How do you make others feel good about themselves?
I have been sharing a variety of things I am very passionate about and making others feel good about themselves is right up there with paying attention to saving lives if you sit in an exit row on an airplane, wearing sunscreen daily and staying the hell out of tanning beds.
How do I make others feel good about themselves? I listen. When I am with someone, I engage in a conversation in which I want it to be two-sided. I do not place myself in a conversation where I am thinking about what I am going to say next when someone else is talking. I actively listen. I ask questions because I want to know more. I provide answers if it is asked of me. I want to have this special moment and be fully engaged with this person. It could be our first time, our hundredth time or our last time. It is our time.
When you listen, you are giving your time and your acknowledgment. You are giving your most precious currency, your time, unselfishly to someone. Make it count. Be attentive, be warm and fuzzy. Most importantly, be present and do not make the conversation about you.
Make someone feel good.
Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation.
Today’s conversation is with Dina D'Alessandro, a Registered Dietitian who is passionate about helping people embrace and develop new relationships with food in her own personal community.
Dina is a human who inspires me from the other side of the country. I was excited to learn more about her on a professional and personal level during our conversation, which exceeded my expectations. Dina is the dietitian I am constantly striving to be. She is passionate about nutrition and food in her community, by volunteering her time and providing nutrition education programming right where she lives, works at a high-risk ob-gyn practice, runs a part-time private practice and is a preceptor. She is also so close to graduating with her masters degree, is working on getting fit by 50 and carries a pure entrepreneurial spirit.
Connect with Dina by visiting her website Dish With Dina and following her on Instagram
Nosh Three. Week in Review.
Two weeks ago, I had such a memorable experience. I made my way to a new place in Michigan, Bay City, to speak with the Michigan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at their Annual Meeting. I had never been to Bay City and the town is quite lovely and trendy. I only had one night there but had a lovely dinner at Gatsby's Seafood & Steakhouse and a few cocktails at Tavern 101. It was a bit chilly while I was there, but I heard the 4th of July Fireworks on the Saginaw River are a must see. I hope to make it back there.
I was extremely excited speak with this great group of Registered Dietitians and RD's2Be. I was a bit intimidated when I walked down to the convention center and Dr. Gibson, the leading researcher in the development of the low FODMAP diet, was speaking. Tough act to follow.
This was my breathtaking view and all was well with the world. I am very appreciative to attend these meetings and be able to meet new friends. The Michigan Academy was nothing but heart warming and it brought me so much joy. I hope all the individuals who came up and talked with me after the presentation stay in contact with me. I met some amazing Dietitians doing some amazing things, I want to have podcasts with so I can share it with you all. These opportunities remind me how powerful human connection is. It doesn't have to be measured in minutes, hours, days or years, it just has to be measured in the heartbeats spent with people who make you feel good. These people made me feel good and I hope I reciprocated it.
On the road back to the airport, I heard about this little German town called Frankenmuth and a legendary chicken dinner tradition, so it was a must stop, especially for food. The town is adorable, with a feel of being in Germany. As I was walking from the parking lot of Zehnder's Restaurant to the entrance, right across the street is another restaurant, which I later learned is a competitor, but I won't speak of that in this post. Zehnder's has been a tradition in Frankenmuth for over 160 years with their traditional family style chicken dinners, as well as breads and pastries. The menu was quite a few pages and had a vast variety of food to choose from but I was only there for the traditional chicken dinner. This dinner is not for the faint of heart. I got the luncheon serving of 2 pieces of perfectly cooked white chicken (and got three on accident), cole slaw, mashed potatoes and gravy and dressing. It was delicious. I felt like it was Thanksgiving with a different bird. I also had to order a side of the buttered noodles, which were beyond delicious with a crunchy bread crumb topping. After I ate about half of my meal, I knew I had to save some room because once of their dessert specials was key lime pie. I am not kidding you, this was one of the best key lime pies I have ever had. It also came with a side of ice cream, so you know, had to eat some of that too. There is no way you can pass this adorable town by and not have Zehnder's chicken dinner. They also have a bakery (I cannot even imagine what deliciousness was in there), but I skipped it this time. I will make sure wander through next time I am this way.
I had one more night in Lansing before I had to leave and met up with a couple of my friends while I was there for them to show me a little bit of the capitol city. Our first stop was Zoobie's Old Town Tavern. My tour guides told me this location has been around for a long time and got a revival in the past few years. There were a lot of fun local Michigan beers on tap and they have this yum-filled Truffle Oil, Sea Salt and Black Pepper popcorn. It was the perfect first happy-hour stop.
After we sipped a few brews, we decided on dinner at the Soup Spoon Cafe. There was a bit of a wait but well worth it. It is a small and quaint place but you can tell by the wait, the eats are top notch.
The menu had so many tempting options, it was so hard for me to pick. The menu is unique and offers a lot of plant-based options and plenty of plates for carnivore as well. We started with the soup flight, which all I can say: is a must! You can choose 4 soups off the menu and each one was delicious. I could have made a meal out of this. Then we chose a lovely bottle of vino and ordered a variety of small plates off their menu. I chose the Goat Cheese Points, Cherry Bomb Shrimp and Crispy Baked Cheese, because I needed to indulge in the cherry goodness of Michigan.
This short and sweet trip to the new frontiers of Michigan was fantastic and filling. I look forward to another trip, very soon!
Nosh Four. Workout Playlist of the Week.
I was so inspired and loved meeting new people in Michigan this past week, all of these songs remind me of those individuals I met. It makes me happy to meet new friends and have music to accompany the journey. Find my playlist on Apple Music and Spotify.
Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now.
I love cheese and this was the food I loved from my trip was the Frankenmuth Cheese Haus. It was a fun little stop after dinner I just couldn't pass by. In the center of the store, they had a variety of cheeses they make in house and I purchased the Cheese of the Week the Tiger Cheese, a colby jack and muenster mixture which is named after the Detroit Tigers being the American League Champs in 2006 and 2012. It may have only lasted an evening and a couple flights back to Des Moines.
~AE
*All views and opinions on products, food and businesses in this blog post are my own and are not sponsored in any way. I just love to share great things!
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