Healthy Connections Hood River

11/25/2025

If you are wanting to maintain your fitness or weight goals during the holidays, you can! Portion sizes a a main contributor to holiday weight gain. Check out these guidelines to proper portion sizes to help build your plate with confidence. By emphasizing balance, you are able to enjoy your favorite foods without derailing your fitness or weight goals! With these cheatsheets, pair your Thanksgiving favorites with protein and veggies to keep things balanced.

And SAVE this post for Thanksgiving Day!

11/25/2025

💙 Type 1 diabetes doesn’t take a day off — and neither do the people managing it.
T1D is an autoimmune condition where the pancreas stops producing insulin, meaning daily management, carb counting, monitoring blood sugar, and staying prepared for highs and lows.

But here’s the truth: people with Type 1 are some of the strongest, most resilient humans out there. 💪✨
Whether they’re navigating school, work, sports, holidays, or just everyday life, they do it all with courage and determination.

Today and every day, let’s show support, raise awareness, and celebrate the fighters who keep going. 💙

11/23/2025

If this feels familiar to you, it's time to break the cycle! Manage your sugars by limiting your intake - read the nutrition facts label of everything in your kitchen and toss any food item, beverage, nutrition powder, salad dressing, or sauce/condiment that contains more than 6 grams of sugar. Purchase lower-sugar alternatives and see the difference it makes! If you're looking for sweeteners, natural sweeteners are preferred over artificial ones. Look for monk fruit sweetener or allulose (made from figs). They work great in baked goods too!

11/21/2025

Blood sugar is affected by the type (and volume) of food we eat - We all know that. But did you know that our stress levels and sleep quality also play a large role in our blood sugar levels? Glucose levels increase when we're stressed (to provide us energy during a fight-or-flight response), and they also increase while we sleep (called the “dawn phenomenon"). Learn more about why this happens and what to do about it in this article by University Health!

👉https://www.universityhealth.com/blog/stress-and-sleep-impact-on-blood-sugar👈

11/19/2025

November is diabetes awareness month! It's also the "start-of-the-holidays" month...which can bring a new layer of stress for those with diabetes. Check out our latest blog on how best to navigate the holidays while keeping your A1C in check!

Enjoy the holiday's without the blood sugar spikes. Discover diabetes-friendly food swaps, portion control tips, and mindful strategies to savor festive foods.

11/18/2025

November is national diabetes awareness month. We want to emphasize the importance of early detection to prevent complications like heart disease, kidney damage, and vision problems. Many people with diabetes, and even prediabetes, may be unaware they have it, so recognizing symptoms and getting tested is crucial.

11/14/2025

We’re thrilled to announce that Dr. Amber Cardinalli, DO is joining the Healthy Connections team this December! 🎉

After more than a year of searching nationwide, we found the perfect fit, a physician who blends the science of Internal Medicine with the heart and depth of Functional Medicine.

Dr. Cardinalli brings over a decade of experience helping patients with hormone imbalances, weight and cardiometabolic health, and digestive issues like bloating, constipation, and IBS.

Her compassionate, curious, and connection-centered approach aligns perfectly with our mission to help every patient feel seen, heard, and truly supported.

👉 Read more about Dr. Cardinalli and join her waitlist here: https://www.healthyconnectionshr.com/amber-cardinalli/

Dr. Cardinalli is accepting patients. She will begin seeing new patients on December 18. Join the waitlist today!

11/13/2025

For all the bean-based pasta lovers out there, here's some good news! The Banza brand had previously been known for having the highest glyphosate levels among gluten free products. But, this year, they have been third party tested for glyphosate and other pesticides and found to be clean! Next time you're at the store, scan the QR code on their boxes and you can see the actual results!

Here's what their website has to say about it: https://www.eatbanza.com/pages/cleanscan

11/04/2025

Who would imagine heavy metals to be found in our herbs and spices? When people think about heavy metals in their diet it’s probably the lead in their drinking water. But our tests show that dried herbs and spices can be a surprising, and worrisome, source. Consumer Reports tested several brands of various spices for heavy metal contamination. They ranked each brand according to their level of concern. The results are eye-opening. For example, all brands tested for ginger, oregano, and thyme contained concerning levels of heavy metals. Read the full report here to learn more: https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/your-herbs-and-spices-might-contain-arsenic-cadmium-and-lead-a6246621494/

10/31/2025

👓🎃 Where's Waldo? Hanging out at Healthy Connections, where else?! Turns out, even world travelers need a check-up once in a while. 😉

Happy Halloween from all of us — may your day be full of treats, smiles, and fun surprises! 🩺🍬

10/28/2025

October is mental health awareness month! Mental health isn’t only about depression, anxiety, or seeing a therapist. It’s also about becoming a balanced and self-controlled human with adaptive reasoning skills. Cognitive function is an aspect of mental health. It impacts how we think, focus, learn, and feel. Check out our latest blog to learn more!

https://www.healthyconnectionshr.com/cognitive-function/

Cognitive function is an aspect of mental health. It impacts how we think, focus, learn, and feel. Check out these tools to boost cognition!

10/21/2025

Following a low histamine diet and frustrated that it can be tough to find grab-and-go snacks? Check out this lab-tested low histamine protein bar! Yes, you will notice the high sugar content but the high fiber (11 grams!) will smooth out the rise in blood sugar. Choose from three flavors!

Every recipe is ISO lab tested to ensure low histamine and low tyramine levels for the chronic inflammation, migraine, and MCAS communities. The data is listed on our website - check us out. Why? Because when we are struggling with chronic conditions, safe nutrition matters.
www.considerthisnutrition.com
27.95/8 count with FREE economy shipping