Old Orchard Blog

It is great that you are interested in improving your diet. A balanced diet should contain carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Carbohydrates are the main energy source for our body– they are the energy that gets used first (before protein, fat and alcohol). While they are an important…

You have heard me say it time and time again. Fruits and vegetables should be one of the most important parts of our overall diet. They contain a myriad of vitamins and minerals which are important to our overall health. However, they generally do not contain enough of important nutrients…

Thanks for your question. If you have read any of my previous blogs, you will know my feelings on the words “good for you” and “bad for you.” I feel that, in some cases food can be very, very bad for you. The examples include: peanuts being “bad” for someone with a raging…

This question could not come at a better time! Recently, many of my patients have said that they would like to lose weight to be “bathing suit season” ready. Others (like myself), have expressed the desire to shed a few pounds for their wedding. I could tackle this question in a…

Baking can be a great way to provide delicious sweet treats to your family. Unfortunately, many times these foods are filled with sugar and added calories. Do not fear! You can make several substitutions for sugar in order to still have the product taste sweet. I recommend using half of the…

Spring and summer can be a very busy time for parents and kids and often times healthy/balanced meals and snacks are hard to come by! First I would recommend making sure the kids are hydrated. Bring lots of water and I have started seeing parents bring large jugs of water infused with…

This is a question that I hear often so thank you for asking. Personally, I am intrigued by the word itself. The definition of detox is: “a process or period of time in which one abstains from or rids the body of toxic or unhealthy substances; detoxification.” Who wouldn’t want to…

Article by Registered Dietitian Amy Bragagnini, MS, RD, CSO I recently began working closely with my Immunology/Allergy/Rheumatology department. The patients there are treated for a range of ailments including: multiple sclerosis, arthritis, allergies, and lupus. I had not been very…

Picnic season is upon us, are you prepared?

Dairy products like cheese, milk, and yogurt (regardless of the fat content) are excellent sources of calcium, vitamin D and pack a mean protein punch. For years I have been recommending that my patients consume a few servings of dairy a day. To be honest, I generally recommended low fat…