Monica Thomas has disliked vegetables all of her life … until now. When she decided to be healthier, she knew she needed to include them whether she liked it or not. She started buying frozen veggies and jazzing them up with a little bit of cheese or a small serving of a healthy salad dressing (she now makes her own).…
It’s cold and flu season, and that can spell bad news for your weight-loss efforts. It’s important to listen to your body and rest, but it can be tough to know what to do when it comes to eating right. Check out this advice from registered dietitian and nutrition expert for TOPS, Dena McDowell. As a friendly reminder, this information…
The other day, when I was walking out the door for a workout class, my brain decided to try and trip me. “We haven’t gone in forever—it’s going to hurt so bad!” “Eh, we can go tomorrow.” “You know, there are a lot of shows we could be catching up with on TV.” The same thing happened a few days…
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,…
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…
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…
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)…
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,…
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…