Maggie Ward, MS, RD, LDN
Dive into expert articles, insightful blogs, and patient stories to empower your health journey.
-
A Pediatric Autism Story: How Digging Deep Transformed Our Treatment
When Caden was born, he faced challenges starting in the hospital. His mother had a fever, so he needed antibiotics and spent a few days in the NICU. He struggled with sleep early on and was later diagnosed as mild obstructive sleep apnea. By 15 months of age, he faced more stress at home with…
-
Mocktails: Summer Edition
Mocktail recipes are a fantastic option for those looking to cut down or eliminate alcohol from their diet while still enjoying a delicious, refreshing treat. With the right ingredients, and when had alongside a balanced meal with fat and protein, you can create flavorful and satisfying mocktails that won’t spike your blood sugar. These beverages…
-
Top 5 Tips to Support Immunity Through Fall and Winter
It’s that time of year again. Colds and viruses are circulating and COVID is still ever present. You have probably heard it in the coughing and sniffles of many of those around you. I was recently stuck in Chicago’s O’Hare airport on a long layover and it seemed like everyone was sneezing and coughing. Needless…
-
Detox Pesto
This pesto can be used the same as any other pesto! Top your favorite vegetables, wild-caught seafood, or gluten-free pasta with this delicious detox-supporting pesto. Ingredients: 4 cloves garlic 15 Brazil nuts (high in selenium) ¼ cup pine nuts (high in vitamin E, manganese, zinc, magnesium, and selenium) 1/3 cup raw/sprouted sunflower seeds (high in…
-
Water Filtration
Clean water is at the foundation of good health. All over the world, assess to clean water has become increasingly difficult due to changes to the climate and pollution contaminating ground water. As we work to find ways to protect and preserve our water sources, it’s important to make sure the water you and your…
-
Nitric Oxide: The Miracle Molecule!
Nitric oxide (NO) is a gas found in nature and made in the body. In the 1980’s it was discovered to be an important signaling molecule in the body with many important functions in the cardiovascular system. Hence why Dr. Louis Ignarro, one of the scientists awarded the Nobel Prize for this discovery, has named…
-
Four Nutrition Services at The UltraWellness Center
Nutrigenomics is an exciting and rapidly growing field of study that looks at the relationship between the food we eat and our genetics in the prevention and reversal of disease. Dietary advice has been developed based on large groups of people studied over time, not on genetics or personalization. There will always be conflicting diets…
-
Nutrigenomics: Supporting Your Immune System and Beyond
“The science shows that food is information, and it gives instructions. It can upgrade or downgrade your biological software with every bite.” This is a quote from Dr. Mark Hyman, and he is referring to the science of nutrigenomics. Nutrigenomics is an exciting and rapidly growing field of study that looks at the relationship between…
-
Cannabis Sativa: Old Medicine with New Popularity
I love when medicine comes full circle and natural therapies that were used hundreds of years ago, or even thousands, become popular again. There is a wisdom in nature that stands the test of time. Cannabis sativa is a good example of this. There is now a large body of research that shows cannabis and…
-
Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup
Thanksgiving is almost here, can you believe it? With it comes the coziness of fall, delicious seasonal foods, and the opportunity to enjoy more time with friends and family. It’s also the perfect time to focus on gratitude, to realize how many good things and people we have in our lives and express our appreciation…
-
Local Sustainable Food: No longer an alternative choice, but a necessity
I have been a long-time participant and passionate follower of the environmental movement. When I was considering my major in college, I was torn between nutrition and environmental science. I ultimately chose to study nutrition because I knew what we choose to eat has such an impact (positive or negative) on the environment. This choice…
-
Baked Apples with Cashew Nut Cream
This delicious dessert serves 8. Ingredients: 2 cups filtered water or unsweetened apple juice 4 apples, sliced in half, cored Nut Cream ingredients: 1 cup cashews 1 teaspoon vanilla Maple syrup to taste Water for thickening Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F. Add the water or apple juice to a large baking dish and…
-
How to Support a Selective Eater
To be honest, I’ve never really like the term “picky” when describing a child’s food preferences. It just feels like a negative label, which may actually worsen the problem by becoming a title the child identifies themself with. I prefer to use the terms “limited” or “selective” because they allow room to grow and change.…
-
Keto Desserts
I recently wrote a blog post outlining the basics of a ketogenic diet and some of the benefits and risks. Since then, I have had more requests for recipes and questions about allowing room for desserts if following this diet. Although it can be a challenge, there are many ways to make high fat, low…
-
Ketogenic Diets: Sorting Through the Pros and Cons
Ketogenic diets are hardly new, but they’ve become increasingly popular in the last few years for weight loss and much more. As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I have used modified ketogenic diets for some patients over the past year and have found some positive outcomes, mainly improvements in cognition. My overall position is that…
-
Improving Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): Does a Gluten and Dairy Free Diet Really Make a Difference?
I get this question so often from the patients and families I work with. A gluten and dairy free diet may not be the answer for everyone. Yet over the past 15 years of being a clinical nutritionist, I have seen a variety of symptoms and health conditions improve dramatically after removing gluten and/or dairy…
-
Spring Cleansing
It’s my favorite time of year again – spring! Those first sweet smells in the warmer air and the light of longer days lift my spirits like nothing else, especially after a long, cold winter in the northeast. As a Nutritionist, this time of year always renews my commitment to working on balance in my…
-
Top 5 Food Picks to Support Liver Detoxification
By The UWC Nutrition Team Foods are your most powerful tool to protect and support the liver. There are 2 major phases of detoxification in the liver. In order to have effective detoxification, you want to eat foods that contain compounds that support both phases. Below is a list of some of the best, but…