<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"><channel><atom:link rel="hub" href="http://tumblr.superfeedr.com/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"/><description>I love food. I love food that tastes good, is satisfying, energizes, and delivers lots of nutrition. There’s lots of food like that out there. Let me prove it to you. Email questions, comments, or suggestions to yournutritionista@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: I’m not a Registered Dietitian (RD) or mental health professional. For medical or psychological counseling, please consult an RD, certified nutritionist, doctor, or mental health professional. All content on this blog is based on my own acquired knowledge/research and personal experience. It is not meant to qualify as medical advice.</description><title>Your Nutritionista</title><generator>Tumblr (3.0; @nutritionista)</generator><link>http://yournutritionista.com/</link><item><title>CelebrEAT: Vinology</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Last night, I belatedly celebrated my birthday with some of the people who mean the most to me. We all gathered at &lt;a href="http://www.vinowinebars.net/"&gt;Vinology&lt;/a&gt; for food and drinks. The view from the head of the table:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kzaamn0xeu1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://sheddingit.com"&gt;Rachel&lt;/a&gt; was my photographer for the evening. It’s not hard to tell which shots are hers and which are mine. My new camera cannot come soon enough! I know my pictures are still going to be far from expert, but &lt;em&gt;any&lt;/em&gt; improvement is welcome at this point. Proof?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kzaasz2gQx1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Exhibit A: The pic she took of a gift from my friend Bridget: Vosges chocolate bars in assorted flavors. Applewood-smoked bacon chocolate? Don’t mind if I do!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kzaav7kH9k1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Exhibit B: This blurry, but adorable, picture I took of Lin-Chi and her boyfriend Celsius.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kzaawzbSAy1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Exhibit C: She managed to make my steak and mushroom appetizer, which looked like a brown pile of blah, pretty.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kzaay9frkJ1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Exhibit D: I was just happy that &lt;a href="http://accordingtolia.blogspot.com"&gt;Lia&lt;/a&gt; and I were identifiable in this pic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kzab0jisev1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;To everyone I did and didn’t take crappy pictures of — Lin-Chi, Celsius, Margaret, Paul, Heather, Sam, Bridget, Mani, Rob, Vania, Jesse, Teresa, Amy, Rachel, Lia, Chris, Andrea, and of course, my Adrian — THANK YOU for making my birthday so special!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/448084133</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/448084133</guid><pubDate>Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:27:00 -0400</pubDate><category>outtoeat</category></item><item><title>Grocery Shop: Weekend Pick-up</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;There’s a special place in my heart for Friday evenings.&lt;/strong&gt; This is the first one in as long as I can remember that I’ve had zero obligations, so I took the opportunity to do a little leisurely grocery shopping. The plan for the rest of the evening? A long bath, lots of reading, listening to one of my bday gifts (&lt;a href="http://www.amazon.com/Soldier-Love-Sade/dp/B002YIHO7I"&gt;the new Sade album&lt;/a&gt;!), and then deciding if I want to trek out into the world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But first, I grocery shopped, because that’s one of my all-time favorite activities. Since we’re expecting our next &lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/post/365170530/local-organic-produce-for-the-lazy-door-to-door"&gt;Door to Door Organics&lt;/a&gt; box on Tuesday, I went easy on the produce and stocked up on the organic meats and cheeses. Since I had planned on using another one of my birthday gifts (a gift card to Whole Foods), I treated myself to some pricier items.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz6zrt1yvA1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;What came home with me:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;two dozen organic omega-3 cage-free eggs&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;a href="http://www.zingermanscreamery.com/"&gt;Zingerman’s creamery&lt;/a&gt; fresh goat cheese&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;raw goat’s cheddar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Kerry Gold pastured Dubliner &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;two avocados&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;a pound of grass-fed lamb shoulder&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;a pound of artic char fillet (I realized after I bought it that it wasn’t wild-caught… boo!)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;five bison snack sticks (made at Whole Foods)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;uncured, nitrite-free organic applewood-smoked bacon&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Voges Oaxaca dark chocolate bar&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;heavy cream from a local dairy&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;baby organic carrots&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;big ol’ tub of baby spinach&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;four containers of full-fat Fage Greek yogurt&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Food, delicious food.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On an unrelated note, how beautiful is the Sade cover? I want a back like that!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz705hFd3Y1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Enjoy your Friday…&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/444135868</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/444135868</guid><pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:34:00 -0500</pubDate><category>grocery</category></item><item><title>Gather ‘round, kids, and let me tell you a little...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz6ok5Gb1j1qzvog9o1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gather ‘round, kids, and let me tell you a little story.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;As we walked into &lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/post/443424891/view-from-my-birthday-dinner"&gt;Zingerman’s last night&lt;/a&gt;, I saw a dark chocolate display by the host area. I realized my stash had run out, I was feeling choco-needy, and Zingerman’s usually sells the good stuff.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Me:&lt;/strong&gt; Oooh, I’m going to buy some of that on the way out.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boyfriend:&lt;/strong&gt; Don’t worry, I’ll get you some.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;[&lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/post/443424891/view-from-my-birthday-dinner"&gt;Break for BBQ, fried chicken, and beef bourguignon&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As we’re walking out again…&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Me:&lt;/strong&gt; Okay, I’m going to get some chocolate. It’s kind of pricey — $4.99 — but I think it’ll be worth it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boyfriend:&lt;/strong&gt; Here, let me get that. [Hands cashier his credit card.]&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cashier:&lt;/strong&gt; Your total is $12.42.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Me:&lt;/strong&gt; …&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boyfriend:&lt;/strong&gt; …And THAT is the most expensive chocolate I’ve ever purchased.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Me:&lt;/strong&gt; …Wow, I really can’t read. I can’t believe I just let you pay over $12 for chocolate. Thanks, boo boo!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Boyfriend:&lt;/strong&gt; That better be the best chocolate you’ve ever eaten in your life.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;I just tasted it. You know what? IT ACTUALLY WAS.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Zingerman’s El Rústico chocolate bar: “Single origin Mexican 70% dark chocolate with crunchy sugar crystals and delicate bites of real vanilla bean.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;img src="http://i44.tinypic.com/jgntk0.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you feel the need to try $12 chocolate for yourself, you can order it &lt;a href="http://www.zingermans.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=P-ASK-75"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;em&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/443758466</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/443758466</guid><pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:24:00 -0500</pubDate><category>sweetfreak</category><category>outtoeat</category></item><item><title>Outside the Box Core Fusion Shock Your Body Test: 100 Pushups!</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz6fygoTIC1qzp1hc.gif"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Ha, okay, not 100 pushups right away. But, inspired by &lt;a href="http://sheddingit.com"&gt;Rachel&lt;/a&gt;, I’m going to start the &lt;a href="http://hundredpushups.com/"&gt;One Hundred Pushups&lt;/a&gt; program to complete this week’s &lt;a href="http://outsidetheboxchallenge.tumblr.com/"&gt;OTB&lt;/a&gt; test: &lt;a href="http://outsidetheboxchallenge.tumblr.com/post/434593036/this-weeks-challenge-is-brought-to-you-by-core"&gt;The Core Fusion Shock Your Body Test&lt;/a&gt;. Don’t worry, I’m not competing for the prize!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;One Hundred Pushups is a thrice-weekly regimen designed to get you doing 100 pushups in just six weeks. They swear you’ll be able to do it if you stick to the plan with no cheating. I really, really want to do it so I can proudly display this badge on my blog!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz6g0yWBh81qzp1hc.gif"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Err, haha, not like I just did, but on the side over there! I do have another ulterior motive: to beat my boyfriend in a pushup-off! I &lt;em&gt;know&lt;/em&gt; I can do it. Since it will only take me 5-10 minutes 3x a week, it’ll be easy to tack it on to the end of a workout.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Week 1, Day 1 is TODAY! Wish me luck. Oh, and if you want to join me, just head over to the &lt;a href="http://hundredpushups.com/"&gt;One Hundred Pushups site&lt;/a&gt; to find your level and plan.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/443546028</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/443546028</guid><pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:36:28 -0500</pubDate><category>fitness</category><category>outsidethebox</category></item><item><title>View from My Birthday Dinner</title><description>&lt;p&gt;After much debate, I relied on an old favorite for my birthday dinner: &lt;a href="http://zingermansroadhouse.com"&gt;Zingerman’s Roadhouse&lt;/a&gt; (an Ann Arbor — nay, Michigan! — institution).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Let’s just say &lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/post/217168688/half-marathon-madness"&gt;it wasn’t my first time&lt;/a&gt;. I love going to Zingerman’s because I can order anything on the menu with a clear conscience. Most of their produce, meat, and dairy come from local farms. If they can’t find something on a local farm, they’ll literally travel the world to hand-select only the best ingredients. Their meats are pastured and free-range.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;People ask me if that stuff really makes a difference in taste, and my answer is always yes, yes it does.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;My parents, boyfriends, and close family friends joined me in the feasting. We cleaned up! Let me show you around the foodie highlights.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz61uapgry1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I didn’t order any alcohol (my birthday is all about food, not drinks), but the server brought me some samples of wine to try because she said it would “look pretty.” Never one to turn down free stuff, I tried ‘em all! Usually I like reds best, but my favorite of these three was the white. I totally forget what they all were.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz61xqy2pd1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;My boyfriend tried the Dr. Pepper made with real sugar. He gave it a thumbs up. Dad’s in the background!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz6213wVJT1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For their entree, my parents got lots of small plates, one of which was the 5 Burger Sampler: “Five mini-burgers topped with different cheeses — a delicious way to try our many great American cheeses. Served with lettuce, hot-house tomato, onion, and pickles.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;All Zingerman’s beef is grass-fed, and most of it is from local farms.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz629lLmWL1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;My parents also split the Otto File Polenta Integrale (“served with roasted eggplant, Corman Farms roasted tomatoes, and Ig Vella Mezzo Secco cheese”).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz623od2kR1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Excuse the bad pic! My boyfriend got the Beef Bourguignon — “French pot roast braised with red wine and mire poix. Served with mashed potatoes.” I tried it, and it was delish.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz6263dBPV1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I got a combo of BBQ Pork &amp; Pit-Smoked Beef Brisket with different BBQ sauces (Eastern North Carolina vinegar, Memphis tomato, and South Carolina mustard) served with mashed potatoes and Southern-style braised greens.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz62cfIMkm1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;One of my family friends got the Buttermilk-Fried Chicken, which is “Amish free-range chicken dipped in a buttermilk batter served with local mashed potatoes and yellow mustard cole slaw.” It’s supposedly the best fried chicken in Ann Arbor, and I believe it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Of course, there was more food on the table (like amazing soda bread from their St. Patrick’s Day-themed specials!), but I’ll spare you the crappy pics. Speaking of which, my parents’ gift to me was money towards a new camera, so you might be seeing some upgrades in that department soon!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz62evBzQr1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We ordered two desserts (I forgot to snap pics!) and Zing’s gave me this cupcake on the house because it was my bday. I got my favorite restaurant dessert ever, Zingerman’s famous doughnut sundae, and a slice of hummingbird cake (sort of like carrot cake, but with more stuff, like pineapple, coconut, and walnuts). The cupcake was pretty good, too! It had a delicious maple frosting.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Hope you enjoyed getting a peek into my bday eats, and thanks for all the birthday wishes!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/443424891</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/443424891</guid><pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:00:00 -0500</pubDate><category>dayinfood</category><category>outtoeat</category></item><item><title>my best friend recently went vegetarian and her doctor told her she was being silly and demanded that she stop. now her mom is siding with her doctor, unless she can prove that she can pull it off healthily. do you have any advice for her as far as vegetarian proteins? i've been trying to help her as much as possible, but we have very different tastes in food.</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Did you see &lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/post/428751230/so-im-on-a-diet-and-trying-to-lose-a-significant"&gt;this post&lt;/a&gt;? It has a list of some Nutritionista-approved vegetarian proteins!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On that note, I just caught up with all your questions, so I’m ready to open up the &lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/ask"&gt;Ask page&lt;/a&gt; again. &lt;strong&gt;Before you ask, though, please check the &lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/tagged/ask"&gt;previously answered questions&lt;/a&gt; to see if your question has already been answered &lt;/strong&gt;(this asker couldn’t have seen the other Q because she probably asked the question before I answered the other one!)&lt;strong&gt;.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Also, if you’re asking a broad question (“I need to lose weight, what do I do?!”), please either include more detail so I can tailor my advice to your specific situation, or search through the blog first. There are plenty of resources already available on the blog that can answer many basic questions! So as not to clog people’s dashboards, I’ll only be answering a few questions a day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Alright, &lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/ask"&gt;ask away&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/443349450</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/443349450</guid><pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 09:08:51 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>I've been sort of trying to lose weight lately; I just try to eat healthy/organic, and eat smaller portions and snacks instead of binging whenever I feel hungry. (I don't exercise much, just a little bit of walking and maybe some gym stuff like once a week) I feel like I'm eating healthily, and I've lost a couple pounds, but I've been feeling very tired lately, even though I'm sleeping a lot, and I was worried about my health and diet.&lt;br /&gt;&#13;
&lt;br /&gt;&#13;
I'm a student, so I have some late hours sometimes, but this week I've fallen asleep in front of the computer at 5-6pm for a nap, and I go to sleep at 10-11pm and wake up at 6-7am. After all that, I STILL feel tired!</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Without seeing exactly what you eat, it’s hard for me to try to draw any conclusions about if it’s having an impact on your fatigue. But I do think that what you eat can play a BIG role in your energy levels! For example, eating lots of sugar and carbs can send you on an insulin rollerskating that makes you crash hard when the sugar rush ends.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It’s also possible there’s something else going on, so keep close track of your fatigue. If it gets overwhelming, it’s definitely time to see a doctor!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/443320122</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/443320122</guid><pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:45:00 -0500</pubDate><category>ask</category></item><item><title>Why is it that guys (for the most part) can lose weight so much easier/faster than us ladies? I've seen this happen numerous times with guy friends/family....cut one thing out of their daily habits and voila! Down 10lbs+......it's quite frustrating.</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Isn’t that the worst?! So frustrating! There’s pretty much one simple reason why men can more easily drop pounds:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;They have more muscle, and muscle burns more calories at rest than fat.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Women have more estrogen, and thus store more fat naturally than men. If you want to dig deeper, you’ll find all sorts of biological and evolutionary arguments about why women store more fat (they need it for child-bearing and nurturing, etc.).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I would also guess that on average, women tend to eat for emotional reasons more often than men, and they also tend to favor cardio over strength training (see the reason in bold why men lose weight faster!).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Here are some other reasons I came across (take note that these are all generalizations and by no means do I think they apply to ALL men or ALL women):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Men don’t diet as much as women, and dieting screws up metabolism.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Men like different comfort foods. While women often crave sweets and breads, men crave home-cooked meals like meat and potatoes.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Men are less self-defeating. They don’t get as discouraged and backtrack when the scale doesn’t move as quickly as they’d like.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Studies show that men can lose weight through exercise alone, whereas it’s much harder for women to lose weight without changing their diet.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The lessons for us ladies? Strength train, don’t do crash diets, cut back on sweets, and don’t get discouraged if progress is slower than expected!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/443180219</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/443180219</guid><pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:43:00 -0500</pubDate><category>ask</category></item><item><title>View from My Birthday Lunch</title><description>&lt;p&gt;I’m just going to keep rolling with the bday eats here (because they’re so yummy!).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz4u90FFXi1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;A few friends took me out for lunch, and I got this gorgeous plate of sashimi (plus miso soup and salad with that delicious ginger dressing). You know you’re getting older when you go straight for the raw fish, rather than the rolls that mask the fish flavor.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect birthday lunch. I’m SO excited for dinner, though… you guys will just have to wait and see what I picked!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/441656418</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/441656418</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:34:00 -0500</pubDate><category>dayinfood</category><category>outtoeat</category></item><item><title>Outside the Box Challenge: Enter Now for Core Fusion Goodies!</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz4tgr0wPr1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;People! You only have until Sunday at midnight PST to submit your entry for &lt;a href="http://outsidetheboxchallenge.tumblr.com/post/434593036/this-weeks-challenge-is-brought-to-you-by-core"&gt;this week’s test&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/b&gt; And this week’s test is worth entering, if only for your chance to win Core Fusion workout DVDs! As a reminder, you don’t have to have entered last week to win this week.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz4thcMgPh1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;All you have to do is try a new workout, DVD, or even just a new cardio or strength machine, and then post about it &lt;a href="http://outsidetheboxchallenge.tumblr.com/submit"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;. What are you waiting for? Get sweating!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/441630908</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/441630908</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:15:00 -0500</pubDate><category>outsidethebox</category></item><item><title>Hello again, Nutritionista! &lt;br /&gt;&#13;
&lt;br /&gt;&#13;
Thanks for answering my question about healthy Asian food options, and I hope I'm not being a time-hog for asking you another.&lt;br /&gt;&#13;
&lt;br /&gt;&#13;
This one's about my sugar intake.&lt;br /&gt;&#13;
&lt;br /&gt;&#13;
I've been tracking my nutrition recently through the Livestrong service, "MyPlate." It's working wonders, but I'm starting to worry about the levels of sugar I'm consuming. I often end up waaay over my recommendations before lunch. I honestly don't eat sugary cereals, and I could be getting more fruits in my diet, but I know that'll spike my sugar by a decent amount. I've eliminated all sugary drinks too - soda, artificial juices and fruit drinks, etc.&lt;br /&gt;&#13;
&lt;br /&gt;&#13;
MyPlate recommends I only take in 34g of sugar per day. Any suggestions on how to keep this issue under control? Thanks so much! =)</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Sugar is so sneaky, isn’t it? Some form of it is in almost every packaged food. Sneaky sugar can be found in:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;granola/energy bars&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;instant oatmeal&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;processed chips&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;frozen foods &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;foods labeled “low fat” (they add more sugar to make up for the lost flavor)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;fruit-flavored yogurt&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;flavored coffee/tea drinks&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;sports drinks&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;When buying packaged foods, look for sugar codewords like fructose, sucrose, lactose, maltodextrin, malt syrup, rice syrup, and fruit juice concentrate.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;These days, I pretty much only eat sugar in the form of fruit or dark chocolate, or on special occasions. I find the more I eat it, the more I NEED it. And you know what? I really don’t miss it!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/441609592</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/441609592</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:59:00 -0500</pubDate><category>ask</category></item><item><title>I've gone back and forth between vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism for years.  After developing hypo-thyroid and hashimotos my dr. recommended that I cut back on carbs in order to shake some of the resistant pounds that I gained loose.  In order to do this I have added fish to my diet.  Recently, I started reading a lot about CLA 1300 and picked a bottle up.  I've been reading a lot of conflicting information about this supplement.  Do you know anything about it?</title><description>&lt;p&gt;I used to take CLA, back in the days when I would try basically anything to lose weight. I don’t remember if it did anything for me or not (I’m guessing not), &lt;b&gt;but my current philosophy is: the fewer supplements you take/the more nutrients you can get from actual food, the better.&lt;/b&gt; Like you said, CLA is somewhat controversial, but most of the research I came across is fairly positive.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There are two reasons why I’m wary of CLA:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;1) It’s mostly comprised of a slightly altered form of omega-6 fatty acids, and we already get &lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/post/435066594/youre-probably-not-eating-enough-omega-3s"&gt;too much omega-6&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;2) In general, I’m hesitant to ingest supplements because we just don’t know how everything works together yet. Consuming the desired nutrient in the context of whole foods seems like a safer bet. You can also get CLA from (grass-fed) beef, lamb, and milk fat.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/441593589</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/441593589</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:47:00 -0500</pubDate><category>ask</category></item><item><title>Did looking at this picture give you a craving for something...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz4repQ5571qzvog9o1_400.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://morethanmary.com/food/behind-the-nutrition-what-is-a-craving/%20"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Did looking at this picture give you a craving for something salty and carby? Then check out my post on More Than Mary about why we have cravings, and how to handle them healthfully. &lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/441570971</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/441570971</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:30:25 -0500</pubDate><category>morethanmary</category></item><item><title>The View from My Birthday Breakfast</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz4fpyVuVH1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Tulips and a card from a coworker, frittata from my (if I do say so myself) &lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/post/433779056/oh-just-making-frittata-for-the-week-red"&gt;genius idea to make one on Sunday for the week&lt;/a&gt;. Ugh, my photos are so grainy and awful lately. Too bad I didn’t think to ask for a new camera for my bday!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/441235662</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/441235662</guid><pubDate>Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:19:00 -0500</pubDate><category>breakfasts</category><category>dayinfood</category></item><item><title>Spice Girl: The Best Birthday Present Ever!</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz3fnvP90m1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I just got the best early birthday present ever (the actual day is tomorrow): a HUGE package full of gourmet spices from &lt;a href="http://www.atlanticspice.com/"&gt;Atlantic Spice Company&lt;/a&gt; from my wonderful friend Taylor, who currently lives in Cairo. Taylor, of &lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/post/79454620/whats-the-perfect-salad"&gt;this post&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/post/97921950/my-friend-taylor-who-lives-in-egypt-may-have-a-lot-to"&gt;this post&lt;/a&gt; fame, was one of my closest friends in college, and I miss him so much now that he lives thousands of miles away.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;We obviously still keep in touch whenever we can, and he knew me well enough to select the perfect gift for an aspiring foodie/nutrition nut: SPICES! He picked out some really versatile and unique spices (he says some of them are common in Egypt):&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;fenugreek seed (never heard of this one!)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;anise star&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;chili powder&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;saffron (so excited about this one!)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;cardamom seed powder&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;green peppercorn&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;bay leaves&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;ginger root powder&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;tellicherry black peppercorn&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;New Mexican whole chiles (also excited to use these!)&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;turmeric &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I know I’ll use many of these all the time, and there’s so much of each that they’ll last me a lifetime. That’s one benefit to buying spices in bulk: It’s ridiculously cheaper than buying the little bottles from the grocery store that cost $4 or $5 each. You can get a huge bag of the same spice for $2 or $3 from a bulk spice shop.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I can’t even put into words how excited and grateful I am for this lovely gift. Thank you, Taylor! I love you and miss you!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/440093744</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/440093744</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:30:22 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title>Are there any labels or certifications that I can look for to make my grocery shopping more simple? That is, rather than having to search through the ingredients of each non-"raw material" food I consider buying.</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Unfortunately, not really. It isn’t for lack of effort, though. Remember the whole &lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/post/195219442/another-smart-choices-article-this-time-by-rebecca"&gt;Smart Choices&lt;/a&gt; debacle? &lt;a href="http://carrotsncake.com"&gt;Tina&lt;/a&gt; writes often about the &lt;a href="http://www.nuval.com/Science"&gt;NuVal system&lt;/a&gt;, which isn’t widely available in grocery stores just yet, and Whole Foods recently adopted the &lt;a href="http://www.fooducate.com/blog/2010/01/28/whole-foods-market-adopts-andi-nutrition-rating-system/"&gt;ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index) rating system&lt;/a&gt; . I have mixed feelings about both rating methods. The foods ANDI ranks highest are:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;plant-based&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;whole &lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;low-fat/”right”-fat&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;nutrient-dense&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Those look okay on the surface, &lt;a href="http://www.menshealth.com/men/health/heart-disease/saturated-fat/article/a03ddd2eaab85110VgnVCM10000013281eac"&gt;but since there’s still so much debate about what the “right” fats are&lt;/a&gt; (foods with saturated fat like chicken, beef, and cheese all have low ANDI scores), I’m a bit skeptical of the system. NuVal also lists saturated fat and cholesterol as “denominator nutrients” — those that supposedly have unfavorable effects on health. High-ranking ANDI foods include kale (yes), spinach (yes), and pomegranate juice (huh? This is mostly sugar!). In the NuVal system, turkey breast and Post Frosted Shredded Wheat have the same score. Sorry, that just doesn’t seem right! Both systems put a premium on grains, even if they include a lot of sugar.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I think if you stick to ANDI/NuVal foods, you’ll definitely improve your diet over the SAD (Standard American Diet), but you still might miss out on important nutrients.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Those rating and labeling systems are so risky. I don’t think we should dumb down nutrition for Americans — we need to learn as much as possible about what we’re putting in our bodies! — and depending on who funds the system, it has the potential to be corrupt or misinformed. But I do see the value in a simple ranking system, if only in a “eat this, not that,” black/white type of way (which has inherent dangers of its own!).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As a general rule, if you have to read through a long laundry list of ingredients, the food probably isn’t worth buying.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/439236009</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/439236009</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:51:00 -0500</pubDate><category>ask</category></item><item><title>Reader Mail: Getting Back on Your Feet (Literally)</title><description>&lt;p&gt;Recently, I received an email from reader &lt;a href="http://caryrandolph.com"&gt;Cary&lt;/a&gt;, which I got permission to share. I’m honored that she wanted to share her story with me. It’s a story of resilience; using a setback to ramp up instead of back down. If you have a few minutes, read the whole thing. I have no doubt some or all of it will resonate with you. (Edited slightly, bolding mine.)&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz2ig3W79m1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;Last Sunday I was about three minutes into my weekend long run (was planning to do 8 miles in Central Park) when I was hit by a cab and broke my ankle. I was obviously devastated, panicked, and shocked because a) I was in a ton of pain, b) I have no health insurance, and c) no running for at least two months!! Doctor’s orders. Heart-breaking stuff.  But then I took a little time to read about runners who’ve taken involuntary sabbaticals due to injury, and &lt;b&gt;I decided that I wouldn’t let these 6-8 weeks get the best of me. I decided to treat this break not as a hellish spiral in sloth-like idleness and weight gain, watching my muscles atrophy, but I’d take control of the situation and come out on the other end with a new respect for my body and its healing processes.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;A little backstory: I started running in 2003 as a freshman in high school. I had never been athletic but immediately fell in love with the sport. Thanks to a 24/7 salad bar at my sorority house and, after I got my own apartment, an enormous and inexpensive grocery store, I managed to lose 15 pounds and be the healthiest I’ve ever been. My eating habits were impeccable (at times a little rigid and neurotic), but I looked great and felt amazing. I ate like a runner should - fuel first, treats if I can afford them, run off the desserts with an extra mile later. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;When I graduated and got a job, chaining me to a desk 9 hours a day, I also discovered happy hour and fatty foods. The one-time rabbit (nothing but salads, baby) developed a serious addiction for….bar food?! Jalapeno poppers, cheese dips, burgers, quesadillas, mac ‘n cheese. If it was loaded with saturated fat and/or deep fried, I was in heaven. Within six months I put on 10 pounds. Within the next year I added 7 more.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Despite the change in diet I continued to run, but I slowed down considerably (despite running the Hamptons marathon in September in my fastest time ever, 3:37). I felt gross. My skin looked bad, heart burn, general sluggishness and lack of energy. Disgusting. Not to mention a total lack of self esteem because I a) gained nearly 20 pounds, and b) could not seem to control my over-eating and new bad habits.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;That all changed last Sunday.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;When I broke my leg and became literally incapacitated, unable to do even light cardio for the next month, I had a legit epiphany. The only way I will be able to maintain my shape (I don’t care if I don’t lose weight right now) will be to eat right. &lt;b&gt;So in the past week I have completely revamped my diet - with inspiration drawn heavily from your blog - and not only do I feel better than I have felt in months and months, but I look better too. My face has de-puffed, I’m less hungry for bad foods, and I finally have the self-discipline to stop eating when I am satisfied, as opposed to when I am so full my tummy hurts. &lt;/b&gt;Thank God for FreshDirect or else none of this would be possible. But last week I stocked up on fruit, a ton of veggies, low-fat yogurt, roast chicken, Fiber One Honey Cluster cereal, 1% cottage cheese, hummus, Amy’s Organic soups, whole grain bread. I feel like a new person. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;I’m so excited to take these next several weeks to reacquaint myself with good food, build some new culinary habits, and get back on the trail in May with the outlook I lost a couple years ago. I feel no guilt about not being able to work out while I’m convalescing, but have managed to get down to the gym twice in the past week to lift weights, do a lot of crunches, and even ride a couple miles on the stationary bike while pedaling with just my left leg. (Funny sight to see.) &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;I cannot wait to rediscover running and start training for the next marathon with a body that has been transformed by a healthy little vacation&lt;/b&gt;, and I couldn’t have done it without your blog, recipes, and inspiration. Just wanted to share my story with you and say thanks.&lt;/blockquote&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/438970220</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/438970220</guid><pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:26:00 -0500</pubDate><category>readermail</category><category>motivation</category><category>running</category></item><item><title>I have a follow up question to tsfitjournal's good fats question. When it comes to good fats, what should in moderation look like? For example I use Kerry Gold grass fed butter, is that something I can use a pat of daily for my oatmeal or best to use a few times a week. Or if I buy grass fed beef, should I still eat less of it or is this something that I can now eat as I please, still in moderation but say I wanted to do so daily? Not that I would eat beef daily, just trying to get a handle or these sort of things.</title><description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;You definitely touched on my meat/dairy philosophy: If you eat it, make sure it’s the kind worth eating!&lt;/b&gt; Beef and dairy should be &lt;a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/Grass-Fed-Meat-Benefits.aspx"&gt;grass-fed&lt;/a&gt;, organic, free-range, and hormone/antibiotic-free whenever possible. Fish should be wild-caught, chicken should be organic and free-range. Ideally, you’d get everything from a local farmer, but that’s not always possible.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If we all made it a priority to only eat meat and dairy that fit the above criteria, I think our country would look a lot different than it does today.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;That said, as long as you’re abiding by that criteria, I don’t think you need to make any other conscious efforts to limit your meat/dairy/fat consumption. Since that type of meat and dairy will be more expensive, you’ll naturally end up buying/eating less of it. &lt;a href="http://yournutritionista.com/post/383819079/the-case-for-saturated-fat"&gt;I also don’t believe&lt;/a&gt; the conventional wisdom that saturated fat from that type of meat and dairy leads to &lt;a href="http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/ajcn.2009.27725v1"&gt;heart disease&lt;/a&gt; (though you should feel free to do your own research and come to your own conclusions).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The industrialization of meat in the U.S. is bad for us and our environment, but so is the industrialization/subsidization of other crops like corn and soybeans (watch a movie like &lt;a href="http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-film.php"&gt;Food, Inc.&lt;/a&gt; to learn more).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;But I love &lt;a href="http://www.kerrygold.com/usa/index.php"&gt;Kerrygold grass-fed butter&lt;/a&gt; and use it pretty much exclusively! It’s so good, not to mention widely available at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;In a nutshell: As long as you’re purchasing meat or dairy that’s grass-fed, organic, free-range, etc., you don’t need to worry about how much you’re consuming from a &lt;i&gt;health&lt;/i&gt; or &lt;i&gt;environmental&lt;/i&gt; standpoint. &lt;/b&gt;I won’t comment on the other ethical reasons not to eat meat/dairy because that’s a very personal decision.&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/437444304</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/437444304</guid><pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:15:00 -0500</pubDate><category>ask</category></item><item><title>Make It: Ribollita a la Mary</title><description>&lt;p&gt;My Aunt Mary sent me a lovely photo and accompanying recipe for ribollita, an Italian vegetable bread soup. Knowing my great love for soups, I had to post the recipe! Mary used a recipe from Ina Garten, found &lt;a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/ribollita-recipe/index.html"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz165e8kiJ1qzp1hc.jpg"/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Her changes:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;1.  I used 2-15 oz cans of cannellini beans instead of cooking the beans.  You still need to drain and rinse the canned beans but that’s much faster than soaking beans overnight and cooking for one hour.&lt;br/&gt;2.  I used fire roasted canned tomatoes.  I use these in all recipes calling for canned tomatoes - much more flavor.&lt;br/&gt;3.  I used only 1/2 Tbl of salt when cooking the vegetables, allowing me to add more salt at the end if needed.&lt;br/&gt;4.  I used a whole grain rustic loaf instead of sourdough.  I thought this would be healthier and added additional flavor.&lt;br/&gt;5.  Because I did not cook the beans, I used chicken stock to puree half the beans.  I also had to add 8 cups of stock to the soup since I did not have any bean cooking liquid.&lt;br/&gt;6.  I removed the crusts on only half the bread.  The half without crusts I placed in the soup per the recipe.  The cubes with crusts I made into croutons and placed on the soup when serving.  To make croutons, place bread cubes on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Season with salt or garlic salt and toast in a 400 deg oven for 7-10 minutes, stirring halfway through.  Keep an eye on the croutons because they can burn easily.&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;p&gt;She suggests &lt;a href="http://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods/kale-chips/"&gt;kale chips&lt;/a&gt; as a crunchy topping for the soup. Brilliant idea!&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/437331435</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/437331435</guid><pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:03:19 -0500</pubDate><category>recommended</category></item><item><title>Check out a delectable and creative dinner from Amy: Avocado and...</title><description>&lt;img src="http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kz0nvtkyrM1qzvog9o1_500.jpg"/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.amysafternoonreading.com/2010/03/deliciously-delectable.html#links"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Check out a delectable and creative dinner from Amy: Avocado and Straberry Salad Paired with Lemon Chicken&lt;/b&gt;.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description><link>http://yournutritionista.com/post/436813046</link><guid>http://yournutritionista.com/post/436813046</guid><pubDate>Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:23:53 -0500</pubDate><category>recommended</category><category>easydinners</category></item></channel></rss>
