The Flexitarian Diet

The sixth installment of the series on eating patterns is about the Flexitarian Diet. Last month, we explored the MIND Diet and discussed how it emphasizes specific foods for brain health and cognition. Ranked #3 out of 41 total diets in the U.S News Best Diet Rankings, the Flexitarian Diet is just that—flexible. Largely based on a vegetarian framework, dieters may include meat when the mood strikes and can design their meals and snacks based on their own (mostly meatless) preferences. The diet was developed by a registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner and is found in her 2009 book, “The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease and Add Years to Your Life.” While that’s a pretty ambitious goal for any eating style, plant-based diets have been shown to help people lose weight and lower their risk of heart disease and stroke. Continue reading “The Flexitarian Diet” →

Pregnancy: 3rd Trimester Wrap-Up

I started writing this post at week 37, knowing it could be any day now that our little girl decides she’s ready to come out. And here we are, three weeks later and my due date has come and gone. Apparently, about half of all babies come somewhere before 40 weeks and 5 days, which means the other half come even later than that! Just trying to be patient over here… Continue reading “Pregnancy: 3rd Trimester Wrap-Up” →

closing the book (or THP: my own afterword)

(This is the last part in a series about The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. To start at the beginning, click here. Additionally, for my personal take on seeking joy as a believer in Christ and seeking happiness as it pertains to this book, click here.)

In my previous post on the last chapter of The Happiness Project, I asked myself a question: “How has Gretchen’s attempt to ‘change her life without changing her life’ changed how I view my own happiness?”

In a sentence: I think I’m more aware of who I am, what makes me happy, and how my behavior affects those around me. Continue reading “closing the book (or THP: my own afterword)” →