Wendy

Yoga for Everybody w/ Amber Karnes

September 12, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

If you have been browsing around the gram lately, you’ve likely come across the #bodypositivity movement. While we are huge advocates for body acceptance, we understand that some people may have questions about what that means and looks like.

Here to speak on her experiences about reshaping wellness to include every BODY is Amber Karnes, founder of Body Positive Yoga. She’s a yoga Asana teacher and social justice advocate. Her commitment to accessible, adaptive yoga practice empowers thousands of diverse practitioners around the globe.

She is the creator of the Body Positive Clubhouse, an online community using tools of yoga and feminism to help people build unshakable confidence. In this episode of the Food Heaven Podcast, we talk to Amber about yoga, body acceptance (and body neutrality), food, and more!

In this episode, we’ll cover:

Amber’s introduction to yoga and her experiences within the wellness space as a woman in a larger body
Amber’s journey into body acceptance
The inspiration behind creating Body Positive Yoga
The difference between body positivity, body acceptance, and body neutrality
Practical ways to incorporate acceptance and inclusivity in yoga teaching
and MORE!

Resources:

Body Positive Yoga website
Body Positive Clubhouse (membership community)
Body Positive Rebellion (free course on body positivity and confidence)
Shore Up (free course in self-care)
7 day yoga exploration (free course)
Yoga For All (online teacher training)
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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!

Kintsugi Wellness w/ Candice Kumai

September 5, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

In today’s episode, we chat with the golden girl of wellness, Candice Kumai. Candice Kumai is a classically trained chef, former line cook, former TV host, former-model-turned wellness journalist, & six-time, best-selling author.

Her latest book is Kintsugi Wellness: The Japanese Art of Nourishing Mind, Body, and Spirit. She is also the host of the Wabi Sabi podcast, where she keeps it super real. Today we’re talking to Candice about culture, business, food, her career, and more!

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

Candice’s experiences navigating through the culinary & wellness world as a Japanese-American woman
How to power through feelings of isolation and defeat as an entrepreneur
What Kintsugi is, and the story behind the making of Kintsugi Wellness

Resources:

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:

Instagram @foodheaven
Twitter @foodheavenshow
Facebook @foodheavenmadeeasy
Pinterest @foodheavenmadeeasy

Diversifying Dietetics w/ Tamara Melton

August 29, 2018 by Wendy 6 Comments

And we’re back! We’re kicking off the new season with a very special guest joining us…Tamara Melton. Tamara Melton is an RDN and the co-founder of Diversify Dietetics, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the field of nutrition and dietetics.

She’s been practicing as a dietitian for over a decade. She also works for Morrison Healthcare as the Director of Health Informatics and teaches nutrition at Georgia State University. Today we’re talking with Tamara about the importance of diversifying the nutrition and wellness space, and also about her experiences as a black woman within the field of nutrition.

In this episode, we’ll talk about:

Tamara’s experience being a black woman in the nutrition & wellness world
How to educate people about food and culture ways that are effective
The importance of cultural representation through food
The inspiration behind Diversify Dietetics

Resources:

Diversify Dietetics Facebook Page, Diversify Dietetics Instagram,
Tamara’s Instagram
Twitter at @diversifyRDN and @tamarameltonRDN
Diversify Dietetics

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:

Instagram @foodheaven
Twitter @foodheavenshow
Facebook @foodheavenmadeeasy
Pinterest @foodheavenmadeeasy

Dietitian Spotlight: Tamara Melton

August 13, 2018 by Wendy 1 Comment

Tell us a bit about yourself?

I’m Tamara Melton, an RDN, wife and mom and l live in Atlanta GA. I transitioned to the world of health IT about 5 years ago and I work as the Director of Health Informatics for Morrison Healthcare. Also, after seeing basically ZERO progress being made in increasing the racial and ethnic diversity in the nutrition profession, I recently co-founded Diversify Dietetics. It’s a nonprofit dedicated to empowering underrepresented minority dietetics students and helping them achieve their careers in nutrition. As my husband says, I’m a true West Indian- I always have at least 5 or 6 gigs going on!

What’s your favorite part about being a dietitian?

That we have the potential to positively impact literally every person on this planet. I also teach part-time at Georgia State University (yet another job, ha!) and I always remind my students that since everybody eats, everybody is someone we can work with. I also really love the variety of career pathways in our profession.

Describe what your typical week looks like?

For Morrison, I am usually on calls or video conferences with vendors, developers, our company leadership, chefs, food and nutrition directors or RDNs. I am usually focused on a software development project or creating data visualizations for colleagues. I often have either a dietetic or health Informatics intern, so I’m spending time helping him or her with their work. Sometimes I am on-site at one of our hospital accounts or at our corporate offices in Atlanta or Charlotte, working on pilots projects or training employees on new technology. Once a week during the school year I’m at GSU teaching. During early mornings and my lunchtime, I’m focused on Diversify Dietetics work: writing blog or social media posts or working on fundraising efforts or programming for the students and educators in our community.

How do you find balance between work & personal?

I am a huge believer in task lists and try very hard to be disciplined and stick to them. I’m a HUGE procrastinator by nature, but over the years I’ve learned that my heart and head can’t handle that stress of looming deadlines. Also being disciplined about getting work done means I save time and can keep my family and rest time free. I also try to avoid working on weekends.

What are 3 foods you can’t live without?

My mom’s roti, kefir and coffee!

Thanks for sharing Tamara! You can take a look at the Diversify Dietetics site here and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Insta!

Savory Oat Flatbreads

July 26, 2018 by Wendy 2 Comments

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The Quaker Oats Company. Thank you for supporting our work here at Food Heaven!

Here at Food Heaven, we love a good flatbread. It’s the perfect combination of soft, savory, and tender.

I used to think flatbreads were difficult to make, and would reserve enjoying them at a good restaurant. If having at home, I would buy the pre-packaged crust at the local supermarket, which aside from being hard to find, costs an arm and a leg. And then, after lots of experimentation in the kitchen, I created my very own flatbread, and let’s just say, lives were changed.

This flatbread recipe rocked my world so much that I honestly don’t think there’s any going back to the store-bought stuff. Before we get into this recipe, let’s talk a little bit about how flatbreads work. Typically, a flatbread is made with flour, water, and salt and is then rolled into a flattened dough. The reason flatbreads are “flat” is because they are only slightly leavened, which means the dough rises just a bit in the preparation process.

We switched things up by adding blended, Old Fashioned oats to the flour mix. We love oats because they are affordable and nutritious. As a whole grain, oats provide 4 grams of fiber per serving, and they contain vitamins and minerals like thiamin, phosphorus, and magnesium. The fiber in a ½ cup serving of oats also may help support a healthy digestive system.

Although incredibly simple, this recipe does take a little bit of time to prepare, but we promise it’s worth it. These flatbreads pair well with hummus, stewed legumes, vegetables, or as a base for your next flatbread pizza. Ready to get started?

Add the water, yeast and sugar to a medium bowl, and mix well for a few minutes until all the sugar and yeast is dissolved. The mix should resemble milk. Add the eggs, yogurt and oil to the same bowl and whisk together well until you have a smooth wet mix, free of any chunks.

In a separate large bowl, add the all-purpose flour, oat flour, garlic powder and salt. Mix together well until all ingredients are worked in. Add the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix together well with a large spoon. Start working in well with your hands for a few minutes, forming a ball of dough that is easy to work and not overly sticky. If a lot of the dough is sticking too much to your hands, dust the ball with a bit of flour until it’s easy to work.

Place back in the bowl, cover, and allow to rise for 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.Then, remove dough from the bowl, lightly dust it with flour so it’s easier to work, and break into 6 pieces. Lay out a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface, and roll out each piece of dough into 5″ rounds.

Heat a large lightly oiled pan, and add the dough rounds onto the pan, one at a time. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, until bubbles start to form on the surface and the bottom starts to brown. Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side. Place on a cooling rack, and repeat for the rest of the dough rounds, adding oil as needed.

That’s it! You can enjoy these throughout the week or freeze them in an airtight bag, and once you’re ready to use, thaw overnight, and enjoy! They’re delicious when baked for 3-4 minutes at 350F or heated on a pan on the stovetop for a few minutes.

Now, we want to hear from you! Have you ever made flatbread before? Are you going to give this recipe a try?

Let us know in the comments below and tell us how you liked it.

Until next time!

Xo, W+J

Savory Oat Flatbreads

Servings: 6 Flatbreads

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm water
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated white sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoons plain regular yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups all purpose flour additional for dusting, as needed
1 1/2 cups Quaker traditional rolled oats blended into a flour-like consistency
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Add the water, yeast and sugar to a medium bowl, and mix well for a few minutes until all the sugar and yeast is dissolved.
Add the eggs, yogurt, and oil to the same bowl and whisk together well until you have a smooth wet mix, free of any chunks.
In a large bowl, add the all purpose flour, oat flour, garlic powder and salt. Mix together well until all ingredients are worked in.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix together well with a large spoon. Once most of the ingredients are mixed in well with the spoon, continue to work in well with your hands for a few minutes, forming a ball of dough that is easy to work and not sticking too much to your hands. If you find that the dough is too sticky, dust with some flour and continue to work into a ball.
Place back in the bowl, cover, and allow to rise for 1 hour or until dough has doubled in size.
Once the rising has happened, remove from the bowl, lightly dust it with flour so it's easier to work, and break into 6 pieces.
Lay out a piece of parchment paper on a flat surface dusted with flour, and roll out each piece of dough into 5“ rounds.
Heat a large oiled pan, and add the dough rounds onto the pan, one at a time. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, until bubbles start to form on the surface and the bottom starts to brown.
Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side.
Place on a cooling rack, and repeat for the rest of the dough pieces.

Recipe Notes

• Enjoy these with dips, stews, or your favorite vegetables! These also make a great base for flatbread pizzas!

• Enjoy within a week. You can also freeze leftovers for later use! Just allow to thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat.

Dietitian Spotlight: Marina Chaparro

July 12, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

1. Tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a bilingual pediatric and diabetes nutrition expert. Originally from the border town of El Paso, Texas and Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico- but now based in sunny Miami, Florida. I’m the founder of Nutrichicos, a bilingual nutrition practice specializing in child and family nutrition. Our motto is “Being a parent is hard, feeding your children doesn’t have to be.” There are so many conflicting nutrition messages, especially to new parents. My goal is to inspire mothers and give them the tools they need to make healthy eating a daily ritual.

I have many hats and love exploring new adventures: I’m a contributor to On Track magazine and frequently write in my blog, Nutrichicos. I’m also a media spokesperson, frequently featured in outlets such as Parent’s magazine, Huffington Post, Medscape, Oprah, Miami Herald, Univision and more. As a pediatric dietitian, I work 2 days/week at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, at the Pediatric Endocrinology team where I specialize in type 1 diabetes, diabetes technology advances and nutrition counseling.

I’m also an entrepreneur and a mom. I must say, being a mom is one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs I have. In my ten years working as a Pediatric Dietitian and counseling families with children, I genuinely believe healthy habits start at home. As a mom and a pediatric dietitian, I hope to bring trusted advice that is real and relatable.

2. What’s your favorite part about being a dietitian?

Working with children is by far the best part of what I do. I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 16, so I have both a personal and professional connection with diabetes. It’s wonderful to work with kids and families who have type 1 diabetes because it’s an instant connection. I think children don’t always get the credit they deserve. They are far smarter than they appear. Working at a children’s hospital really puts life’s priorities into perspective. I don’t sweat the small things. I love seeing the impact I can have on the lives of children and families. Whether it’s getting children to try broccoli for the first time, educating a family how to shop at the supermarket or teaching a kid how to give an insulin injection, I love it all. I feel like I’m making the world a better place, one kid at a time.

3. Describe what your typical week looks like?

Never a typical week in my case, which is also the beauty of being an entrepreneur and girl boss. I go to the children’s hospitals two days a week. The other days I see clients at Nutrichicos usually in the afternoons. Mornings are always a challenge as I’m not a morning person….working on it!

But on the days I don’t see patients, I work on articles, videos and growing my business. Being a spokesperson, I also work with journalists and media channels providing commentary or appearing in shows to offer expert advice. Having a private practice allows me to have creative freedom, which I love, but it also entails a lot of hard work.

4. How do you find balance between work & personal?

It’s always a challenge I must say. I have a rule of not working on weekends, but that’s not always possible as I sometimes do workshops, or I travel for conference and speaking engagements. I’m currently working on a new rule of not being on my cell phone while I’m with my daughter. It’s about quality and not quantity. I don’t want to be distracted by social media while I’m with her. I usually wait until she goes to bed to catch up on work and stay current.

5. What are 3 foods you can’t live without?

Coffee, bread, chocolate, and wine…wait only three? Not possible! I could totally live in France or Italy and be like fish in the water.

Marina, thank you so much for sharing a little bit if yourself with the Food Heaven community! You can check Marina out on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: @ Nutrichicos and her website here.