Posts

Things I Wished I Knew Before Starting my Internship

-
Image
It’s My Last Semester as a Dietetic Intern! As I approach the end of my internship, it is such a bittersweet moment. I am extremely proud and excited to complete this chapter of my life, but it is also sad to leave. Kent State has given me so much more than two degrees. It has challenged me beyond what I could have imagined, given me confidence, leadership skills, and provided me with countless memories and, hopefully, lifelong friends. This experience has truly been one of the most challenging yet rewarding things I have done so far in my life. Now that I am nearing the end, there are so many things I wish someone had told me at the beginning of my internship… Mistakes Are Going to Happen! You are going to make mistakes. We are human! If you think you are going to be perfect, think again. Mistakes are part of learning and growing. Instead of being afraid of them, learn to embrace them. Every mistake is an opportunity to learn something new and become a better dietitian. Ask Questions!...
Post a Comment
Read more

Spilling the tea. Chai not?

-
Image
            Masala Chai dates back to India 5,000-9,000 years ago. Some people believe it has a Thai origin. Since then, masala chai has been developed during the 20th century. Its development is aimed at increasing its availability, cost, and variety, but did you know that masala chai (spiced tea) was used for royalty and herbal medicine? Chai can now be enjoyed all over the world with many different variations. For example, in India, it is made from ginger and spices. The Chai commonly known in the U.S comes as a syrup concentrate, which is added to milk for a latte variant. Different areas in the world use a variety of spices and even the tea leaves themselves. As a result, masala chai has a variety of different ways to be made. Even the milk varies. In India, it is common to use whole milk, but around the world, almond, soy, oat, and skim milk may be used instead.  Even the name masala chai evolved as popularity rose in the US. Somehow, the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Falling for fiber!

-
Image
  Falling for fiber  With fall in sight, now is the perfect time to search for your nearest apple orchard and find some good fresh apples! The end of September is the perfect time for this fun fall activity because it is peak apple harvest season spanning from mid September to the end of October.  Apples are a great fruit for the fall because of their autumnal smell but also their crisp taste in some amazing recipes. If you eat them with the skin on they provide about 4-5 g of fiber per day which is about 15% of your daily fiber intake! It provides antioxidants, polyphenols, acts as a prebiotic, and are perfect for fall recipes! No wonder why they say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. As a way to say hello to fall, try adding an apple into your fruit rotation a couple times a week. You can have them as a snack, put them in oatmeal, and pair them with peanut butter whatever might satisfy your fall favorites! Ask yourself could I add an apple to this rotation? Here are ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Eccentric Use of Pinto Beans You’ll Never Guess

-
Image
Among my friends and family, it is not a secret that I love legumes. They are affordable, a wonderful convenience food, and pose a variety of health benefits due to their high content of complex carbohydrates, plant-based protein, vitamins/minerals, and phytochemicals: weight management, LDL cholesterol reduction, CVD prevention, blood sugar regulation, diabetes prevention, and treatment of gastrointestinal tract conditions are just a few of the potential health benefits of increased legume consumption. Most people know the term “beans” instead of “legumes”. All beans are technically legumes, but not all legumes are beans, since the term “legumes” also includes peas, lentils, and undried/fresh legumes (i.e. snap peas). While legumes offer a variety of health and non-health benefits, dried beans specifically have a new, unusual use: wart removal (just stay with me now). I had originally hoped there was some nutritional aspect of beans that magically caused warts to fall off, but that ju...
1 comment
Read more

The Hidden Side of Hospital Nutrition

-
Image
The Hidden Side of Hospital Nutrition When you think of hospital food, what comes to mind? Trays, picky diets, maybe something bland that barely touches the stomach? That’s exactly what I thought too… until I spent the last month living on the retail side of hospital nutrition. Let me explain. My preceptor, a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), primarily handles what’s called patient services. So at first, I assumed my focus would be on patient trays like checking safety, ensuring accuracy, logging temperatures, making sure every bite was just right. But this rotation (and honestly this internship) is teaching me that dietetics requires flexibility, and that’s exactly what I’ve been learning. The pediatric hospital I’m at has a cafeteria, The Kids Cafe, which is closing soon for renovations. That’s pushed me to dive into a side of hospital nutrition most people never see: the retail side. We’re talking grab-and-go markets, small cafés, and even a full-scale restaurant called Potbe...
1 comment
Read more

The Joys of Ghee

-
Image
What is Ghee? Well it’s a nutty flavored rich clarified butter that originated in India. Made by simmering butter it pull out the water and the milk fat that results in a milky fat with a high smoke point. But the joys of Ghee don’t just end with the idea of a richer flavor and a better cooking oil due to the smoke point. It actually has amazing health benefits. Dairy fats though they have gone under recent and past scrutiny they actually have some great health benefits and their fatty acids could actually improve your health! Ghee is unique in the way the acid chains are not only arranged but also in the way that they are unsaturated. Meaning? It can be good for anti-inflammatory processes in the body. In India they have been practicing the materia medica of Ayurveda. While western medicine may be anti fats, the practice of Ayurveda says that the milk used and the way it is processed (scary word I know) was actually dictates what use it would be most beneficial in. With over 4000 refe...
1 comment
Read more

Get into the Spring Spirit with Snap Peas!

-
Image
Springtime is here! For those of us who live in Ohio, produce can be a little hard to find, since certain fruits and vegetables are not in season year-round. Now that we are entering the warmer months of April, May, and June, that means we finally get an abundance of in-season produce options! One of my favorite seasonal foods that I can find in the spring are snap peas! While snap peas are often used as a vegetable in a culinary setting, they are scientifically considered a fresh legume. Legumes are defined as the mature, immature, or germinated edible seeds of legume plants. Dried legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils, are the mature form of legumes; however, if the seeds have not dried out, they are considered a fresh legume. Think of the soybean: in its mature stage, it’s just a soybean, which can be fermented and eaten, or even used for oil extraction. But when the seed is still immature, it is juicy, green, and is used as a vegetable. Immature, fresh legumes often have a lower...
2 comments
Read more