In the Client Spotlight!

“Initially, I was nervous because I had never worked with a nutritionist and did not know what to expect.  Reading reviews online and learning that you took a more wholistic approach helped calm my nerves as it aligned to how I like to view health and nutrition. Since the start of our working together,  I have been able to switch to a healthy vegan diet and have lost approximately 18 pounds.  While these were my reasons to start the program, Adrienne helped create more balance in my life, helping to manage my stress levels and emphasizing taking care of my whole self.

I really appreciated your positive approach to coaching.  You never made our meetings about just losing weight, but about educating me on how to construct a healthy diet in a sustainable way that does not feel like a “diet”.  The focus on health and energy over calories or eliminating food groups helped make this a fun program that included trying new recipes and techniques that kept it interesting and exciting.  I have a whole new set of recipes that are both delicious and healthy.

Also,  I benefited from the visualization parts of the program greatly. The 1 month, 6 month, and 1 year goal setting exercise helped me stay on track and stay motivated.  It also allowed myself to really think about what I want to accomplish this year.  It has helped from a health perspective, but it also helped me to visualize and come terms with where I wanted to be with my relationship, my self care, and my career.

10 Easy Switches for a Plant-based Diet

Check out the video

Hear ye, hear ye!

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: you do not need to eat twigs and tofu to be a healthy person. More importantly, you can ENJOY your food while improving your health!

Our position on the non-exclusivity of health and enjoyment of delicious food remains unchanged. With regards to the plant-based diet and your health goals, it IS possible to have it all. We present to you 10 easy switches for a plant-based diet, from simple substitutions for recipes to a plethora of meal and snack ideas. Here we go!

Simple Substitutions

Try non-dairy milk instead of cow’s milk (i.e. almond, cashew milk are healthy alternatives and are widely available in grocery stores – or easy to make yourself!)

Instead of butter, consider coconut oil (for baking, spreading on toast)

Try nutritional yeast instead of cheese (sprinkle on top of popcorn, make mac+ cheese)

Tahini and hummus instead of dairy-based dressings or dips (i.e. Ranch)

Ideas for Meals

Breakfast

oatmeal with fruit and nuts

avocado or nut butter on toast

green smoothie

Lunch & Dinner

rice, beans, and veggies in a bowl

cauliflower walnut ‘meat’ tacos

pasta with tomato sauce and vegetables

spicy Indian dal

baked sweet potato with vegetarian chili on top

Snacks

popcorn seasoned with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and sea salt

raspberry coconut ice cream

carrots, apple, or celery with nut butter

sweet potato fries

DIY trail mix with nuts, seeds, & dried fruit

Did you notice? Being over-achievers, we gave more than 10 tips and ideas to help You make the transition to more of a plant-based diet. Whether it’s a ‘meatless Monday’ or ‘vegan before 5pm’ goal you have, these ideas will tickle your tastebuds and provide your body with nourishment.

From Culinary to Cancer: Kitchen Herbs

With the high-fat, sugar, and salt foods we encounter on a regular basis as part of our daily diets, it’s been a questions on people’s minds: how do we make healthy food taste good?

Enter herbs and spices, nature’s flavor enhancers! Many herbs and spices also have health benefits – from increasing beauty to cancer prevention! Check your herbal knowledge here:

Want to improve your score? Come to our class on Thursday, June 7th, we will cover quick and easy ways to get in the habit of adding a variety of herbs and spices to add a healthy kick to your menu. Various herbs & spices, as well as flavor combinations will be demonstrated and discussed.

Meatless Monday: Cauliflower & Walnut Crumbles

Whether you’re trying a Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, or want to creatively use some delicious and healthy faux ‘ground beef’ crumbles, it’s your lucky day! This recipe provides a delicious alternative to store-bought processed soy crumbles with questionable ingredients. It’s smoky, savory and completely plant-based.

Use it for tacos, lasagna, spaghetti and marinara sauce, chili, and wraps!

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower (about 3 cups)
8oz fresh mushrooms (we used cremini)
1 cup walnuts
3 tablespoons coconut aminos or tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons adobo seasoning
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper and of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. After removing the core and leaves of the cauliflower, start pulsing it in food processor (depending on how large your food processor is, this may require multiple batches); it should have the look and consistency of rice. Pulse the mushrooms and the walnuts until about the same size pieces as the cauliflower. Add cauliflower, mushrooms, and walnuts into a large bowl and mix in coconut aminos or tamari. Stir in all spices including salt and pepper and mix well. Line baking sheet with parchment paper (to prevent sticking) and spread mixture on top. Bake for 25 minutes then stir and turn mixture (to ensure evenness) before baking another 15-20 minutes.

If making tacos, garnish with cilantro, chopped red onion and romaine lettuce, and your favorite salsa. For spaghetti sauce, add meat crumbles to your heated tomato sauce along with some chopped parsley and stir well.

Dietitian vs. Nutritionist

If you’re confused about the difference between a registered dietitian (R.D.) and a nutritionist, you’re not the only one. After meeting with a doctor last week who asked this question, we figured it was high-time to explore the education, options, and state requirements with you. It’s confusing out there, so let’s clarify this situation.

Whether your goals include losing weight, having a healthy pregnancy, reducing high blood sugars and cholesterol, or improving athletic performance, diet is the place to start. A professional who specializes in nutrition is key, since their advice is based on knowledge, skills, and experience. But why might you want to make an appointment with a registered dietitian and not a nutritionist?

The key difference is in the education and training each has received. Outside of Ohio and a few other states, nutritionists often do not require any formal training, license, nor certification in order to set up a practice. Essentially anyone can call themselves a nutritionist in certain states such as Colorado and California, where there isn’t any requirement to be licensed (or even educated) as a nutritionist.

If you live in Ohio, someone who calls himself/herself a nutritionist is a registered dietitian (or is breaking the law). The person has been licensed by the Ohio Board of Dietetics (now the State Medical Board of Ohio) and may use the terms ‘clinical nutritionist’,’nutrition counselor’ and ‘nutrition consultant.’ A registered dietitian has completed the following:

1. A minimum of a four-year college degree, with specific study of human nutrition through the life cycles, anatomy and physiology, as well as other sciences
2. A 1,200-hour minimum, supervised internship
3. Passed a national credentialing exam, which covers nutrition information from clinical to food service and community aspects
4. Maintaining at least 75 continuing education credits every 5 years

Dietitians comply with a code of ethics by which to guide their practice and rely on evidence-based nutrition recommendations.

If you’re in a state outside of Ohio (perhaps one that doesn’t require licensing), know that some of the people calling themselves nutritionists can still be helpful and knowledgeable. To seek the advice and expertise of a registered dietitian, you can look for the RD or RDN (registered dietitian nutritionist) initials after their name.

Film Review: Food Evolution – Pro-Science or Pro-GMO?

Photo source: foodevolutionmovie.com

Film Review: Food Evolution

By Adrienne Raimo, RDN

Description: The film Food Evolution asserts that genetically modified organisms (GMOs), despite a controversial reputation, are a safe and intelligent solution to feeding an over-populated world.

Synopsis: Through his film, Food Evolution, the director aims to furnish some answers to the questions of how the science behind GMOs might be used to feed the earth’s growing population. While portraying those concerned about the health and environmental impacts of GMOs as misinformed and fear-mongering, he champions the developments of certain GMO foods as a way to improve crop resistance to disease and drought. The film tries to assume an objective, evidence-based analysis of the science behind GMOs as a safe and reasonable solution for looming issues of food security and sustainability as well as environmental health.

Recipe: Avocado Egg Salad

We’re celebrating National Egg Salad Week by sharing two delicious recipes – Avocado Egg Salad (made without mayonnaise!) AND an egg-less, vegan version with chickpeas. Pull those leftover, hard-boiled eggs from the fridge and let’s get started!

Avocado Egg Salad (vegan optional)
Serves 2-3
Prep time: 8 minutes

4 organic large eggs (substitute a 15oz can of drained chickpeas for eggs to make vegan)
1/2 avocado, pitted and chopped
1 tsp mustard
1/8 cup green onions, chopped
1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar or lime juice (helps prevent browning of avocado)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dill weed
Pinch of paprika
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Mash avocado in a medium bowl then repeat mashing when you add the hard-boiled eggs (or chickpeas) to the bowl. Mix all other ingredients into the bowl, except paprika.

Egg salad is best served chilled. Stick mixture in the fridge for at least 1/2 hr before garnishing with paprika and enjoying on your favorite bread, on top of a bed of greens, or in a wrap.

Momcast: Healthy Eating Made Easy

Ever wonder how to navigate peanut allergies, get your children to eat healthier, and what the terms “non-GMO” and “natural” really mean? Check out Dino and Stacy’s most recent Momcast podcast to learn all this and more! Common nutrition myths and who should really be on a gluten-free diet are also discussed.

 

Garlic Basil Spaghetti Squash

With the super-bugs going around and infecting people with flu/cold and coughs that linger for weeks, we thought it was high-time to bring in some garlic. Other than the folklore surrounding its ability to keep vampires at bay, did you know that garlic has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-parasitic properties? This vegetable from the lily family has a well-deserved space on our plates this season.

Ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash
25oz jar of tomato sauce
1 bulb garlic, peeled and minced
6oz white button mushrooms, sliced
5oz shredded green cabbage
1oz fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Carefully cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and place cut side down on baking sheet into pre-heated oven (400 degrees) and cook for 45-50 minutes.

Prep all other ingredients with knife and cutting board. Put garlic and mushrooms in large pan over low-medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add cabbage, tomato sauce, and fresh basil and simmer until done.

After spaghetti squash has cooled a bit, use oven mitt to hold while scraping out ‘spaghetti’ with a fork. Top with tomato sauce mixture and enjoy!

Review: Pure Barre Experience

Happy new year! Adrienne here….as you know by now, I like to test things out before suggesting them to you. I’ll share with you my personal review as well as others’ so you get a well-rounded idea of the Pure Barre experience.

It seemed like Pure Barre was composed of easy, delicate, pretty dance-like movements in front of a mirror. A place where people go to appear to work out than actually doing so. How very wrong these initial thoughts were.

Having partnered with the studio to provide nutrition information and inspiration, I decided to join the challenge of finishing 20 classes or more during the month of October.

Here’s how it went:

I couldn’t even complete the first class. I did not expect the extent to which this was truly a total-body, strength-training, fatiguing-little-muscles-you-didn’t-know-you-had workout. The class felt designed to break the image I had of myself as a fit person.

During the second class I realized the first one wasn’t an anomaly; this is how it was going to be. A feeling of dread, followed by determination, set in. The word ‘hazing’ came to mind as I realized mental toughness would be a key component to attending any future classes.