Adaptogens: What's All The Buzz About?
Adaptogens: What's All The Buzz About?

Things like ashwagandha, reishi, maca and are making their way into lattes and smoothies at the trendy health-food cafes. You may have heard of a few of these before but not totally sure what the deal is. Well, they are adaptogens -- plant medicines that protect our bodies from the harmful effects of stress while supporting overall health. Sounds pretty good, right? There are lots of different adaptogens, each with its own set of special skills. I wrote a comprehensive guide to the most popular adaptogens over on Hello Glow. You may find a few that really speak to you in which case you should give them a try! There is almost no downside and lots of upside to being better equip to handle all the stresses life throws your way! 

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NutritionStephanie Romenutritional supplements, stress management, stress relief, healthy habits, hormone balanceComment
How You Know Your Probiotic Supplement is Working
How You Know Your Probiotic Supplement is Working

Let's get clear on one thing - you cannot 'out-supplement' a bad diet. Supplements are designed to be used as part of a nutrient-dense real food eating plan. In my practice, I have a 'food first' approach in which we get the person's the food on point first and then we fill in nutritional gaps using targeted supplementation. I've written a whole post on the five foundational supplements that just about everyone should be taking. You can check that out here. One of those must-have supplements is a probiotic. 

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Gut HealthStephanie Romegut health, probiotics, microbiome, healthy habits, nutritional supplementsComment
Here's Why Your Healthy Friends Are Sipping Mushroom Coffee
Here's Why Your Healthy Friends Are Sipping Mushroom Coffee

Mushrooms are a delicious food to incorporate into your healthy diet. While button, cremini, portobello and oyster mushrooms are all great, there are a group of medicinal mushrooms that go above and beyond in terms of health benefits. These mushroom superfoods do amazing things for your brain, hormones, energy, mood and immune system so it's no wonder they're starting to pop up in coffee, tea, smoothies, elixirs, chocolate, etc. To learn more about these six special fungi, click the button below to be taken to my blog post at Hello Glow. 

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NutritionStephanie Romehormone balance, healthy habits, stress management, stress relief, immunityComment
Start Sleeping Better Tonight!
Start Sleeping Better Tonight!

Ancient Ayurvedic wisdom teaches us that living in accordance with the natural rhythms of nature will lead to flow and ease. Living out of sync with these rhythms can cause disruptions in our bodies, such as indigestion, bowel irregularities, hormonal fluctuations and difficulty sleeping. The 24-hour day is broken down into six 4-hour cycles, each with its own optimal activities. The cycle I'm honing in on in today's post is our natural sleep-wake cycle, which is ideally 10pm - 6am. I've explained this in more detail in the post, along with discussing five of the most common sleep issues either I've experienced personally or hear from my clients. I've given you the action steps for how to fix these issues, plus a handful of deep sleep tips, to help you start getting more restorative sleep tonight!

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Lifestyle PracticesStephanie Romesleep, stress relief, stress management, ayurveda, healthy lifestyle, self-careComment
Collagen Protein + Savory Smoothie Recipe
Collagen Protein + Savory Smoothie Recipe

I am a big fan of collagen protein and incorporate it daily, like in my smoothie bowls, matcha lattes, soups, etc. It's awesome. I also recommend it to many of my clients to promote healthy hair, skin, nails and joints as well as to help heal the gut! 

If you want to learn more about all the health benefits of collagen powder plus how to use it, check out my post on Hello Glow. 

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Gut Health, RecipesStephanie Romesmoothies, breakfasts, gluten free, dairy free, fall/winter, gut health, nutritional supplementsComment
The Power of Tea
The Power of Tea

Ready to make your 'cuppa' work for you? I've put together a list of my favorite medicinal teas that, in addition to tasting comforting and delicious, pack a punch on the nutritional front! Everything from burning fat with matcha to fighting inflammation with golden milk to detoxing your liver with dandelion, I've tried to cover the gamut when it comes to tea for every ailment. Cheers to the power of tea! 

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NutritionStephanie Romeself-care, healthy habits, healthy lifestyle, stress relief, detoxComment
3-Day Detox
3-Day Detox

Off the back of an indulgent holiday season, many of us feel the the urge to purge in January to get our asses back in gear after being pretty slack for a few weeks (or months)! My gentle 3-day cleanse is the perfect antidote to all that cheese, pie, and champagne from all those holiday parties. I say 'gentle' because there is nothing extreme or restrictive about this cleanse plan. You're eating real food the entire time so no need to worry about feeling deprived or starving. Since it's winter for us here in the Northern Hemisphere, I've designed all of the recipes to be warm and comforting. You'll be having winter-inspired smoothies or porridge for breakfast, Ayurvedic kitchari for lunch and cozy veggie-based soups for dinner. In addition to the yummy recipes, I also put together a list of stress-relieving practices so you can feel lighter, happier and more refreshed after you've finished! All the info for the 3-day cleanse is over at Hello Glow. Click the button below to be taken there. 

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NutritionStephanie Romecleanse, detox, fall/winter, healthy lifestyleComment
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipe Collection
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipe Collection

In time for Thanksgiving next week, I've curated a collection of gluten- and dairy-free recipes from the blogosphere to give you some healthy cooking inspo! Whether you're in charge of the family T-giving meal or needing to bring a dish to a Friendsgiving potluck party, hopefully you can find a recipe here that will fit the bill. I bet no one even notices how healthy they are! 

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RecipesStephanie Romemain dishes, desserts, sauces/dips/dressings, salads, paleo, gluten free, dairy free, fall/winter, holidays Comment
10 Natural Remedies for Stress & Anxiety
10 Natural Remedies for Stress & Anxiety

It’s likely that you’ve heard about the detrimental effects of the stress hormone cortisol. Elevated cortisol levels and chronic stress can affect every physiological system in your body. It can make you tired, anxious and irritable; lead to weight gain, bone loss, high blood pressure, insomnia and digestive issues; and contribute to diabetes and heart disease risk. 

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Lifestyle PracticesStephanie Romestress relief, stress management, self-care, healthy habits Comment
10-Minute Healthy Weekday Lunch
10-Minute Healthy Weekday Lunch

I bring my lunch to work every day. It's healthier and definitely saves money. My favorite kind of weekday work lunch is a hodge podge of leftovers from the night before. Meal prep and planning is essential for success and I follow the principle of 'cook once, eat at least twice.' This means if I am cooking chicken breasts + veggies for dinner (for two people), I will cook 4 chicken breasts and 4 servings of veggies so lunch is sorted for us the next day.  If, for some reason, this leftovers plan doesn't pan out, or we went out for dinner, then I have to have something up my sleeve that is simple, delicious and can be prepared quickly the night before or in the morning before heading to work. This salmon and collard green burrito is my go-to! All it entails in terms of prep is a quick steam of the collard greens so they're soft enough to roll like a tortilla and a messy stir of the salmon salad ingredients in a bowl. Throw the burritos into a glass tupperware container and you're off to the office...in ten minutes (including clean up)! 

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RecipesStephanie Romelunches, main dishes, paleo, gluten free, dairy free, spring/summerComment
1-Day No Fuss Cleanse
1-Day No Fuss Cleanse

This 1-day cleanse is the perfect "reset button" after a holiday, wedding weekend, or one of those weeks of not-so-healthy eating. I know how tough it can be to commit to a cleanse for any real length of time (7, 14, 28 days), so I came up with this 1-day cleanse plan for when you don't want to fuss around with lots of meal prep or put your summer social activities on hold because you're "on a cleanse." A great day to do this cleanse is Monday or Tuesday after, for example, a big weekend of eating, drinking, etc. You can pick up the essentials from the grocery store on Sunday or Monday and get started right after that. As you can see from the photo, I purchased my green juices and nut milk. You can, of course, make these yourself but the beauty of this cleanse is that you don't have to spend much time in the kitchen! 

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NutritionStephanie Romecleanse, detox, healthy lifestyle, gut health, self-care Comments
Steak Salad with Ginger-Wasabi Dressing
Steak Salad with Ginger-Wasabi Dressing

One of the first principles I teach my clients is to make lunch the biggest, most nutrient dense meal of the day as the digestive system works most efficiently between 10am - 2pm. With lunch being the main meal, that means dinner should be small and light because your digestion is weaker in the evening. You could do a soup or stew in the autumn and winter and a salad in the spring and summer. This nutrient-dense steak salad is a great option for a light weeknight dinner. You'll feel full from the protein, healthy fat and fiber while keeping the calories pretty low at around 400. Plus it's totally delicious and satisfying!  

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RecipesStephanie Romelunches, main dishes, salads, paleo, spring/summerComment
DNA Doesn't Determine Your Fate
DNA Doesn't Determine Your Fate

We are just at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to understanding what the exact influence of genetics is on our health. Research into epigenetics is starting to provide some interesting answers. Epigenetics, or “control above genetics,” studies how environmental factors influence gene expression, the process of genes transmitting instructions to molecules in the body. Epigenetics is part of a new understanding of gene workings which challenges the long-standing belief that DNA controls biology.

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NutritionStephanie Romeanti-inflammatory, healthy lifestyle, healthy habitsComment
Energy- and Metabolism-Boosting Smoothie
Energy- and Metabolism-Boosting Smoothie

Now that it's Spring, I'm back on the smoothie train. Smoothies can be a great choice for adding to your breakfast meal rotation, or you can make them smaller to have as a snack. I've been enjoying this delicious blueberry coconut concoction pre- or post-workout. It's well balanced with healthy fat, protein and carbs plus it's simple and easy to make! 

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RecipesStephanie Romesmoothies, breakfasts, beverages, snacks, gluten free, dairy free, paleo, spring/summer, fitness, exercise, gut health, healthy weight, weight lossComment
How to Eat Out Without Totally Blowing it
How to Eat Out Without Totally Blowing it

When you’re working on cleaning up your diet and avoiding gut bombs like gluten, dairy, sugar, etc., eating out can be pretty tricky. I’m a big believer in the 80-20 Rule when it comes to diet. If you’re on point 80% of the time, you’ve got 20% wiggle room to live life without feeling restricted or deprived, i.e. having that extra glass of wine, eating some birthday cake, or having pizza night with the fam, etc. That said, you don’t want to take a mile when you’re given an inch. This “rule” isn’t a free pass to binge all weekend and then be super strict all week. Instead, it’s a recipe for balance and freedom without totally derailing your health and weight goals. So when you do indulge, you don’t feel guilty and you know that it will be fine because you’re getting right back on the clean eating bandwagon for the next meal. A good example would be having a Friday pizza night and then waking up the next morning and starting your day with warm water + lemon, followed by a green smoothie for breakfast. Balance, ya see?

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Happy WeightStephanie Romehealthy weight, weight loss, healthy habits, healthy lifestyleComment
Macronutrient Makeover
Macronutrient Makeover

Let's talk macronutrients... Macronutrients are nutrients that provide energy to the body and are needed in large amounts. There are three: carbohydrate, protein and fat.  

As these are the foundation of your diet, we want to make sure you're getting them right! In today's post, I'm going to help with you to changing out your protein, fat and carb sources to decrease inflammation, reduce your toxic load and support your microbiome.

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NutritionStephanie Romeanti-inflammatory, gut health, healthy weight, healthy lifestyleComment
Spring Chicken Tacos
Spring Chicken Tacos

Spring is here! So it's time to start transitioning away from the heavier comfort foods of winter and into light, cleansing spring fare! This doesn't mean you have to eat salads three meals a day. Instead, focus on flavored steamed veggies, brothy soups, sprouts and lighter proteins like beans/legumes, lean meat and fish. These tacos are a wonderful option for a weeknight dinner. Maybe you can even eat them outside on the porch like we did last night! 

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RecipesStephanie Romelunches, main dishes, paleo, gluten free, dairy free, spring/summer Comment
Pre- and Probiotics for Weight Loss
Pre- and Probiotics for Weight Loss

Typically, when people talk about weight loss, they focus their attention on macronutrients: protein, fat and carbohydrates. Popular diets generally involve cutting out or cutting down on one of these (i.e. carbs or fat) while increasing another (i.e. protein). Truth is, when it comes to losing weight, there is a lot more going on with respect to the foods we eat than simply macronutrients. What these fad diets are missing is the critical importance of the microbiome - a topic of much emerging research! Our microbiome, the 100 trillion microbes living in our intestines, plays a massive role in determining whether we're fat or skinny or somewhere in between. 

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Happy Weight, Gut HealthStephanie Romegut health, probiotics, prebiotics, microbiome Comments