Artificial sweeteners are ubiquitous in our food system. Food manufacturers add them to sodas, energy and sports drinks, protein powders, health bars, yogurt, gum, candy, and pharmaceuticals (including syrups and antibiotics for children).

Artificial sweeteners are the food industry’s way of harmonizing our cravings for sweet things with our concern for calories. The appeal is that we can enjoy sweet food without the weight gain and deleterious spikes in blood sugar. Seems like a win-win, right? Not so fast. Despite FDA approval, these non-nutritive sweeteners pose a threat in terms of weight gain, food cravings, gut health, and more.

I’m jumping into the heart of the subject right out of the gate: kids eat a lot of refined carbohydrates. Goldfish, cereal, bread, frozen waffles, boxed mac n’ cheese, breaded chicken fingers…sound familiar? These foods are both convenient and hyper-palatable (meaning they excite your little one’s taste buds). They’re also reinforced by our government. The USDA champions the “healthy whole grains” ideology to children and adults alike. It’s understandable that parents keep buying these foods thinking they are healthy kid snacks.

Elderberry syrup is an effective botanical for preventing - and shortening the duration of—the common cold and flu. This antioxidant-packed berry contains vitamin C, A and minerals.

To support the immune system, take elderberry syrup regularly throughout the fall and winter months. It is safe for the whole family - including kiddos and pregnant or nursing mamas. If you do get a cold or the flu, you can ramp up the dose (see below) to shorten the duration of your illness.

I made this grain-free apple crisp two days in a row because my husband and kid ate the first batch while I was at yoga. Savages. Second time around I wrote down the recipe so I could share with you. Luuuuckkkkyyy. If you've recently visited an apple orchard with your family to post fall images all over social media, cheers. Now you're swimming in apples. Here's what to do with them.

"Transdermal mineral therapy refers to bringing in minerals through the skin. This is what what was going on in those Azorian hot springs. No wonder why I felt so great! When you soak in a mineral-rich bath, you take in minerals from the skin. This can ease up any mineral-deficiency symptoms like anxiety, irritability, headaches, muscle weakness, fatigue, arthritis, muscle/bone/joint pain, dizziness, tremors, cramps, heart palpitations.

I was determined to bring this experience back home, and my husband was opposed to drilling our backyard to hit the earth's crust. So I crafted up a recipe using mineral-rich substances like sea salts, epsom salts and magnesium crystals."

We have, on average, 700 synthetic chemicals in our bodies.

We are constantly exposed to many environmental pollutants, drugs and dietary components. The majority of these chemicals have not been tested for safety in human health. As Kelly Brogran, MD points out, we have an “innocent until proven guilty” approach when it comes to chemicals in pharmaceuticals, food, personal care products, cookware, and other everyday items. Unfortunately, we are starting to understand that not only do these toxicants impact us negatively, but combinations of these toxicants can exacerbate their harmful effects, something referred to as the “cocktail effect.”

Nothing makes you feel like you’re on a surf trip or yoga retreat more than eating an acai bowl (well, except for maybe surfing and yoga). A cross between eating ice cream and drinking a smoothie, frozen acai is like a tropical vacation in a bowl. And pretty much just as expensive, especially if you’re feeding a lot of little hands. But you can still get all the fun and yum without the hefty price tag! Here’s how to make DIY acai bowls at home.

It feels like we’re in a lose-lose situation when it comes to the sun. We’re scared of it, we’re scared of sun cancer and now we’re also scared of sunscreen because it just might be the MOST TOXIC THING EVER. But what’s the truth? What’s healthy? What’s not?

When I was deep in the trenches of bulimia and anxiety, my mother begged me to try tapping.

While “tapping” may draw up images of Gregory Hines for some people, I knew that it was another name for Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). I knew that it involved tapping on your face and saying things like “I completely love and accept myself”. I knew it helped veterans recover from PTSD. I knew these things because my mom is an EFT practitioner. I also knew there was no way in hell I was doing it.

I have sat down to draft this blog more times than I can count. I’ve started and stopped, thinking this is too much, too vulnerable, too exposed. People might think I’m a failure for gaining weight, others might think I’m a fraud for having these feelings, while others might think I’m ridiculous for worrying about a measly 10 pounds.

A couple weekends ago we threw our annual summer kickoff BBQ. My mom brought a killer chopped salad that everyone requested make it to the blog. So, here it is.

We all know about vitamin D. It’s like America’s sweetheart nutrient. You’ve no doubt got a bottle of it sitting in your cabinet right now (whether or not you should take it…different story). Today, let’s chat about what vitamin D does, how to naturally increase our levels, and what safe sun exposure really means.

This stuff is the best. I made it on a whim last week and have made it 3 more times since. It's perfectly creamy - equally great as a salad dressing, sandwich spread, and dip for veggies. It has a base of tahini, fresh cilantro and parsley (feel free to use only one of these herbs if that's all you've got on hand). The addition of mayonnaise really drives it home. Try it out!

Typically when I make granola, I use maple syrup or honey as the sweetener. You don't necessarily NEED a sweetener for taste, but it does help to keep the granola stuck together (and who doesn't love those big granola chunks and clusters?). In an effort to eat less sugar, I wanted to craft a granola that didn't use any sweetener.

A couple years back, my hair dresser and I commiserated over our sleepless babies; I had one, she had two. I’ll always remember her saying to me, “motherhood is the ultimate sacrifice”. It’s true. All us moms know that. We sacrifice our sleep, our bodies, our free time, sometimes our careers.

If you follow me on Instagram, you know I eat a lot of canned fish. In fact, I just got an email last week from a girl who was interested in my nutrition program, but was afraid that she would have to eat sardines! (First of all, that's hilarious. Secondly, you 100% do not have to eat sardines while doing Fueled+Fit.) If you're wondering what all the fuss is about, you can read more about my love affair with canned salmon here. Today, I'm bringing you a whole new way to eat it.

Last month a client of mine forwarded me an email from a fitness coach. The email outlined a weight loss program, with food recommendations for adult and adolescent girls looking to lose weight.

Some of the suggestions she made were sound (eat less processed food, cut out refined sugar and flour), but unfortunately I found much of her advice to be erroneous, unsubstantiated and downright irresponsible. I won’t pick the whole email apart here, but I will focus on one specific piece that bothered me most.

An Eat to Achieve member shared a yummy smoothie recipe in our Facebook group last week. It sounded tasty, but my concern was the lack of calories. It would be great for a little snack, but surely didn't provide enough substance for a meal. I couldn't get the cinnamon goodness out of my brain, so I decided to make my own enhanced version.

The holidays are a doozy, no? I'm still getting emails from people telling me they are having a tough time “recovering.” They are still in holiday eating mode, and they’re feeling they need to cleanse themselves. There’s a lot of emotion involved, and the knee-jerk reaction is to do something extreme to “get back on track.” What’s going on here?

If you're into batch cooking, these are a great thing to make up in the beginning of the week. You can make in bulk and even freeze some. Serve with roasted veggies for a savory egg-free breakfast, or top a large lunch salad with a few.