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Food Heaven Made Easy

Black Registered Dietitian Nutritionists | Intuitive Eating Dietitians

    • Wendy

    4 Tips For Not Feeling Super Stressed About Food During The Holidays

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    It’s that time of year again: Christmas and New Year’s are quickly approaching. On the bright side, people are trying to figure out what’s on the menu where and who’s making what. Many of us look forward to celebrating food traditions (Southern-style mac ’n’ cheese anyone?) while sharing special moments with loved ones. On the other hand, the holidays can be a stressful and anxiety-provoking time of year for some of the same reasons it’s such a fun and festive time of year: lots of decisions about food and eating, and lots of people to make those decisions around.

    In my experience as a dietitian, clients often handle the stress (food-related and non) of the season by choosing between two extremes: restricting themselves around the foods they love because they want to “be good,” or completely throwing in the towel and eating thoughtlessly because January is synonymous with “new year, new you.” The strategies sound like they’re total opposites, but they’re actually two sides of the same coin; they’re both ways of dealing with the food-related stress and anxiety that comes along with the holidays.

    It’s pretty typical to have anxiety around food during the holidays. You may have family members pressuring you to eat more or eat less, commenting on your weight, or asking invasive questions about your health. Some of my clients consider completely avoiding holiday gatherings because of how unpleasant the experience can be. And, of course, going into this time of year is even more difficult if you have a history of disordered eating.

    I want to guide you through an alternative strategy that doesn’t involve restrictions, rules, or regulations on food. There’s no need to approach the holidays (or really any time of the year) with an all-or-nothing mentality. Special diets and complete food overhauls are likely to lead to frustration and feelings of defeat because they’re so hard to maintain over time. Here are four practical tips to keep in mind if you want to eat more intuitively during the holidays.

    Head over to SELF for the full article: 4 Tips For Not Feeling Super Stressed About Food During The Holidays

    4 Tips For Not Feeling Super Stressed About Food During The Holidays

    Easy and Simple Pomegranate Rum Sangria

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    Tonight is noche buena aka Christmas eve, and I was wondering what last minute drink I could whip up for my rum loving family. I decided to go with this easy and simple Pomegranate Rum Sangria. Lots of recipes go with brandy (which tbh, I don’t like) so a rum addition made the most sense in my mind. 

    This Pomegranate Rum Sangria has just eight ingredients and the bold fruity pomegranate juice paired with warm cinnamon flavors is sure to spice up any night. 

    Pomegranates are packed with many nutrients, including polyphenols that act as antioxidants to help reduce inflammation, oxidative stress and more. This unique berry has loads of fiber, vitamin C, Folate, and even has small traces of amino acids.  What I love most about this fruit is it has twice as many tannins than red wine alone!

    Let’s get started. Add all ingredients into a large pitcher and stir well. For the pomegranate, add the seeds and compost or discard the rest. Refrigerate for 2 hours, and lightly crush the fruit when ready to serve. Garnish with lemon wedges, cinnamon sticks, or pomegranate seeds. Adjust for sweetness as needed. Consider enjoying with these Seared Soy Glazed Mushrooms w/ Mashed Potatoes or Baked Skillet Eggplant White Bean Casserole! 

    Also, if you’re looking for a holiday read, check out our latest SELF article 4 Tips for Not Feeling Super Stressed About Food During the Holidays. Hope you have the best time with your loved ones. Cheers! xo

    Print
    Pomegranate Sangria with Rum
    Keyword: Beverages, Holidays, pomegranate, Rum
    Servings: 8
    Ingredients
    • 1 lemon, sliced
    • 1 orange, sliced
    • 1 whole pomegranate, seeds removed (you'll be using the seeds)
    • 2 cinnamon sticks
    • 1 cup pomegranate juice
    • 1 bottle dry red wine
    • 1 1/2 cups dark rum
    • 1/2 cup maple syrup
    Instructions

    1. Add all ingredients into a large pitcher and stir well. For the pomegranate, add the seeds and compost or discard the rest.

    2. Refrigerate for 2 hours, and lightly crush the fruit when ready to serve.

    3. Garnish with lemon wedges, cinnamon sticks, or pomegranate seeds. Adjust for sweetness as needed and enjoy!

     

    Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas (For New Years)

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    This post is sponsored by Thrive Culinary Algae Oil. Thank you for supporting the growth of Food Heaven.

    Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas For New Years

    Raise your hand if you’ve had black-eyed peas for New Years?

    This classic dish has long been a New Years Day staple in the African-American community –particularly in the South– as a symbol of good luck. The black-eyed peas are often served with collard greens to ensure an additional dose of financial prosperity (greens = green = money =  OKURRR).

    Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas For New Years

    We had this tradition in my house growing up, and my sisters and I have continued it into our adulthood. I wanted to recreate my family recipe so that you can join in on all of the prosperity and good luck this year. But I had to make a few modifications, since the peas are typically cooked with a pork product for flavoring (such as bacon, fatback, ham bones, or hog jowls), and we lean plant-based. Also, since “aint nobody got time” to cook black-eyed peas from scratch, I made an Instant Pot version, which only takes 25 minutes to make!!

    Instant Por Black-Eyed Peas For New Years

    We partnered with Thrive Culinary Algae Oil for this recipe; which, in case you were wondering, no, it doesn’t taste like fish oil pills.  I was hesitant to try culinary algae oil at first, too, and was shocked after I discovered that it’s 100% neutral in flavor! This makes it perfect for all kinds of cooking and baking. Turns out there are thousands of types of algae in the world, and the kind used to make Thrive was sourced from the sap of a chestnut tree, not from water.

    Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas For New Years

    I love this algae oil because it contains the highest level of healthy monounsaturated fat — about 90% — and the lowest level of saturated fats of all cooking oils. According to the American Heart Association, monounsaturated fats can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels in your blood which can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. If you want to try Thrive, you can find it in grocery stores or online!

    Ready to bring in all of the luck this new year? Let’s get started on the recipe!

     

    Print
    Instant Pot Black-Eyed Peas (For New Years)
    Ingredients
    • 2 tablespoon Thrive Culinary Algae Oil
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
    • 2 cups of uncooked black-eyed peas
    • 5 tablespoons of dried thyme
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1-2 cups of veggie broth
    • 2-3 cups of water
    • 1 teaspoon corn starch
    • Pinch of cayenne pepper
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    Instructions

    1. Add 2 tablespoons of Algae oil to the pot and use the saute feature to saute onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes or until fragrant.

    2. Once that’s cooked, add the remaining ingredients (make sure everything is FULLY covered in water/liquid), then lock in the top and cook for 23-25 minutes

    3. Once it’s done cooking, release the steam valve and let it depressurize for 12 minutes (or according to your Instant Pot directions). Pop the lid, stir and enjoy!

    4. Serve with collard greens and mashed potatoes for good measure.

    Controversial Foods: Soy, Coconut Oil, & Eggs with Katherine Basbaum

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    Today we’re talking with Katherine Basbaum, a clinical dietitian for the Heart & Vascular Center at UVA Health System. She received her Master’s in Nutrition Communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and completed her dietetic internship at UVA Health System. Katherine is passionate about nutrition as medicine for chronic disease, and believes the key to her patients’ success lies in the establishment of realistic, achievable goals.

    When not at the hospital, you can find Katherine hosting heart healthy cooking classes in the community, conducting nutritional analysis for local restaurants and writing or speaking on the topic of heart healthy nutrition for local publications and media outlets.

    In this episode, we’ll talk about:

    • Does the estrogen in soy cause breast cancer, early puberty, or make men grow breasts?
    • How many servings of soy should someone eat? Are there soy foods that are healthier than others?
    • Is soy safe for people with thyroid disease?
    • Do the MCTs in coconut oil have digestive benefits? Does coconut oil raise cholesterol?
    • Should we still be avoiding egg yolks?
    • & MORE

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    Connect with us online:

    Our podcast is released every week. In each episode, we cover tips and tricks for making lifelong sustainable healthy living changes to upgrade your diet and health. We also interview leading experts in the field of health and nutrition. We hope you enjoyed this episode, and we’ll catch you next time!

     

    The Racial Origins Of Fat Phobia w/ Sabrina Strings

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    The Racial Origins Of Fat Phobia w/ Sabrina Strings

    Today on the podcast we’ll be talking with Sabrina Strings, an Asst. Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Irvine. We’ll be talking about the racial origins of fat phobia. She was a recipient of the UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship with a joint appointment in the School of Public Health and Department of Sociology. She has been featured in The Feminist Wire, Yoga International, and LA Yoga. Her writings can be found in Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, Fat Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Body Weight and Society and Feminist Media Studies. Sabrina was the recipient of the 2017 Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship Article Award for the Race, Gender and Class section of the American Sociological Association. Fearing the Black Body is her first book.

    In this episode, we’ll talk about:

    • The fascinating (and infuriating) origins of weight bias and the thin ideal – it goes further back than you think
    • How this history affects our relationship to food and our bodies
    • Why BMI is an arbitrary measure of overall health and mortality
    • How racial bias in research is a problem and what to do about it
    • My (Jess) most EMBARRASSING body-image related highschool secret (that I legit almost edited this out of the episode)
    • & MORE!

    Resources:

    SHOUT OUT TO OUR PODCAST SPONSORS

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    Meet the scheduling assistant that works 24/7 behind the scenes to fill your calendar and takes hours of work off your plate. Get 45 days of Acuity Scheduling absolutely free – no credit card required – by going to acuity scheduling.com/foodheaven

    Can you do us a huge favor?

    If you enjoyed this episode, please do us a huge favor and leave us a review on iTunes ….right now. The more reviews we get, the higher we are ranked in iTunes, which means we reach more people!

    Become a podcast sponsor:

    Our podcast reaches thousands of engaged listeners each week. If you are a brand interested in becoming a sponsor, contact us to learn more about our affordable rates.

    Connect with us online:

    Our podcast is released every week. In each episode, we cover tips and tricks for making lifelong sustainable healthy living changes to upgrade your diet and health. We also interview leading experts in the field of health and nutrition. We hope you enjoyed this episode, and we’ll catch you next time!

     

    3 Step Spicy Sesame Sauteed Red Cabbage

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    December is here, which means limited options at the farmers market for those of us living in the east coast. It’s literally red cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and squash all winter long. I love adding red cabbage to recipes, and tend to enjoy red cabbage shredded and raw over warm dishes for an extra crunch. This time around I sauteed it just a bit, so the cabbage softens up a bit but also retains that crunch. 

    The result is this spicy, savory Sesame Sauteed Red Cabbage. Not sure if it’s just me, but I like to throw toasted sesame seeds on any Asian-inspire dish. It adds such a delicious toasty flavor to foods, and that’s exactly what I did here. This recipe goes great as a side dish to any meal you’re enjoying. This week I enjoyed it with this Curry Coconut Chickpea Dish! 

    Let’s get started! In a large pan, heat the oil and add the garlic. Saute for a minute, and then add the chili paste and soy sauce. Mix in, and add the shredded red cabbage. Saute for 4-5 minutes, mixing occasionally. Once done cooking, place the lid and allow the heat to further cook the cabbage for another 3-4 minutes. You want the cabbage to be tender but also crunchy. Top with toasted sesame seeds, chopped scallions, and sea salt, to taste. Enjoy as a side to your favorite meal!

    4 from 1 vote
    Print
    Spicy Sesame Sauteed Red Cabbage
    Servings: 4
    Ingredients
    • 1/4 cup sesame seed oil
    • 3 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 tablespoon chili paste sambal oelek
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • Small red cabbage, shredded
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
    • Chopped scallions, sea salt to taste
    Instructions
    1. In a large pan, heat the oil and add the garlic. Saute for a minute, and then add the chili paste and soy sauce. Mix in, and add the shredded red cabbage.
    2. Saute for 4-5 minutes, mixing occasionally. Once done cooking, place the lid and allow the heat to further cook the cabbage for another 3-4 minutes. You want the cabbage to be tender but also crunchy.
    3. Top with toasted sesame seeds, chopped scallions, and sea salt, to taste. Enjoy!

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