Weekly Wisdom and Only Getting Better Top 5 Nutrition Noshes

Nosh One. Wisdom.

Have you heard the breaking news?

Being a human is hard. We put so many things on our plate at one time and try our hardest to harness our superhero powers to make it all happen. Each time we conquer a task, a new challenge arrives. How we address and attack the challenge is all on ourselves. Do we take the "whoa as me" approach or do we take the view of "I got this?" The ultimate question is are we even putting ourselves out there for the challenge?

Things don't get easier, no matter which approach you choose. This is why is it called a challenge. I challenge myself, get out of my comfort zone and try new things to get better. I want to be better. I want to be better at all the things that scare the crap out of me. I want to get better at being a great human. If things seem easier, then I know I am getting better. 

And knowing is half the battle. 

Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation. 

Today’s conversation is with Liz Dunn, a registered dietitian with a passion for sports nutrition, being active and wheelchair rugby.

This is another episode of where I sing the praises of Instagram and how it brings people together. I started following Liz last year and I remember the first photo of hers I saw. It was of her with holding her paper stating she had passed the RD exam. But what really caught my attention was she said in the caption “I may not be where I hoped to be at this point, but that’s ok.”  I remember thinking, neither am I and you know what, it is ok! There is so much more to Liz’s story and I am happy we were able to have such a great conversation.

Please enjoy my conversation with Liz

Connect with Liz by email, her website Adapting Nutrition and follow her on Instagram

Nosh Three. Week in Review. 

How can I not have a great week with a food this delicious and a sign this adorable?  It is really fun being a retail dietitian. I get to be around food and people and fun all the time. Every month, we have a dietitian pick in the store and this month is a really great one. Avocados are really popular right now but there are still people who are scared of these green balls of goodness. I get the opportunity to educate everyday but the best part is getting the opportunity to have people of all ages taste food where food means the most. The most rewarding part of my job is seeing the face of someone who thought they didn't like a food, give it another try and tell me they liked it. It is the best. 

This past week, we finally got to close out my March Birthday celebrations with my friend Ryan's 40th year on this earth. 

Kevin threw a great get together to celebrate this special milestone in Ryan's life. 

We of course had Cocktail Club with a Sloe Gin Fizz, which I have never had before.  Anything with a cherry on top is something I knew I would like. It was very refreshing and not too sweet. I liked the combination of the fresh lemon juice and the soda addition for bubbles. I will have this again.

Kevin decorated with photos of Ryan all over the house. It was fun to reminisce the years since I have known Ryan and the years I hadn't. This is a kick ass idea for a future birthday of someone special in your life. Collect photos of who you are celebrating from different people like family and friends. Place them in different areas of the space you are holding the party. Kevin had them on balloons, hanging from doorways, on the refrigerator and in the space by the food. Each time you changed locations, you caught a different and fun photo of Ryan. 

The theme of the evening reminded us all we are never to old to enjoy anything you want in life. Including your own Magic Tracks Mega Set and being able to watch Wrestlemania and just be a kid again. Not everything has to be so serious all the time and we don't have to act our age all the time. It's only a number. 

Nosh Four. Workout Playlist of the Week. 

I am only getting better week by week with my workouts too. It is all about being consistent and working hard. It doesn't get easier, I just get better and stronger. I love noticing that as each week goes by and enjoying this weeks playlist on Apple Music and Spotify. 

Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now. 

I am very excited (and nervous) to have the opportunity to travel this week to Wisconsin and speak during their Annual Conference this year. I love Registered Dietitians and at this conference, I am getting the opportunity to speak to future Registered Dietitians, RD2Be's. Speaking is something that scares me and it never gets easier, I just get better. I get better because the people I am with at each conference I go to, make me WANT to be better. The Registered Dietitians and RD2Be's I meet along the way get me fired up to be a part of something greater than me.  WAND here I come!

~AE

5 Nutrition Noshes and Wisdom Wednesday

Nosh One. Wisdom

We made it everyone!  Spring is was officially here on Monday, woo hoo!  Which is why it was no surprise that today it snowed!  Oh Iowa.... It is ironic to me how the first day of Spring correlates with a complete shift in my mindset. The sun is out longer, my mood is more on the positive side and I get a little adventurous vibe. I want to be more active, go explore, cook more, open windows and just start letting the party in. It is also the time of year I start "cleaning" and this year is a BIG cleaning adventure encompassing everything:  my home, my closet, my food, my emails, my music, my purse, my car, my everything. I cannot wait to share with you next week week what my cleaning looks like. But for this week, I am going to share with you the party. 

Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation

Sometimes I am surprised by gestures of giving. Not that I don't think I am worthy, just feeling all warm and fuzzy when someone does something so kind and thoughtful without a reason. This crazy, fun, something exhausting and empowering journey would be nothing without the undeniable kindness and support of the amazing people in my life. This microphone is a gift that makes the future bright, beautiful and damn exciting. I would love for you to listen to the conversations this microphone gets to hear by going to iTunes and picking one of the podcasts. 

You're just a click away:  Conversations with Anne Elizabeth

Nosh Three. Week in Review 

Pure sweetness and joy on my counter top. 

I was present with members of the Iowa Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and President Christy Frese when Governor Terry Branstad declared March National Nutrition Month!

I decided after an 8 year sabbatical, I would celebrate St. Patrick's Day with my friends this year.  It was fun starting off the day with cocktail club and a traditional Irish Coffee. Jason and Kevin whipped the cream by hand in a tag-team effort. It was delicious!  I have never had a traditional one and I highly recommend experiencing this cocktail at least once in your life. 

We headed to the infamous Irish bar, Sully's where I enjoyed a non-green beer.  The only thing missing in my Coors Light is my straw. 

My friend Justin quickly pointed out that is what the picture was missing, so I decided the picture was missing him and I!

After Sully's we headed out into the kick-ass weather of around 65 degrees and made our way to downtown Des Moines, where we accidentally missed the parade but watched some basketball at the Hoops and Hops on Cowles Commons and Iowa Craft Beer Tent. 

I lost my straw but I had these gems with me. Lucky me!  Cheers to the next time St. Patty's falls on a Friday! Then I might be ready to partake in the festivities again. 

Nosh Four. Workout Playlist of the Week

The start of Spring deserves a worthy workout playlist:  Signs of Spring Workout Playlist of the Week by Anne Elizabeth on Apple Music

Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now

Avocados! Well I love them all the time but avocados are very hip and cool right now. If you haven't tried them in a while, you need to do it. Right now!  There are many different ways to eat avocados and I love them any and every way. My favorite is guacamole but I can eat A TON of it and avo's are still high in fat, so it's best not to over do it. Once of my favorite guac preparing tips is to make it with Siggi's Dairy plain yogurt.  Not only do you decrease the amount of fat you eat but you increase the protein and calcium. 

For a simple guac:  1 container of plain Siggi's yogurt, 1 large ripe avocado and 1/2 cup of any salsa (fresh or jarred) of your choice.

Mash avocado and mix in the yogurt. Blend in the salsa and enjoy with your guacamole vehicle of choice.  My current vehicle is unsalted sweet potato chips by Terra. This does make 2 servings, so find someone sweet and share. 

I am LOVING this picture. And you know what day it is!!!! My mom is in Palm Springs on vacation and riding a camel (with my Uncle John on the back), so I had to include it for things I love right now. You are awesome Ruth!

May your week be like the smile my mom has on her face!

~AE

Registered Dietitian Day Wisdom Wednesday!

National Registered Dietitian Day. I never thought this day would exist back in 1997 when I decided that was what I wanted to be when I grew up. I am so happy it does.  Registered Dietitians (RD's) are my favorite people and let me tell you why...

The individuals who enter this profession do so with abandonment. The abandonment of being selfish. The very moment they decide to make this their purpose in life, they dedicate their lives to science and giving of others.  They have one title but carry so many responsibilities. They become counselors, educators, culinary experts, problem solvers, navigators, scientists, mathematicians, investigators, insurance specialist, advocates, speakers and authors. Sadly, this is only a small representation and sadly they do not get the proper appreciation and deserved respect. Registered Dietitians do all they have in their powers to help others live the healthiest life they can through food, nutrition and science. 

The next time you have a question about nutrition, make sure to seek out THE expert. Search for a professional with the RD credentials. This RD cared about YOU enough to go through extensive schooling, training and testing to provide you with the most accurate nutrition information. They did not do some bullshit class online or have a semester of it in college and declared themselves an expert. They became the REAL nutrition expert through the required discipline and dedication to this field. 

So I ask you today, find a Registered Dietitian on this 8th of March and give them a big-ass hug for being an awesome human being. 

Weekly Conversation

My conversation today is with Anita Turczynski, RD, LD

Anita is a one of those people you meet who just radiates positivity both personally and professionally. It was interesting to know she initially majored in accounting in college. While she was navigating her future career plans and after shadowing a registered dietitian, she truly discovered her passion for nutrition. This lead her to an interest in food service nutrition and also a love for nutrition education with children in a public school system. She enjoys the variety of working in school nutrition and also seeing how nutrition education in schools really impacts nutrition at home.

Please click here to enjoy my conversation with Anita

Week in Review

It is always fun to see yourself published in another place besides your own blog!  This past week, I had a fun little article in the Des Moines Register about one of my favorite foods: avocados. If you are looking for something a little different than guacamole, this quick read will leave you with a fun and adventurous recipe that will tickle your taste buds. Promise!  

Then there is this amazing member of my tribe, Stacey. On March 1st, she brought a brand new human that never existed before into this world. I am in awe of my girlfriends and boss ladies who took on the craziest and hardest profession of being a mom, plus everything else they do!  I don't know if my old age has made me realize how hard it to bring a human into this world and then to raise them to be a good human.  Stacey, you are a rockstar and Finley is one lucky girl to have you as her momma.

Workout Playlist of the Week

Hell yeah it had to be food inspired for National Registered Dietitian Day!  Righteously Delicious. 

Listen to Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day Workout Playlist of the Week by Anne Elizabeth on Apple Music

What I Love Right Now

I have decided to celebrate this past week with the perfect Registered Dietitian food. 

I am not kidding. Thanks to Hurts Donuts and Hy-Vee, I had donuts more than once this past week and I loved every bite.  No, I did not eat all of them in the pictures, I did share but this is probably why I love my job so much. I love being real. I love that my boss set a box of these donuts in front of me and I was happy to eat a chocolate glazed donut with toffee bits on it with out one worry of judgment. I love being able to tell a client who struggles with food addictions that I have mine too. We are human and it happens. We should not beat ourselves up and we should not have a bad relationship with food. When you start creating negative feelings about certain foods, it can lead to other issues which can be much harder to overcome.

I love food. I love eating food. These are 2 different sentences with 2 different meanings.

I love food for all the bizarre, sciency and intricate actions happening in our bodies after we eat. I love food because it may help prevent certain health conditions and may improve quality of life. I love food because it constantly starts conversations that matter.

I love to eat food because of how it gives me energy, endurance, brain power and strength. I love to eat food because it brings my heartbeats together at a table talking, laughing and sharing each others lives. I love food because it is art, it is a poem, it is a fond memory.  It is my mom's chocolate cake or my dad's chicken kiev.

I love food, I love eating food and I love being a Registered Dietitian. 

~AE