The Best Natural Body Care Products

April 24, 2018 Yvonne Matthews

Body care is one of those areas that doesn’t really fall under the nutrition umbrellas but does fall into the wellness category. It also seems to be one of the last things we talk about in a nutrition session. But it’s pretty important. In the US, our product safety regulations have not changed since 1938! That states that cosmetic companies don’t need to disclose their ingredients to the FDA before putting products on the shelf for us to buy and use. Wow! Did you know in Europe their regulations are so strict that they’ve banned over 1,300 chemicals we use here regularly in the US?!?! What the heck?!?

The average woman puts 515 synthetic chemicals on her body every day! 60% of that is absorbed into our bodies by our largest organ, our skin! Yikes!

Snacks on the Go

April 27, 2017 Yvonne Matthews

As a holistic nutritionist I get a lot of the same questions from my clients. One of the top question/concerns I am asked is how to eat healthy when they are so busy. To which I usually ask them how their typical days go. Where is all there "extra" time (the time not at work, taking care of their kids or in an office) being spent?

And you know what I find...? There is usually time in there. Holes where we get sucked into watching a few too many Insta-stories or reading too many articles on the same thing or even working form home in front of the TV and not being as efficient as we could be. Believe me, I understand. I have these times too!

The first part of that answer is awareness around that time.

Herb of the Week # 14 :: Ashwagandha

March 24, 2017 Yvonne Matthews

This week's been a busy one and I have had a bit of a hard time focusing, feeling like I was spinning my wheels and doing it all but still doing nothing. Do you ever feel like that? So I found myself drawn back to this wonderful plant, Ashwagandha. I could have written an entire research paper on it. THere's so many studies out there on it and it's so fascinating at the range it can do to the body. I hope you enjoy reading about as much as you do using it! It's almost one of those herbs that's wonderful for everyone at some point in their lives.

Herb of the Week #10 :: Calendula

February 22, 2017 Yvonne Matthews

f you're anything like me, you see the word "anti-inflammatory" everywhere. It's become quite trendy. Everything is anti-inflammatory this and anti-inflammatory that. And I have found lately that trendy in nutrition isn't quite the same as say trendy in something like fashion (and I don't mean that in a negative way). Simply, meaning that in health and wellness trends happen for a reason that is bigger than just a trend. See, in nutrition school, I learned quickly that most health issues can be traced back to inflammation. Of course, this is a longer blog post in itself. But for now, this week herb is one of THE anti-inflammatory plants: Calendula

Defining Goals & Getting Unstuck

January 27, 2017 Yvonne Matthews

I started a tradition about 7-8 years ago where at the end of every year I go through my goals from the previous year that have been sitting in a jar in my kitchen. I don’t use the term “resolutions” because it feels too rigid of a term and often when we don’t accomplish them we tend to term them “failures”. Instead, I like to use the term “goals”. These we can have and they can shift and take new shape as we grow. As I review my goals from that year, I divide them into one of three categories: completed/accomplished, incomplete/unfulfilled but still important to me, and finally, not achieved but no longer important to me. Then for the new year, I’ll revise any of the goals I still want to keep from last year, throw out the ones that no longer serve me, and write new ones. These go back in to the jar for the new year. Every now and then I’ll look back at them to check in, see where I am and remind myself of ones I may have forgotten (I also just started keeping this list on my phone as well, in case I want to look at them when I am not home). For me this is such a positive and fun activity around the new year, as well as, a great guide and reminder of what’s important throughout the year.

Registered Dietitian vs. Nutritionist

March 29, 2016 Yvonne Matthews

Hi again! I thought I would take a crack at trying to explain the different types of nutrition “people” out there. I don’t know about you, but all the different terms can be confusing. There’s registered nutritionist, holistic nutritionist, nutritional therapist, licensed nutritionist, health coach, registered dietitian, to name the most common. Who does what and how did they get these titles? As I started getting more serious about getting certified as a nutritionist I did some research on these terms and figured out what was best for me based on my philosophy on health and wellness. Here’s what I found:

The main designations in the nutrition world are nutritional consultant and registered dietician. Both are food and nutrition experts and base their practice in science and nutritional research studies. Both have the ability to work in private practice or with another health practitioner like a naturopathic or allopathic doctor. Health insurance may or may not cover either of their services, so check with your provider or FSA first to see if the services are covered. Also, just as a note, these are in reference to the United States designations. Other countries may have different classifications.