Happy and Healthy through the Holidays

Last year the New England Journal of Medicine published that on average North Americans gain one pound of weight from Thanksgiving to New Years Day.  Of course, this is an average number meaning some gain less and some gain more.

I've thought about this a lot because, in my opinion, Thanksgiving through New Years is the most difficult time of the year when it comes to nutrition counseling. Most

Coo Coo Cooking with Coconut Oil

I'm back after quite a long break.  Call it writers block or what you may but I've abandoned my blog and missed it greatly.  I have to say I was greatly impressed when I just logged on and saw that I've had over 15,000 views in the last few months.  I have been reading all your comments and listened to all your pleas to come back so here I am. Thanks for the push.

Recently on my facebook page I

The Reality of Carb Cravings

I have a lot of clients who come to my office with “a
fear of carbs.”  They are either avoiding
carbs or craving carbs.   Each visit is independent of each other,
however the guilt, stress, and confusion is usually similar.  As I silently and calmly thank the media for
yet again mass misinformation we soldier on and figure out the best plan to
move forward.





My theory has always been that the

Ask Amy name Top 40 Nutrition Blog by The Institute for the Psychology of Eating

I am very excited to announce that Ask Amy  was recently named as one of the Top 40 Nutrition Blogs by the The Institute for the Psychology of Eating.  Take some time to check them out and stay tuned for my next blog.  In the meantime if you have a nutrition question or concept that you'd like more information on comment below.

Are we missing the mark?


It’s been a while. Why you
ask?  Honestly, I’ve had writers block
mixed with a little frustration, and a lot of fear of what I’d put out there. I’m
active in the community, I own my own nutrition practice where I coach all
types of clients, and I read the newspapers, blogs, and watch the news which  frankly has loads of sh*t in it when it comes
to nutrition.  There I

Exercise and the Truth about the “Recovery Product”

I have worked with lots of athletes in my thirteen years as a dietitian and it seems the big question is always what should I be eating pre and post exercise.  Often times this is not a simple answer as we must go through a typical daily intake of food combined with a specific explanation of exercise.  I do find, however, that the general public is completely confused about this and often over

Magic Bullet…to the Heart?

There’s been a lot of press talking about a new diet pill Qnexa this week.  Have you heard about it?  Basically it’s a diet pill that combines amphetamine phentermine, medication said to suppress appetite and approved for short term diet use, and Topamax, a medication said to increase satiety.  Many federal health advisors have been singing its praise this week and it was even voted in favor 20-2

An Update from Sarah

Sarah continues to move through her recovery from Anorexia Nervosa and has made it through the most triggering time of the year for the majority of my clients - the holidays.  As Sarah moves forward from a setback of restriction, she shares her latest thoughts below.  Keep up the hard work Sarah. As always, we are pulling for you!


The past couple of days, who am I kidding; the past month has

It's our Blogaversary!

It's hard to believe I started this blog a year ago today!  Thank you to those of you who who have read and commented on my 77 posts in the last year.

I started this blog due to a large frustration with  all the misinformation presented in the media and news about nutrition and health.  Ask Amy is here to provide correct information that is backed by research or personal experience with my

Unveiling of New Standards for School Meals: A Review

I’m a visual person so to start take a look to the right. Today the First Lady, along with Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the first changes to school meal programs in 15 years.  The aim is to clean up some of the high fat, sugary, and salty options that are current in the school system.  The thought is that by providing an extension of healthy options away from home this can help

The Year of the Dietitian?

I am a dietitian, therefore I believe in dietitians.  I do not think all dietitians are created equally.  I do not think all dietitians are necessarily great at what they do, but I do believe if you work with the right dietitian you can get results that affect your overall health in a very positive way.  What I don’t know how to do is convince the public at large that a dietitian is the

Happy New Year - tips for a healthy 2012

Ah, January and New Year’s resolutions.  Those who consistently go to the gym throughout the year get slightly bothered in the beginning months of because of how crowded it is, the grocery stores notice healthier purchasing and increase their marketing and coupons on the organic or health foods, and dietitians read advertisement after advertisement on the web, in the newspaper, or in magazines