Tara Coleman's San Diego Nutrition blog

One of the biggest objections I get when it comes to eating healthy is people fearing that they just can't afford it.  Eating healthy in and of itself is not expensive.  Buying food and then letting it go to waste is very expensive.  I have included a few tips below that will help you create a plan and realistic goals so that you don't fall into this trap.  

If you haven't heard of Improv Everywhere I highly suggest you do a quick youtube search.  Basically they plan these hysterical scenes of joy and chaos in public places amonst those who least expect it.  I can't tell you how much I love them.  So much, in fact, that if the nutrition industry ever implodes please look for me on their website.  In the meantime here is a wonderful musical about the joys of lunch...

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, and more specifically, leftovers I wanted to share this short video about food waste.  It's from GOOD Magazine whose mission is to help people live well and do GOOD.  I think that sounds nice.  Plus this video is set to a rocking beat.  Enjoy!

Let's face it, mashed potatoes are good, stuffing is good, and some people even feel Tofurky is good.  The point is Thanksgiving is full of decadent indulgences and an excess of calories.  A common practice is to offset this giant meal by not eating anything for the rest of the day.  I'm here to tell you that is absolutely wrong, so don't do it.

Thanksgiving gets such a bad rap when it comes to eating, however the core components of Turkey Day are actually quite good for you. Where we get into a bind is when we douse our food with creamy heavy sauces.

Luckily there are some easy tricks to bring out the flavor of your food so you don't need to cover it up. One of these tricks is brining your turkey. Brining helps enhance the flavor of poultry and lock in the moisture so you aren't stuck with a dry bird. Because nobody likes a dry bird - especially pilgrims.

I probably get at least one question a day about soy. I can understand why. The soy debate is a virtual ping pong match of information that would make any seasoned politician's head spin.

Some feel that soy is the nectar of the gods and a diet rich in good quality soy will solve all that ails you. I mean, Asian cultures have been using soy for centuries and have the most amazing skin and virtually no menopause. It's gotta be the soy.

You are so stressed out and busy that your sleep is either long and restless or solid but way too short. So you wake up and start pounding coffee to get you going. There's no time to eat so by the time you get around to it you are starving. That in combination with the elevated cortisol (stress hormone) causes you to crave foods high in sugar, fat, and salt. Poor sleep, caffeine side effects, and blood sugar imbalance from poor nutrition finds you tired, moody, and finding it hard to concentrate.

This is how the water bottles you throw away end up in the landfill.

Seeing as how it is Earth Day - and that happens to be where I live - I thought that I would provide a tip today that benefits both you and the world around you.