Can You Lose Weight by Eating Chocolate?

Institute Editorial Team 09/20/2021

Imagine a world where you can lose weight by eating chocolate. It sounds like a fantasy, right? Well, maybe not. Some research indicates that consuming chocolate every day, at specific times, may help our body burn fat and decrease blood sugar levels. Before you file this under “too good to be true,” let’s explore how chocolate may not be the enemy to our waistline after all. How Blood Sugar Affects Your Weight If your doctor has indicated that you are diabetic or even pre-diabetic, you may be paying closer attention to your sugar intake. However, if your annual physical indicates that all is normal, then you may not think about sugar intake as much as you should. The connection between blood sugar, belly fat, and…

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Categories: Self-care, Wellness & Personal Growth

Tagged: chocolate, diet, weight management

Institute Editorial Team

fruits and vegetables representing calories and micronutrients

Calories vs. Micronutrients & Why We Need Both

Calories and Micronutrients are critical to understand for our health; but most of us don’t know the difference. Ever wonder why it is so hard to maintain a healthy weight, especially as we get older? You are not alone. According to the Center for Disease Control, 42.4% of Americans are obese, with many elements coming into play. Among these elements are biological factors, like our genes; environmental factors, including those people we interact with; and modifiable components, like the food choices we make. I like to use the analogy of a car when I’m explaining nutrition. The gasoline we put into our car is what makes the car run. The car’s fuel is analogous to macronutrients that make our body’s run. Macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins…

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Lynn Ulatowski 01/10/2022

Focus on Fiber to Improve Health

When you think about the word “fiber”, you may equate that with an older adult taking a supplement to be “regular.” However, fiber is an under-appreciated nutrient that has so many health benefits. If you make one lifestyle change, focus on fiber. Why? Fiber has no Calories. It also decreases your risk of developing chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and of course digestive disorders. Notably, this zero Calorie superstar does not get the respect it deserves because most Americans consume about 16grams per day. This is less than half of the Institute of Medicine’s daily recommended amount of 28 grams for women and 35 grams for men. What is fiber? Fiber is technically a polysaccharide member of the carbohydrate family found in plant products. …

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Lynn Ulatowski 08/30/2021

Resolutions: African American woman smiling

Resolutions: How to Actually Follow Through With Yours This Year

We all set resolutions this time of year, but how can you actually stick to them? The new year is here, and many of us are thinking about what we love about our lives 一 and what we want to change. With that said, if you’re like most people, your resolutions probably lay forgotten around February 1st or so. The daily tasks of life have a way of getting in the way of our long-term goals, and it’s easy to put your New Year’s resolutions 一 and all of the hope and optimism that went with them 一 by the wayside. But it doesn’t have to be this way. There are ways to set, and work towards, resolutions that may make you more likely to…

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Saya Des Marais 01/03/2022

The Power of Focus

The Power of Focus and How it Affects Our Performance. I have been fortunate to work with a lot of coaches around the country, but one of the most interesting is Coach Wilson, a colleague who coaches biathlon in Alaska and works with the US Biathlon Team. What is biathlon you ask? It is the sport of cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. Coach Wilson spent a month with me last summer going through mental performance basics and building a plan for his athletes. The sport lends itself to all kinds of mental challenges – fatigue, focus, emotional control, breathing proficiency, a necessity for precision…just to name a few. I am amazed by the athletes (and coaches) in this sport, so when I get an email…

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Institute Editorial Team 11/01/2021

Women’s Brain Health Matters

Women are more likely than men to have brain health issues such as anxiety, depression, autoimmune disorders (such as multiple sclerosis), headaches and migraines, and Alzheimer’s disease. More so, women are more likely than men to die of stroke. There’s no better time to talk about women’s brain health than now. Brain health is linked to your lifestyle. It’s everything that you do – and don’t do – when it comes to thinking, moving, and feeling in your everyday life. Maintaining brain health can help you reduce personal risks for diseases and/or illnesses that cause your brain to function at less than optimal levels (such as cognitive impairment and various forms of dementia). So, how do you increase your brain health? Utilize these five tips:…

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Jessica Headley, Ph.D., LPCC-S 06/23/2021

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