Dietetic Internship Update – University of Houston Dietetic Internship
25 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
in Dietetic Internship, Nutrition
So I haven’t written in forever, and it’s because I was so busy back at home working, being lazy, and getting ready for my dietetic internship. I’m currently doing my dietetic internship at the University of Houston in TX for six months. I am so stoked to be here and want to use this blog as a way to keep track of all the great experiences I’ll have while I’m here.
Downtown Houston
First of all, I just moved here a little more than a week ago – January 14th. I can’t believe it’s only been 10 days! It feels much longer. It also doesn’t feel like January! Chicago winters are brutal, and it is 60 degrees and sunny here right now. Such a far cry from the 1 degree weather and ice my mom told me about last week back home. So glad to be missing out on that… but other than weather, I really don’t feel like I’m in Texas… or in a big city, though Houston is the 4th largest in the nation. I guess I haven’t really ventured out much into “Houston” – it’s kind of a sprawled city with no zoning regulations, so it isn’t neighborhood-y like Chicago, and definitely doesn’t follow any kind of “grid” system. From the highways, it seems more like a bunch of big circles, if anything.
I do miss my friends and family, but my living situation at the moment is perfect! I am renting a room in a house with two other interns in my program- a fellow Illinoisian and a woman from Seattle. They are awesome. We rent the rooms from a man who owns the house and his girlfriend who also lives here. AND there is another roommate – a current intern who is finishing up the program and leaving on Saturday. She completed the previous 6 months of the UH internship, so our programs overlapped by a little bit. She has been a valuable resource on what to expect about this program.
Well the first two weeks of the internship are spent on the UH campus doing internship ”orientation.” Last week we had a group project using the Evidence Analysis Library (though the ADA) and a pathophysiology case study. My case study was on Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS) and we actually will be presenting our slideshow and case study tomorrow. This week we are working on Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition, and we finished our EN case studies this evening and will be given PN case studies tomorrow.
I am excited about the rest of this week! We will be meeting with the current interns to discuss rotation options. The way that UH works is that there are 6 different rotations sections:
Clinical I for 5 weeks – at either a smaller hospital or a county hospital
Clinical II for 5 weeks – at a larger hospital, and preferrably something in the Texas Medical Center (TMC)
Foodservice Management for 4 weeks – at either a hospital or the national headquarters of SYSCO
Wellness for 4 weeks – sports, corporate wellness, counseling, etc
Community for 4 weeks – food banks, school systems, WIC, counseling, outpatient services
Research for 4 weeks – newsletter writing, UNDO research, Look Ahead study on obesity, NASA
We recently found out our first rotation, which will begin on Monday, January 31st. My first rotation is my Wellness rotation, and I will be working with an RD at BP doing corporate wellness! I am beyond excited; not only is this an area of career interest for me, but I will also be working with a fellow intern (the only guy in our program) and it is where our landlord/roommate (the man who owns our house) works as an electrical engineer! It is a great opportunity to work at a major corporation in an area of dietetics that isn’t clinically-based. I am super excited and will report more about this when I start interning there next Monday!!
Have a good week!!
Gluten-Free Diet Interview with Shelley Case, RD
20 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
I recently had the opportunity to speak with an expert on Celiac disease and the Gluten-free diet, which has been gaining much popularity these days. Shelley Case, RD, is a dietitian in Canada and is North America’s Gluten-Free nutrition expert who specializes in Celiac disease and Gluten-free eating. She is also the author of The Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide. I had the pleasure of speaking with her and conducting this interview about the Gluten-free “trend” and what it means for individuals who mistake Gluten-free eating as an effective weight-loss diet.
source: sgvceliac.org
Can you give a brief explanation for our readers of what gluten is and how it affects those with Celiac disease?
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, – Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which the body recognizes gluten as a toxic substance and reacts by developing antibodies when gluten is consumed. The body attacks the lining of the GI tract and destroys the villi, which are responsible for absorption of iron, calcium, Vitamin D and other nutrients. Over time, more and more damage will occur, and gluten can also damage other organs in the body besides the GI tract.
What percentage of people currently have Celiac disease?
Currently 1 in 100 people have Celiac, but it is estimated that only 5-10% are officially diagnosed at this time. Many individuals are misdiagnosed with other conditions such as acid reflux, ulcers, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and ulcerative colitis. The current delay in diagnosis is approximately 12 years, according to research from 2007 in Digestive Diseases. Research by Peter Green from New York indicated that the delay is more than 10 years in the U.S. Doctors are not picking up this rare disease. Celiac is a multi-system autoimmune disease that affects other organs and is hard to treat. The most common non-GI symptom that presented in 66% of Celiac patients is iron-deficiency anemia. It is hard to treat and diagnose because it looks like other diseases.
Can you differentiate between Celiac disease and wheat intolerance?
There are 3 different conditions that must be differentiated. There is Celiac disease, non-Celiac gluten sensitivity (with similar symptoms but patients do not develop seizures, infertility, or intestinal lymphoma), and then wheat allergy. Gluten sensitivity and wheat allergies are not auto-immune and do not damage the villi in the small intestine. Patients should be thoroughly tested for Celiac if they present with conditions such as anemia, bone issues, thyroid and liver dysfunction, and arthritis.
What implications or affects are there for individuals who eat a gluten-free diet? Is there a risk of nutritional deficiencies or disordered eating with this diet?
There are many challenges with the Gluten-free diet. Many products on the market are not enriched with iron and Vitamin B. They are made with white rice flour or tapioca flour, which are low in nutrients. There are many fiber issues and deficiencies in trace minerals on the Gluten-free diet as well. Those on a Gluten-free diet should look for enriched products as well as using nutrient-rich sources of gluten-free grains, such as amaranth, sorgoum, flax, quinoa, and brown rice. Also be conscious of fiber intake, getting Gluten-free whole grains, flax, and iron-rich foods. It can be difficult for vegetarians on a Gluten-free diet because of the lack of iron.
What tips can you give to individuals who want to begin a gluten-free diet?
First of all, the diet is very overwhelming. You should shop the perimeter of the grocery stores and work your way into the middle aisles wisely. Read all labels and work with a Registered Dietitian. Gluten-free products are approximately 2-3 times more expensive, which can be very frustrating for Celiac patients.
Do you have any thoughts or concerns about individuals without Celiac disease who adopt the Gluten-free diet? Can it be helpful or detrimental for weight loss?
Many who start a Gluten-free diet will gain weight. Once you remove the Gluten from your diet your body is able to absorb nutrients and gain weight again. Gluten-free items also have twice the amount of carbohydrates from added sugars as well as extra fat. Many of the Gluten-free products you see are items like cookies, brownies, and desserts that are already high in fat and sugar, and which Celiac patients used to avoid because they contained Gluten. Eating these again, with additional fats and sugars than their Gluten-containing counterparts, can easily contribute to weight gain.
Have you noticed an increase in consumer interest in using Gluten-free eating as a way of dieting or restricting calories? In your professional opinion, does a Gluten-free diet guarantee weight loss? Why or why not?
Due to Elizabeth Hasselback’s book and celebrity endorsement, it seems to be the latest trend. But many gluten-free products are high in fat and sugar, and unless you have Celiac disease this is definitely not an ideal way to reduce calories or weight. A lot more people are interested in Gluten-free dieting, either from the publicity from this book or because they have noticed that they feel better when they remove Gluten from their diet. The problem is that if a potential Celiac patient was to get on the Gluten-free diet before being tested and diagnosed, the test will not return positive. Once you remove Gluten from the diet, the body does not attack itself they way it does when Gluten and the antibodies produced from Gluten consumption are present. Blood tests to test for Celiac disease are 90% accurate, and only if the person is consuming Gluten, because the antibodies will be in the blood. A gastric biopsy is 100% accurate but more invasive. Those who suspect they may have Celiac disease or an intolerance should first be tested to be sure. And those interested in Gluten-free diets for weight loss should be careful about what they are consuming. Because of celebrity endorsement, the diet has become more popular, but it is not recommended for weight loss or people who do not have Gluten sensitivity of Celiac disease.
Celiac Disease & Why the Gluten-Free Diet is No Joke
19 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
Earlier this month I had the pleasure of speaking with Shelley Case, RD, a dietitian from Canada who is an expert in Celiac disease and Gluten-free eating. I became interested in this subject due to the popularity of Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s book, The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide, and the way it had taken over the public by storm. In the hospital where I work, I noticed an increasing amount of people interested in Gluten-free options, and not because they had Celiac disease or a wheat intolerance.
I began to wonder why so many people were opting out of eating Gluten. I came to the conclusion that many people equated Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s physique with her Gluten-free diet. What people need to realize is that she suffers from a specific disease in which she cannot digest Gluten. The Gluten-free diet is not recommended for individuals that do not have Celiac disease or a similar intolerance to Gluten. Gluten-free eating can lead to nutritional deficencies, weight gain, more expensive groceries, and disordered eating habits.
source: WatchingTheView.com
Celiac disease is a serious disease that has many different consequences and varied symptoms that are hard to diagnose and treat. The majority of individuals have iron-deficiency anemia (approximately 66%), which is a non-GI symptom for a GI-specific disease. Sufferers of Celiac disease face certain issues that disappear once Gluten is removed from the diet. However, without the removal of Gluten, Celiac disease can cause many problems. Gluten is seen by the body as a foreign substance that the body attacks via antibodies. Celiac disease is an auto-immune disease and the antibodies attack the body, specifically the villi on the surface of the small intestine. This leads to problems with nutrient absorption and can also lead to intestinal lymphoma.
There is also non-Celiac Gluten intolerance and wheat intolerance – two disorders that are not Celiac disease and do not have the same long-term consequences. Individuals may feel better once they removed Gluten or wheat products from their diet. However, anyone who believes they may have Celiac disease should speak with their doctor about being tested for this disease before starting a Gluten-free diet. This is because once the Gluten is removed from the diet, the body stops making antibodies. The antibodies are used to determine through a blood test or gastric biopsy whether the individual has Celiac disease.
The bottom line is that Celiac disease is a major disorder that specifically responds to the Gluten-free diet. Those without this disease should not attempt to eat a Gluten-free diet, no matter which celebrities are endorsing it. It is also wise to do more research into a diet book and understand its message before diving headfirst into its recommendations; Hasselbeck’s book is for fellow sufferers of Celiac disease – not for every woman in America who wants to look like her.
Dietetic Internship Applications
15 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
Wow – I’ve just realized that it is already half-way through September and I haven’t written a post for Nourish yet this month! I have been busy writing guest posts and working on writing internship stuff, as well as taking on a second job in addition to my fulltime day job. However, most of my time has been spent worrying and obsessing over my Dietetic Internship (DI) applications.
For those of you who don’t know about the process toward becoming a Registered Dietitian, the DI is the final step required before sitting for the registering exam. After completing their DPD coursework from an accredited program in Dietetics, students must apply to DIs and complete an internship from an accredited program. There are a bunch of programs across the U.S. and they consist of universities, teaching hopsitals, public health departments, foodservice companies, and school districts. Each program has to have an overarching emphasis in either Community, Clinical, General, or Foodservice Nutrition, but each is required to have a minimum amount of each type of nutrition work.
There are matches in the Spring and the Fall, and spots are competitive. This fall I am applying to 3 programs and I won’t find out until November 15th where I will be matched, if I will be matched at all. Needless to say, I am freaking out and working on these the best I can to be best applicant/ future intern out there!
So I promise I will be writing and updating soon… in the meantime you can check out some of the guest posts that I’ve written if you look under the link in the ABOUT section.
Wishing you all the best 
Fun Food Friday: Farro
27 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
One of my favorite grains is Farro. I only recently started eating it after I “discovered” it at Whole Foods earlier in the summer. Whole Foods has an amazing deli section with delicious salads, foods, and unique mixes. I tried a Farro and Spinach mixed salad that was absolutely amazing and have been hooked ever since.
So what is it about Farro that differs from other grains? First of all, Farro is a hearty grain much like Spelt. It has a knobby, thick, and nutty texture, kind of like Israeli couscous (the bigger, thicker couscous, not the tiny couscous), but heartier. Unlike Spelt, which is kind of gummy, it has a denser texture, kind of like pasta cooked al dente.
This grain, however, has an interesting history. Farro is an ancient Italian grain that is often confused with other grains. Since it is so similar to Spelt, it is sometimes referred to as the same thing. In Italy, Spelt, Emmer, and Einkorn (all different wheat species) are all referred to as Farro, but one of three types: Farro Grande (big farro), Farro Medio (medium farro), and Farro Piccolo (little farro). It can sometimes be confusing to determine what you are getting! Emmer, however, is the most popular form of Farro grown in Italy and the most common that is found imported here in the United States.
Farro has double the amount of fiber and protein than typical wheat. Because it is a type of wheat, it contains gluten and is not recommended for individuals on a gluten-free or wheat-free diet.
Below is a delicious recipe, courtesy of the Food Network and Giada De Laurentiis, for a Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs. Bon Appetito!
Farro Salad with Tomatoes and Herbs
Cook Time: 35 Minutes Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients:
- 4 cups water
- 10 ounces farro (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 1 pound tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 sweet onion (recommended: Walla Walla) chopped
- 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
Combine the water and farro in a medium
saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the farro is tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well, and then transfer to a large bowl to cool.
Add the tomatoes, onion, chives, and parsley to the farro, and toss to combine.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add the vinaigrette to the salad and toss to coat.
The salad can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Trail Running: Discovering the Passion for Running Again
22 Aug 2010 1 Comment
in Colorado, Environment, Exercise, Running Tags: Boulder, Colorado, Durango, Environment, Exercise, Mountains
I live in the Midwest… the suburbs of Chicago, to be more precise. So when I say that I like “trail running,” I feel kind of silly.
For those of you familiar with this area, there are some pretty awesome trails, such as Waterfall Glen, Palos Forest Preserve, and trails in Palatine. However, nothing around here competes with the Coasts (both East and West), the more mountainous regions in our country (The Rockies, the Sierras, the Appalachians, etc.), and my favorites like Boulder and Durango in Colorado.
Trail running, despite the geographical limitations, is still a passion of mine. As far as I can remember, I’ve always been running… I started cross country in 7th grade when I was 13, but I ran my very first race when I was in 5th grade at the Brookfield Zoo… It was a 5k called the “Zoo Run Run” and we ran around the Zoo and part-way through a neighborhood in Brookfield. I remember wanting to do this run because I a) loved the animals at the zoo and b) wanted to be like my parents, who (at that time) ran 5k races quite frequently every summer.
Where am I going with this? Well, basically I am reminiscing about running as a passion… not a competition. In the last several years I have been hard on myself when running and competing… even if I PR’d, I would be upset about a minute here or a slow pace there. I could beat a designated time for myself (like a sub 2-hour half), but wonder why I only beat it by 6 minutes… instead of 10 or 15. I was always striving to be better. But when I was a kid, running at the zoo, I just wanted to run! Now I was running for a certain time, pace, or place in the race. It wasn’t fun anymore.
Sometimes we lose our passion when we get too involved in our niche – the sport, hobby, or occupation that we are passionate about. The same thing happened when I studied English in college – I studied Literature because I love to read and write; after 4 years of reading, writing, analyzing, and listening to pretentious and narrow-minded English majors in class, I no longer read for fun. It is actually a chore for me and no longer something I enjoy doing.
It has also been happening with Nutrition, where eating is no longer enjoyable for me (sometimes a good thing) because I know waaaaaay too much about certain foods and won’t eat them. Which, in the long run, is much healthier… but it requires too much thought! I sometimes wish I could go back to childhood where I ran, read, and ate without a care in the world. There was no competition; no over-analyzation; no guilt.
As I’ve aged I’ve learned that I need to return to this child-like mindset of finding the fun and passion in everything again. Running is my passion, and just because I’m not “competitive” against others doesn’t mean I’m not good, or that I don’t train hard, or that I don’t internally strive for a PR in the next half-marathon. Reading has taken me longer to get back into… “Why read when you can be outside?” is my latest motto… but there is a time and place for relaxing your brain and chilling out with a good story. And finally, we all need to erase the guilt we have about eating. My friend Elizabeth has a great blog called Guiltless about this very subject… about learning to embrace what your body needs and to eat mindfully and intuitively. I encourage you to check it out!!
I’ve discovered that passion for running again because of trail running. My mind is able to wander in ways it never did when I was road racing, because I was too busy thinking about my next strategy or which runner ahead of me to catch.
Trail running allows me to be alone. While you’re “alone” when running along the streets, you’re surrounded by cars, bikers, houses, kids playing, traffic lights, dogs, you name it. While running through the forest or on a single-track trail, you might encounter a squirrel or a mountain biker, but more often than not you are completely alone – with nature, with your thoughts, with running.
Being alone with my thoughts while enjoying the beauty around me is one of the reasons I love running so much. I now have a much more positive and laid-back approach to running because I enjoy the scenery around me and the feeling of “not caring” how long, how fast, or how far I ran. When I do decide to train for the next event – a 10k, half, or full marathon – then maybe I’ll pay attention to pace, technique, time, and distance… but for now I’m running like a kid again, and doing it just because I want to.
So – runners – I urge you to stray off the beaten path once in a while and take a turn onto the mossy, overgrown dirt road… you might be surprised what you will find when you’re out there alone.
For additional resources on trail running, check out these links!
How to Get Started with Trail Running – Trails.com
A Beginner’s Guide to Trail Running – Zen Habits
The Elusive Trail Runner – Adam W. Chase
Trail Running Soul – trail, endurance, mountain, and adventure running website
The Benefits of Yoga for Runners and Other Athletes
08 Aug 2010 2 Comments
in Exercise, Yoga Tags: New Workouts
Yoga and Running are sometimes seen as activities on opposite sides of the exercise spectrum; while running is an intense weight-bearing cardiovascular activity, yoga is seen as a practice of relaxation and stretching.
Yoga, however, is not merely relaxation and stretching. Yoga is a practice that builds body strength, improves breathing technique, and stretches out muscles that tighten over time from being hunched in front of a computer or sitting for hours in your car. In fact, yoga is an excellent compliment to the tightness and soreness that many runners experience from logging long distances on the track or trails.
As a distance runner who also loves yoga, I have compiled five benefits that yoga has brought to my practice of running, and that you can benefit from whether you are a runner or other athlete.
1. Improved Breathing
Breathing is a natural process, so how much can you really improve it? If this is your mentality, think again. Yes, we do not need to consciously think about breathing in order to do it, but once you begin to be more conscious of your breath, or pranayama, you will notice a great difference in your body’s ability to breathe more efficiently. Also, being conscious of breath work and breathing efficiency can also help you push past any obstacles or difficult moments you face during your run. Yoga is a practice of breath work that integrates the mind-body connection to help you work through the poses of your yoga practice; it can also help you work through tough runs where you just feel like stopping. By concentrating on your breath – the gentle flow of breath in, breath out – you’ll forget about anything else around you.
2. Balance and Core Strength Development
Balance and core strength are so important for runners. Both help with maintaining proper form as well as to keep you feeling strong during your run. Yoga is an ideal activity to build core strength, as many of the poses require you to support and balance your own body weight. Plank, Boat, High Lunge, Eagle, Tree Pose, and Half Moon are just a few poses that come to mind for improving core strength and balance. Yoga also incorporates many side twists and back bends, which will activate lower and oblique abdominal muscles that you might rarely use.
3. Flexibility
Yoga uses slow steady movements and isometric contractions to improve your flexibility and range of motion, which is beneficial for any athlete. Flexibility is important for running, since tight muscles limit range of motion and are pulled or damaged more easily. One yoga class will not make you flexible enough to do the splits, but over time you will noticed a marked improvement on your range of motion and flexibility.
4. Injury Prevention
While many exercises incorporate repetitive motions and muscle contractions – such as contracting leg and core muscles for running, and constantly hitting the pavement- yoga poses offer fluid and transitional movements that release tension from tight muscles. It loosens those hamstrings that become tight and contracted from long distance runs and alleviates much of the pressure we put on our knees. Before I began yoga a few years ago, I would always pull my IT band that runs along the side of my leg. However, certain poses in yoga help stretch out this band, and I now know what poses to do whenever this band seems to start getting tight again. Many runners also have much tension in their low back, and yoga poses such as Bridge and Fish have prevented further discomfort in my low back.
5. Relaxation
Yoga is a very relaxing activity, and is typically the main reason many people first seek out a yoga class. I began yoga due to stress I was experiencing from a new job, and I had no idea it would have other benefits as well. Yoga allows your mind to ease itself after a busy day of the stresses in daily living, much like casual running does. I’ve often found my mind totally absorbed in whatever pose I am practicing, which helps the problems of the day melt away. The final pose, savasana, allows the mind to relax in brief mediation while the body also relaxes after practicing many poses. While yoga and casual running share the same therapeutic mind-relaxing benefits, I have found myself repeating mantras from yoga practice and meditation during races.
While yoga and running seem like two completely different activities, don’t be afraid to try yoga if you’re a runner, cyclist, or soccer player… You may just be surprised at how much benefit a yoga session will provide to your athletic performance.
Fun Food Friday: Beets!
06 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
in Fun Food Friday!, Nutrition Tags: Cancer Prevention
I don’t know why, but lately I have been obsessed with beets. We never ate them at home, but I tried one in a salad this Spring and fell in love! I also “noticed” them for the first time at the cafeteria at my work, so I have been making up for lost time and eating a lot of them.
Beets are a very interesting vegetable. The red beet part that you eat is the root vegetable of a plant that is in the same family as Swiss Chard. Beets have a uniquely sweet and crunchy taste, and an interesting color. Color, in the world of nutrition, almost instantly equals phytonutrients! The bright colors you see in red cabbage, leafy greens, pomegranates, blueberries, blackberries, and carrots & sweet potatoes are due to the phytochemicals that deliver that magnificent hue (such as anthocyanin, beta carotene, and so on). The purplish-red color that beets posses is due to betacyanin, which is a major cancer-fighting antioxidant.
Beets also protect you from heart disease and colon cancer, and the high folate content (roughly 30-35% of your daily required intake) protects unborn babies from birth defects (specifically spina bifida, which is a neural tube defect caused from a deficiency in folate during the early stages of the gestational period). Beets are also a good source of manganese, potassium, fiber, vitamin C, iron, and phosphorous.
You can eat beets raw in salads or as a tasty snack, or you can use them to make the famous Russian soup – Borscht. We once made this soup in my cultural foods lab, and I had never had it before! So I guess I technically did eat a “beet” when we used them to make this delicious soup. Here is an easy recipe for Borscht, property of the Food Network.
Summer Borscht ~ The Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten)
Cook Time: 40 Minutes Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 5 medium fresh beets (about 2 pounds without tops)
- Kosher salt
- 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 16 ounces sour cream, plus extra for serving
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups medium-diced English cucumber, seeds removed
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus extra for serving
Directions:
Place the beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper. Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands. Cut the beets in small to medium dice. Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Season, to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.
Enjoy
Fun Food Friday: Healthy 8 Chopped Veggie Mix
30 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
in Fun Food Friday!, Nutrition Tags: Cancer Prevention, Digestive Health, Soluble Fiber
This Friday I wanted to write about a new product that my mom has been using at home as a neat addition to our regular dinner salads. It is a chopped veggie mix that she buys from Trader Joe’s. It’s a little pricey ($2.99) for about 4 cups of veggies, but she uses it sparingly in salads and mixes.
It consists of 8 healthy veggies that you can add to a salad, casserole, or stir-fry. The chopped veggies are broccoli, carrots, green and red cabbage, jicama, green bell peppers, radishes, and celery. A 3/4 cup serving provides 2 grams of fiber and 60% of one’s daily requirement for Vitamins A and C.
Some of these veggies are major superstars, including broccoli and cabbage – cruciferous vegetables that have major anti-cancer properties – green peppers, and carrots. Jicama is a delicious crunchy vegetable for salads, and radishes have many antioxidants as well. A higher intake of these vegetables helps with cancer prevention, digestive health, and helping you stay fuller for longer – so keep them on your radar! If you don’t eat foods like broccoli, carrots, and cabbage enough, this is a product that is easy to use. You could also put a scoop of this mix in a bowl and add some olive oil and vinegar for a tasty nutrient-rich snack!
The veggies will stay fresh in their container for probably about a week, and if you add these daily to a dinner salad you will definitely bump up your vitamin and nutrient intake. I’m always looking for easy ways to add more veggies to my daily meals, and this way is quick and easy! Of course, you could always buy these veggies individually and chop them yourself and save them for use throughout the week, but if you’re busy this is a quick way to get some extra fiber and vitamins!!
It All Comes Down to Calories…
26 Jul 2010 Leave a Comment
in Calories, Nutrition, Research Tags: Portion Control
I recently read an article regarding the “six meals a day” concept and its role in weight loss and/or gain. Many of you have probably heard from nutrition experts, doctors, your friends, or the media that having more frequent – but smaller – meals throughout the day is more efficicent for your metabolism and can help with weight loss. Apparently many aren’t getting the “smaller” part of the equation… and end up gaining weight when incorporating more snacks and meals to their diet plan.
In essence, the theory behind eating smaller and more frequent meals, set 2-3 hours apart throughout the day, is that you are allowing your metabolism to effectively work on smaller meals instead of having to breakdown larger meals spread apart. By stoking your metabolism more frequently throughout the day – instead of at three huge spurts – you are increasing your energy levels, increasing the thermal effect of food, and regulating peaks of insulin in the bloodstream. It can also curb food cravings and keep you fuller throughout the day so you don’t crash in the afternoon (this also has to do with balancing the insulin levels).
However, one must remember to eat small frequent meals, and not 6 huge meals during the day. What research is finding is that the excuse to eat more often throughout the day leads to even more unhealthier choices and even more calories than a 3-meal-a-day plan! This is not ideal…
One thing you can start off doing is having three healthful meals per day (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner) with two snacks – one in the mid-morning and one in the afternoon. If you are an athlete or you exercise regularly, your afternoon snack can be your pre-workout meal, followed by Dinner to replenish glucose/glycogen for energy and protein for muscle-building and repair.
Stick to snack items that are low in calories but have good nutritional value – such as fruits, vegetables, yogurt, nuts, or granola bars (watch the cals and sugars on these!). While the key to eating more frequently throughout the day is to lose weight, you have to make sure that these meals are kept in portion and calorie control… otherwise you may be setting yourself up for weight gain! It is always important to research and use common sense when reading nutritional information… if something you read is advertising for you to “eat more” and “weigh less,” chances are it’s too good to be true. But by eating more frequently and keeping those calories in check throughout the day, you will be stoking your metabolism all day long and balancing your blood sugar and energy levels!!
My name is Christine and I am passionate about nutrition, exercise and wellness! Read more about me in the "About" section of this blog and check out my other pages!
