The Nutrition Chef

by Brooke Ezzo Nutrition Buildi ng a f o nda t on, one meal at a t me. The Chef

Alex Fioroni, The Nutrition Chef, has over 20 years of culinary and nutrition experience. He studied Exercise Science, holds a Nutritionist Degree, competed as a national body builder, was a personal trainer, and in-home personal chef.

Now, he is taking science into the kitchen. Hoping to bring food nutrition and lifestyle education to our community with a concept most of us already try to do, meal prepping.

“My belief is that food is medicine, but not just any food,” Alex said. “The ingredients are the most important things to look at.”

With Alex’s background and his passion for the artistic part of cooking, Preplean was a no brainer. Alex and his wife, Ingrid created their meal program business with community in mind. Their goal is to educate as many people as possible.

“Meal prepping is a big thing, but that’s not what we are selling,” Ingrid said. “We are selling nutrition in the form of meal prep.”

That’s what makes them different. They care about the ingredients and they care about the portions, as well as caring about flavor. They want you to enjoy what you’re eating.

“We change taste buds for the good stuff,” Ingrid said.

They believe nutrition isn’t as complicated as people might think, and it can be quite easy if we understand the basics.

“Between all the misinformation and the scams within the diet industry, people get thrown off track,” Alex said. “It’s really just the power of information and knowing how to balance that with your lifestyle.

Alex says to get away from the word diet; it implies quick, unhealthy results and won’t become a healthy habit.

“You’re tying yourself to something temporary instead of educating yourself and becoming better so you don’t go back to your old ways,” Alex said.

Alex and his family practice what they preach. “How am I going to inspire someone to change if I am not living it too,” Alex said.

Here are a few tips the Fioroni’s incorporate into their lifestyles.

TIPS TO CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE:

• Drink 8oz of water immediately after waking up. This helps kick start your metabolism, hydrates you, flushes out toxins, and gives your brain fuel. A great way to start the day.

• Your last meal of the day should be the smallest meal. Dinner is when most people start to wind down and become less active, therefore burning less fat.

• Smaller meals throughout the day. Grazing every 2-3 hours boosts your body’s fat-burning potential and keeps your body from going into starvation mode.

• Get away from processed foods. These foods are high in unhealthy, cheap fats and use refined oils. This can lead to ailments that are caused by unhealthy weight gain and cardiovascular disease.

• Eliminate the word “refined.” Refined carbs and refined sugars should be replaced with “unrefined.” Refined foods are striped from all nutrients, they digest quickly, and can cause unhealthy spikes in blood sugar levels.

• Look at the basics. Look at the items you use daily; oils, salts, spices, condiments, etc. How can you slowly start replacing them with better quality and more nutritional items? Table salt could be switched out for Himalayan, olive oil and vegetable oil could be replaced with grapeseed oil, and try buying organic spices and condiments.

Alex and Ingrid operate their business out of Northlake. You can find more information about Preplean by visiting, www.Preplean.com. Follow them on Facebook to find out about their next local educational demo.

Helping You Create THE Pat io Of Your Dreams! by Steve Gamel Group photo by Your Candid Memories Landscape photos by What’s That Guy’s Name? | PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUY T

Jeff Rinehart isn’t afraid to admit his business grew from perhaps the humblest of locations – his garage.

The year was 2005. Jeff and wife, Dee, had just moved into their Denton home and were so focused on the excitement and newness of the property that neither noticed until later that the window in the master bathroom faced west and was getting thumped by the sun. Not one to allow a missed detail to ruin an otherwise perfect home, Jeff made a few calls to see what it would cost to install a solar screen. The only problem was that he didn’t like what he heard, as everyone he spoke to was too overpriced.

Being the creative mind that he is, Jeff decided to make the screens himself — and they turned out great. A short while later, someone asked him about his screens and whether or not he could do the same for them. From there, he got another customer, and then another and another on top of that. His phone was ringing nonstop, so he decided to quit his day job and begin a venture of owning his own screen business. He operated out of his garage for the first year.

“It was a cramped space, and a lot of late nights,” Jeff said about being in the garage. “But you have to start somewhere.”

Oh, how times have changed.

Longhorn Screens.Shades.Shutters. has been helping homeowners enhance the beauty and functionality of their homes for almost 15 years. When Argyle Living went and talked to Jeff and sister-in-law Christy Spigner, they told us how the company started initially selling window screens, but that it transpired into many more products very quickly. Longhorn Screens. Shades.Shutters. has become the go-to source for window screens, motorized retractable patio screens, screened-in patios, custom plantation shutters, interior roller shades, and vanishing screen doors.

WhatsThatGuysName.com

The top three products that are extremely popular to date are motorized retractable screens, interior roller shades, and plantation shutters.

The direction many homeowners are going these days is to improve their outdoor living areas by adding motorized retractable screens. At the touch of a button, you can extend the outdoor living area and enjoy it without bugs and insects getting in the way. Wouldn’t it be great to have more room to entertain friends and family or just a place to spend quiet time? The screens provide privacy and protection from the hot Texas sun and are manufactured locally by Corradi in Carrollton.

Interior roller shades have also become extremely popular. These are taking the place of blinds, and can be manual or motorized. They come in a variety of colors and are available in translucent, transparent, or black-out fabrics. Homeowners are requesting these more frequently because they like that their view isn’t blocked anymore.

Last but not least, Custom Plantation Shutters are still a must-have for many homeowners. Not only do they enhance the look of your home, but they also add value. They also do a great job of making your home more energy-efficient. Longhorn offers one of the most superior plantation shutters on the market with the best warranty available.

Jeff and his team at Longhorn Screens. Shades.Shutters cover all the bases and so much more, and they service all of Denton County and the majority of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. It is like having a one-stop-shop for all your home specialty items right down the road. Longhorn will come out to your property and work with you one-on-one. They have extremely knowledgeable salesmen to help you make smart decisions for your home, and they are family-owned and operated by Denton County residents. Check out their great reviews on Facebook, Google, and Yelp.

Not bad for a business that started in a garage.

“We’ve grown every year because we are informative, carry quality products, and have good pricing,” Christy said. “The Denton County and D/FW housing market is huge and is only going to continue growing. We are excited to continue to grow as a company and help our previous and new customers.”