Blog

I am a health coach witha quarky attitude and lots of opinions! I'm all about generating love and consciousness! Call me for a consultation or email me with your questions and comments! 561-578-9492 or Fitchicmelissa@gmail.com

Meet the Winners of the Happy, Healthy Moms Photo Contest

On Friday, we announced the Healthy, Happy Moms photo contest in honor of mothers everywhere, and we were thrilled by your response! Nearly 100 incredible women were nominated to win full enrollment at Integrative Nutrition. The three mothers who received the most votes are true inspirations and deserving recipients of the Health Coach Training Program.

Mothers make the world a healthier, happier place – first starting with their own families, and then expanding into schools, their communities, and beyond. Plus, moms who take care to improve their own health and happiness can do even more good in the world. We’re confident that these incredible mothers will spread a ripple effect that will transform the world! Meet our inspiring contest winners:

Spring Detox: Apple, Radish and Arugula Salad

Spring is in full bloom, and with the change of seasons comes the change of produce on your plate. According to Ayurveda, many foods with a deep red color – beets in the fall, radishes in the spring, or berries in the summer – are great for detoxing your liver and supplying fresh oxygen to the blood.

Now that radishes are in season, this is a great time to start incorporating these crunchy, slightly spicy vegetables into your diet. If you aren’t a fan of their strong bitterness, try roasting them whole with the greens on for a hearty side dish. You can also munch on them raw with a sprinkle of sea salt for an afternoon snack with a kick!

We love to get our daily radish fix with this salad from Integrative Nutrition graduate, Chantal Soeters, Class of 2012. The radishes are a perfect complement to the more neutral flavors of the apple and avocado. Add this salad to your Mother’s Day spread and it’s sure to be a hit!

Apple, Radish and Arugula Salad

Ingredients

Announcing the Happy, Healthy Moms Photo Contest!

Mothers are a crucial part of Integrative Nutrition’s community. Whether it’s feeding their own family nourishing meals, fighting for healthier school lunches, or supporting other women to become their healthiest selves, mothers are making a big impact in their communities and beyond.

To show our admiration for the tireless work moms do and the comfort and joy they bring, we are excited to honor these women with the Happy, Healthy Moms Photo Contest. Read below for all the details.

Here’s the deal:

Who: An amazing mother you know – it could even be yourself.

What: Three people will win one full enrollment to the Health Coach Training Program to gift to a mother who would make a great Health Coach.

When: The contest starts Friday, May 10 and closes Saturday, May 11. Voting takes place Sunday, May 12.

Where: Enter to win on Facebook.

Baby Food: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for Wholesome Beginnings

One of the best things a parent can do for a child is to give them a healthy start in life.

Consuming wholesome food while you’re pregnant and nursing, and then setting the foundation for good nutrition while your child is young, will give them a greater chance at healthy and happy adulthood.

Most babies can begin trying soft foods at around six months, although there are no strict guidelines for when to introduce them. Whenever you decide to experiment with new foods for your little one, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Go with veggies before fruit. Babies and young children are naturally attracted to things that are sweet, and they are much more likely to develop a taste for non-sweet foods if you introduce them to their palette first. Keep fruit (and fruit juice) as an occasional treat in the early stages, and even well into toddlerhood.

Integrative Nutrition Gives Back to Celebrate Earth Day

I founded Integrative Nutrition over twenty years ago with the mission to make the world a healthier, happier place. When people are healthy and happy, they can achieve more and enhance the lives of people around them. They have the energy to give back, do work that inspires them, and educate others to be healthy and happy. This process of paying it forward spreads a ripple effect of health and happiness around the world.

That’s why at Integrative Nutrition, we invest in our community and donate to charities that are doing great work. When we support each other, together we can truly make a difference.

In April, more than 200 new students enrolled in our Health Coach Training Program in response to our Earth Day giving charitable donation drive. Thanks to our passionate community, we donated over $10,000 to Earth Day Network’s healthy schools initiative. This movement is dedicated to bringing attention to the connection between school environments, student health, and academic success.

Healthy Tips, Recipes, and Gift Ideas for a Happy Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. It’s that special time of year when we get to celebrate the amazing women in our lives. Moms are often so busy caring for others that they neglect their own wellbeing. This Mother’s Day, we want to help make it as easy as possible for all mothers to make healthy choices for their families so they can relax and give themselves some love.

We rounded up our favorite wellness tips and healthy recipes that are designed to make life easier for mothers all year round. When mom is healthy and happy, everybody is healthy and happy! Whether it’s cooking a delicious meal together or giving her healthy ways to spoil herself, we’ve got some ideas to show your mother just how much you care by making this Mother’s Day one to remember!

6 Tips for Eating Healthy on a Budget

Shopping for fresh foods and preparing healthful meals for your family is often thought of as an expensive way to live. This belief has many Americans turning to fast food, which in turn contributes to our worldwide obesity epidemic. The truth is, a healthy, balanced diet doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, it can be more cost effective to prepare homemade, nutritious meals than it is to go out to eat or buy pre-packaged meals, especially if you follow our 6 simple tips for eating healthy on a budget:

Eat less animal protein – It’s important to buy meat organic and local if possible, however this can be expensive. Try saving meat dishes for special occasions, or limit them to once or twice a week. Instead, add plenty of cheaper protein sources to your diet like eggs, tofu, or beans.

How Spreading Germs to Your Kids Prevents Allergies

Most parents work to keep their little ones germ free – wiping their noses, washing their hands before they eat, and rinsing off the apple slice that fell on the floor. But might it actually be healthier to expose your kids to some dirt and germs? According to a new study in Sweden, yes.

Results from the study indicated that children whose parents cleaned pacifiers by licking them developed fewer allergies than children whose parents rinsed or boiled them. They also had fewer incidences of eczema, fewer signs of asthma, and smaller amounts of a specific type of white blood cell that increase in response to allergies.

The conclusion: exposure to a parent’s saliva may help boost a child’s developing immune system. While the study couldn’t prove that pacifier licking was what specifically caused fewer allergies, that practice may be an indication of parents who are more relaxed about exposing their children to germs in general.

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a Healthier Margarita

This weekend is Cinco de Mayo! It’s time to break out the sombreros and guacamole for a fiesta with family and friends. If you’re looking for a festive drink to serve this year that won’t leave you feeling guilty, we’ve got you covered. This watermelon margarita promises to be a crowd-pleasing cocktail. It’s refreshing, light and fruity with just the right kick!

Serving children at your party too? Just omit the alcohol and top off the blended drink with a splash of seltzer water for a fizzy watermelon cooler.

Watermelon Margaritas

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

2 teaspoons large crystal salt such as Kosher Salt
1 lime wedge
3 1/2 cups cubed seeded watermelon
1/2 cup tequila
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Triple Sec (orange-flavored liqueur)
Fresh Mint (for garnish)

Preparation

Place 2 teaspoons salt in a saucer. Rub the rims of 6 glasses with 1 lime wedge; spin rim of each glass in salt to coat. Set prepared glasses aside.

3 Healthy Habits to Manage Hormone Imbalance

You wake up sweating at 2am, get overly emotional around your cycle, and notice that your periods are not as regular as they have been for the past few months. Symptoms like these are especially common for women in their 40s, but no matter your age, they may be a sign that you’re hormonally imbalanced. But you might wonder: is the imbalance because you’re hitting menopause early, or is it caused by stress?

Of course, you should speak with your health care professional and get tested for imbalances so that you know for sure. Whether you’ve reached “the change” or not, there are certain healthy habits you can adopt to help smooth out your hormonal fluctuations.

IIN guest speaker and author of Accidently Overweight, Dr. Libby Weaver says that many of the changes women experience as they get older can be regulated or even reversed by looking at the whole picture and changing specific habits.

Here are 3 healthy habits that you can adopt:

Clean out the toxins

Get Your Free Nutrition Book!