This one is for all of you sports fans. Quiz: which professional athlete was nicknamed “The Iron Horse”? I’ll give you some clues. He was a professional baseball player in the 1920’s and 1930’s. He holds the record for most grand slams (23 of them!) He was “The luckiest man on the face of the earth”... [More]

If you are like me, you’re always looking for ways to make a delicious meal healthier without sacrificing taste. I have spent countless hours in the kitchen over the years in the attempt to lower calories, reduce sodium, or trim some fat from my meals. Likewise, I have also been trying to increase the nutrients in my diet. There have been some mistakes – some foods were never meant to be combined – but I did stumble upon some good ideas and have compiled a list of my favorite swaps. Try a few and let me know what you think!.. [More]

I know for many of you, retirement seems centuries away. For others, though, it is right around the corner! I think most of us agree that we are looking forward to retirement, or if we are already retired we are thoroughly enjoying it. My dad entered into retirement a few years ago, and was definitely excited! However, he also had some concerns... [More]

At my job here at Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire, I work as a Health Promotion Coach. In that position, I conduct health promotion appointments where we provide people with their biometric data. This information includes height, weight, body mass index, blood pressure and body fat percent. Additionally, we help people understand their health risks and offer suggestions on ways to help lower those risks. It’s very rewarding part of my work here!.. [More]

Today, in my continuing series on vitamins, I want to take a little time to pay homage to folic acid. First, let’s begin with introductions. Folic acid is part of a group of eight B vitamins. These vitamins are considered essential, meaning your body cannot make them so you must get them from your diet or from supplements. With our busy lives, this isn’t always easy... [More]

When is the last time you had chicken? Chances are, it wasn’t very long ago! According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), chicken is now the number one species consumed by Americans. Since chicken is so popular, I wanted to share a fun little chicken genealogy fact I ran across the other day. Did you know that chickens are descendents of the Southeast Asian red jungle fowl, which was first domesticated in India around 2000 B.C.?.. [More]

In our continuing series, today I want to talk about calcium. Let’s begin, though, by talking about milk! Though milk may look great as a mustache, it offers many health benefits beyond the creation of mock facial hair. It’s probably no surprise to most people that milk is a fantastic source of calcium. This is a vital mineral, yet only 21% of us actually get our daily dosage!.. [More]

During summer, I love seeing all of the great produce on sale at the grocery store. This time of year, fruits are at their peak of freshness and I like to take advantage of their great flavor as often as I can. Most fruits are easy enough to prepare, but sometimes there are fruits that can be a tougher nut to crack! Let's take a look at pineapple... [More]

The weather is getting warmer! With summer practically here (this year’s summer solstice is June 21, 2010) and school being out, that typically means the same thing for most families - busy, busy, busy! Kids are in different summer sports or programs, parents are at work, there are family trips, gatherings and barbeques! With all of this going on, a lot of people end up choosing to quickly grab food at the nearest fast food place... [More]

A is for apple. A is also key for vision - vitamin A that is. There are two forms of vitamin A - one that comes from animal products and one that comes from plant products. The form that has the most impact on the body is retinol, which comes from animal products, plus it is absorbed quicker into the body. So try foods like eggs, liver (yuck!), and fortified milk and cereal... [More]