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Take your Sexy Veggies to the Spa

January 21, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Every day we see BREAKING NEWS research, (Have you noticed that everything these days is BREAKING NEWS?  Breaking news… gas prices going up….breaking news….gas prices going down….breaking news…..gas prices unchanged.  When are they going to start scrolling across the bottom of the screen… same news as yesterday…veggies are the key to health….veggies seen in reducing diabetes …..veggies seen in reducing Alzheimer’s….)

This is the same old news that your Grandmother told you 50 years ago is:  Eat your veggies to stay healthy! 

Today we are going to learn how to treat your veggies to a day at the spa so …BREAKING NEWS…veggies can taste great!

Pick your favorite root vegetable.  (Root root root for the home team.  If they don’t win it’s a shame… for its 1, 2, 3 strikes you’re out at the old health game…)

Root veggies include beets, sweet potatoes, onions, potatoes, carrots, parsnips and others.

Today we will take our Sexy Beet to the Spa. 

Sexy Beet has a day at the Spa

Set the Mood:  Turn the lights down.  Start a CD with ocean sounds.  Light a sandalwood candle.

Start with an entire beet, root and all. 

Gently rub the beet with a soft brush to exfoliate the dead skin cells. Rinse under warm pure mountain stream water. 

Pat dry with a fluffy Turkish towel. 

Mix fresh Italian extra virgin organic olive oil with freshly dried organic herbs deprovence.  Using a mortar and pestle gently press the virgin herbs into the oil while humming a soft Italian melody.

Rub the oil gently into the beet in a circular motion to work the oil deep into the beet’s tissues. 

After the beet is well oiled place in a lightly oiled pan.  Tell him that he is getting ready for the tanning bed.  We don’t want to stress him.  Place the pan into an oven pre-heated to a toasty 350 degrees.  Do not cover.  Leave him naked.  Roast for about 30 minutes or until a fork easily pierces the beet’s freshly oiled skin.  Plug your ears so you don’t hear the tiny blood curdling scream coming from the roasting beet. 

When tender remove from oven. 

Serve whole to your eager guests.  They can slice the beet in half and eat like a baked potato.  The skin is optional. 

Any root vegetable will love this spa experience.  And your guests will love the results. 

(This whole veggie Spa thing is creeping me out.  If it makes you feel less squeamish follow this:  Take a beet, scrub it under some water, dry it off, rub olive oil on it, throw it in the oven at 350 degrees for about ½ hour, take out when tender and eat.) 

Another hint:  add delicious sexy roasted beets to hummus for a terrific treat. 

Sexy Veggie Spa Blog written by Glenna Moe, Kansas City Dietitian    

 

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Today is January 17

January 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Today is January 17.  (Happy Birthday, Katie!)

Blog written by Glenna Moe, Kansas City Dietitian

This means you are 17 days into your New Year’s Resolution.  Raise your hand if you are still keeping your resolution.  (Oh my gosh, put your hand down before someone sees you!) 

Did you start 2012 with the determination that THIS will be the year you will stick to your resolve?  (No I am not going to ask you to raise your hand again.)

Have you already given up?
Wonder Dietitian is here to save the year!  (Notice, I did not say DAY.  I am here to save the entire YEAR.) 

2012 will be the year to start BACKWARDS!

Do you always vow to start something new first thing in the morning? 

Well, this change is going to start at Sunset! 

Did you know the day begins at sunset?  Historically Judeo-Christian days start at sunset.  Sabbath begins at sunset.  I find great wisdom in this.

The foods eaten after sunset and the activities done after sunset determine how you will begin your next morning. 

Jumpstart toward making healthy choices today by changing the things you do after sunset. 

1.  Eat nothing after sunset today.  (Yes, I know the sun sets early, sheesh!) 

2.  Drink only water, skim milk or a relaxing herbal tea after sunset.   

3.  Spend at least 15 minutes on calming stretching exercises.  There are many good Yoga DVD’s for evening or just turn off the TV, get on the floor and gently stretch every muscle that you can find. 

Follow these 3 simple steps and you will sleep better and lose weight with very little effort. 

We will be talking more about this new “Sunset Wellness Diet.” 

Three more things:

1.  Yes, I really was disqualified from the contest.

2.  No, I have not been hired by Paula Dean to manage her diabetes, but “Hey, Paula Dean, if ya’ll are reading this, just give me a call, ya’ll!”

3.  Dear USDA, here are my contest winners:  Please send  prizes to:  Bob E. and Tracey M. 

Bob and Tracey, my guess is you will both be disqualified!   

WD

Filed Under: Blog, Diets, Sunset Wellness Diet Tagged With: , , , , ,

Where Did Wonder Dietitian Go?

January 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Blog written by Glenna Moe, Kansas City Dietitian

Have you been wondering where Wonder Dietitian went? 

Submit your guess to win the “Where Did Wonder Dietitian Go? “Contest.

Choose one of the following:

  1. I have been in treatment for severe depression after the USDA disqualified me from their dumb old contest.  Can you believe it?  To those of you who voted faithfully I want you to know that I really appreciate your help.  And if you want to write a hate letter to them, that’s OK by me. 
  2. I have been at a “fat camp” to help me to lose all of the weight I put on in December.  You can also guess how many pounds I gained.  But, in return I get to watch you as you weigh on my scales. I promise I might not put it on my website. 
  3. I have been hired by Paula Dean to modify all of her recipes to make them heart healthy and to help control her newly diagnosed diabetes.  It is a good thing I negotiated my charge per recipe and not per hour.  Modifying her recipes was a no brainer- I just threw all of them away along with her butter,  fry pan and fryers.  You may see Wonder Dietitian flying across her website in the days to come.  Watch for flying sweet potatoes and beets! 

 

(Speaking of sweet potatoes and beets- in the last week I have served roasted beets and roasted sweet potatoes.  One of my sons–in-law having tasted a roasted beet for the first time asked his wife if she would make them for him again.  My other son-in-law would not even taste the roasted sweet potato.  Guess which one got the extra credit points.  OK, now guess which one got the most nutrients?  My advice to you is: Do not have a mother-in-law who is a dietitian.  It can be a real drag.) 

 

4.    I have been busy rocking my most handsome and smartest in the whole world grandson (who WILL eat roasted sweet potatoes) and also trying to fatten up my teensy daughter. 

 

Make your choice and win!

(Prizes will be awarded by the USDA Choose My Plate.gov committee.)

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Merry Excessmas!

December 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 When did the celebration of Christ’s birth transition into the celebration of EXCESS? 

I have eaten more calories in the last week than I normally eat in a month.  How about you? 

Today’s Lesson:

Cattle typically wander around the field munching on whatever they can find all day long.  In the winter the farmer sets out hay to eat when there isn’t much else.  A few weeks before it is time for the poor cows to meet their maker they are herded into a feed lot.  In the feed lot they are fed excess amounts of food to fatten them up for slaughter.  Kind of a gross thought.  But, it is the way of the bovine.  (Kind of like being a Tom turkey)

So, here is my question for you: 

Just exactly what are you fattening yourself up for?  Winter hibernation?  If so, I need to tell you that bears do not eat all winter long.  They have a reason to fatten themselves up for the winter. 

You, my friend, do not!

Put down that chocolate covered peanut butter ball! 

When I was a little girl my Mom would sternly look at me and say “Behave!” (I know it is hard for you to believe that Wonder Dietitian wasn’t a perfect child.)

Go and sternly look at yourself in the mirror and say “Behave!”

A side note: Have you ever wondered why gyms have mirrors and restaurants do not?  When you look at yourself in the mirror while you are working out, it makes you want to work out harder.  If you were to watch yourself eat, it would make you want to stop. (Particularly if you are one of those who insist on chewing with your mouth open. Yuck!) So, my suggestion to you is, if you want to stop overeating get a job in a fun house that has all of those crazy mirrors all over the place.

So in this season of EXCESS, my wish for you this Christmas is that your tree would be decorated like mine! (Thanks Nikki!)

And I sincerely wish you a peace filled Christ-mass. 

With Love, WD

 

Merry Excessmas from Kansas City Dietitian Glenna Moe

 

 

 

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O bring me some figgy pudding!

December 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 

 

What IS figgy pudding, anyway?

 

Is it like mincemeat pie made with leftover ground up Salisbury steak? It is time to de-mystify this mysterious food. Speaking of mystery foods, one time we were invited to a friend’s house for turkey fries. My husband and I ate with great gusto. (We were very poor college students at the time and we pretty much ate anything with great gusto if it was FREE.) The turkey fries were yummy until our friends disclosed what they were.  Since this is a family friendly blog I won’t tell you the unsavory details. Let’s just say, there were some mighty depressed and sore (not to mention dead) Tom turkeys that day.

 

Anyway, back to the figgy pudding. I googled it and found out that it contains chopped dates and figs mixed with walnuts, cream, sugar, butter, eggs and dark chocolate. Then the warm pudding is topped with whipped cream or ice cream.

 

Wow, that sounds good and caloriefied!

 

You will find me using this new suffix in a variety of new ways. For example, if something has been crammed full of calories it is calorified. If something is crammed full of nutrients like broccoli it is nutrified. When I say fatified I am talking about one of my clients after Christmas dinner. See, this is going to be a great suffix for me to use and abuse.

 

Anyway, back to figgy pudding. I am shocked that we no longer include this as a Christmas favorite. It has sadly been replaced with mint flavored M&M’s (and for approximately one dollar per M you can have your child’s name painted on them with paint from China).

 

Now I am not saying figgy pudding is the answer to the national debt crisis but if you are going to eat a decadent calorified dessert anyway I think figgy pudding will fit the bill. Dates and figs are packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber. Walnuts are a good source of omega 3 fatty acid, fiber and protein. And anti-oxidant rich dark chocolate can’t be beat! It may be a calorified dessert but it is also a nutrified one.

 

So, I was wondering if maybe you’d like to come to my house for Christmas dinner. We are having turkey fries and figgy pudding. .

 

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

WD (a goofified registered dietitian in Kansas City)

 

 

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“Why”

December 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The voting is over.  Finally we  can get back to some high quality cutting edge nutrition blogging.

Recently I have had the opportunity to discover “WHY.” 

I have heard that one’s life can be changed with just one phone call.  My life has been turned upside down recently with two phone calls. 

Phone Call 1: 

I was changed instantly from being a very hip and cool Dietitian/Mom (and only slightly delusional) to a deeply involved Grandma of a preemie grandson.  Within 4 hours of this phone call I was on a plane in Kansas City bound forPhoenix.  If you have held a preemie in your arms and wrapped your arms around a sobbing daughter you will know how this phone call changed me.  The good news is:  I now have a healthy daughter AND an adorable healthy grandson.  I call him baby K or BBK.  Now I am working on becoming a very cool and hip Dietitian/Mom/Gramma G. (There is much work to be done.) 

Phone Call 2: 

The week following Phone Call 1 I moved from Hospital A to Hospital B to wait for my most precious second born to have surgery.  Phone Call 2 came from this precious daughter this past week with the news that the pathology results came back positive for the big “C” word that everyone fears.  Phone Call 2 took my breath away.  Now I am packing up for my next flight from K.C.  toPhoenix. 

You ask, what does this have to do with my diet?  Yes, Virginia, there is a point…

I have learned “WHY” I doggedly get up each morning and spend quality time with my elliptical, treadmill and yoga mat while my eyes are still fuzzy with sleep.

I have also learned “WHY” I top my berries every morning with oats, almonds and skim milk  and skip the sausage biscuit or donut.  

The best reason in the world for practicing a healthy lifestyle is:  I am strong and healthy and can jump on a plane, pace hospital corridors and hold sick babies and adult children and not worry about forgetting my medications, getting sick, or getting too exhausted.  By taking good care of myself I am able to be there when someone else needs me.  And that is ”WHY” it is worth every single step on the treadmill and every single berry.   

If it hasn’t happened to you yet, it will.  There will be the day you desperately want to do something but you can’t because you are hindered by heart disease/diabetes/hypertension.  Do yourself a favor.  Start taking care of yourself.  You will be glad you did.

And that is “WHY” I stay away from Naked Carbs and enjoy my Sexy Veggies. 

WD (and Gramma G)

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I’ve had it!

December 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

 This is it! Never again!  Monday is the last day to Vote.  Thank Goodness!!  If you haven’t voted recently please spend two minutes and help us.  It is down to the wire and we are in first place in our category. Vote Monday before 2:00 PM in sunny California, 3:00 PM in Phunny Phoenix, 4:00 PM in Cloudy KC and 5:00 PM in Beanie Boston.  We will let you know the results as soon as they send the camera crew to our place for the interview.  We will thank each of you by name on national TV!  And I promise to never ever ask you to do this again, ever ever.

http://fruitsandveggies.challenge.gov/submissions/5271-wonder-dietitian-saves-the-blah-family

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3 Days Left to Vote!

December 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Click here and VOTE! 

http://fruitsandveggies.challenge.gov/submissions/5271-wonder-dietititian-saves-the-blah-family

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We are in first place! Vote Today!

December 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Only 4 more days to vote.  We are in first place in our category.  Please take a couple of minutes and vote today.  I thank you. 

http://fruitsandveggies.challenge.gov/submissions/5271-wonder-dietitian-saves-the-blah-family

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Life Happens with WD

December 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Have you noticed that life happens when you least expect it? And when it does all of your self discipline vanishes? Over the last two weeks I have spent much of my time in hospital rooms. (I know, you are saying, “duh, you are a dietitian and you work in a hospital.” This is true but this is not why I have been in hospital rooms.) Anyway, during this time I have discovered 3 important truths.
1. Hospital food is pretty good these days. Except Salisbury steak. Who in their right mind would eat Salisbury steak? What is Salisbury steak anyway?
B. Fast food tastes better than hospital food when you are pacing in waiting rooms and stressed to the max. So do donuts, ice-cream, chocolate and other assorted junk foods.
D. Getting back to regular exercise, Greek yogurt, almonds and salads makes one feel absolutely wonderful.
So, I suggest you apply these proven steps during this holiday season when your schedule is thrown totally off:
3 Steps for Success:
A. Do not despair. Life happens. Normalcy does return. (I hope.)
4. Carry almonds in your bag at all times. A handful takes the edge off and can save you from wild uncontrollable fast food binges.
1. Grab exercise minutes wherever and whenever possible. Take the stairs. Do crunches while sitting in a chair. (the person sitting next to you will quietly move away leaving you more room to spread out.) Fidget. (This also encourages people to move away from you.) Move whenever possible.
3. Keep hydrated. Carry a bottle of water with you and take swigs regularly.

I have had my little pea pickin heart blessed the last couple of weeks. But I am looking forward to the return of my healthy routine. Be sure to return to your healthy routine as quickly as possible.
And last but not least we only have 7,467 more days left to vote. (I seem to be having trouble with my numbering skills. Do you think it could be the donuts and fast food? NAW…)

HTTP://fruitsandveggies.challenge.gov/submissions/5271-wonder-dietitian-saves-the-blah-family

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