The Dreaded Side Stitch: What Causes It and How To Prevent It

I’m proud to say that after many hours of training, I recently ran my first New York City Marathon. I’ve been a runner for many years, but I experienced something new — and quite annoying — during my training: the dreaded side stitch. As any nerdy dietitian with an education in sports nutrition and exercise physiology would do, I immediately hit the books to research the cause of and cure for for it.

What is a Side Stitch? 

As it turns out, it has a scientific name: exercise-related transient abdominal pain, or ETAP.  It's often described as a cramping, aching or pulling feeling at first, progressing to a sharp or stabbing severe pain in the lower abdomen. Are you wondering why I keep calling it a "stitch" rather than a cramp? Research has shown that the painful feeling in your side is actually not a muscular cramp.

Who Gets Side Stitches? 

Interestingly, side stitches occur most often in two types of athletes: runners and horseback riders. These activities involve repetitive torso movement, which causes side stitches more often. Certain demographics also have increased chances of feeling this pain:

• Age. Side stitches are much more likely to affect the young athlete. One study reported that 77 percent of active individuals under the age of 20 experienced ETAP, compared with only 40 percent of those over 40. Not only does the prevalence of side stitches decrease with age, but the severity decreases as well.
• Gender. One study reported that females experience side stitches four times more often than males.
• Fitness level. Well-conditioned individuals are less likely to experience ETAP, as compared to people that are physically unfit.

What Causes a Side Stitch? 

Unfortunately, the reason you feel abdominal pain during exercise is not entirely clear, but there are a few common theories:

• Bad posture. Studies have shown that people with poor posture are more susceptible to side stitches, and the worse the posture, the worse the stitch.
• Eating or drinking right before exercise. Consuming food or drink just before a training or workout session has consistently been reported to evoke ETAP. The good news is that you can teach your body to tolerate more fluids with practice.
• Irritation of the abdomen's lining, AKA the parietal peritoneum. This is the most widely accepted reason for a side stitch. Some scientists believe that the irritation occurs from friction between the lining of the abdomen and the abdominal wall. This friction happens when the stomach swells during exercise, due to an increase in the quantity or thickness of the stomach's lubricating fluids.

How to Prevent Side Stitches

Because scientists haven’t been able to figure out the primary cause of side stitches, it's difficult to determine a way to prevent them. However, these strategies seem to work for many people:

• Avoid large volumes of food and drink for at least two hours before working out. During exercise, take small gulps of water or a sports drink.
• Improve posture. A great way to improve posture is to do yoga or Pilates to strengthen your back and core muscles.

The most common techniques for getting rid of a side stitch are deep breathing, pushing on or stretching the affected area and/or bending over. Research has not confirmed that these strategies work, and some believe that bending over and stretching work against the problem and cause the stitch to continue. It’s best to use the strategies above, and just keep training for better physical condition.

Plan for a Healthier Diet and Lifestyle During Heart Health Month

February is Heart Health Month.  Why should we be concerned about heart health for all Americans? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, accounting for 1 in 4 deaths of Americans. And, every year, about 735,000 Americans have a heart attack — 325,000 of these are a first occurrence, and 210,000 are people who have already had a heart attack.
Keeping reading for RDN-recommended diet and lifestyle changes that can keep your heart in the shape that you want.

Healthy Diets 

I consulted with a number of dietitians for recommendations on eating a heart-healthy diet. Their advice?
Aileen Birkitt, RD, owner of Nutrition 4 You, LLC
Birkitt recommends eating fish two times a week to increase healthy fats for heart health, and adds that ground flaxseed, ground chia seeds and walnuts also provide heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. She also recommends eating three balanced meals and one or two snacks per day while paying attention to hunger and fullness signals.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson Angel Planells, MS, RDN, CD
Planells stresses, “Failure to plan is planning to fail. For a greater chance of success when making changes to your daily regimen, it is best to plan meals, snacks and physical activity throughout the day.” He adds that it should be a goal to limit dining out to those days when you are celebrating special occasions.
Sarah Krieger, MPH, RDN, LDN, child and adolescent weight management expert
Krieger advises that people not cook or make a meal plan if they are hungry, noting that hunger may cause people to snack mindlessly.
Mandy Enright, MS, RDN, RYT, and creator of couples nutrition blog Nutrition Nuptials
Enright recommends the trifecta of fiber, protein and movement for weight management. High-fiber sources are fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, legumes and seeds. Lean protein sources include fish, poultry, low-fat cheese, low- or non-fat dairy, nuts and seeds.

Stress Management 

Stress management is another important part of a healthy lifestyle for many Americans. Some ways to keep stress in check:

• Krieger recommends quiet music or meditation during the daily commute to reduce stress.
• Planells advises that people only focus on what they can control in their lives while practicing self-care in the form of yoga, meditation, stretching or taking a walk.
• Because meal planning can be a significant source of stress for most families, Kelly Jones, MS, RD, CSSD, sports dietitian and nutrition blogger at Eat Real Live Well, counsels that they not prepare a different recipe each night, but instead spend a Sunday afternoon to cook vegetables, lean protein and whole grains that can be reheated throughout the week to build balanced meals.
• Birkitt adds that it can be helpful to begin each week drawing up and shopping for a list of needed items. Stock up on certain pantry staples, she adds, so they’ll be on hand for popular dinners.

Planning for and being more mindful of a healthy lifestyle and diet can allow people to have more quality fun in their lives, and all of those things combined can translate into a healthier heart.

What Têt, the Vietnamese New Year, Means to Me

Happy New Year! I know it’s early February, but for those of us who celebrate Têt, the merriments have just come to a close. Têt is the most celebrated holiday in Vietnamese culture that rings in the beginning of the new year.  This differs from Western culture in that our new year starts with the first full moon of the new year. This year’s Vietnamese New Year started on January 28th.
I’ve shared a few family Têt recipes in the past, including Banh Têt and Che Dau Trang, with Stone Soup readers, but this year I wanted to share a little more on the traditions and happenings around the holiday itself. As I mentioned, Têt arguably is the most anticipated Vietnamese holiday and families prepare greatly for its arrival. This includes cooking and cleaning in the days leading up to the start of Têt. Most families continue the celebrations anywhere from one day up to a full week, so everything is done prior to the start of Têt so as not to interrupt the good times.
As I think back to childhood memories, Têt revelries immediately stick out to me. From the loud firecrackers to playing “Uncle Bao” to the red envelopes, Têt is a lively and joyful time. Aside from partying, everyone is on their best behavior to ensure the new year is ushered in with health, wealth and happiness.
As kids, we grew up in a part of Florida with a large Vietnamese population, so we would have a family meal together before heading out to partake in local Têt festivals. Our grandmother lived close by and would spend days putting together a decadent meal featuring all our favorite Vietnamese dishes.
Before leaving to watch the captivating dragon dances and firecrackers, we would gather around my uncle as he held out red envelopes for us to choose from. The red envelopes would be filled with money, but most importantly, symbolize the theme of Têt: happiness, luck and celebration. We’d also use any change we brought with us to play the new year game, Bầu cua cá cọp (squash, crab, fish, tiger). As the actual name for the game and one of our uncles is similar, we called this game Uncle Bao. It’s a dice game that involves placing bets on which animal we think will appear on the rolled dice. It’s a fun and addictive way to pass the time during Têt.
As my grandmother has now passed away, we often recall Têt memories as some of our favorite, since she gave it her all to make it such an enjoyable holiday for us. We’ve carried on the recipes she taught us, with a few modern twists I think would please her. I think it’s important to embrace these cultural celebrations because it’s a great way to share a piece of yourself with others.

Do you celebrate Têt? If so, I’d love to hear if any of our family’s traditions rang true in your home, too. If not, what are some of your favorite new year memories with your family? Thanks for reading and I wish you all a Chúc Mừng Năm Mới (Happy New Year) in 2017!

A Whisk for Nearly Every Kitchen Occasion

Deciding which whisk to use involves culinary nutrition science and a hint of physics.  Whisks can mix dry ingredients or aerate and emulsify wet ingredients for sauces, batters, foams and beverages. Choosing the whisk that performs best depends on the shape and number of wire tines (see Food & Nutrition's "Are You Using the Right Whisk?" for more information and tips).
In culinary school I favored a French whisk, which could meet the culinary demands of professional French kitchens. The Rösle whisks I tested for home kitchens include a similar all-purpose whisk, and also whisks with shapes that resembled culinary cat toys or miniature plumbing tools. Read on to find out how Rösle’s whisks worked for me.

All-Purpose Balloon Whisks

All-purpose whisks can mix thick and thin liquids, blend dry ingredients and whip cream and egg whites. Soufflés or lower-fat desserts such as meringue cookies, Pavlovas and angel food cake require stable, whipped egg whites. Balloon whisks accomplish this by slowly incorporating air and extra volume without developing large bubbles that collapse quickly. Electric mixers whip at faster speeds and can easily over-whip egg whites.
I used the 11-tined Rösle Balloon Whisk/Beater to make Chantilly cream. At 7.6 ounces, the weight of this heavy whisk was noticeable when whipping cream to soft peaks, but I felt like I had passed a ninja cooking test. For making a béchamel sauce, as with all balloon whisks, it was tough to press tines into pot corners — this is when a sauce whisk helps.

Sauce Whisks

Flat and spiral whisks, like those from the Rösle line I tested, deglaze and thicken pan sauces and make roux-based sauces or gravies.
The Rösle Flat Whisk blended a roux well, and its shape easily reached into corners and scraped the pot sides for a soy béchamel. However, it performed best with skillets or large pots since the short and straight handle limited maneuvering in smaller pots.
The Rösle Spiral Whisk, which also is sometimes called a vinaigrette, spring or coiled whisk, has a rounded loop covered in spiraled wire with an angled handle. The design allows a large contact surface area for mixing and to prevent scorching of sauces. I used it to make a low-fat mustard béchamel for crêpes and a shallot vinaigrette. It failed at mixing a roux, which packed into the spiraled wires, but quickly produced a smooth béchamel, and it worked fine for making a vinaigrette.

A Specialty Whisk

Looking like a cat toy, the Twirl Whisk’s springy, spiraled wire creates airy mixes and consistent textures. Designed for liquids made in small or narrow dishes, it whisks and lifts by pumping ingredients. It mixed small volumes well — I used it to twirl chocolate into a cup of milk for Parisian hot-chocolate, and I tried it out when making almond crêpe batter — but for the latter, the tines were not stiff enough to reduce some graininess of the batter.

One Whisk to Rule Them All?

Professional cooks or avid home cooks can usually make due with one balloon whisk and also may appreciate a sauce whisk, particularly the flat version, which stores easily. For use with ingredients in small quantities or cup-sized beverages, smaller versions of balloon whisks or the twirl whisk can expand your options.

I’d recommend Rösle whisks in general for their sturdy 18/10 stainless steel and elegant design. The cost of these whisks is on the high end, but cheaply made whisks tend to break down quickly. And, with the Rösle lifetime guarantee, your batter-making, crêpe-flipping, egg-whipping and hot chocolate days are secured.

The Relationship Between Food and Mood

Turns out that the old saying “you are what you eat” is true, especially in relation to food and mood. Over the past several years, many evidence-based studies have been published detailing how some foods help improve your mood while others make it worse. Important nutrients affect brain chemistry, impacting mood, memory and cognitive function.  However, if you’re eating a healthy balance of whole foods that contain a variety of nutrients, you’re more likely to feel calmer, more content and generally in a better mood.

Ways Your Food Intake Can Affect Your Mood

You aren’t eating at regular intervals. Not consuming enough calories can lead to problems, such as feeling foggy, tired and low energy.
You’re cutting out or skimping on essential food groups, which your body needs to fuel itself and produce serotonin, the brain’s “feel good” chemical.
You’re forgetting essential vitamins and minerals, which can cause depression, inability to concentrate and chronic fatigue. A diet lacking essential nutrients such as iron can disrupt brain chemistry and alter mood and behavior.
You’re not getting ample omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked to a lower incidence of depression.
You’re eating many processed foods, which may contribute to a larger waistline, feeling sluggish and potentially lead to insulin imbalance and inflammation when over-consumed.

• Insulin levels: Some processed foods, especially those with large amounts of added sugars, can cause insulin levels to spike and drop rapidly, causing hunger to occur again fairly quickly.
• Inflammation: Chronic inflammation can be a result of a diet that includes a large amount of processed, manufactured foods. This leads to elevated levels of C-reactive protein, which is associated with increased risk of psychological distress and depression.

Ways to Improve Your Mood Through Food

Load your plate with mood-supporting foods by eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables.
Consume foods as close as possible to how they look in nature. For example, an orange is less processed and closer to nature than orange juice.
Eat plenty of dopamine-building foods, such as fish, poultry, eggs, leafy greens and legumes.
Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, flaxseed, chia seeds and walnuts, to help fight off feelings of depression.
Sprinkle in magnesium-rich foods, which support sleep. Foods high in magnesium include almonds, spinach, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
Limit added sugars. Choose no-sugar-added varieties of foods when possible. Have fruit for dessert more often than sugar-sweetened treats.

Get your vitamin D level checked. Low levels of vitamin D are associated with depression and mood disorders. Vitamin D can be found in fatty fish, egg yolks, liver and sunshine.

Italian Farro Soup

Do you like experimenting with new ingredients in the kitchen? What’s the most recent new-to-you ingredient that you’ve tried? For me, it’s farro.
This time of year is typically bitter cold here in Chicago, so soup is on my mind. Luckily, farro works very well in soup! For those who aren’t familiar with it, farro is an ancient grain in the wheat family and very similar to barley when cooked.  I love the chewy texture that it adds to this soup. You can find it in the bulk bins or the baking or grain aisle.
The recipe for this soup is vegan, but I made it non-vegan by topping with cheese and serving with buttered toast, which I highly recommend!

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Italian Farro Soup

Serves 5

Ingredients

• 1 small head garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup farro
• 6 ½ cups vegetable broth, divided
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 15-ounce cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 15-ounce can drained and rinsed chickpeas
• 3 cups chopped lacinato kale leaves, stems removed
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Peel off outermost layers of the papery skin on the garlic, but leave head intact. Cut off ¼ inch from bottom of the garlic head, exposing the ends of some of the cloves. Place cut side up on a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and wrap up in the foil. Roast for 40 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze garlic out of the papery skin, finely chop the roasted cloves or press through a garlic press.
3. While the garlic is roasting, bring the farro and 2½ cups vegetable broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes or until broth is absorbed and farro is chewy, but slightly underdone.
4. In a large stockpot, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and add onion. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes or until onion is translucent. Stir in roasted garlic and tomato paste.
5. Add diced tomatoes, cooked farro, 4 remaining cups of broth, bay leaf, oregano and parsley. Bring to a simmer and stir.
6. Add chickpeas and kale and allow to gently simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until kale has wilted and soup is hot.
7. Season with salt and pepper and serve with shredded cheese if desired.

Brewed Cacao: Your New Afternoon Pick-Me-Up?

The health benefits of chocolate are widely celebrated, but there’s always that pesky asterisk attached. Although chocolate contains flavonoids and other antioxidants that may benefit your heart and buoy your mood, it also can be loaded with sugar and calories. That’s why we’re usually told to limit our consumption to one small square of dark chocolate a day.
Enter brewed cacao: a trendy new beverage that delivers all the benefits and decadent flavor of dark chocolate, without any of the sugar and fat, and virtually no calories.  It also is low in caffeine, so you can enjoy it any time of day. Brewed cacao is, however, rich in theobromine, another mild central nervous system stimulant. Some users believe that theobromine boosts their mental energy and focus but without the nerve-jangling effects of caffeine. Controlled trials have so far failed to support these impressions.
Cacao beans intended for brewing are processed a bit differently than those destined to become chocolate or cocoa powder. Instead of the slow “baking” required to bring out the optimal flavor for chocolate, the beans are handled more like coffee beans and roasted quickly at high temperatures. Less processing means more of the beneficial compounds are preserved. As a result, a cup of brewed cacao contains roughly twice the amount of the flavonoids catechin and epicatechin as a square of dark chocolate or cup of hot cocoa.
With its rich, chocolatey aroma and full-bodied mouthfeel, brewed cacao is somehow more than just a beverage. Although an afternoon cup of tea or coffee often feels incomplete without a little something to go with it, a cup of brewed cacao, with or without a splash of milk, feels completely satisfying. As an after-dinner offering, it easily replaces both coffee and dessert.
To brew the perfect cup, place 2 tablespoons of ground cacao beans in a French press, add 1 cup of boiling water, stir briefly, and steep for 5 to 7 minutes before pressing. Brewed cacao can be enjoyed black or with milk or nondairy creamer and a touch of sweetener, if desired.  The spent grounds make great compost, and your compost heap will smell wonderful.
The ground beans also are edible — and quite tasty! Try blending a spoonful into a smoothie, stirring into hot cereal or sprinkling over ice cream.

Although newly trendy, brewed cacao actually is nothing new. It was enjoyed by native Central Americans as early as 1,500 BC. So, the next time you get a craving for chocolate, instead of heading for the candy counter, why not make like the ancient Mayans and brew up a cup of cacao?

A Kitchen Scale That Pulls Its Weight

Product reviewed: EatSmart Precision Elite Digital Kitchen Scale

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I have never been one to reach for a scale when I cook. As a restaurant chef, a pinch of this and a dollop of that was the tried-and-true approach to making meals delicious — albeit relatively inconsistent. As a dietitian and recipe developer, however, the scale is one of the best tools for the kitchen.  Not only does a scale allow you to objectively educate patients on portion control, but it helps you produce recipes with consistent quality.
I had the opportunity to explore the EatSmart Precision Elite Digital Kitchen Scale, and I decided to make Stromboli, using the scale to perfect the quantity of dough and ingredients.

Pros

The scale is big enough to weigh a melon, but also compact and lightweight, easily fitting next to a stack of cutting boards in my cupboard. It comes with a calorie-counting booklet, which allows the user to know how many calories are in a given weight of commonly consumed food items. The platform is stainless steel, and the scale has a large backlit display. Four included AAA batteries power the scale, and if there is one thing I hate in the kitchen, it’s messing around with power cords. Plus, the mobility of the scale makes it super easy to move to heavy objects, instead of the other way around.
Now to the functionality. The scale offers weights in ounces (to the nearest hundredth), grams, pounds and kilograms, with a maximum capacity of 7 kilograms.
There also is a tare feature, which allows you to subtract the weight of whatever container you’re using to measure your ingredient. This is a perfect way to keep the scale clean and allows users to weigh liquids. The EatSmart scale is very similar to one I used while working in a food lab, where each ingredient I used had to be weighed to the gram. I found it very user friendly with a sleek design that produced accurate results.

Cons

There were very few things I didn’t like about the scale. The biggest enhancement I would like to see is the ability to weigh in grams to the tenth decimal place as opposed the nearest whole gram, although the latter is honestly useful in most circumstances. And, though this wasn’t an issue for me, it might be beneficial to include separate buttons to power on/off and to switch between units (the power button does both). Besides that, this was one of the best kitchen scales I have used.

The efficient and accurate response time for taring the scale and weighing the items for my Stromboli made the process seamless and enjoyable. If you’re interested in developing consistent recipes or are in the market for a new scale, go ahead and check out the EatSmart Precision Elite Digital Kitchen Scale – you’ll thank yourself for making the choice.

Almonds Are Not Just for Snacking

Providing vitamin E and magnesium and boasting the highest protein content per ounce of any nut, almonds deserve to be celebrated!  Tomorrow, on National Almond Day, heart-healthy almonds are recognized for their versatility. Perhaps most often, these nuts are simply enjoyed whole as part of a between-meal snack due to their satiating fiber, protein and monounsaturated fats. But don’t discount their use in the kitchen, as almonds have a vast variety of culinary uses.

The Versatility of Almonds

Some of the many ways these nuts can be used in your cooking include:

• Sliced and chopped to add a satisfying crunch to salads, cereal, yogurt and even entrees, or to add texture to baked goods
• As a savory element in vegetarian bean burgers or to add a crispy crust to chicken tenders or fish
• Slivered and tossed into rice pilafs, stuffing, roasted vegetables or stuffed peppers
• Transformed in a food processor into a summery pesto or smoky Romesco sauce
• Added by the spoonful as a healthy fat and protein in smoothies, or to bring creaminess to quick breads, muffins, cookies and homemade energy bars

Almonds provide 165 calories per 1-ounce serving, about 23 nuts, although recent research suggests that the number of calories absorbed by the body when consuming processed whole almonds may be up to 25 percent lower than originally believed. While almonds easily can be incorporated into many meals and snacks, be mindful of portion control because of their calorie density.
Are you ready to give cooking with almonds a try? These plant-based Mini Lentil-Almond Loaves have been a hit at several of my family gatherings, coveted by vegans and omnivores alike.

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Mini Lentil-Almond Loaves

Serves 16

Ingredients

Lentil-Almond Loaves:

• 1 cup roughly chopped carrots
• ½ cup roughly chopped yellow onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup roasted almonds
• 4 cups lentils, slightly overcooked and mashed
• 1 tablespoon liquid aminos or soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sage
• ⅔ cup oat flour

Balsamic Glaze:

• ⅓ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon 100% juice cranberry blend
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. In a food processor, combine chopped carrots and onions and pulse until minced.
3. To a skillet on medium heat, add carrot and onion mixture, minced garlic and olive oil. Sauté until soft and fragrant.
4. While carrot and onion mixture is cooking, pulse roasted almonds in a food processor until finely chopped. Set aside in a large mixing bowl.
5. Add sautéed carrot and onion mixture, mashed lentils, liquid aminos or soy sauce, sage and oat flour to the large mixing bowl with the almonds. Stir well to mix.
6. Spoon mixture into muffin tins coated in cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. This should make 16 portions. In a separate small bowl, stir together ketchup, cranberry juice, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup to make the glaze. Spread a spoonful of glaze on top of each mini loaf.
7. Bake for one hour, until firm and browned. Gently remove from muffin tin and serve at your next dinner party alongside your favorite sides.

Butternut Squash Arugula Pita Pizza

This recipe is great for those days when you get home exhausted and just want to throw something in the oven. It also is perfect for those nights you get in late and want to keep things simple and light.
Aside from being delicious, butternut squash is a nutrition powerhouse!  It is jam-packed with vitamins A and C and also is a good source of potassium. So, other than as a pizza topping, how do you incorporate more butternut squash into your diet? Personally, I love to throw it into soups and stews. It is a great addition to smoothies, and you also can mash it up and enjoy like mashed potatoes.

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Butternut Squash Arugula Pita Pizza

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 cup peeled and chopped butternut squash
• 1 100-percent whole grain pita round
• ¼ cup tomato sauce
• ¼ cup sliced red onion
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ cup fresh arugula
• 1 ounce feta cheese
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Put squash into a pot of boiling water and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until tender but still firm. Drain and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. On a baking sheet, place pita round and spread tomato sauce onto it.
3. Evenly place butternut squash chunks onto the pita bread and top with sliced onions
4. Drizzle olive oil over the pita and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Finish off by topping with fresh arugula, feta cheese, balsamic vinegar and black pepper to taste.

Stone Soup Vlog: Quick Pickles

Quick Pickles   

Ingredients 

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup turbinado sugar 
• ½ tablespoon kosher salt 
• 1 each star anise, whole
• 3 each allspice, whole
• 1 each cinnamon stick, whole
• 1 clove whole, pressed garlic
• 1 pound fresh vegetables (cucumber, radish, broccoli stems, watermelon rinds, etc.)

Directions 

1. Thinly slice your vegetables and place them into a pan with a large surface area. I used a 9-by-13 inch casserole dish.
2. Make the pickling liquid: Combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, star anise, allspice, cinnamon* and garlic in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Remove from heat and pour over vegetables. 
3. Once the brine has cooled to room temperature, the pickles will be ready! They can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight jar for up to a month. Note that the brine will become more intense as the pickles sit.

*Tip: Before adding to pickling liquid, wrap cinnamon stick in damp paper towel and microwave for 15 seconds to help soften and release aromatics.

A New Take on an Old Favorite

Creamy, rich and surprisingly easy to prepare, cheesecake is my go-to dessert for parties and dinners when I want a crowd-pleasing, make-ahead sweet. So it’s no surprise that I already owned three springform pans before I received the Lékué Duo Springform Mold with Ceramic Plate to review. However, I’d been contemplating purchasing a more petite version for “family-size” creations, so it was a welcome addition to my collection. 

Form and Function

The Lékué Duo springform pan represents a major departure from the typical aluminum type in that none of the pan is metal. The base plate is ceramic, and the ring that usually snaps together with a clasp is replaced by two half-ring pieces made of flexible, food-grade silicone. These interlock to form a full ring, and the bottom edge of each piece is grooved to allow for gripping the ceramic base plate’s edge. Getting it all to fit together nicely is a breeze — you can hear and feel the sides interlocking — and the complete unit feels secure, although the silicone sides are still quite flexible.

The Cheesecake Test

If you’ve ever had a springform pan leak, you know what a mess it makes! I was a bit nervous about putting this pan in the oven for fear of the seals leaking, so I placed a sheet pan underneath while baking. But the Lékué passed the test — no dripping butter leaks when I prebaked the crust, and no filling leaks even though my recipe filled the pan almost to the top.
Of course, we all know that the moment of truth with cheesecake is when the pan’s sides are removed. I admit I was tempted to run a knife around the pan’s inside edge just to make sure the cake loosened from the sides, but I decided to risk it — it was silicone, after all. I started at one of the interlocking side seams, carefully peeling the silicone sides away from the cake and platter one at a time. It was a beautiful sight — there was very little sticking, and the cake’s shape was nice and even. A win!

Other Things to Know

If I had one complaint, it would be that getting the pan out of the oven was more difficult than I thought. The two handle-like protrusions on the upper edge of the silicone don’t seem super sturdy and, once the pan is full, it seems like grasping the pan’s flexible edges would mar the cooked filling. To overcome this, I slid the pan off the rack using one hand and grasped it from the bottom with my other. This was easy because the pan is small, but it might not be as simple with one of the larger versions.
Both the silicone and ceramic sections are dishwasher-safe. For more compact storage, the silicone sides can be rolled up, but I store mine right in the box it came in.
The Lékué can be used in the freezer, refrigerator and microwave, so cheesecake is certainly not its only use!  I could see this pan being used for quiche, tarts, ice cream cake, a mousse-type cake, a charlotte or even a coffeecake.
I really like this pan. I made a few cheesecakes in it, testing the recipe below, and I hope that the components continue to fit together nicely after many more uses.

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Peanut Butter & Chocolate Lover’s Cheesecake

8 servings

Ingredients

Crust:

• 6 chocolate wafer cookies, crushed
• 2 tablespoons almond meal
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Cake:

• 2 8-ounce packages Neufchatel cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon powdered peanut butter
• ⅓ cup coconut sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup mini chocolate chips

Garnish:

• 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
• 4 full size peanut butter cup candies, coarsely chopped (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, stir together crushed cookies, almond meal and melted butter. Press mixture into bottom of the springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and let cool while preparing filling. Turn down oven temperature to 325°F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat softened cheese until smooth. Add Greek yogurt and eggs and mix again until well combined. Add powdered peanut butter, coconut sugar, vanilla extract and salt and mix until smooth. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Transfer mixture to the pan and smooth the top.
3. Bake cheesecake for 50 minutes, or until edges are dry and center just barely jiggles when pan is gently shaken. Remove from oven and let cool completely, then refrigerate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Do not remove the outer ring from the pan.
4. Remove cheesecake from refrigerator for 10 minutes before serving (you can remove outer pan ring at this time or leave it on until garnish is added).
5. Heat 2 tablespoons chocolate chips in microwave for 1 minute on high until melted; microwaves vary, so stir every 15 seconds to check progress. Transfer melted chips to a resealable sandwich bag, squeeze chocolate into one corner and seal the bag. Snip off a little of the bag’s corner and squeeze chocolate out, drizzling it over the top of cheesecake decoratively. If desired, sprinkle cheesecake with chopped candies and cut into 8 slices.

Make a Great Choice on National Chili Day: Choose Pulses!

Exactly what is a pulse? No, I'm not talking about that thing the nurse takes when you go for a check-up. I'm talking food (surprise, surprise).
Pulses are the harvested dried seeds of legume plants.  Most of us already are familiar with the dried seeds, but didn't know they are called pulses. I'll be the first to admit that I'd heard the term tossed around but didn't know what the heck they were until I attended FNCE last fall, where I learned about how awesome pulses are!
There are four main types of pulses — beans, chickpeas, lentils and dried peas — and there are more than 100 different varieties of pulses that are grown all around the world!
So why are pulses so great? They are rich in protein and fiber, high in vitamins and minerals and low in fat. Pulses also are a complex carbohydrate, which means they take longer for the body to break down than other simple carbs  such as white bread, cake, candies, etc. Since these dried legumes are bursting with protein, fiber and complex carbs, they keep you fuller longer and provide sustained energy. All of these factors are great for weight management and heart health, which helps decrease your chronic disease risk.
I have two great chili recipes to share with you that incorporate pulses! The first is a lightened up traditional chili, using lentils instead of beans, and the other is a fun twist on a white chicken chili.  

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Lightened Up Chili

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• ¾ cup diced white onion
• 1 cup brown dried lentils
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
• 14 ounces reduced sodium vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cheddar cheese
• Cilantro

Directions

1. Brown ground turkey and chopped onion in a skillet.
2. Rinse lentils.
3. Place browned turkey and onion, lentils and remaining ingredients in slow cooker.
4. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, until lentils are tender.
5. Garnish with cheddar cheese and fresh cilantro.

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White Chicken Chili with Pesto

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken breasts
• 1 cup dried great northern beans
• ¾ cup chopped white onion
• 1 cup finely diced carrot
• 1 4-ounce can green chilies
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 14 ounces reduced-sodium vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 3 tablespoons pesto
• Mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Rinse beans.
2. Place all ingredients except quinoa and pesto in slow cooker.
3. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, until beans are tender and chicken is cooked through.
4. Before serving, cook quinoa according to package directions and add 1 cup cooked quinoa to chili.
5. Stir in pesto and serve. Garnish with mozzarella cheese.

Be Good to Your Heart on National Pistachio Day!

February is Heart Month, so it’s fitting that we finish up the month celebrating National Pistachio Day on Sunday. The pistachio packs a nutritional punch when it comes to being good to your heart. 
Along with the other tree nuts, science shows that pistachios boast a healthy serving of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, and they also contain phytochemicals that serve as antioxidants and lutein to further protect your heart. They also have some potassium, which can help manage blood pressure. With a serving of a whopping 49 nuts for 160 calories, these make a great, filling treat on their own or as part of heart-healthy recipes.
I have made nut butters, but never thought to try pistachios until I came across a small business making simple nut butters and absolutely fell in love with their pistachio butter. That’s what inspired me to try making my own at home, which I used in the Chocolate Pistachio Butter Pretzels recipe below. But pistachios don’t just work as a sweet treat — their versatility allows them to complement savory dishes as well.
Both of the recipes below are great to take to a party, and they each feature pistachios alongside other heart-healthy ingredients like salmon and dark chocolate.

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Pistachio Salmon Salad

Makes about 10 1-tablespoon portions

Ingredients

• 1 5-ounce can skinless, boneless salmon, drained
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, or light mayo if preferred
• 1 teaspoon fiesta-style lime seasoning
• ¼ cup shelled pistachios
• Flat pretzels or similar crackers

Directions

1. Empty drained salmon into a small mixing bowl. Add mayonnaise and stir until salmon is coated.
2. Add in seasoning and stir thoroughly.
3. Place pistachios in a plastic bag and crush using a mallet or similar. Keep in small pieces rather than fully crushed for crunch. Add to salmon and stir thoroughly.
4. Using a tablespoon, place 1 spoonful on each pretzel or cracker. Top with a pistachio for garnish.

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Chocolate Pistachio Butter Pretzels

Makes 12 pretzels

Ingredients

• 1 cup shelled pistachios
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips
• Flat pretzels or similar

Directions

1. Place pistachios in a food processor and process until the nuts form a paste. You may need to stop it and scrape down the sides of the food processor bowl. Keep going until you reach desired consistency.
2. Spread a layer of pistachio butter on each of the pretzels and place on a small baking tray lined with foil for easy clean up.
3. Place chocolate chips in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Continue at 15-second increments, stirring between, until all of the chocolate has melted.
4. Drizzle or place a dollop of chocolate on top of each nut-buttered pretzel. Place in refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes or longer if desired

Say Goodbye to the Food Police and Hello to a Healthier You

As a registered dietitian, friends, family and even strangers comment on their food choices when I’m around. They assume, because of my knowledge and career choice, that I’m the “food police.” You know, that person who judges what others eat and deems their choices either “good” or “bad.” For a while, my standard line for people who explained their food choices to me was that I wasn’t the food police, but more of a food coach, empowering others to make choices based on their health. The problem with this is that people define the word health differently than I do.
Sure, health means free from disease, or a body that is managing a disease, but it’s more than that. Healthy people can competently deal with the stressors that impact their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. The food you choose cannot, alone, bring you health. 
Whether your food police is an actual person or your “inner mean girl,” the only purpose is to pass judgment. When you place food into categories — good, bad, fattening, superfood, low-carb, etc. — it sets you up to pass judgment on those foods, which can cause a cascade effect. You relate the ingestion of “good” or “bad” food to a “good” or “bad” you. “Oh, I was so bad today — I had dessert. What a guilty pleasure!” Sound familiar? Deeming food as a guilty pleasure denotes that it is something you should feel guilty about eating. If you choose “good” foods all day, every day, does that make you a better person, or does it leave you feeling restricted, stressed and obsessed? My (educated) guess is the latter. How is that healthy?
Let me make this perfectly clear. Food is not good. Food is not bad. Food is food. Food does not define your character and does not affect your self-worth or your morality. It’s time to leave food alone, and it’s time to leave yourself alone. Shame and guilt have never been effective motivators toward wellness, so cut yourself some slack.
The food rules you are born with — those internal cues of hunger and satiety —often are pushed so far down by external cues that we no longer hear them, or are afraid to listen to them. Instead of passing judgment, begin to practice curious observation, which allows you to look at what you eat with awareness of how you physically feel, rather than the emotional attachment that comes with judgment.
When you eat, decide whether the food you choose energizes you or depletes you. Pay attention to whether it satisfies your hunger, or whether you need something else to reach satiety. Notice how long that satiety lasts before needing to eat again. Decide whether you choose a food because you enjoy eating it, or because you were told that it was good for you in some way. Then it’s up to you to decide if you will continue to listen to judgment passed by yourself or others, or begin to practice something new. Curiosity will let you base your food choices on internal cues like hunger and digestibility and set you free from the burden of food rules.

Isn’t it time you let yourself be? Say so long to the food police and practice a kinder inner voice.

Dress a Salad to Impress — Without the Stress

Whether attending an elegant dinner or hosting a casual picnic, it is important to dress to impress — this also applies to your salad. 

I attempted my first made-from-scratch salad dressing with the Whiskware Salad Dressing Shaker by BlenderBottle, and I may never buy manufactured versions again.  I’ll tell you why. 

Grocery store shelves are stocked with dressing varieties ranging from classic Italian to apple fennel and everything in between. The creativity of ingredient combinations is inspiring, but what’s not desirable is the additives and artificial flavoring in store-bought versions. Though the Food and Drug Administration deems these safe for use, there is growing concern over the safety of some of these ingredients when excessively consumed. 

Making dressing at home allows you to be the boss of your mixture, giving you control over the quality of the ingredients. For example, olive oil often is the base of a satisfying salad dressing. Purchasing a trusted brand in bulk helps you stay on budget and makes it convenient to whip up a new dressing at your leisure. 

It may appear frivolous to have a special container simply for mixing oil and vinegar, but trial and error convinced me otherwise. The Whiskware Dressing Shaker’s benefit, as opposed to a plain mason jar, is in the added features. First, it saves you time. After searching for a balsamic vinaigrette recipe, in under two minutes I poured the ingredients directly into the container — it has measurement markings on its transparent plastic — secured the cap and shook until blended. The result was a salad dressing I felt good about serving and, I must admit, made me proud. Plus, the recipe can be adjusted to make as much or as little as needed, therefore reducing waste. One concern was how leftover dressing would preserve for later use, but the shaker's BlenderBall wire whisk efficiently whisks the fats, other liquids and natural sugars into a smooth solution. If the suspension separates, give the container a few quick shakes and the dressing re-mixes and is ready to pour. This leads me to the next feature: the auto-sealing spout. I accidently knocked over the dressing container when packing my lunch for the day. I’m thankful to say there was no spillage — my kitchen counter remained clean, and I made it to work on time. 

Whiskware touts that the shaker is stain- and odor-resistant, and I will attest that the product was easy to clean and looked good as new after a couple uses. However, my vinaigrette had a potent smell and, despite my efforts, it took at least three washes before the aroma of balsamic vinegar was undetectable. Finally, a word of caution when blending heartier dressing concoctions: I made a blue cheese dressing and the BlenderBall essentially caged some of the cheese bits. It certainly wasn’t a deal breaker, but a bit annoying since I consider those bits to be the best part. 

Overall, I would give this product my seal of approval for amateur and professional chefs alike. Preparing homemade salad dressings is an impressive skill in a culinary repertoire, and the Whiskware Salad Dressing Shaker makes it easy.

How Kitchen Organization Can Help You Reach Your Health Goals

As most of us know, changing our lifestyle to focus on health is a big deal. It usually involves planning ahead, grocery shopping, cooking, communicating with family and friends and finding time to exercise, among other things. It can feel overwhelming at times, but there are ways to make the transition easier. A good place to start is your kitchen and dining environment to set you up for success. Whether you just started your journey to good health or are a seasoned pro, here are some simple actions you can take to help you reach your goals. 

Make Tempting Foods Less Visible and Convenient

There’s a lot of truth to the saying “out of sight, out of mind.” Clear your counter of all food, except for vegetables and fruit. If possible, move your pantry outside of your kitchen to make it more inconvenient to grab treat foods. For example, move all of your pantry items to the garage or basement. Relocating tempting foods makes it less likely you will reach for them first. Another idea is to designate your own shelf or cabinet in the kitchen. This way you do not have to fight through everyone’s food to get to yours.

Rearrange Your Fridge and Pantry

Move nutrient-dense items to a shelf that is at eye-level and treats to the back of the fridge and pantry. Move vegetables and fruits from the crisper to the top shelf. The more readily available and visible the nutritious options, the more likely you are to eat them.

Stock Your Kitchen with Items High in Protein, Healthy Fats and Fiber

Not having nutritious foods on hand may cause you to overeat. Stock your fridge and cabinets with protein foods and veggies, such as plain Greek yogurt, eggs, cut up raw veggies, nuts, seeds, sliced deli meat and some fruit. Buy smaller packages of food that you can eat before they go bad, without feeling pressured to overeat.

Make It Easier on Yourself to Cook

Make your pots, pans, cutting boards and other cooking essentials easily accessible. Store your spices on a spice rack or organize them in your cabinet so they are easy to find. Make sure you have good lighting in your kitchen to make it easier to see during preparation.

Shrink Your Serving Utensils and Dishware

Have smaller serving spoons, plates, drinking glasses and bowls on hand. Bigger utensils and dishware can lead to mindless overeating. Smaller utensils and dishware can trick our minds into thinking we are getting more food because it’s easier to fill them to the brim.

Make Your Kitchen Table a Space Where You Want to Eat

Eating in front of the television or computer can lead to mindless eating that makes it harder to tune into satiety levels. Make eating a special, mindful experience by eating at a room table with screens off. The idea is to eat undistracted so you can truly savor your food and avoid overeating. Enjoy the company of your family and friends or sit and enjoy a moment of solitary peace as you eat.

Simple Actions Spark Big Change

Our eating environment plays an important role in our health journey, so take a few moments today to choose a step or two to tackle. By making just a few of these changes, you will help yourself to be more mindful of your food choices, as well as make your kitchen work for YOU.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Frosting

You need chocolate frosting. You also need to eat your vegetables!
Luckily, this chocolate frosting, which also happens to be low-fat, vegan and soy-free, has you covered on both fronts.
The very veggie secret? Vitamin A-rich, fiber-fabulous sweet potatoes! While these tasty tubers may sound like a strange base for frosting, when whipped, they have all the right stuff: a smooth, creamy texture, the ability to hold their shape for decorating, and a mellow flavor that melds beautifully with cocoa and vanilla.
The result is surprisingly delicious. I only wish I could take credit for the idea! Instead, I was inspired by the chocolate sweet potato frosting at Sandi’s Allergy Free Recipes. A chocolate craving and a little tinkering later — especially a touch of coffee to deepen the cocoa flavor — and my version of this tasty treat was born.
So, are you game for sweet potato frosting?

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Sweet Potato Chocolate Frosting

Makes about 3 cups of frosting, enough for 18 cupcakes

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked orange sweet potatoes (I used two, sweet potatoes, 6 to 7 inches in length, baked or microwaved)
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons almond butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon imitation butter flavor (optional)
• ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee
• ½ teaspoon salt
• almond milk, if needed, to thin

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stop to scrape the sides of the food processor as needed.  If your frosting is too thick, thin with small amounts of almond milk until you reach the desired consistency. 
2. Can be made up to three days in advance. Store in the refrigerator, where it will stay spreadable.

4 Ways to Sneak in Extra Veggies

A 2015 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report on how well American adults meet the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables showed we’re not doing so well! Only 13.1 percent of respondents met the fruit intake recommendations, while only 8.9 percent met vegetable intake recommendations.
We need to find new ways to add fruits and veggies to our daily routines.  Here are my four favorite ways to increase produce intake.

Add Them to Smoothies

This might seem like a no-brainer to some, but a lot of people fear the weird green color that can result from adding greens to smoothies, or think it will make them taste bland. Not true! I like to start by blending 1 cup of spinach or kale with 1 cup of almond milk, then adding in mixed fruit, dates and even peanut butter. Sometimes I’ll throw in diced carrots for a beta-carotene boost. And adding beets is a great way to get a strong pink color if you’re not into green!

Mix Them Into Your Breakfast

Have a muffin, pancake or waffle recipe that calls for milk? Blend some spinach with the milk before adding it to the remainder of your ingredients. Just like with smoothies, you can’t even taste it! Adding sweet bell peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms to your eggs every morning also is a great option if you’re wanting something more savory.

Hide Them in Your Sandwiches and Wraps

Do you typically pack a sandwich or wrap for lunch? Add in a few veggies or, better yet, make an all-veggie sandwich! My favorites are spinach, tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, sprouts, cucumbers – the list goes on!

Pizza 

Who doesn’t like pizza? Homemade pizza is one of my all-time favorite dinners, and it also is a perfect way to get in a couple servings of veggies. I like to start with my Sweet Potato Pizza Crust and top it with tomato sauce, mushrooms, spinach, onions, peppers and some vegan cheese!

How Prebiotics Can Affect Mood & Appetite

These days you'll see the word "probiotics" listed on packaging of products from yogurt to fermented foods to supplements. Probiotics are “good” bacteria that help keep our digestive tracts healthy. Various strains of probiotics may help improve glucose metabolism in people with Type 2 diabetes, digestive issues such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea and diverticulosis, as well as help keep our immune system strong. So what's the secret to increasing the amount of good bacteria in your gut?  Well, you already know to eat yogurt, fermented foods or take probiotic supplements, so this answer might surprise you: Increase the amount of prebiotics you eat!

What Are Prebiotics?

Prebiotics are what probiotics eat. Prebiotics are food components, such as fiber, that cannot be broken down by our own digestive enzymes, but rather are fermented by our gut bacteria. Some examples of prebiotic foods include leeks, asparagus, artichokes, garlic, onions, wheat, bananas, soybeans, honey, almonds, oatmeal, red wine and legumes. Each type of prebiotic promotes the growth of different strains of healthy bacteria, so a diet that is rich in a variety of fiber sources supports microbiome diversity.
The prebiotic fermentation process stimulates the growth of good bacteria in our gut. Some studies even have shown that eating prebiotics can reduce the number of pathogenic bacteria in our gut, such as clostridia or salmonella. Fermentation of undigested carbohydrates creates short-chain fatty acids, which can cross the blood-brain barrier.  Short-chain fatty acids send signals to the brain to control appetite and secrete serotonin. Scientists have discovered interactions between the nervous system and microbiome, dubbing this the “gut-brain axis.” There is emerging evidence associating the regulation of mood, stress and anxiety with prebiotic intake.

The Takeaway

If you want to give your gut microbiota a boost and help reduce stress and anxiety, make sure you eat plenty of prebiotic foods. The saying “you are what you eat” applies to bacteria, too!

Is It Time to Cut Back on Caffeine?

Raise your hand if you currently or ever have struggled with caffeine dependence. This year’s National Nutrition Month theme is “Put Your Best Fork Forward,” and as many of us know from experience, it can be hard to put your best anything forward without that morning coffee or tea. Every bite — or sip — plays a role, however small, in how you feel. Finding an appropriate amount of caffeine that works for you is an important part of overall wellness.  There’s no rule that says you have to give it up — in fact, it’s been shown to have some health benefits — but too much can have negative effects.
According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a healthy adult can safely consume up to 400 milligrams of caffeine per day. That’s about three to five 8-ounce cups of brewed coffee per day. Keep in mind, though, that some brands can have as much as 200 milligrams per cup. A shot of espresso has about 75 milligrams of caffeine, and energy drinks range from 47 to 163 milligrams of caffeine per 8 ounces. Tea also provides caffeine, depending on the type and steeping duration. According to the Mayo Clinic, black tea, for example, contains anywhere from 14 to 70 milligrams per cup, and green tea has 24 to 45 milligrams.
Caffeine tolerance can vary from person to person, and many factors can impact how the body metabolizes caffeine, including smoking, some medical conditions and use of certain medications such as oral contraceptives.

Pros

A small to moderate dose of caffeine (20 to 200 milligrams) can make you feel more alert, focused, energetic and upbeat and has been associated with some neuroprotective benefits like enhanced short-term memory and reduced cognitive decline risk. Caffeine also has been shown to help the body perform better during physical activity. It can be central to many social gatherings, as well — think meeting a new person or reconnecting with loved ones over a cup of coffee or tea.

Cons

Some research indicates that a larger dose of caffeine (200 mg or more) can cause symptoms like jitters, increased anxiety, GI discomfort and changes in heart rate. It also may disrupt sleep cycles. Caffeine withdrawal is another drawback. Low-grade symptoms like sleepiness, headache and lethargy can occur, but some people even experience flu-like symptoms if they don’t get their fix. This can disrupt your overall daily function, and that groggy feeling that sends someone running to the coffee machine often is written off as lack of shut-eye or stress rather than addressing the underlying caffeine addiction. It's an easy cycle to slip into, but a hard one to escape.
It’s also worth pointing out that coffee and tea beverages often are a vehicle for sugar or may be paired with a sweet treat like a pastry, so be sure to take both caffeine and calories into account.

What To Do

If you suspect your caffeine intake is too high, make a plan to get to a more realistic level. Don’t pressure yourself to quit cold turkey if it’s not realistic for you (or medically required). Small changes add up to lasting changes, and setting smaller, measurable goals gives you a chance to appreciate your success and build on it. For example, if your long-term goal is to cut back from six cups of coffee to one, start with getting it to five for a week and gradually scale back. Some other tips:
State your goal clearly: Decide how much caffeine you want to get in the habit of consuming and decide whether a cold turkey or more gradual approach is right for you. Knowing how much of a change you need to make gives you a destination on which to base your roadmap and will help you be more successful than if you just vow to “cut back.”
Identify your barriers: Maybe you have some caffeine dependence but you also enjoy the ritual of a hot cup of tea or an afternoon iced coffee that gives you a reason to get outside or take a break. Maybe a caffeinated beverage is part of your morning “me” time before the rest of your home wakes up. Tune in to what role caffeinated beverages play in your life and brainstorm alternatives, such as changing your order from a large to a medium cup.
Be prepared for withdrawal symptoms: They’re unpleasant, but part of the deal. Knowing what to anticipate and that withdrawal symptoms are temporary can help you work through them. If feasible, plan tasks that require focus for times you have more energy, or give yourself a few breaks throughout the day.
Keep your nutrition game strong: Sugar cravings and a hankering for energy-dense, fatty foods often crop up when someone’s trying to cut caffeine. Talk down those cravings by acknowledging their cause and fuel yourself appropriately with well-balanced meals spaced throughout the day that provide a balance of protein, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. This will help keep up your energy. Even mild dehydration can make you feel fatigued, so drink up. Thinking about a coffee run? Have a glass of water or a cup of decaf coffee or herbal tea first, and then decide whether you still need coffee.
Be physically active: The endorphins released during exercise can help boost your mood and energy. If you’re feeling too wiped for a trip to the gym, try a brisk walk or some other gentle movement you enjoy.
Establish a sleep routine: This is a great time to get a handle on your sleep routine. Aim to wake up and go to bed around the same time every day — even on weekends. Giving yourself an hour to “power down” at night can help you fall and stay asleep.
Set a caffeine curfew: Decide when to cut yourself off for the day based on your bedtime and how strongly you feel caffeine affects you.
If you’re really struggling, talk with a doctor or registered dietitian nutritionist to come up with a plan to help you meet your caffeine goal.

Celebrating Celery, the Surprisingly Versatile Vegetable

National Nutrition Month is a great time to start thinking about some nutritious foods to include in your diet. One versatile vegetable to consider is celery. Celery’s low-calorie content and many antioxidants make it a great choice.  The antioxidants in celery help to reduce inflammation, and these same antioxidants are thought to help keep the digestive tract healthy as well. Celery also is an excellent source of vitamin K. Along with other important roles in the body, adequate vitamin K helps maintain bone health and prevent fractures.
Celery is easy to include as a flavorful addition to your diet. It easily can be added to soups, stews, tuna salad and many other dishes for extra nutrition with few added calories. Celery also can be a quick-to-prepare snack. It goes well with a variety of dips. Try nut butters, hummus or a veggie dip. You also could cut up a few stalks of celery to add to your next cheese and cracker plate.
Here is an easy celery snack recipe. Follow it as is, or be creative with different types of filling and dried fruit.

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Easy Celery Snack Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 stalks celery
• ¼ cup almond butter
• ¼ cup dried cranberries

Directions

Wash and dry celery stalks and remove the ends. Cut each stalk into three or more pieces and fill center groove with almond butter. Sprinkle dried cranberries on almond butter and serve.

Put your Best Fork Forward with Vegetarian Nutrition Choices

March is National Nutrition Month, and it’s all about how to "Put Your Best Fork Forward.” Each bite counts and even making small shifts in food choices can add up over time, including the benefits of eating less meat or animal products. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest starting with small changes for lasting health benefits, and reducing meat intake can support both your own health as well as the health of the planet. 
Whether you are interested in eating less meat or going vegetarian or vegan, make sure to include nutritious, whole foods that you look forward to eating.  Don’t like broccoli? Not a problem! Choose other colorful veggies that you enjoy. Try new vegetables as they come into season. This spring, experiment with white asparagus, purple cabbage, collard greens, radishes, turnips and a variety of your favorite mushrooms. Adding in new veggies isn’t just a way to try new recipes; it also brings a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants into your diet.
Spring is a wonderful time to experiment with new grains and vegetarian protein sources you’re less familiar with. Packed with fiber and nutrients, whole grains and vegetarian protein foods are fun to cook with. These ingredients add a complexity of flavor and texture to recipes. Try cooking with whole grains like sorghum, millet, farro, teff, quinoa, buckwheat or bulgur this season. Create dishes that combine grains with plant-based protein sources like tofu (experiment with soft and firm), tempeh, beans, peas and lentils. If you have tried these before and did not enjoy them, it may be time to try again with a different preparation or culinary technique.
Finally, make vegetarian cooking flavorful and interesting by adding in new herbs or spices. Beans, lentils, grains and veggies benefit from the bitterness and zest of fresh springtime herbs. Try curly or flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, chervil, dill, chives, marjoram and tarragon as the weather turns warmer. Weaving in layers of intricate flavor using herbs and spices can enhance vegetarian cooking and add nutrients to your recipes as well.
Make cooking fun by grabbing a new plant-based cookbook, digging out an old favorite or searching your favorite culinary website or blog for inspiration. Utilize social media such as Instagram or Pinterest for even more inspiration to make vegetarian food taste amazing.
Put your best fork forward with fresh vegetarian ideas this National Nutrition Month and remember to take it one forkful at a time.

Stone Soup Vlog: Jackfruit Larb

Jackfruit Larb

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced red shallot
• 1 thinly sliced scallion (white and green parts)
• ½ cup thinly sliced mint leaves
• ½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce 
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 10 ounces shredded jackfruit (about 2 ½ cups)  
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 leaves butter lettuce 

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine shallot, scallion, mint, cilantro, garlic, soy sauce, lime juice and sugar. This will be your dressing
2. Open the jackfruit, or purchased pre-quartered, and pull it apart into shreds. Discard hard and fibrous pieces.  
3. Heat olive oil in small skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add jackfruit, red chili flakes and a pinch of salt. Sauté for about 1 minute, until mixture is heated through. 
4. Transfer jackfruit to dressing and toss. Arrange butter lettuce leaves on a serving plate and mound dressed jackfruit on top. Garnish with mint leaves.