Old Orchard Blog

Many of my patients ask me if they should follow a vegetarian diet. They will tell me that they have heard meat is “bad” for them and many say to me, “I want to become a vegetarian because I’ve seen a documentary and I am appalled at the way animals are treated.”  Following a…

On a weekly basis, I have handfuls of patients tell me their hypothyroidism makes it difficult to lose weight. Like you, they aren’t sure about what beverages to drink, what foods to stay away from and what foods may help them shed unwanted pounds. First let’s discuss the basics of…

I think it is great that you are taking interest in changing your diet. So many people consume very high amounts of caffeinated beverages. I have found that majority of my patients start out each day with a dose of caffeine (mostly coming from coffee).  I review my patient’s food recalls…

This question could not come at a better time. According to the Center for Disease Control, about 7.1 percent of all Americans seeking medical care now have flu symptoms, and the number is still rising. This flu season is deadly, with the latest figures indicating that 53 children and…

Your question is a good one. Many of my patients ask me this question and I sincerely wish I had an easy answer for them. Losing weight/belly fat can be challenging. We lose lean body mass as we get older.  Loss of muscle mass decreases our metabolism (the rate at which your body uses…

I get this question often! Many of my patients tell me that they struggle to get the amount of fruits and vegetables that they need every day; most say that juicing the produce helps them reach their recommended daily allowance for veggies and fruit. My patients often say, “I don’t like…

I recently had a booth at a local health fair. The theme of our booth revolved around dispelling myths and misunderstandings of various types of fat…coconut oil included. So many of the participants came up to our booth and said “I heard that coconut oil was really healthy” and…

Your question is a good one. I think that following a healthy diet and practicing “good-for-you” lifestyle choices takes research, preparation, and time. I have had a plethora of patients that want to lose weight and begin to improve their diet and eating habits. I find that they are…

As a registered dietitian, I encourage my clients to check out the nutrition label on the food that they are consuming. Your question makes me think that you have been investigating a few nutrition labels yourself, so…well done! The nutrition label does a good job at breaking down the…

I love this question! I have heard variations of this question many times during my career. Some of my patients ask, “Why doesn’t broccoli taste as good as potato chips?” and others lament, “Please don’t tell me to snack on carrot sticks when I am craving something crunchy. It’s…