Piece O' Cheesecake: 99-calorie Indulgence!

A friend and mentor, Jodi Citrin Greebel, RD of Citrition, LLC, recently introduced me to a shop on Lexington Avenue, between 85th St & 86th St in Manhattan, called Little Brown. As a future Registered Dietitian who also happens to be a self-confessed hot chocolate addict, I was intrigued when I saw on the menu a 99-calorie hot chocolate prepared with 70% dark chocolate and skim milk. I am here to tell you, it's delicious and right up there with all the best decadent hot chocolates in NYC. It's even better because this Little Brown hot chocolate consumed in moderation and by itself passes as a (less than) 100-calorie snack that provides some calcium from the skim milk and some antioxidants from the dark chocolate. Enjoy!

A friend and mentor, Jodi Citrin Greebel, RD of Citrition, LLC, recently introduced me to a shop on Lexington Avenue, between 85th St & 86th St in Manhattan, called Little Brown. As a future Registered Dietitian who also happens to be a self-confessed hot chocolate addict, I was intrigued when I saw on the menu a 99-calorie hot chocolate prepared with 70% dark chocolate and skim milk. I am here to tell you, it's delicious and right up there with all the best decadent hot chocolates in NYC. It's even better because this Little Brown hot chocolate consumed in moderation and by itself passes as a (less than) 100-calorie snack that provides some calcium from the skim milk and some antioxidants from the dark chocolate. Enjoy!

Piece O' Cheesecake!

Introducing Piece O' Cheesecake!, a new series that highlights my favorites in healthy food & fitness around New York City. As a Brooklyn native who has always worked in Manhattan, my focus will be on these two boroughs but you can be sure that if I discover a new favorite thing in the Bronx, Queens or Staten Island, I will be sharing it with you here! I cannot wait to start revealing where I go for free and unique workouts or for a 99 calorie hot chocolate that is just as delicious as the more calorie-dense versions around the city. Look for posts that start with the Piece O' Cheesecake! name. I'll be sharing my first NYC food/fitness tip tomorrow!

Enjoy the Memorial Day holiday weekend! 

Image: porbital 

 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Introducing Piece O' Cheesecake!, a new series that highlights my favorites in healthy food & fitness around New York City. As a Brooklyn native who has always worked in Manhattan, my focus will be on these two boroughs but you can be sure that if I discover a new favorite thing in the Bronx, Queens or Staten Island, I will be sharing it with you here! I cannot wait to start revealing where I go for free and unique workouts or for a 99 calorie hot chocolate that is just as delicious as the more calorie-dense versions around the city. Look for posts that start with the Piece O' Cheesecake! name. I'll be sharing my first NYC food/fitness tip tomorrow!

Enjoy the Memorial Day holiday weekend! 

Image: porbital 

 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Fatty Fish for Omega-3s

What's all this talk of Omega-3s and where can you get yourself some? Omega-3 fatty acids are "good fats" found in fatty fish and some plant foods like walnuts and flaxseeds, canola oil and soybean oil. These fats have the advantage over saturated fats, as they may:

• help in weight management / weight loss

• benefit brain health -- by possibly protecting the memory and preventing Alzheimer's disease

• play a role in lowering blood pressure and triglycerides in the bloodstream -- thereby decreasing the risk for heart disease

What's all this talk of Omega-3s and where can you get yourself some? Omega-3 fatty acids are "good fats" found in fatty fish and some plant foods like walnuts and flaxseeds, canola oil and soybean oil. These fats have the advantage over saturated fats, as they may:

• help in weight management / weight loss

• benefit brain health -- by possibly protecting the memory and preventing Alzheimer's disease

• play a role in lowering blood pressure and triglycerides in the bloodstream -- thereby decreasing the risk for heart disease

Get more from your morning: Smarter cereal choices

A bowl of cereal is a quick and easy way to fit breakfast into your morning but if your regular brand is full of sugar and refined flours, you may not be making the most of your first meal of the day. Next time you are at the supermarket, reach for a box that gives you a more nutritious bang for your buck. Fiber, which can be found in whole grains and fruits, among other sources, might lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes, may play a role in weight control and can help keep you regular, but most Americans don't get enough in their diet. The recommended daily amount of fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. (After age 50, your daily fiber needs drops to 21 grams for women and 30 grams for men.)

The latest issue of CSPI's (Center for Science in the Public Interest) Nutrition Action Healthletter recommends choosing a cereal with:

A bowl of cereal is a quick and easy way to fit breakfast into your morning but if your regular brand is full of sugar and refined flours, you may not be making the most of your first meal of the day. Next time you are at the supermarket, reach for a box that gives you a more nutritious bang for your buck. Fiber, which can be found in whole grains and fruits, among other sources, might lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes, may play a role in weight control and can help keep you regular, but most Americans don't get enough in their diet. The recommended daily amount of fiber is 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. (After age 50, your daily fiber needs drops to 21 grams for women and 30 grams for men.)

The latest issue of CSPI's (Center for Science in the Public Interest) Nutrition Action Healthletter recommends choosing a cereal with:

Welcome to Piece O' Cake 2.0!

Piece o' Cake is back after an (unexpected) extended hiatus! Almost two years ago I took a break from posting to this site in order to reconsider how I wanted to continue with the blog. At that time I was also embarking on a few new pursuits. I completed CPR training with the American Red Cross and Group Fitness Training with the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. Soon after, my husband and I found ourselves sitting before a surgeon who had just diagnosed me with having an early stage cancer.

Piece o' Cake is back after an (unexpected) extended hiatus! Almost two years ago I took a break from posting to this site in order to reconsider how I wanted to continue with the blog. At that time I was also embarking on a few new pursuits. I completed CPR training with the American Red Cross and Group Fitness Training with the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America. Soon after, my husband and I found ourselves sitting before a surgeon who had just diagnosed me with having an early stage cancer.

Update

I want to let any current and potential readers know that this blog is currently under reconstruction; however, as a new school semester is beginning, and as I will be much more regularly sorting through nutrition news and topics, I may start making semi-regular posts again about topics I'd like to discuss. Also, I want to let you all know that I have decided to pursue a group fitness training certification. In September I will be completing training courses in CPR (American Red Cross) and Group Fitness Training (AFAA). In October I will be attending a Zumba Fitness training course (for more information on Zumba, click here.) This next month also brings my application to the NYU Dietetic Internship. Wish me luck in these current endeavors! Meanwhile, I encourage you to take advantage of the changing of the seasons and, as we head into the fall, give yourself a new challenge to try. Maybe you start a workout routine, or try a new one, or pick one or two changes to your current diet that you would like to make (remember: start small and don't stress if you fall off course along the way!). Finally, I want to introduce you to someone who has really brightened my summer: fitness instructor Kiya Knight. I took Kiya's Zumba class all througout the summer and she is one of the individuals who suggested I consider becoming a certified instructor. Kiya is currently hosting fitness retreats in Costa Rica (for more info see Kiya's website: Weightless by Kiya) but is planning on returning to NYC next spring/summer. I wish you a fun, safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

Image: Image: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I want to let any current and potential readers know that this blog is currently under reconstruction; however, as a new school semester is beginning, and as I will be much more regularly sorting through nutrition news and topics, I may start making semi-regular posts again about topics I'd like to discuss. Also, I want to let you all know that I have decided to pursue a group fitness training certification. In September I will be completing training courses in CPR (American Red Cross) and Group Fitness Training (AFAA). In October I will be attending a Zumba Fitness training course (for more information on Zumba, click here.) This next month also brings my application to the NYU Dietetic Internship. Wish me luck in these current endeavors! Meanwhile, I encourage you to take advantage of the changing of the seasons and, as we head into the fall, give yourself a new challenge to try. Maybe you start a workout routine, or try a new one, or pick one or two changes to your current diet that you would like to make (remember: start small and don't stress if you fall off course along the way!). Finally, I want to introduce you to someone who has really brightened my summer: fitness instructor Kiya Knight. I took Kiya's Zumba class all througout the summer and she is one of the individuals who suggested I consider becoming a certified instructor. Kiya is currently hosting fitness retreats in Costa Rica (for more info see Kiya's website: Weightless by Kiya) but is planning on returning to NYC next spring/summer. I wish you a fun, safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

Image: Image: graur codrin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Workout tip: Gimme 20!

Sometimes just getting together the motivation to work out is too much. On those days when you know you should work out but you just can’t convince yourself to get going, make it easier for yourself to take the first step by setting a simpler goal, that doesn’t feel so insurmountable. Tell yourself you only have to do 20 minutes or you don’t have to stay for the entire exercise class. For many, this is enough to get us going and once you’ve already started working out you will likely find that you don’t mind doing more than the first 20 minutes or staying for the entire class. Sometimes getting started with something is the hardest part and once you’ve gotten past that first part, the rest is easy.

Image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Sometimes just getting together the motivation to work out is too much. On those days when you know you should work out but you just can’t convince yourself to get going, make it easier for yourself to take the first step by setting a simpler goal, that doesn’t feel so insurmountable. Tell yourself you only have to do 20 minutes or you don’t have to stay for the entire exercise class. For many, this is enough to get us going and once you’ve already started working out you will likely find that you don’t mind doing more than the first 20 minutes or staying for the entire class. Sometimes getting started with something is the hardest part and once you’ve gotten past that first part, the rest is easy.

Image: Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net