I'm an EmpowerHER contributor with a passion for food, health, travel, yoga, holistic medicine, and women's issues. My work has been published at numerous publications including AOL City's Best, Tonic.com, DivineCaroline.com, and SFStation. While I consider myself a healthy late 20-year-old, I've had my share of health stresses including an ongoing battle with yo-yo dieting, an unhealthy obsession with WebMD (that lead to a severe case of hypochondria!), and my fare share of anxiety. I hope that my struggles and stories can help empower you.
Last weekend I went to two birthday parties, one bridal shower, and a Mad Men party. (So happy Don Draper is back in my life!)
After a few too many glasses of wine, pigs in a blanket, and a ...
March 28, 2012 - 6:00pm
I am obsessed with one-pot meals. They are the perfect answer for every busy family. As a die hard devotee of quinoa, I was yet to find any one pot wonders with this wonder seed — until now. ...
March 16, 2012 - 10:48am
A staple of busy cooks, store-bought rotisserie chicken is a quick, easy, and healthy shortcut to hundreds of your favorite meals. Next time you find yourself in a culinary bind, pick up a chicken ...
March 13, 2012 - 8:56pm
A hot addition to many of 2012’s trendy health food lists, black lentils are a nutritious food that should be added to every healthy eater’s diet. They’re packed with fiber, protein, and calcium ...
March 12, 2012 - 7:23pm
I live in San Francisco, a city where one day it’s swimsuit and flip flop weather and the next day it’s pea coat and boots weather. The bi-polar weather of my city makes it tough to call one dish ...
March 6, 2012 - 9:50pm
When it comes to knowing what the most important meal of the day is, Mama was right — it’s breakfast.
If you’re facing a long day of meetings and commuting and life in general, you need a ...
March 1, 2012 - 11:40pm
As a lover of Italian and Mexican cuisine, the moment I heard the name “avocado pasta” I knew I’d found love. A brief recipe hunt and one bite later, I was right.
Full of good-for-you fats and ...
February 29, 2012 - 9:31pm
As a lover of all things snack-related, I’m constantly struggling to find healthy options for my between-meal bites. Instead of running to the cookie jar and chip bag, I try to keep my kitchen ...
February 28, 2012 - 10:21pm
Delicious, universal, and packed with calories, Chinese food can be one of the unhealthiest choices when dining out. Lean proteins and veggies are often doused with sodium, saturated fat and ...
February 27, 2012 - 8:06pm
Potassium is a mineral that’s critical to our health. Found in most foods, potassium is important to keep our fluid levels and blood pressure regulated. Potassium levels are easily checked by a ...
February 24, 2012 - 4:31pm
One pot meals are quite possibly the answer to all of life’s problems. They are easy to clean up, perfect for reheating, and usually pretty darn healthy.
I love making one of my one-pot faves ...
February 21, 2012 - 9:59pm
Tired, lethargic, and low on energy? It might be anemia. If you’ve ever been diagnosed with anemia, it’s crucial to up your intake of iron. Anemic or not, it’s critical to have a balanced diet ...
February 20, 2012 - 6:04pm
I have a bad habit of craving something sweet after dinner. I try to go for a cup of tea, and as much as I’d like to say that does the trick, it doesn’t. I’ve learned to have an arsenal of low-cal ...
February 15, 2012 - 5:55pm
My best friend growing up was Italian. One of my favorite parts of our friendship was her mother’s amazing and oh-so authentic cooking.
One of her signature dishes was homemade lasagna. Meaty, ...
February 14, 2012 - 9:18pm
Packed with protein, full of flavor, and all the good fat you need, there are few foods more balanced and nutritious than good old eggs. Think outside of the frying pan (and outside of the first ...
February 8, 2012 - 9:27pm
Comforting, hearty, and oh-so delicious, there’s nothing as soul-satisfying as potatoes on your plate. The low-carb craze made potatoes as taboo as a deep-fried Snickers bar, but we’re here to ...
February 6, 2012 - 9:51pm
Every morning for the past week I’ve run out of the house with nothing more than a granola bar or glass of juice for breakfast. By mid-morning I’m famished and I end up snacking on whatever I can ...
February 3, 2012 - 6:08pm
Choosing which appetizer to serve on Super Bowl Sunday is a huge decision. While it’s easy to break out the seven-layer dip, jalapeno poppers and brie cheese, be sure to include some healthy ...
February 1, 2012 - 5:43pm
I love pasta. There are few things more comforting than an over-sized bowl of Italian love.
Unfortunately, one cup of spaghetti and meatballs (my personal favorite) has an average of 400 ...
January 31, 2012 - 12:50pm
I’ve been stuck home sick with a nasty cold for the past week. Yuck! Not only do I feel icky, but the weather outside has been equally cold and nasty.
Nothing feels better for a sore throat ...
January 30, 2012 - 8:05pm
It's cold outside. Really cold. And word on weather.com is that it's going to get nothing but colder for the rest of the month.
There's nothing more soul-satisfying on a cold day than a bowl ...
January 18, 2012 - 10:28pm
Whether you're looking to cut calories or reduce your carbon footprint, reducing your meat intake is a trendy (and healthy!) way to manage your diet. Instead of foregoing this versatile food ...
January 17, 2012 - 9:52pm
We've all been there. We're heading home from work, exhausted and hungry and rapidly losing our motivation to go to they gym.
The moment we get home we end up scarfing whatever we find in the ...
January 17, 2012 - 9:19pm
There are few greater feelings than trying something new in the kitchen and realizing it worked. I recently tried roasting an acorn squash with a few teaspoons of rosemary last night and it was ...
January 3, 2012 - 11:26pm
From the shelves at the supermarket to the status updates on Facebook, everyone’s got one thing on their mind -- detoxing. After weeks of downing eggnog, endless slices of pie, and never-ending ...
January 3, 2012 - 10:58pm
The toughest part about New Year’s resolutions is sticking to them. We all know that once February rolls around, your resolutions are as forgotten as the scent of pine needles in your living room. ...
January 3, 2012 - 10:50pm
If you’re anything like me, you love making New Years resolutions. A new year means a clean slate, a chance to make all your wrongs right again. In the past, I’ve tended to make a lengthy list of ...
December 29, 2011 - 5:10pm
Holidays are a time of indulgence. From cookies shaped like trees to Aunt Ida’s famous bread pudding, the opportunities for excess are endless.
One of the most dangerous dieting hazards is the ...
December 22, 2011 - 7:49pm
The most wonderful time of the year is also the most hectic time of the year. When you’re running around buying gifts for everyone from your children’s teacher to the mailman, eating healthy can ...
December 22, 2011 - 6:32pm
If you’ve visited a health food store (or really any store for that matter) you’ve probably noticed a new addition to their drink shelves in the past few years —kombucha. Kombucha is a natural, ...
December 9, 2011 - 4:41pm
No matter how much I try to eat healthy, I often find myself on a see food diet, meaning I see food and eat it. The best trick I’ve found to keep my gluttonous ways at bay is to ensure I forbid ...
December 2, 2011 - 3:39pm
Growing up traveling to India nearly every year of my childhood, I’ve always been a fan of coconut water. We’d have it straight from the coconut with nothing but a straw almost everyday. It was ...
November 28, 2011 - 5:02pm
’Tis season to be indulgent. From office holiday parties to friends-giving festivities, the month of December is a death trap for your diet.
Take control of the butter-covered chaos by ...
November 28, 2011 - 2:11pm
Thanksgiving weekend for us includes pie for breakfast, mindless snacking, and four days of throwing in the towel on any semblance of a healthy diet. Recover from your days of indulgence by ...
November 28, 2011 - 11:29am
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for everything but your waistline. While parties abound, there’s no more difficult time to avoid temptation than during the holidays. Follow these ten tips ...
November 21, 2011 - 1:31pm
Thanksgiving is a day dedicated to giving thanks, reconnecting with loved ones, and — of course — eating. As delicious and fulfilling a plate (or three) full of T-Day goodness might be, the ...
November 15, 2011 - 12:13am
There’s nothing more satisfying than a bowl of homemade soup on a cold fall evening. Rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants, butternut squash is a quintessential fall flavor. It’s also low in fat ...
November 12, 2011 - 10:24am
I’ve yet to meet a plate of creamy pasta that I don’t love. I can picture it now ... a heaping mound of warm, cheesy fettuccini alfredo ... ahhh ... so good. As delicious as cream-covered carbs ...
October 6, 2011 - 3:34pm
Hearty, fiber-filled, and oh-so delicious, chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) are one of the most underutilized beans. Not only will they keep your belly filled, they also help to regulate ...
September 25, 2011 - 11:36pm
Dieting sucks. There’s nothing worse than feeling deprived and hungry. Instead of starving yourself and eliminating entire food groups, rethink what it means to be healthy. These five tips will ...
September 25, 2011 - 10:46pm
I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t list pizza as one of their favorite foods. Warm, crispy, cheesy, and loaded with flavor, it’s easy to see why. As delicious as pizza may be, it doesn’t always ...
September 16, 2011 - 9:44am
Dessert. A four-letter word in the vocabulary of every dieter, there’s no more dreaded phrase to many a weight-loser than “dessert time.” Instead of depriving yourself from anything sweet, throw ...
September 15, 2011 - 10:59pm
Low in calories and high in fiber and protein, a warm bowl of oatmeal is the perfect way to start the day. However some people just can’t get into oats, no matter how much you dress ’em up. ...
September 12, 2011 - 7:16pm
Detox diets suck. Not only are they restrictive and almost impossible to stick to, but they’re also not necessary. Numerous medical experts say the science behind detoxing is “junk” and our bodies ...
September 9, 2011 - 3:08pm
From Atkins and South Beach to Weight Watchers and veganism, there’s no weight loss plan I haven’t tried. My painful years of yo-yo dieting has taught me one powerful lesson: calories in + ...
September 9, 2011 - 12:59pm
In my never-ending mission to eat less meat, I’ve started adding lentils into my weekly dinner rotation. My number one favorite way to prepare lentils is as a traditional Indian masoor, a recipe I ...
September 6, 2011 - 9:48pm
Last week I stumbled across a headline in Self magazine claiming that those who keep a food journal lose three — yes THREE — times more weight than those who don’t. With odds like that, I decided ...
September 6, 2011 - 9:02pm
Within the blink of an eye, summer is ending and fall is right around the corner. The best way to stay warm (and healthy) during the crisp autumn months is with warm, creamy, and veggie-filled ...
September 2, 2011 - 11:41am
Ayurveda medicine is an ancient (5,000 years ancient) holistic Indian healing practice. When being treated with ayurveda, the practitioner looks at the patient as an entire entity — body, soul, ...
August 31, 2011 - 12:59pm
The nutritional savvy among us know that we’re supposed to eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. However, mornings are usually filled with missed alarm clocks, ...
August 30, 2011 - 11:37am