Have you ever pored over a recipe, carefully planning every ingredient, only for it to turn out to be a big dud? If you’ve ever cooked or baked, chances are you may have made a flavorless side dish or cookies that could pass for hockey pucks. It happens. Throughout our weight-loss journeys, TOPS encourages us to keep trying and to…
A major natural food store chain took some flak last week for having bottles of water containing asparagus stalks on one of their store’s shelves. The asparagus water turned out to be a mistake and a big “oops” moment for the chain, but not drinking enough water shouldn’t be an “oops” for you. I’ve been paying more attention to this…
Whether you’re following a gluten-free meal plan, a strict vegetarian or vegan, or you’re a fan of the primal or paleo diet, I think we can all agree on these three words: vegetables are awesome. They’re so awesome, in fact, that they have their own day – Wednesday, June 17, is Eat Your Vegetables Day. I like the fact that…
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)…
Whenever our at-work TOPS chapter needs a little pick-me-up, I like to plan a healthy tasting. In the past, we’ve made our own salsa, sampled unique fruits and veggies and even tried blended spinach in a smoothie. The above picture is from our most-recent culinary adventure. We usually only have about two tastings a year but it’s a great way…
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…
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…
Halloween is next week and that means the other holidays are right around the corner. This can present a challenge for those trying to stay on track with healthy goals. Fortunately, holiday treats and dishes don’t have to be loaded with calories, fat and sugar. Sometimes, all it takes is a little dose of creativity to make healthier options seem…