Sweets ruled my world from an early age. In fact, “c-a-n-d-y” was the first word I could spell—because my parents had to spell it out around me in order to prevent me from asking for it! I also notoriously claimed that I had a separate dessert stomach in order to justify my “need” for dessert without being able to finish my dinner. In high school I mistakenly thought my involvement in many sports made me immune to the effects of this behavior, but I was unaware I was only postponing the consequences. It wasn’t until college that my love for…

When Twin Cities Live contacted Dietitian Cassie about doing a segment on fast food breakfasts, she knew she was going to be totally out of her element in the drive thru lane. Steve Patterson, co-host of TCL, takes Cassie hostage in a segment they call “The Dude and the Dietitian” and puts her on the spot in both a McDonald’s and a Taco Bell drive thru, and she does the best she can to create PFC balanced morning meals on the go. When they return to the studio, Cassie brings some real food examples of quick and easy breakfasts that are…

Ingredients: 1 dozen eggs 1 (5-8oz.) bag of fresh spinach 1 cup of chopped, mixed vegetables (onions, green & red peppers, broccoli, asparagus, anything!) cooked in 2 Tbsp. butter till soft 3/4 cup diced tomatoes or chopped sun dried tomatoes 1 cup full fat cottage cheese 2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream Any herbs of your choice Butter or olive oil (for greasing the pan) Salt & pepper to taste Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9″ x 12″ baking dish with butter or olive oil. Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the fresh spinach, cooked…

In this busy, complicated world it can be tough to know where to begin when venturing out on a journey towards health. To live a Healthy Simple Life, we need to keep it simple and take small steps every day to promote health and help support our bodies from the inside out. Here are our top 5 simple starting steps you can implement no matter where you are in your journey to wellness: 1. Remove processed foods. We’re referring to foods that have been chemically processed and made from refined ingredients. Highly processed foods usually contain preservatives, artificial colors and/or artificial flavoring which can set us up…

Now that we’ve discussed the basics of healing the gut no matter what, let’s dig a little deeper into digestion and what can go wrong in the gut. The normal digestion process When you eat, the breakdown process starts in your mouth and is not completed until it leaves your body. Food is broken down mechanically (chewing) and enzymatically (saliva) in your mouth. It then travels down your esophagus to your stomach where more enzymes and acids along with muscle contractions are used to break food down further. The next stop is the small intestine where hundreds of millions of…

Sugar cravings. Bloating. Burping. Gas. Diarrhea. Constipation. Indigestion. Heartburn. Runner’s Trots. Colds. Sickness. Anxiety. Frequent fatigue. These are signs of impaired gut health, and if you’re experiencing these, you are not alone. If you’re not experiencing any of the above, don’t stop reading just yet. Your gut is often referred to as “the second brain” and/or “the missing link.” Keeping it healthy is important for everyone—not just those with digestive issues or disease. Working with our clients we find that even those who do not complain of a single digestive concern and have never had a “sweet tooth” can be…

Most roller coasters are fun. Your stomach churning in anticipation of the unknown. The gigantic ups and downs. The pounding in your head. Most roller coaster rides last 2 or 3 minutes. Imagine riding a roller coaster all day long. While it’s fun for a few minutes at an amusement park, when it comes to every day living, riding the blood sugar roller coaster day in and day out is exhausting. It depletes us of our energy, good moods and is not the way to live. You may be familiar with it. Maybe you’re riding it today. Mood swings. Intense…

Many people have a banana as a morning snack, assuming it’s a healthy choice; hoping it will hold them over ‘til lunch once the post-breakfast rumbles set in. However, this is NOT the type of snack we would recommend to anyone who is looking to feel energetic, manage their weight or keep cravings at bay. The problem with eating a banana by itself, or any carbohydrate alone for that matter, is that because all carbohydrates turn to sugar once they reach the blood stream, they spike your blood sugar levels. This sets your body up for cravings, irritability, lack of focus…

Nutrition information is more accessible today than EVER before. Flashy advertisements for new diets promising magical outcomes are on billboards, in magazines, on television and all over the web. Everyone has their own solution to your health problems. In addition to the overwhelming amount of information, nutrition is an ever changing field based on the newest research… er, at least it SHOULD be. Unfortunately, that’s not the case for the way many health care professionals teach and base their practices on, including dietitians, nutritionists and doctors alike. Instead of looking at the science, many continue to educate their patients based…

You had so many excellent questions after PFC Balanced Eating: Parts 1 and 2 that we split PFC Balanced Eating Part 3 into 2 parts: Part 3A FAQ and now we bring to you, Part 3B FAQ! Are protein powders real food? Yes and no. While we don’t consider protein powder to be “real food,” it can be beneficial to supplement your mostly real food eating regimen if you choose a clean whey protein powder. It comes in handy when you’re in a pinch, on the go, when you don’t feel like eating meat or eggs or when you haven’t been to the…