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You’re Eating More Salt Than You Think—Here’s Why

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Most people know too much salt increases your risk for high blood pressure and strokes.   Although everyone knows about salt in the salt shaker but many people aren’t aware of the hidden salt in the foods we eat and even drinks.   In fact, more than 70% of the salt (sodium) in our diet comes from packaged, prepared foods and restaurant foods.   🧠 What Sodium Does in the Body Sodium helps regulate fluid balance , nerve function , and muscle contractions . It’s essential—but only in small amounts. Most people consume far more than the recommended daily limit. The American Heart Association recommends 2300 milligrams of sodium a day.   Yet, the average American consumes about 3,300 mg a day or about 50% more than the recommended amount.     ⚠️ Health Risks of Too Much Sodium High Blood Pressure ( Hypertension ): The most direct and dangerous effect. Sodium causes the body to retain water, increasing blood volu...
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Wait, Are Potato Chips Getting Healthier?

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So many companies are joining the MAHA movement.   Last week I wrote about the major changes Walmart is making to 1,000 Great Value foods .   Pepsi is joining the movement as PepsiCo is revamping its iconic Lay’s potato chips , one of America’s top selling brands of potato chips.   Everything from ingredients to packaging is changing.   🥔 Ingredient Overhaul:   Lay’s is stripping away artificial flavors and colors across its core chip lineup. That means no more synthetic dyes or mystery additives. Instead, you’ll find: No artificial flavors or colors : Lay’s is removing all synthetic additives from its U.S. chip portfolio, including Lay’s Classic, Baked, and Kettle Cooked varieties.   No more artificial colorings on barbecue chips . Natural replacements : Chips will be flavored and colored using ingredients like spices, fruit and vegetable extracts, yeast, herbs, and plant-based colorings such as paprika and vege...
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Walmart Joins the MAHA Movement: 1,000 Products to be Reformulated

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So many companies are revising their food products in response to Robert F. Kennedy’s MAHA movement.   Walmart has announced they will be removing synthetic foods dyes as well as 30 other ingredients from the Great Value store brand by January 2027.   This would affect about 1,000 food products.   🧪 Food Dyes Being Eliminated Walmart plans to phase out the following synthetic dyes from Great Value and other private-label brands:          Blue No. 1 and No. 2           Green No. 3           Red No. 3, No. 4, and No. 40           Yellow No. 5 and No. 6           Citrus Red No. 2           Orange B (hasn’t been used for decades )             Canthaxanthin Why?   Because artificial food dyes have been linked to a variety of health concerns such as behavioral health issues ...
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Cinnamon: The Everyday Spice with Surprising Health Benefits

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Who doesn’t love cinnamon?   I love sprinkling some on my morning oatmeal.   My kids loved sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on buttered toast.   Did you know cinnamon has some amazing health benefits? Where does cinnamon come from? Did you know we get cinnamon from the bark of the Cinnamomum tree? Cinnamon producing regions include Sri Lanka which produces Ceylon cinnamon, Indonesia, Vietnam and India.   Another type of cinnamon is Cassia cinnamon that has a stronger, spicier flavor and is the variety you find on grocery store shelves.      🌿 What are Some Health Benefits of Cinnamon That are Backed by Research? 🧬 1. Rich in Antioxidants ·          Cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants that help fight oxidative stress and protect cells from damage. 💪 2. Anti-Inflammatory Properties ·          Studies show cinnamon may reduce inflammation markers like C-reac...
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Are Eggs Good for You? A Nutritionist’s Perspective

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Who doesn’t love eggs?   In an omelet or scrambled for breakfast or egg salad sandwiches for lunch or hard-boiled eggs for a snack.   For many years eggs were given a bad rap because of cholesterol.   At one time even the American Heart Association recommended limiting egg consumption.   With newer research we can enjoy eggs once again.   🥚 What about eggs and cholesterol?   New research has not found a link between egg consumption and heart disease, even among men at genetic risk for heart disease.   It seems high blood cholesterol levels are more linked to the saturated fat in meat and trans fats rather than the cholesterol in eggs.   In one Finnish study , over 1,000 men were followed for 21 years.   They found egg consumption and dietary cholesterol did not significantly increase risk of heart disease.   Harvard notes , “For most people, an egg a day does not increase your risk of a heart attack, a stroke, or any other type of c...
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