Dr. Tracy's Blog

Eat less, exercise more. You’ve probably heard that’s the secret to weight loss. So, it makes sense that if you want to lose weight quickly, or if you’ve hit a weight-loss plateau, you need to really ramp up the exercise, right? Unfortunately, many people experience frustration with this approach. Why aren’t they successful?   Research suggests that weight loss can be more complex than a simple “calories in/calories out” formula. In fact, our hormones play a larger role in regulating our metabolism than many people realize. As a result, maintaining a diet that encourages hormonal balance is often more effective than hours of exercise. Why Exercise Can’t Make Up for a Bad Diet Consider a woman training for a 5-K, like the Feaster Five . She runs from half an hour to an hour every day. With all of that exercise, she figures she should be losing weight and should be able to treat herself every so often.   However, she’s plagued by some remaining pounds that she ju...

Are you excited for fall? What’s not to love about the vibrant colors of New England in the fall? It’s a time to get out our cozy sweaters, enjoy the crisp fall air, cheer on the Patriots and Red Sox (if they get the AL Wildcard spot…) and for some people, sneeze a lot. Yes, unfortunately, many people experience watery eyes, sinus pain and other allergy symptoms when fall arrives. This annoying phenomenon can occur even if you made it through spring without sneezing. That’s because even though the symptoms of fall and spring allergies are the same, the triggers are different. So it’s definitely possible to enjoy one season allergy-free but suffer through another. And because there are more culprits to blame for fall allergies, many people experience the adverse effects. THE SYMPTOMS OF FALL ALLERGIES We tend to hear more about spring allergies, but fall allergies can be just as unpleasant. Symptoms often include: ●      Sneezing ●  ...

Spring Veggie Whole Grain Salad   Salad: 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces 1 cup fresh or frozen peas 4 cups baby arugula 1 jar or can of artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed and quartered 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 cup cooked whole grain: kamut is pictured in this photo, other options are farro, short grain brown rice, quinoa, amaranth or bulgur wheat Dressing: 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, rosemary, basil) 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard zest of one lemon (I always use organic lemons when using the zest in a recipe) Juice of one lemon 1/4 tsp each sea salt and pepper or to taste Blanch asparagus in hot water for 2-3 minutes, add peas to hot water for 2 minutes if you are using frozen peas. After heating,place asparagus and peas in a bowl of ice water while you assemble the salad. Place the remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drain asparagus and peas and add to salad. Mak...

~ POWER BOWL RECIPES ~ Plant Based Power Bowls are a great way to use up leftovers or make a full week's meals by preparing the ingredients separately then mixing and matching them throughout the week. I recommend making 2 grains, 2 sauces, having lots of chopped raw veggies and spinach/kale/cabbage as well having 2 proteins (beans, tofu, hummus) on hand to get a week's worth of meals. To make a balanced plant-based power bowl, mix items from each column and top with sauce. ½ cup 1 cup 1 cup ¼ - ½ cup Toppings Cooked Brown Rice Shredded carrots Roasted broccoli or cauliflower Edamame beans 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds Cooked Quinoa Shredded cabbage Roasted Brussels sprouts Black beans 2 tablespoons chia seeds Cooked Farro “Riced” Cauliflower Steamed broccoli Chickpeas 1 tablespoon toas...

One out of every three adults has trouble sleeping, are you one of them? Join me online, as I  will explain the connection between nutrition, lifestyle, habits, and hormones with a great night's sleep. She'll teach you how to naturally and effortlessly enjoy sleep by using my SECRETS of Sleep method. Wednesday November 7, 2018 11:00am- Noon EST Follow this link to Sign up https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-secrets-of-sleep-with-amanda-tracy-tickets-48333449649

As the nights become cooler and leaves begin to change colors ( and Starbucks lets their Pumpkin Spice loose... ) you may be craving something hearty for dinner. This is a quick, mild chili to satisfy those cravings. To keep it simple, the variety of veggies in this dish is meager but when I've had other items on hand and more time for chopping... I've made this with sweet potato, carrots, broccoli or cauliflower instead of bell peppers and it come out nice. Autumn Chili garnished with roasted beets, pumpkin seeds and avocado slices Autumn Chili 1 tsp olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups bell pepper. chopped 28 oz diced tomatoes and their juices two 15oz cans of beans, drained and rinsed or 3 1/2 cups cooked beans 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder 1/4 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, depending on how much smoky flavor you desire 1/4 tsp paprika 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice* 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp dr...