I wish I loved any form of exercise the way my dog Nellie (pictured above) loves walks. It doesn’t matter if it’s sunny or rainy, chilly or warm, windy or calm, Nellie greets me with the same unabashed excitement every single time I pull out her leash. I don’t know if it’s the chance to get out of the house,…
Category: Health
New Weight-Loss App May do More Harm than Good
When it comes to staying on track with healthy goals, some people prefer having a cheerleader in their corner offering encouragement and positive vibes, while others prefer more of a tough-love approach. Perhaps the latter was the idea behind a new weight-loss app that shames you into losing weight by offering snarky comments and ridicule. After learning about this app…
When to Choose Organic Fruits and Vegetables
Last week we had a nutrition presentation for staff here at TOPS Headquarters. A lot of great information was shared and employees had the opportunity to think about nutrition in a different way. One of the topics touched on was organic foods. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, organic agriculture uses methods that preserve the environment and avoid…
Be Mindful of Game Day Snacks
Like many football fans here in Wisconsin, I was very disappointed to see that our favorite team would not be making it to this year’s big game to be held in Arizona on Sunday, February 1. Even more depressing was thinking about how many calories were in the over-sized soft pretzel I had just eaten (with friends, in my defense)…
Sleep Deprivation and Weight
We all get the same 24 hours in a day. Yet it seems many of us pride ourselves on cramming as much as we possibly can into these 24 hours, often at the expense of sleep. When we factor in working, maintaining a family life, keeping in touch with friends, running errands, and pursuing our hobbies, interests and favorite activities,…
6 Foods to Help You Stay Healthy this Winter
Balanced nutrition is important all year long, but should take center stage in the winter months when germs, colds, and flus abound. According to Registered Dietitian and nutrition expert for TOPS, Dena McDowell, the following 6 foods can help you stay healthy this winter. Fish: Choosing fatty fish such as tuna, mackerel, sardines and salmon will help increase your intake…
Keeping Holiday Calories in Check
While at my workout class the other day, one of the exercises was to use a rowing machine for as long as it took to burn 50 calories. After rowing and huffing and puffing for what seemed like forever (OK, it was only about 4-5 minutes, but still) I thought to myself, “It takes this much effort to burn 50…
4 Tips for Making Healthy Eating Fun
Do the words “healthy eating” bum you out or bring to mind visions of foods you’re not even sure if your dog would eat? Healthy eating can seem so boring and “blah,” but it can actually be a great excuse to try new things and keep your journey to weight loss and wellness fun. Healthy eating and fun? Hear me…
The Truth about Food Additives
Okay, so you’ve probably never said this, but you probably have had a craving for ice cream. I found the aforementioned ingredients while scanning a pint of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. This got me thinking: Just how many of these types of ingredients do we eat in a typical day…and should we be concerned? My ingredients list scanning…