! With all this movement out and ...
Views: 956