Lauren is a registered dietitian and freelance writer with work that can be seen on CNBC, Greatist, and LIVESTRONG.com. She graduated from Western Michigan University and completed her dietetic internship at Michigan State University. Although not fully plant-based, Lauren will never turn down a vegetable and makes sure they are on her plate at every meal.
Lauren Armstrong, RDN
The Best Low Glycemic Index Foods to Keep Blood Sugar Levels Stable
Keeping blood sugar in check is important for everyone, but especially for those with diabetes or prediabetes. Having uncontrolled blood sugar can lead to serious health problems including heart disease, vision loss, kidney disease, and nerve damage...
Is Snacking Actually Bad for You? Here’s What an Expert and the Research Says
Snacking has become more common during the pandemic, as more people are working and eating from home, and sales of snacks like chips, popcorn, and pretzels grew more than 11 percent in a year. More Americans are getting more of their calories from snacks than any other source – even back in 2019 a Food & Health Survey found that 57 percent of us were snacking at least once per day, while jus
This Is the Week to Restart Your Resolutions. 5 Tips to Get Back on Track
Here we are at the start of week two of 2022 and already it seems as if those New Year's resolutions are in tatters. Blame stress, or the weather, but despite our best efforts to get and stay on track, the last ten days have made a mockery of our intentions...
To Lose Weight, Which is Better, Smoothies or Juicing? An RD Answers
It’s a battle of smoothies vs juicing: Which is better for general health and to promote sustained weight loss? Both help you consume more fruit and vegetables, full of antioxidants and nutrients, but because juice takes out the pulp and fiber, and smoothies leave it in but add more calories, health-seekers and dieters have debated: Is the juice worth the squeeze? Here is the latest ...
Best Vegan Protein Sources: Everything You Need to Know
Protein is one of three macronutrients, along with carbohydrates and fat, that make up a crucial part of our diet. Both animal and plant food sources can provide protein, but as a vegan or plant-based eater, animal sources are off the table, both literally and figuratively.
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Keep Your Blood Sugar Low After You Eat With This Simple Trick, By an RD
Every single food we eat impacts our bodies, well beyond keeping us fueled. Carbohydrates, for example, get digested and broken down into glucose (or blood sugar) and then used as fuel in our cells. Since carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy, a hormone called insulin comes along to open the door of our cells and let the glucose in to feed them. With...
Exercise and Eat This Combination of Fruits and Vegetables to Boost Mood
As a registered dietitian, I have patients who tell me they eat when they are stressed, depressed, or anxious. The thing is, food can actually act as a mood booster. Therefore eating during these emotional times can be viewed as less of a “problem” and more as a potential solution, as long as it’s done right.
Here’s what new research has...
New Study: To Lower Stroke Risk Choose Vegetable Fat Over Animal Fat
New research that followed the eating habits of over 117,000 people for over 27 years just found that to lower your risk of having a stroke, you need to change the kind of fat you eat. In the study, people who ate the most vegetable and polyunsaturated fats were 12 percent less likely to have ischemic strokes in comparison to those who ate the least vegetable fat. Those people ...
How Much Healthy Fat Should You Eat? Less Than You Think. An Expert Explains
Fat has been the dietary villain for decades. Starting in the 1940s, studies found a connection between high-fat diets and elevated cholesterol levels, which can lead to coronary blockages and heart disease. By the ’60s, a low-fat diet was recommended by physicians, and the government, health media, and general public started to find other things to add to their food, like sugar. Then...
The 6 Reasons You’re Craving Salt and When It’s a Problem
Constantly cracking open that bag of chips? Love a dill pickle? Do you regularly salt your food, even your bread? While you may just be looking to enjoy salty tastes, a constant urge to snack on salty foods could be due to an underlying condition. If you’r...