The Nutrition Blog

  Every 4 ½ minutes, a baby is born with a birth defect (an estimated 1 in 33). When preparing for conception and pregnancy, there are ways to prevent birth defects. As a  pregnancy nutrition group   and   registered dietitian nutritionists , we specialize in how to help a woman prepare for pregnancy and best nourish herself   during pregnancy . Here are 8 easy steps to reduce the chance of birth defects in your child and make a  PACT for prevention . Plan ahead:  When possible, don’t let pregnancy take you by surprise! Plan ahead to be the healthiest you when you get pregnant. (This, too, goes for Dad).  Establish good eating and exercise habits beforehand. Boost your Folic Acid and  choline intake.  A pregnancy and fertility dietitian can help you detect deficiencies or overloads of nutrients critical to  healthy fertility  and pregnancy like iron, folate, protein, carbohydrates, total fat, omega 3 fats, calories, fluids, and...

  For many years, eggs were put on the blacklist because of concerns over high cholesterol and heart problems. However, we now know that this is not entirely accurate, and eggs are actually incredibly nutritious. This week, as millions of people celebrate Seder and Easter, eggs play a central role in both spring traditions. In fact, a medium-sized chicken egg contains around 75 calories, 5.1 grams of fat, and 7.5 grams of protein, making it a nutritional powerhouse. For example, eggs are a complete source of protein, containing all nine essential amino acids necessary for biological processes such as building neurotransmitters. Moreover, eggs are an excellent source of choline, an essential nutrient crucial for brain development, particularly during fetal development and infancy.  Pregnant women  and children between the ages of 4 and 8 can receive up to 50% of their recommended choline intake from a single medium-sized egg, making eggs a vital part of a diet that can hel...

  In the New Year, many begin new regimens, diets, weight-loss programs, and exercise programs. Many of these New Year plans include intense exercise and extreme calorie restrictions. Results are quick, but, we can get ensnared in a resolution trap, and our bodies and health end up paying a heavy price. Wanting to be healthy is a great thing! But buying into quick weight-loss programs isn’t the road we should take. Weight cycling is the repeated loss and regain of body weight that can range from 5 – 10 pounds per cycle up to 50 pounds per cycle. When this weight loss occurs during dieting, it’s referred to as  yo-yo dieting. Yo-yo dieting  is one of the biggest side-effects of the New Year. There are some serious health implications for yo-yo dieters – most because of health problems related to being overweight or obese, and others because of the act of the body losing and gaining weight, quickly, in cycles, takes its toll. Cardiovascular Disease:  Obesity is directl...