Fuel for the Soul

Nourish the Body, Nourish the Soul

Nutrition 101

The Importance of Eating Fruit and How to Pick out the Perfect Fruit

NutritionkellypuryearComment

Please don't fall for the myth that "fruit is bad for you!" I can't tell you how many times a client, family member, or friend asks me "is fruit really bad for you because it's loaded with sugar?" but I can tell you my response is ALWAYS "no way!" … so please EAT THE FRUIT! Now that I made my point, let's move on to a more challenging topic - picking out the perfect fruit! To help you figure out how to pick out the perfect fruit any time of the year, I enlisted the help of Julissa Garcia from Shari's Berries !!

The Importance of Vitamins and Minerals

NutritionkellypuryearComment

Keeping your body healthy can be a complicated process, and with
different sources throwing a huge range of information at you, it can be hard
to decipher fact from fiction. Juggling work, a social life, and getting enough
sleep along with exercising and eating healthy can be a big task, and that is
before you even consider making sure that you get enough vitamins and other important
nutrients! Read on to learn more about these important vitamins and how to meet your daily needs with natural food sources!

Nutrients by the Alphabet: Yerba Mate Health Benefits and Recipes

Nutrition, Recipekellypuryear3 Comments

We have all heard of green tea and know that is has tons of health benefits, but have you heard of Yerba Mate tea? Well, Yerba Mate has even more health benefits than green tea, thanks to its active compounds (including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants) and has higher polyphenol and antioxidant counts than green tea as well. While Yerba Mate may not be a nutrient, per se, it is worth being recognized in this series, so read on to learn about the numerous health benefits and natural food sources of Yerba Mate.

Nutrients by the Alphabet: Xanthophylls Health Benefits and Recipe

Nutrition, RecipekellypuryearComment

I bet you didn’t know there is a powerful nutrient that starts with the letter “X”! There is actually a group of phytonutrients named Xanthophylls, which keep your body’s cells safe from dangerous free radicals and boost your overall health. Xanthophylls are non-essential, plant-based nutrients that have numerous health benefits. There are 5 main Xanthophylls (Astaxanthin, Canthaxanthin, Cryptoxanthin, Lutein, and Zeaxanthin) and they all provide a host of health benefits. Read on to learn about the numerous health benefits and natural food sources of Xanthophylls.

Nutrients by the Alphabet: Thiamine Health Benefits and Recipe

Nutrition, RecipekellypuryearComment

Have you ever wondered how the food we eat turns into energy? Well, a coenzyme called Thiamine (or vitamin B1) is used by the body to metabolize food for energy and to maintain proper heart and nerve function. Without Thiamine, carbohydrates and protein cannot be properly used by the body to carry out various important functions. Read on to learn more about the wonderful health benefits and natural sources of Thiamine.

Nutrients by the Alphabet: Quercetin Health Benefits and Recipe

Nutrition, RecipekellypuryearComment

We all know what superfoods are, but do you know what makes a superfood so super? Antioxidants! That’s right! And today we are going to talk about a type of flavonoid antioxidant called Quercetin that truly is super and provides a host of awesome health benefits (from heart health to boosting your immune system and longevity)!! Read on to learn more about those amazing health benefits and where to find good natural sources of Quercetin.

Nutrients by the Alphabet: Potassium Health Benefits and Recipe

Recipe, NutritionkellypuryearComment

I am sure that you have heard of Potassium before, but did you know that potassium is an important electrolyte and third most abundant mineral in the body?!? Potassium is needed for numerous cellular functions and is the main compound that interacts with sodium to perform many important functions every single day. Read on to learn the incredible health benefits of Potassium and where you can find this powerhouse mineral in natural food sources!

Nutrients by the Alphabet: Oleic Acid Health Benefits and Recipe

Nutrition, RecipekellypuryearComment

We have all heard of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, but have you heard of Omega-9 fatty acids? Well, Omega-9, also known as Oleic Acid, is a monounsaturated fat that can be produced in the body (unlike omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids) and can be found in your favorite bakery goods and your everyday soap or skin cream. Read on to learn about the health benefits of Oleic Acid and a perfect tasty recipe for Valentine’s Day!

Nutrients by the Alphabet: Vitamin K Health Benefits and Recipe

Nutrition, RecipekellypuryearComment

By now you have heard of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E, but have you heard of vitamin K? Vitamin K is also an essential fat-soluble vitamin that plays an important role in bone and heart health. There are two main types of vitamin K that we acquire from our diets: Vitamin K1 and vitamin K2.  Read on to learn about the health benefits of vitamin K and dosage of this wonderful vitamin.

Nutrients by the Alphabet: Jiaogulan Health Benefits and Recipe

Nutrition, RecipekellypuryearComment

Do you or someone you know suffer from respiratory issues, asthma, low immune function, diabetes, stress, obesity, or cancer? Well I have an herb for you. Let us introduce you to Jiaogulan - a Chinese herb. This herb is also known as Southern ginseng and has been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for hundreds of years. Jiaogulan holds the most wide-range of health benefits of any plant discovered. Read on to learn about just some of the wonderful health benefits of Jiaogulan.

Nutrients by the Alphabet: Histidine Health Benefits and Recipe

Nutrition, Recipekellypuryear1 Comment

You probably haven’t heard of Histidine before, but it’s quite an important nutrient! In fact, Histidine is often considered a semi-essential amino acid that acts as the building blocks of protein for your body. Histidine is only produced in very small amounts by the body, however, so you must obtain the rest of your needs from foods. Read on to learn about the wonderful health benefits of Histidine and what tasty foods you can eat to increase your intake!

Nutrients by the Alphabet: Gamma Linolenic Acid Health Benefits and Recipe

Nutrition, RecipekellypuryearComment

Have you ever heard of Gamma Linolenic Acid? How about seeing the abbreviated form as “GLA”? While GLA may not be a familiar nutrient, it is an omega-6 fatty acids with a host of health benefits! In fact, GLA is often used as medicine for treating several conditions ranging from nerve pain and skin issues to certain types of breast cancer. Read on to learn more about the health benefits of GLA and the best natural sources of this crucial fatty acid!!

Nutrients by the Alphabet: Folate Health Benefits and Recipe

Nutrition, RecipekellypuryearComment

Did you know that Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin (B9) and is often used in combination with other B vitamins to provide a host of health benefits? Folate is a crucial nutrient for optimal health and is naturally found in a variety of foods as well as in its synthetic form as Folic Acid. This week, we are going to talk all about Folate and Folic Acid – the health benefits, the recommended dosages, and the best natural sources to meet your needs! Read on to learn more!!

Nutrients by the Alphabet: Vitamin D Health Benefits and Recipe

Nutrition, RecipekellypuryearComment

I bet you have all heard of Vitamin D, but did you know that it is a fat-soluble vitamin that can actually be made by the human body (rather than relying on food sources alone)!? Vitamin D may just be one of the most important vitamins for optimal health, but sadly many Americans are Vitamin D deficient. Read on to learn more about the great health benefits of Vitamin D and how to easily increase your intake in a tasty way.

Nutrition Tip Tuesday: Top Tips to Maintain, Don't Gain over the Holidays Part 2

kellypuryearComment

Hello again, it’s Kelly Puryear here and I am back to give you some more Healthy Holiday Tips to help you Maintain, Don’t Gain over the Holiday Season. We are half way through December already and that means we are half way through the Holiday Season! Hopefully you all have been able to use my first five tips so far and have been able to keep the Holiday weight gain at bay. As part of the Maintain, Don’t Gain Program, I have 5 more tips to help you get through the rest of the Holiday Season and start the New Year off right!