Breast Cancer: Nutrition & Resources

Recently I found myself digging through some old issues of Today's Dietitian, searching for articles on vegan diets to help me prepare for my transition to Veganism next month (which I will most likely start blogging about next week). As I sat on the floor next to my basket of one of my favorite publications (TD is a fun, colorful and easy to read magazine geared to nutrition professionals) I noticed a theme: one after another after another article about nutrition and breast cancer.

In the past I've mentioned that I have had my own personal experience with breast cancer. From the moment of my diagnosis, sharing my story and sharing all the resources I've learned about has become a passion of mine and a part of my daily life.

Recently I found myself digging through some old issues of Today's Dietitian, searching for articles on vegan diets to help me prepare for my transition to Veganism next month (which I will most likely start blogging about next week). As I sat on the floor next to my basket of one of my favorite publications (TD is a fun, colorful and easy to read magazine geared to nutrition professionals) I noticed a theme: one after another after another article about nutrition and breast cancer.

In the past I've mentioned that I have had my own personal experience with breast cancer. From the moment of my diagnosis, sharing my story and sharing all the resources I've learned about has become a passion of mine and a part of my daily life.

Do One Thing: Pick 1 New Healthy Eating Habit...or Just Try This Pasta!

Piece o' Cake is about finding little ways to make it easier for you to fit exercise and healthy eating into your already busy, challenging life. This month we've been talking about resolutions, trying new things and making small changes:

The Secrets to Resolutions You Can Actually Keep! - January 1, 2013

Piece o' Cheesecake: Run Free! - January 5, 2013

Do One Thing: Come Prepared! - January 14, 2013

In sticking with these themes, today I'm sharing a short & sweet article that offers some ideas for simple new healthy eating habits to try, as well as a recipe for a yummy-sounding vegetarian pasta dish:

Piece o' Cake is about finding little ways to make it easier for you to fit exercise and healthy eating into your already busy, challenging life. This month we've been talking about resolutions, trying new things and making small changes:

The Secrets to Resolutions You Can Actually Keep! - January 1, 2013

Piece o' Cheesecake: Run Free! - January 5, 2013

Do One Thing: Come Prepared! - January 14, 2013

In sticking with these themes, today I'm sharing a short & sweet article that offers some ideas for simple new healthy eating habits to try, as well as a recipe for a yummy-sounding vegetarian pasta dish:

Do One Thing: Come Prepared!

Do you ever find yourself heading into a busy day, a long meeting or class, or a car trip through unfamiliar territory and that uncomfortable feeling starts to creep up inside you? The fear that you will find yourself hungry with no good snack options around and no good way to excuse yourself to find some? This happens to me a lot. Just a couple months ago I attended two long back-to-back seminars in a hotel. Even though I was enjoying myself, when lunchtime came around I realized that: (1) I was unhappy with the lunch options available and (2) I was suddenly struck with the fear of finding myself hungry again during the long second session. That day I was lucky enough to have a car, a GPS and a large grocery store nearby (where I went crazy stocking up on strawberries, nuts & dark chocolate in case I got hungry later) but I could have avoided the whole mess by coming prepared! I usually don't leave the house without at least tossing an apple in my bag but there are plenty of other ways to have healthy options waiting for you when hunger strikes, no matter where you are.

Do you ever find yourself heading into a busy day, a long meeting or class, or a car trip through unfamiliar territory and that uncomfortable feeling starts to creep up inside you? The fear that you will find yourself hungry with no good snack options around and no good way to excuse yourself to find some? This happens to me a lot. Just a couple months ago I attended two long back-to-back seminars in a hotel. Even though I was enjoying myself, when lunchtime came around I realized that: (1) I was unhappy with the lunch options available and (2) I was suddenly struck with the fear of finding myself hungry again during the long second session. That day I was lucky enough to have a car, a GPS and a large grocery store nearby (where I went crazy stocking up on strawberries, nuts & dark chocolate in case I got hungry later) but I could have avoided the whole mess by coming prepared! I usually don't leave the house without at least tossing an apple in my bag but there are plenty of other ways to have healthy options waiting for you when hunger strikes, no matter where you are.

Piece o' Cheesecake: Run Free!

Last week we discussed The Secrets to Resolutions You Can Actually Keep. If your new year's resolution includes getting more exercise or running more, or if you are a regular runner, then this week's blog may be for you. This week features my latest post in the Piece o' Cheesecake series, New York-specific blog posts for the best in healthy eating and free, cheap & unique workouts around New York City. And today we are talking about the many free run clubs offered around Brooklyn and Manhattan (as well as nationwide). Check it out: 

Last week we discussed The Secrets to Resolutions You Can Actually Keep. If your new year's resolution includes getting more exercise or running more, or if you are a regular runner, then this week's blog may be for you. This week features my latest post in the Piece o' Cheesecake series, New York-specific blog posts for the best in healthy eating and free, cheap & unique workouts around New York City. And today we are talking about the many free run clubs offered around Brooklyn and Manhattan (as well as nationwide). Check it out: 

The Secrets to Resolutions You Can Actually Keep!

Happy New Year!

Have you made a resolution? Whether or not you have, you probably know that they are notoriously hard to keep.

Resolutions are often made very loosely or spontaneously, without much thought. Sometimes we even tell ourselves we are making them "as a joke," but when we start breaking our resolutions in the first days or weeks of the new year, it can be tough to take. We are so hard on ourselves for not being able to stick to our goals. We fear we will never be able to change our bad habits or get good ones to stick. That said, the start of a new year can be a great time to start fresh.

The key to having any chance at keeping your new year's resolution is to START SMALL and BE SPECIFIC!

Happy New Year!

Have you made a resolution? Whether or not you have, you probably know that they are notoriously hard to keep.

Resolutions are often made very loosely or spontaneously, without much thought. Sometimes we even tell ourselves we are making them "as a joke," but when we start breaking our resolutions in the first days or weeks of the new year, it can be tough to take. We are so hard on ourselves for not being able to stick to our goals. We fear we will never be able to change our bad habits or get good ones to stick. That said, the start of a new year can be a great time to start fresh.

The key to having any chance at keeping your new year's resolution is to START SMALL and BE SPECIFIC!

Stay safe! Prevent foodborne illness from crashing your holiday dinner.

Christmas is nearly here. Many of us will soon be celebrating with friends and family and sitting down to big delicious meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Big meals usually involve a lot of prep work done in advance, organizing the kitchen to accommodate all the food and giant serving dishes, coordinating the oven schedule, thawing and reheating, and packing leftovers. This provides many opportunities for bacteria and other organisms to grow, travel & contaminate food and makes it an excellent time to talk about food safety. Don't be fooled though: Food safety should be practiced year-round, on a daily basis. 

FoodSafety.gov provides a thorough, easy to read, and easy to navigate checklist of food safety tips broken down into four steps: clean, separate, cook & chill.

Here are the basics of food safety but please check out FoodSafety.gov!

Christmas is nearly here. Many of us will soon be celebrating with friends and family and sitting down to big delicious meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Big meals usually involve a lot of prep work done in advance, organizing the kitchen to accommodate all the food and giant serving dishes, coordinating the oven schedule, thawing and reheating, and packing leftovers. This provides many opportunities for bacteria and other organisms to grow, travel & contaminate food and makes it an excellent time to talk about food safety. Don't be fooled though: Food safety should be practiced year-round, on a daily basis. 

FoodSafety.gov provides a thorough, easy to read, and easy to navigate checklist of food safety tips broken down into four steps: clean, separate, cook & chill.

Here are the basics of food safety but please check out FoodSafety.gov!

Don't Settle for Less Than the Total Package: 12 delicious snacks that do more than just hold you over until mealtime

We all do it. Whether we are working, studying, sad, bored, celebrating, wallowing, killing time or just plain hungry between meals, snacking is something most of us do at least on occasion.

Why not then choose a snack that packs a punch?: One that is not only delicious and satisfying but will also keep you full longer and on fewer calories than the salty, sugary, fatty fare that can be found in your office vending machine or at the corner store. 

A well-rounded snack contains both protein and fiber (check out my earlier blog post, Did you know?: Fiber can help you control your weight - May 24, 2010). This "total package" snack is more likely to keep you satisfied until your next meal. Fiber slows stomach emptying and helps us to feel full longer, which may assist in weight maintenance or weight loss. Protein also promotes a feeling of fullness, promotes the growth and maintenance of lean muscle mass and may help us to feel more energized between meals and snacks. 

A "total package" snack should be no more than about 200-250 calories. High-fiber foods tend to be lower in calories and choosing plant-based proteins or proteins from low-fat dairy can also help control the number of calories in your snack.

Use this definition of a snack to help you make mindful decisions about what to nibble on between meals. Chips, cookies and candies are "treats" and should be limited, whereas a snack can be a regular and beneficial part of a healthy diet. 

Here then are 12 Total Package Snacks to keep you happy, full, strong & energized!

We all do it. Whether we are working, studying, sad, bored, celebrating, wallowing, killing time or just plain hungry between meals, snacking is something most of us do at least on occasion.

Why not then choose a snack that packs a punch?: One that is not only delicious and satisfying but will also keep you full longer and on fewer calories than the salty, sugary, fatty fare that can be found in your office vending machine or at the corner store. 

A well-rounded snack contains both protein and fiber (check out my earlier blog post, Did you know?: Fiber can help you control your weight - May 24, 2010). This "total package" snack is more likely to keep you satisfied until your next meal. Fiber slows stomach emptying and helps us to feel full longer, which may assist in weight maintenance or weight loss. Protein also promotes a feeling of fullness, promotes the growth and maintenance of lean muscle mass and may help us to feel more energized between meals and snacks. 

A "total package" snack should be no more than about 200-250 calories. High-fiber foods tend to be lower in calories and choosing plant-based proteins or proteins from low-fat dairy can also help control the number of calories in your snack.

Use this definition of a snack to help you make mindful decisions about what to nibble on between meals. Chips, cookies and candies are "treats" and should be limited, whereas a snack can be a regular and beneficial part of a healthy diet. 

Here then are 12 Total Package Snacks to keep you happy, full, strong & energized!