Nutrition and Healthy Eating

Pomegranates: Pomegranates are rich in antioxidants and nutrients that benefit heart health, memory and immune function. This article explores their health perks and creative ways to incorporate them into your diet.

Avocados to the Rescue: Avocados provide essential fats, fiber and over 20 vitamins and minerals. Learn how this versatile fruit supports skin, brain and heart health, and why it’s a key player in an SCI-friendly diet.

Give Peas a Chance: Packed with protein, fiber and antioxidants, peas are nutritional powerhouses. Joanne Smith breaks down the surprising health benefits of this modest vegetable and offers ideas to easily add them to your meals.

Healthy Holiday Snacks: Avoid the seasonal sugar crash with festive yet healthy snack alternatives. This article lists delicious and accessible snack ideas to keep energy levels stable and prevent digestive issues during the holidays.

Keep It Simple: Simplicity in meal planning is key to sustainability. Smith offers strategies to make healthy eating straightforward, affordable, and less time-consuming, particularly for those managing mobility challenges.

Healthy Coconut Cooler: This refreshing, electrolyte-rich beverage made with coconut water helps combat dehydration. Ideal for hot weather or after exercise, it’s a tasty, natural alternative to commercial sports drinks.

Easy One-Pan Meals: You can simplify cooking with nutritious, one-pan recipes. These meal ideas reduce prep and cleanup time while supporting a balanced diet — perfect for people with limited time or dexterity.

Mood, Brain and Immune Health

Eat Well to Enhance Your Mood: Smith explores how food choices directly influence mental health. Nutrients like omega-3s, magnesium and B vitamins can uplift mood and support emotional balance, especially important for those living with SCI.

Brain-Boosting Nutrients: Dietary adjustments can help improve focus, memory and overall brain function. Learn which nutrients play a role in cognitive performance and which foods to prioritize for mental clarity.

Spice Up Your Life, Boost Your Immune System: Spices like turmeric, ginger, and garlic help bolster immunity. This article explains their anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, with simple ways to include them in everyday meals.

Boosting Your Immune System: Practical nutrition tips to keep your immune system resilient. Smith highlights immune-boosting foods — including berries, leafy greens and seeds — that help reduce illness and enhance overall wellness.

Alleviating Health Risks of Chronic Inflammation: Chronic inflammation is a hidden threat for people with SCI. Smith explains how to fight it through anti-inflammatory foods like nuts, oily fish, and colorful produce.

Digestive and Bowel Health

Tips to Maintain Bowel Regularity with SCI When You Travel: Travel disrupts routines — especially bowel routines for people with SCI. This guide covers hydration, fiber intake and timing strategies to help maintain regularity while on the go.

The Pros of Probiotics: Probiotics promote digestive and immune health. Learn which probiotic strains benefit people with SCI, how to choose quality supplements, and how fermented foods can ease common gut issues.

Preventing Hemorrhoids: Smith shares dietary fiber sources and hydration tips to support easier, more regular bowel movements and reduce the chance of hemorrhoids.

Don’t Neglect Your Gallbladder: Gallbladder health affects digestion more than you think. This piece explains the importance of fat digestion, warning signs of gallbladder trouble and how to support this vital organ through diet.

Smart Food Choices and Lifestyle

Reading Food Labels: Understanding nutrition labels can empower you to make healthier choices. Smith demystifies common label terms, discusses marketing tricks, and gives guidance on what to look for — especially sodium, sugar and fat content.

The Benefits of Reducing/Replacing Sugar: Cutting back on sugar can drastically improve energy, mood and weight. This article offers realistic sugar-reduction strategies and discusses healthier sweetener alternatives.

Cut the Cleanse: Juice cleanses and detox diets are often ineffective or harmful. Smith explains why natural detox via diet and hydration is safer and more effective, especially for people with SCI.

Your Health in a Nutshell: Nuts provide protein, fiber and heart-healthy fats. Learn which types are best for health, how they support bowel regularity and reduce inflammation.

Address the Stress: Stress impacts digestion, immunity, and mood. Smith provides a holistic view of how diet, supplements and self-care practices can reduce stress and build resilience.

Eat Your Mosquito Repellent: Some foods may help deter mosquitoes. Smith explores how eating garlic, vinegar, or B vitamins might make you less attractive to bugs.

Books and Reflections

Eat Well, Live Well with Spinal Cord Injury (Book Review): A review of Smith’s comprehensive guide for managing nutrition after SCI. Tim Gilmer praises its evidence-based tips, accessibility and holistic approach to maintaining gut health, energy and mental clarity.

Final Food For Thought: In her closing column, Smith reflects on years of sharing nutritional advice with the SCI community. She emphasizes the power of simple, informed food choices.