Kristin Kirkpatrick, M.S., R.D., L.D.

In the last post, I documented the vast health benefits of eggs. What's not as clear, however, is what type of egg is best. Egg cartons are full of enticing terms like "free-range," "cage-free" and "organic." If you find these terms confusing, you're not alone. Last May, the Temple Journal...

My next two columns are all about eggs. And the hens that lay them, of course. Between 170 and 247 eggs were eaten per person between 2008 and 2009. Eggs are clearly a staple of our diet, yet, they still remain an enigma. Most Americans don't...

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was seven and, after school one day, my mom agreed to take me to my favorite fast food joint for a burger, fries and a cola because I did well on a test. As we pulled into the parking lot, my mouth...

You've made it another year and, chances are, you've made a few resolutions as well. If you're like most Americans, your goals are geared towards healthier eating, more exercise and perhaps, quitting a bad habit (smoking, too much drinking, eating donuts for breakfast). I started 2011 off with suggestions of...

It's the holiday season and chances are, you're knee-deep in parties, eating and stress. We all know that there is an increase in the frequency of these three components during the holiday season, however, what you may not be aware of is that fact that alcohol goes hand-in-hand with all...

Do you feel like you've done everything you can but still don't seem to lose weight? Chances are, you're not doing the right things. Americans are more confused than ever about how to effectively lose weight and keep it off. Furthermore, many people are surprised to learn that the seemingly...

Let's face it, as a kid; the best thing about Halloween (after dressing up, of course) is the candy. For one evening a year, children prowl our neighborhoods looking for something sweet to put in their pillow cases or plastic pumpkins, and we adults gladly oblige. Perhaps in an effort...

You did it! You lost the weight and now you're looking and feeling like a million bucks. Unfortunately, you may soon learn that losing the weight, though difficult, may end up being a much more attainable task compared to the uphill battle that now awaits you in the quest to...

As the years pass by, many women find that the lifestyle that worked out in their 20s and 30s fails to achieve the same results in their 40s and 50s. Many women ask: "What am I doing wrong?"

As women reach their 50s (the average age of onset for menopause),...

The United States is getting bigger and we have the data to prove it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assess the health and nutritional status of our nation by surveying residents from every state with questions related to their overall health . The data that...

They say that youth is often wasted on the young -- that we can't appreciate great skin and a fast metabolism until we get older and both start going in a direction we wish they hadn't. I have devoted my career to helping people live longer through good nutrition by...

The thought of enjoying a great meal out with friends and family excites me. I love getting a "night off" from cooking, enjoying a nice glass of wine (and all its benefits!) and taking a break from it all. What I don't want to do, however, is take a break...

The Cleveland Clinic, where I work, attracts patients from just about every corner of the globe. I have the opportunity to see many of these diverse patients and, regardless of where they come from, I hear the same phrase about why they struggle to eat healthy: "I can't afford healthy...

Many of my clients submit food logs to me regularly, and the one common theme I see on these logs is repetition. While their eating habits significantly improve over time, their actual food choices rarely vary. We can all get stuck in a food rut, but doing so may mean...

With New Year's resolutions fading and swimsuit season right around the corner, you may have found yourself in a diet rut. For the most part, diets do not work -- they rarely lead to long term weight loss and some may even cause us to gain even more weight. Despite...

Imagine driving all night on the interstate highway. After the eight hour drive, your car has provided you with power, lights and a mechanical system that kept you safe and got you where you needed to be. That all took energy -- energy derived from the gas you put in...

I've always loved entertaining in my home. The opportunity to have friends, family and food all coming together on a Saturday evening excites me.

In the past when I invited new people to my home for dinner, I typically got the following reaction; "sounds like fun ... but is...

Is your neighborhood making you fat? According to several studies, it just might be. Most individuals know that the keys to good health are a combination of good nutrition, regular physical activity, stress management and genetics. Nutrition and regular physical activity, however, can take a back seat when your environment...

When you read a nutrition label, what do you look for first? If you're like many Americans, you answered "calories."

Calories are important, but what if you turned around two labels without knowledge of the products and realized that per serving, each had only 100 calories. Both seem pretty...

Has there been a drastic increase in the number of people at your gym? It's a New Year and that brings on new resolutions. I was at my gym last night taking a yoga class and it was packed; loaded with people who swore that this year, they were going...