Wendy

Dietitian Spotlight: Barbie Boules

February 16, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

1. Tell us a bit about yourself:

Hello fellow food-lovers! I’m a private practice dietitian & certified health coach in Chicago. My philosophy involves mindful & intuitive eating, learning to love plants on your plate, getting comfortable in your kitchen and having fun! Raised in a family that cooks and eats with reverence, I’ve been exploring what we put on the table – the flavors, the tradition, the comfort, the joy and the health benefits – since I can remember. Looking back, I realize that becoming a dietitian was natural. My coaching approach is holistic and focuses on:

Nourishing Food
Restorative Sleep
Energizing Exercise
Manageable Stress

Wellness is like a table with 4 legs. The top of the table is the foundation from which we serve ourselves and others. If one of the legs is weak, we fall. When each is strong, we can crush whatever we set out to do.

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

What’s not to love? There’s honestly nothing I’d rather be doing. Food, cooking, people, guiding and learning even more than I teach everyday – I consider myself fortunate to be a part of this world. It’s a really exciting time to be in the field of nutrition. In 17 years I’ve witnessed a king’s ransom of nutrition nonsense, so it’s thrilling to see RDNs coming together and advocating a deprivation-free, personalized approach to wellness that can last a lifetime. It’s simple, but revolutionary. I’m proud of us and our profession.

If I had to choose one aspect of what I do, it would be those breakthrough moments when a client starts to develop a healthier relationship with their body and what they eat. And nothing thrills me more than watching someone feel the pride and embrace the joy of cooking.

3. Describe what your typical week looks like:

I spend my days coaching clients, researching what’s new, writing, developing and presenting workshops, creating recipes and riding the wave of growing my practice. Each day is different and brings new challenges and victories. I’ve learned (the hard way) to schedule a specific time for each aspect of what I want to accomplish and have the patience to monotask. “Each thing at its given time with my full attention” is my mantra and keeps me sane.

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

I’m not gonna lie, as the mother of two amazing boys (14 and 10) and a small business owner, I don’t. But here’s how I try to not totally suck at it: ROUTINE. I’ve created a morning ritual that begins at 5:30am and includes a short prayer of gratitude, a 5-minute meditation that sets intention for the day, COFFEE and an hour at CorePower Yoga to literally and figuratively sweat out the small stuff – then a shower and I get to work. I also leave email, calls, texts and news until after 8. I’ve realized I need to get with myself before I can get with anyone else – setting that boundary was a game-changer. For me, it’s all about how the day begins. If I do that well, I’m balanced and good things happen

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

I have to choose? That’s tough; I really love food. Top of the list is avocados (goes with everything and tastes decadent but is super-healthy), eggs (versatile and nourishing) and olive oil (I may or may not go through a bottle a week – don’t judge).

[line]

Barbie, thank you so much for contributing to the spotlight! Hop over to Barbie’s website to learn more about her work, and make sure you follow her on the gram for inspo!

Plant-Based Monday: Carrots

February 12, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

We’re kicking the week off with these bright orange beauties. This plant-based Monday, we’re diving into the world of carrots. Anyone in love with carrots? They’re almost always in our refrigerators and ready to rock in all kinds of recipes.

Orange is probably the first color that comes to mind when you think of carrots (see opening sentence), but carrots actually come in an array of colors. They can grow in orange, red, purple, white, and yellow. As far as taste, the different colors may taste slightly different, but nothing drastic. Red and orange carrots are sweet with a slight earthy flavor whereas purple and white carrots tend to be much sweeter. The color of carrot won’t make or break a recipe though so use whatever you have on hand or find at the local farmers market.

Carrots are highly nutritious. They are a high in vitamin A and vitamin K, as well as a good source of potassium and vitamin C. Carrots are a good source of fiber, which many Americans don’t get enough of. Fiber helps to regulate the GI system, so carrots are one way to boost that fiber intake. Interesting tale? Carrots were originally grown for medicinal uses, not food uses.

Buying carrots is a fairly simple task. If you’re in a grocery store, you might find that they come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. Whole, baby, shredded, crinkle cut. Some things to keep in mind are what your recipe calls for and convenience versus price. When choosing carrots, it is more cost effective to purchase whole carrots. You can buy a whole pound of carrots for pretty cheap and have them on hand for a variety of different uses. Other cuts of carrots might be more convenient if you’re short on time. If this is the case, choose the cut that fits your lifestyle and recipe best.

We love buying whole carrots and saving them for all kinds of things. To start, wash the carrots and cut off the tops. The carrot tops can be (and should be!) saved. You can sauté them up with a little bit of olive oil and garlic. As for the rest of the carrot, peel and chop the carrot into strips, rounds, or whatever you like best. To store them, throw into a bath of cold water and keep refrigerated. Keeping in water will help to keep the carrots hydrated and crisp for weeks. If the water begins to get cloudy, switch out the water bath for clean, fresh water.

Our best carrot recipes are:

We love grabbing a handful of carrots for a simple, deliciously crunchy snack too. What are your favorite ways to enjoy carrots? Drop us a comment and give us your faves!

Dietitian Spotlight: Maya Feller

February 9, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

1. Tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a registered dietitian and founder of Maya Feller Nutrition. I see patients in a private setting, facilitate group lectures and have the pleasure and honor of appearing in the media, both on national TV and in print. With my patients, my focus areas are related to risk reduction and management of diet related chronic illness. Before starting my private practice, I established a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene funded Food and Nutrition Service program at a community based organization in south east Brooklyn. It was there that I learned to listen to, counsel, appreciate and advocate for the diverse health and nutrition related needs of low income New Yorkers. I strongly believe that my work in the community has deeply informed my work as a dietitian and has truly allowed me to meet every patient where they are so that I may work to find a culturally sensitive individualized plan and intervention.

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

I am a people person. I love meeting people, listening to their stories and connecting with them. My work allows me just that. In my practice, patients come in and share their nutrition journey. It’s a space where I learn from each interaction. In my media work, I strive to tap into and understand what’s happening throughout the nation regarding nutrition and health. I look to clinical experience as well as current research to find an honest way of sharing understandable health and nutrition related information.

3. Describe what your typical week looks like?

A typical week encompasses the following but is not limited to: making breakfast, lunch and snack each morning for my kids before they head off to school, going for a run or to the Y, seeing patients and working on their follow ups, meeting my writing partner, working on comments for news articles and possibly preparing for or appearing on a TV segment.

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

First, I must say it’s not ever perfect. I try to be flexible yet structured. I have scheduled my week in such a way where I see patients and leave specific time for follow up / paperwork. I do my best not to work once my family is home and carve out weekend time. Intentional physical activity is very important, so I make and take space for that multiple times per week.

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

I love so many foods, but I would have to say my absolute favorite is shell fish, followed by fresh veggies followed by coffee (is coffee even a food?! I have two cups each morning and couldn’t imagine it any other way).

[line]

Maya, thank you so much for contributing to the spotlight! If you want to learn more about Maya, check her out on Maya Feller Nutrition, and make sure you follow her on the gram!

Why We Stopped Promoting Weight Loss

February 7, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

Hey everybody! Welcome to another episode of the Food Heaven Podcast. Today we’re getting into weight loss. We get so many patients, and listeners too, who hit us up about wanting to live a little healthier- and the focus of the conversation usually starts with weight loss. A lot of people equate being healthy with losing weight. There seems to be this culture of weight obsession, especially among women, and a lot of times it’s not conducive to developing sustainable lifestyle habits. So today we’re going to talk a bit about weight as it relates to health and get into our approach to living your healthiest, best life

;

In this episode, we will cover:

Why we need to stop using BMI and Ideal Body Weight as markers of health
Factors such as genetics, metabolism, activity, health conditions, and medications, that affect weight
Why having a weight loss-centered approach is not conducive to developing long-term lifestyle changes
What the research has to say about weight loss-centered approaches
Our approach to developing a healthy life you love
Things you can do at home to shift your focus from weight loss to a lifestyle that works for you
& MORE!

Resources Mentioned:

American Academy of Pediatrics statement that doctors should not recommend weight loss diets to children and adolescents
Weight loss related to increased risks of eating disorders and don’t result in better health.
Why You Should Get Rid Of Your Scale

How to submit a question:

It’s easy! Simply record your question on the voice memo of your phone and email it to us at in**@****************sy.com. We’ll try our best to answer your question on an upcoming episode (and we’ll be sure to email you when we feature your question).

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!

Connect with us online:

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

Our podcast is released every Wednesday. 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 to pick their brains on how to cultivate a healthy life that you love. We hope you enjoyed this episode, and we’ll catch you next time!

Plant-Based Monday: Onion

February 5, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

So last week’s plant-based Monday, we talked about one of our favorite kitchen staples, garlic. This week we’re covering our other staple in the kitchen…onions! Onions are extremely versatile, potent, and fantastic addition to almost any dish. You can toss them into salads, stews, omelettes, soups, you name it. Flavor aside, onions have been shown to also be good for our health. So let’s hear it for onions!

Delving into the nutritional aspects of onions, they’re a good source of vitamin C and fiber, and contain other nutrients like manganese, and vitamin B6. They also contain a phytonutrient called quercetin. Phytonutrients are antioxidants that can be found in many different plant forms. There are a handful of phytonutrients, like carotenoids and lycopene. They play an important role in health because antioxidants help fight chronic inflammation, which can be linked to different chronic diseases. So eating foods like onions and other phytonutrient-rich foods, help lower our risk for chronic disease.

The origin of onions has been up for debate for years. Some research has pointed toward Asian countries as the origin, while other research suggests that they were first grown in the Middle East. Whatever the case, onions have been cited in ancient records dating back 5000 years ago. In Egypt, onions were thought to be a very powerful plant. They were often buried with the pharaohs. Onions were thought to represent eternal life due to their concentric circular structure (pretty cool, huh?)

Onions keep very well. When picking an onion, try and find a firm bulb with little damage to the exterior. Store them in a cool, dry place with plenty of air flow. Store onions in the refrigerator only after they have been peeled or cut for up to seven days.

For those of you weeping while cutting onions, try chilling the onion before cutting. This will cut down on the sulfur compounds in the onion to help reduce that eye irritation.

We really do love onions, as you might notice in many of our recipes. Check out some of our favorites:

What are some of your best ways to enjoy onions? Toss us your favorite onion recipes in the comments below!

Dietitian Spotlight: Nicole Rodriguez

February 2, 2018 by Wendy Leave a Comment

1. Tell us a bit about yourself?

My IG bio says it best: Fit mom. Dietitian/Trainer. Serving up easy eats, stronger glutes, and shame-free food for thought – with a sprinkle of disco-funk. Passionate about inspiring confidence in our food system. Occasional blogger. At the beach whenever possible.

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

Sharing the stories of the people – especially women – who bring our food from farm to fork. As a Master of Beef Advocacy, I have a particular soft spot for cattle ranchers and producers. You’d be surprised how many women work behind the scenes in this particular industry.

3. Describe what your typical week looks like?

I set the tone for the week with a heavy Sunday morning strength-training session. Quite simply, it gives me life! Since clients tend to shop for the week on Sunday, I might have a grocery store tour in the afternoon. During the week I take client appointments in the evenings. Once every couple of weeks you’ll find me in the gym VERY late – past midnight – shooting demo videos for a fitness accessory line. Things are never quite the same, and that’s just the way I like it!

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

Two things: separation of church and state (limiting talk about work in mom groups and my daughter’s school-related activities; never training others where I train myself; limited nutrition-related talk with friends and family), and making an effort to put technology to sleep a solid hour before my own bedtime. Social media is such an exciting networking tool, but it’s wise to make sure your virtual relationships aren’t interfering with personal ones – or your sleep!

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

Toughest. Question. Ever! I am SO grateful to have access to any food I want, at any time of year, and I love them all! Breakfast is a huge part of my day, so I’d be pretty lost without my staples: Fairlife milk and eggs. And if anyone told me I could never have a bacon cheeseburger again, I just might die of a broken heart.

[line]

Nicole, thanks so much for contributing to the spotlight! If you want to learn more about Nicole, check her out at Enjoy Food, Enjoy Life