Cathy is the Senior Manager of Nutrition and Healthy Living Programs at SAS Institute Inc in Cary, NC. She is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, functional medicine nutritionist, blogger and food photographer. Cathy's specialties include integrative and functional nutrition, gut health, food allergies and intolerances and culinary nutrition. She is also a Certified Biofeedback instructor. An avid lover of the outdoors, Cathy spends her free time biking, golfing, kayaking, paddleboarding, sitting under the stars and spending time with her grandson. Follow @CmazanecRD on Twitter.
Healthier Alternatives to Quench Your Thirst With research linking sugar to heart disease, diabetes and GI imbalances, many of us are trying to reduce or eliminate sugar. And to add salt (or sugar) to the wound, new studies are suggesting that some artificial sweeteners ALSO have negative health consequences. When
What Kind of Holidays Do You Want? Do you like your holiday filled with lots of parties or do you prefer a quiet walk in the woods with a friend? Do you love bumping elbows with thousands of shoppers at the mall or relaxing at home with family? These are good
Do you crave sugar? For me, the answer is "Yes"! I was born with a sweet tooth. I call it "The Beast". What I have learned about The Beast over the years is the more sugar I feed it, the more it wants. I used to think, "Hmm, that’s interesting.
It’s back to school time which brings a flurry of emotions – sadness that the precious days of summer are over, joy that order and routine may be restored to your household and relief that you don’t have to figure out where your kids will be next week and beyond.
Ahhh, summer!! It’s such a beautiful time of year. All the fresh produce comes out of the fields at a rapid pace giving us an abundance of deliciousness and beautiful colors to thrill our bodies and souls.
Whether you’re counting carbs for glucose management, crunching calories for weight loss or beefing up your protein intake to build muscle mass, food tracking apps can be an invaluable resource for your health and fitness goals. A novelty a few years ago, these apps are now in abundance giving us
There has been lots of awareness-raising lately about the safety of our food supply including the tools we use to cook and store our food. Many nutritionists, health care providers and scientists agree that reducing exposure to toxins whenever possible makes good sense. The Environmental Working Group (EWG), an environmental
In Part 1, we reviewed 3 nutrients that help stabilize moods: Folate, Omega 3 Fatty Acids and L-Theanine. Read further to learn 3 additional nutrients that have a positive impact on our moods and energy levels. 4. MAGNESIUM Magnesium is crucial for more than 300 body functions including anti-anxiety benefits.
No doubt many folks feel an energy slump in the winter months. Short days and long nights plus the added drain of gray or rainy days can dampen our spirits. Did you know certain nutrients may help calm anxiety or boost your spirits? If you feel a drop in your
The holidays are upon us! As you may have experienced, Thanksgiving often serves as the starter pistol for the holiday weight gain marathon. Don’t let holiday collateral damage be the impetus for your New Year’s resolutions this year. A little planning and mindfulness can keep the joy in your season
In the blink of an eye, summer is gone, fall is slipping by and winter is quickly approaching. Though hopes of snow flurries enter our minds, we often think of winter as a season of germs. Your annual flu shot and regular hand washing are a great start to preventing
Ways We Excrete Toxins You learned in the previous Chews Strategically post, Foods for Natural Detox, that certain foods provide important nutrients that assist the liver in transforming toxins so they can be excreted from the body. After the toxins are transformed into water soluble substances they are excreted through
The words "Detox" or "Detoxification" get thrown around a lot these days but few people know what these words really mean. Detoxification in reference to human health refers to your body’s ability to convert, or biotransform, waste products and toxins into non-toxic substances that can be excreted from the body.
Conventional or Organic? That is the question. Research varies about whether organic foods are healthier than conventional foods. However, one of the biggest arguments for buying organic is in regards to pesticide exposure. Convincing evidence is revealing that the pesticides we eat, drink and inhale are stored in our bodies
Today is Diabetes Alert Day. The purpose of Diabetes Alert Day is to bring attention to the rising incidence of diabetes in the US and to alert folks to take action NOW to prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Preventing diabetes equates to blood glucose management which
In Part 1 of our February is Heart Month series, I discussed 5 Powerful Foods for Your Heart. It is well known that a healthy diet and regular exercise are very beneficial for keeping our hearts and other organs healthy, reducing our risk of developing heart disease and other illnesses.
February is Heart Month First the bad news, heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women. Now the good news, heart disease is preventable and controllable. Chews Strategically will focus on the health of your heart for the month of February so tune in and learn
I recently heard morning radio DJs talking about things people would never want to receive as holiday gifts. One of the categories they mentioned was kitchen appliances. Giving kitchen tools and appliances as gifts may be frowned upon by some but for the foodies in your family, culinary utensils can stir squeals
75 degrees, 30% humidity and a cloudless, blue sky: It’s hard to beat Fall in North Carolina! Something else I enjoy this time of year is the colors of Fall, both outdoors and in the kitchen. Many fruits and vegetables are at their peak right now providing amazing, colorful menu
After weeks of anticipation, one of fall’s best offerings, Football Season, is here! Hot diggity!!! Now many sports fans view this as a total positive, but those who have been working hard all summer to shave percentage points off their body fat and boost their fitness levels recognize football season’s
