Maggie Ward, MS, RD, LDN
Dive into expert articles, insightful blogs, and the latest
research to empower your health journey.
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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Improving Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD): Does a Gluten and Dairy Free Diet Really Make a Difference?
in NutritionI 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…
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Spring Cleansing
in WellnessIt’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…
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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…
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Getting Fit with Fat- The top 5 reasons to get enough fat in your diet
It seems that the decades-old fat phobia is finally on its way out. And good riddance! I have to admit, when I was a young athlete and just starting to learn about nutrition, I too held my biases against fat. Thinking butter and nuts were bad, I would opt for bagels and rice. But as…
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The UltraWellness Center Garden
At The UltraWellness Center we believe that good nutrition starts in the ground. High quality plants start with the best seeds that are nourished with organic soil, clean air, and fresh water. The where, how, and when of growing and harvesting food makes all the difference in the nutritional content of our meals and their…