You hear the importance of routines for many things in life: exercise, meal planning, family extracurriculars, work…. Humans are naturally creatures of habit. Sleep is no exception to this. In fact, above all, a regular sleep routine is of utmost importance. We know that the quality and quantity of sleep strongly influences how we feel when we wake up, and how much energy we have throughout the day. Sleep also plays a vital role in physical and mental health. Studies have sho

“Fail to plan, plan to fail.” No matter where you are on your health journey, you’ve probably heard that saying used to highlight the importance of planning in making dietary changes. And like most things in life, planning absolutely makes the changes easier to stick to, and usually saves time and money. However, some people over complicate making a meal plan so much that it’s time-consuming and frustrating to maintain. Or, some people find that jumping right into a meal plan

Grilling To Perfection Imagine your perfect summer day in North America – the humidity is low and a mild scent of chlorine is wafting through the air from your above-ground pool. The scent itself may just be enticing enough for you to indulge in an afternoon swim. Your back yard is full of friends and family, soaking up the sun and splashing playfully. The only thing missing from this beautifully painted picture is the food. Whenever I think of the perfect summer day, my comp

It’s a beautiful Fall Sunday morning. The sun is out, children are laughing across the street at your local park, and people are out walking their dogs. You sit up in your bed and stare out the window at people going about their Sunday. Their presence reminds you that you too should be at ease today. As you lay back down in bed to collect your thoughts about the weekend, your phone goes off. It is an alarm you had set the night before reminding you to go grocery shopping in t

Has anyone ever asked Popeye if he tasted the spinach he guzzled? Did anyone ever tell him that there are better ways to prepare that spinach once it’s out of that magical rusty can? Probably not. For ages, almost everyone has been told that veggies are the ultimate health food. Do you want to lose weight? - Eat vegetables. Would you like to feel better and sleep better? - Eat vegetables. This is common knowledge for most avid health nuts and aspiring dieters around the wor

Jamie Oliver: The Gateway to a Culinary YouTube It’s 7:00 AM in North America, and millions of people are getting ready for work. The coffee is brewing, mothers and fathers are getting their kids ready for school, and young twenty-somethings have hit their snooze buttons for the last time. As people begin their day they turn on their television and they see Rachael Ray doing a cooking segment on Good Morning America. On the Today Show, Matt Lauer engages in witty banter with

When you are first beginning to cook food for yourself, things may seem a little bit… disastrous. The chicken is bland, your string beans are rubbery, and the rice that seemed FOOLPROOF is watery and undercooked. In a matter of about thirty minutes you have managed to turn a simple meal of chicken and rice into the equivalent of dining hall lunch leftovers. However, what most beginner cooks do not realize is that the solution to a disastrous meal is in the details. How are yo