Hiking is a true game-changer when it comes to your health and well-being. Trust me, I've experienced the magic firsthand, and I can't wait to share five compelling reasons hiking is a total health boost.

Before you raise an eyebrow or give me that skeptical look, hear me out! Cottage cheese ice cream isn't just a quirky fad or a passing trend; it's a delicious and healthy treat that deserves a spot in your freezer. Trust me, once you give it a try, you won't look back!

I’ve picked up some bad food habits this year and finally reached a point where the things I normally would do to reset weren’t working. I’d do great one day and then go back to bad habits the next. This yo-yo was constant and I began to feel off. Headaches and side pain were frequent, and I felt like I was in a mental fog a little more often than I’d like.

Are you an intermittent faster? If so, how you break your fast is as important as the fasting process itself. Today I’m sharing why and my three favorite ways to break my fast.

When things around me are crazy, I find solace in food. Cooking and baking takes my mind off of everything going on around me and I find comfort in tastes that I know and adore. I can control food when I can’t control everything going on around me. That’s why my menu this week is heavy on comfort food. I’ve taken recipes and made some changes to lighten them up, so they all fit within my macro goals.

I’m focused on nutrition this month so I’ll be sharing my weekly meal plans again. This is what I will be enjoying and what I’ll feed my family. Everything on this list can be adjusted to accommodate your likes. Don’t care for fish? Use chicken. Focus on lean proteins and healthy carbs.

If you’ve been on Instagram lately, you’ve seen the Fab Four Smoothie (#Fab4Smoothie). And for good reason. Developed by Kelly Leveque, this smoothie is the perfect formula to help balance your blood sugar with enough protein, fat, and fiber to keep you full. It also supports your immune system to cleanse regularly, stay regular, avoid blood sugar spikes, and increase insulin sensitivity.

Chia seed pudding is one of my favorite ways to break my fast so I was excited to see it in the refrigerator section of my local Starbucks pre-SIP. While I normally would take my lunch to work, sometimes in the craziness of getting two teens and myself out the door, I forget. Between meetings, I would run downstairs to Starbucks and quickly grab something to hold me over until dinner. And their pre-made chia seed pudding is perfect. Creamy, lightly sweet, with fresh coconut and strawberries. Yum. So I set out to make it at home.

While some made sourdough and others made banana bread, during our Shelter-In-Place I decided to try my hand at making kombucha. Kombucha is one of my favorite drinks, supports gut health, and if you purchase it at the store, it can be fairly expensive ($5 or more per bottle). So since I had nothing but time, I decided to give it a try. And wow, I am so happy I did.

One of our favorite meals is slow cooker pulled pork sliders. So much so, that we make this at least once every two weeks or so. I’ve also been known to throw this together for large group gatherings, family get-togethers, and anytime I’m on the hook for a main at a potluck. I guarantee you have all of the ingredients in your cupboard and this recipe is absolutely foolproof!

If you’re like everyone I know, you’ve been enjoying a few more cocktails while you’ve been SIP than normal. With that in mind, I thought I’d share some pantry staple cocktails for your weekend (or heck, anytime during the week). My Skinny Spicy Margarita remains a favorite, but here are some others that I will be enjoying this week.

The weather is spring-like here in Northern California so this week I’m focusing on lighter than usual recipes leveraging some great spring flavors. This week you’ll find a little bit of everything, from greek chicken to crispy chipotle tacos and stuffed shells - something for everyone.

It’s the last week of summer vacation in our house and the kids are already gearing up for another great year. Two-a-day football practices, wrapping up that summer reading, math, and history, and getting those backpacks ready while enjoying time with friends is what this week is all about. Dinners this week are super simple, tried and true, crowd pleasers. So whether, like us, you’re expecting a few extra people for dinner as the kids soak up the final days or it’s a more intimate group, these recipes won’t steer you wrong.

The first week of August things ramp up in our house. We’re two weeks away from the start of school, summer programs are wrapping up, sports seasons are kicking in, and the dreaded summer homework is done. We’re savoring these final weeks of staying up late, sleeping in, and swimming all day. As always, dinners need to be quick and easy, and focus on the best fruits and veggies of the season.

It finally warmed up in the Bay Area and we’re seeing some higher than usual temperatures. So this week I focused my meal plan on simple dinners that leverage seasonal fruits and veggies, and could be cooked on the grill, in the slow cooker, or with minimal stove time.

We’re in the homestretch! I cannot believe we’re in the final week of July. It seems like summer just started but here we are, thinking about back-to-school and starting those pesky summer homework assignments. This week my meal plan focuses on the fresh fruits and vegetables of summer, and includes a healthier version of one of my favorite comfort foods.

Summer is here and the weather is warm and when it’s warm, I don’t want to cook. That’s why this week I have salads on the menu every night. From salmon and kale to a vegan chickpea caesar and a strawberry quinoa salad with pistachios, this week’s meal plan features in-season fruit and produce.

Chia seeds are one of the healthiest foods on the planet. It’s crazy that something so small could be so incredibly good for you. These tiny seeds are loaded with good-for-you nutrients that benefit both your body and your brain. Here is one of my favorite recipes to incorporate chia seeds into your diet.

I love to travel and whether for work or pleasure, that means I’ve spent a considerable amount of time in flight. I love a good flight to catch-up on work, watch the latest movie, or just have a moment to myself. What I don’t like? The germs and the lack of healthy food options.

Try as I might, I just cannot get into the pumpkin spice craze. At this time of year, it’s EVERYWHERE so when I saw this pumpkin almond milk at Trader Joe’s I thought I’d give it a try. I knew I didn’t want it in coffee (I think I’m the only person who isn’t a PSL fan) and really didn’t have any idea how to use it until one night I was making my overnight oats and didn’t have any fruit. I thought I’d use the pumpkin spice almond milk instead as an experiment. What’s the worse that could happen?