Citrus fruit cut and squeezed on a white background

How to Grocery Shop during a Pandemic

When I walked through my local grocery store a month ago it literally felt like a zombie movie. There was no pasta, no bread, and hardly any meat. Lots of shelves were nearly empty and that was pretty scary—the idea that my family might become food insecure is something I’ve never had to worry about […]

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April 23, 2020

Man from Ancel Keys's Minnesota Starvation Experiment licking his plate

Minnesota Starvation Experiment

Today I want to tell you, my precious sweet potatoes, about the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. The experiment was held at Minnesota State University in 1945. Men were asked to volunteer so that Ancel Keys, a physiologist who did research on how food changes the body, and his colleagues could learn how to best re-feed people […]

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April 9, 2020

Gabe Wilkinson, before and after losing over one hundred pounds

Gabe’s Story

“At my heaviest I was 315 pounds and I felt trapped.”  This is from an interview I did with Gabe, a friend who has not only lost 135 pounds, but has kept it off for three years. I haven’t personally experienced large weight changes, so I was really thankful to Gabe for very patiently explaining […]

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March 19, 2020

Jen Lyman stands in a well-lit kitchen reaching for a muffin

Is Sugar a Drug?

Have you ever had a meal that just doesn’t live up to your expectations? It seems like it should be amazing and the description sounds really satisfying and then it’s just…not. That’s how I feel about cake. It’s beautiful and everyone else seems to really like it, but it just always falls short of my […]

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March 7, 2020

New Leaf Nutrition sign behind a pile of sandbags

Let’s Get Physical

We know, in our heads, that exercise is important and beneficial. I can rattle off to you the health benefits of exercise: increases lean muscle mass which raises metabolism, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by improving cholesterol, slows the progression of type two diabetes by utilizing excess glucose, promotes emotional stability by increasing dopamine, […]

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January 23, 2020

Jen Lyman holds a mug, wearing a cozy sweater

What to Expect When [You Meet with Us]

When I first learned the word “dietitian” I was 7 and my best friend had just been diagnosed with diabetes. The dietitian came into her room with these gross, rubbery food models that had lint stuck to them because she carried them around in her lab coat pocket and the rubber they were made of […]

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November 14, 2019