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Listen to the Latest Podcast EpisodeThe Science of Happily Ever After with Ty Tashiro
Food Heaven Made Easy

Food Heaven Made Easy

Black Registered Dietitian Nutritionists | Intuitive Eating Dietitians

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    Meet Jess

    Well hello there. Welcome to my about me page.

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    My official name is Jessica Jones.  But my friends (and actually most people) call me Jess. I’m a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator (and Zumba Instructor!) with a Master’s of Science in Nutrition. These days, I work at an outpatient clinic in San Francisco. My job consists of providing nutritional counseling to patients on general wellness and healthy eating, disordered eating, GI issues,  hypertension, high cholesterol, and more. 

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    If I had to describe my 3 biggest joys in life, I’d say 1. eating fresh foods, 2. helping people improve their relationship with food and their health, and 3. getting 8 hours of sleep every night. I’m also really into making things (I used to sew lot of my own clothes in high school and college and I’m currently taking a wood-working series). Home decorating, painting, writing, science, budgeting and finance… or “crunching numbers” as I like to call it, traveling (on my 30th birthday I left NYC and took a 9-month tripsy around the world) and fitness are some of my other passions. Spending time with friends and family are up there, too.

    For most of my life, I have been a vegetarian. This started when I was about 12-years-old. As a girl, I never liked the way meat tasted. I always used to pick it apart until there really wasn’t anything left to eat. It wasn’t until I went to visit my big brother and his girlfriend in their northern CA cabin that I realized, not eating meat was a “thing.” My brother’s girlfriend was a vegetarian, and it was on that trip that I had my very first veggie burger. Love at first bite, as I like to call it. On the ride home, I declared that I was going to be a vegetarian. And just like that, I never ate meat again.

    I want to be clear about one thing, though. Just because I stopped eating meat, doesn’t mean I automatically started eating in a balanced way. My favorite go-to foods in High School were a cheeseburger with “no meat” from McDonald’s and a small fries. I would also frequently binge on sugar and sweets. I was that kid who added two tablespoons of sugar to sugary cereal, ate a pack of candy a day, and snacked on sugar cubes (meant for tea) at restaurants.

    In my late twenties, I went back to school to become a Registered Dietitian. Throughout the process, Wendy and I created Food Heaven Made Easy, a resource for nutrition education and healthy recipes that taste great but won’t break the bank. Some of my favorite recipes include this vegetarian kale taco salad and these DIY reduced fat blueberry oat bars. If you want to learn more about what I eat in a typical day, check out my Buzzfeed article here.

    Food Heaven has been a way to merge both my geeky and creative sides. Thanks so much for your continued support along the way. xo! J

    • Favorite thing to do: Go to open houses on the weekends
    • Favorite book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year in Food Life  by Barbara Kingsolver and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot  (I know, that’s two.)
    • Favorite item of clothing: Anything flowing and free
    • Favorite food: Creme Brulee
    • Favorite season: Depends on where I’m at but, generally Summer

    PS I AM NOW OFFERING ONE-ON-ONE NUTRITION COUNSELING. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

     

    Meet Wendy
    What are you waiting for?

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    Crispy on the outside, oozy on the inside, we are Crispy on the outside, oozy on the inside, we are using @cabotcheese seriously sharp cheddar to make these bolitas de yuca for your superbowl turn up! A mouthwatering Dominican appetizer made with my favorite root vegetable, these bolitas feed a crowd and pair perfectly with Cabot cheddar, which is naturally aged and 100% lactose free. See below for the full recipe! #cabotcreamery 

Ingredients 
🧀 1 pound yuca, peeled and chopped into small chunks 
Salt
🧀1 tablespoon butter 
🧀1/2 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped 
🧀1/4 teaspoon of garlic
🧀1/4 teaspoon of paprika 
🧀4 ounces of Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese, cut into small 1/2” chunks 

Directions:
🧀Preheat the oven to 450F.
🧀Bring a medium pot of salted water to boil and add the yuca. Boil for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain the yuca, remove all of the fibrous stems and add to a medium sized bowl. 
🧀Mash the yuca well with butter, jalapeño and spices until completely smooth. Adjust for salt and set aside until cooled. 
🧀Grab about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the yuca mix, put the cheddar cheese in the center and roll it up into a ball. Repeat for the remaining yuca and cheese. 
🧀Add the yuca balls onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet OR air fryer and spray with oil. Bake for 25 minutes (or air fry for 10-12 minutes) until crispy and browned on the outside. Enjoy on their own or with your favorite sauce! 

TIPS: 
👉🏽If the balls are extra sticky, wash and dry your hands throughout the rolling process - this will help. 
👉🏽If your yuca mash is bulky, add a little bit of water while mashing to make it smoother.
    Ya’ll, let’s normalize checking in on people w Ya’ll, let’s normalize checking in on people when we see them versus commenting on their bodies. It’s just not it. Over the holidays, I had to check several family members about this. For many including myself, it’s awkward, uncomfortable and even if well-intentioned, it can be triggering for people. And you just never know what’s going on (maybe they’re sick, maybe they’re on medication, maybe they’re pregnant and don’t want you in their business)

What are some other ones you’ve been told? The latest on my roster has been “damn that ass is fat” 🤣 (can’t make this up)
    NEW MONTH, NEW SERIES. This time we’re talking a NEW MONTH, NEW SERIES. This time we’re talking about relationships. Do you ever wonder what science has to say about maintaining a fulfilling long-term relationship? Today on the podcast, we interviewed acclaimed relationship scientist, #tytashiro. His book, The Science of Happily Ever After, shows how our decision-making abilities falter when choosing mates and how insights from social science can help us make smarter decisions. 

You don’t want to miss an episode of our dating and relationships series! We are going to speak to everyone from @tenneshawood the founder of the first ever matchmaking firm dedicated to black professionals, to @loganury the author of How Not to Die Alone & director of relationship science at the dating app Hinge. And of course we can’t talk about relationships without talking about divorce, so we will interview @chautethompson, a counselor who helps couples and families grow healthier relationships.

What we cover:
What “happily ever after” really means
Why we only get 3 wishes for an idea partner
Why most people wish for the wrong things
Why the seeds of marital conflict can be traced back to your first dates
How to improve the quality of your existing relationship
Why is it so hard to date these days?
What is wrong with online dating?
What is the best age to get married?
What is the worst age to get married?
How to swipe smarter on dating apps.
What traits make a great life partner?
What is the number 1 trait to have in a satisfying relationship?
Is being “nice” a bad thing in relationships?
What is a novelty seeker and why could that be a dealbreaking trait?
3 things to look for successful online dating (hint: it’s not compatible zodiac signs).
Does wealth really matter in relationships?
Are soulmates real?
What does it take to make relationships work?
Should you feel a spark when dating?
1 thing you can do NOW to improve your relationship.

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