"Happy New Year!" Weekly Wisdom

How have you been celebrating the new year?

If you have been around for a little while, you may know I do not celebrate New Years on January 1. I celebrate on February 17, because I believe your new year truly starts on your birthday. 

So HAPPY NEW YEAR to me!  I am looking forward to another year of everything full of greatness and joy. As with all things in life, you never know what a new year is going to bring. 

Isn't that exciting and scary all at the same time?

That is was life is all about, being open to whatever it brings you because it is presenting itself for a reason. Which is why my intention for this new year is "deceleration."  Last year I realized I was going a little to fast for my liking and not stopping long enough to smell the roses. So this year, I will be smelling all the roses and really focusing on taking time to pause and be in the moment.

How is your intention for 2020 going?

#embracethehellyeah

~AE

"The Last Words of 2019" Weekly Wisdom.

Reflecting on this past year, what 3 words come to mind?

As the year is winding down and we all set sail on the journey of reviewing our past year, how would you sum it up?  These were not the first 3 words coming to my mind when I was thinking about 2019. More traditional reflection words came to mind first like gratitude and hope but those words didn't define my past year very well. This second set is much more on point. 

Heartbeats. They have a wingspan covering a lot of miles. I am fortunate to have amazing family, especially my Mom, and friends who have become family. There is nothing more meaning than people in your life who make your heart beat and feel all the feels. 

Connection. Over the past year, I have created so many connections with people I never would have if it wasn't for my podcast. There is nothing more special to me than this tiny little space I have in the airwaves that is creating the most meaningful professional and personal relationships with complete strangers. Words being exchanged between two people is a sacred space, which I hold with much value in my life. 

Yum. It has been a tasty year! Food is at the root of everything I do and find joy in. Sharing meals with family, discussing food and nutrition with clients, loving a new recipe one of my connections created, learning something new about any certain food - including the way it is grown, harvested and engineered, trying a new food, immersing into a new food culture while traveling, and drooling over beautiful food photos. 

Whatever 3 words come to mind when you look back on the past year, don't go with your first thoughts. Dig a little deeper. 

May you have the most amazing end of the year and see you all in 2020!

#embracethehellyeah

~AE

"Time to Pause" Weekly WIsdom

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by everything going on in your life?

I don't even mean in a bad way, you just have soooo many things going on?  The other day, I was in my kitchen. My phone was ringing, I had a bag of trash in one hand, and a few bottles to recycle in the other. My doorbell was ringing and my fire alarms were going off because whatever I was cooking in the oven was burning. I literally walked in a circle, not knowing which thing to attend to first. That's when I knew, it was seriously time to pause. 

I am in awe of all the humans juggling a variety of things in their lives:  jobs, spouses, parenting to kids and/or furbabies, health issues, other family members, cooking, cleaning, volunteering...you get the idea. The calendars are full, reminders constantly going off on our phones and not a lot of time to be quiet. 

We have too much shit going on in our lives. 

No one gets a big award for the extra hustle in life. No one really gets recognized for having 70 different activities planned for your family at the end of the week. No one really likes to barely get 6 hours of sleep a night because they are busy. I honestly wouldn't believe you if you said you did like it all. There is more to life than going to the hot chocolate with Santa at the library or the free burrito at Chipotle while trying to buy presents for 50 of your closest family and friends. 

This is just a holiday example but what about outside of this time of year. Are you still filling your life with a bunch of unfullfilling stuff?  This is your gut check before the new year starts. 

Slow the F down. 

Put value on your time and the people in your life. Stop emphasizing the importance of activities, events and "stuff" and try to slow down a bit when you recognize it is getting out of control. Because my friend, you know when it begins to tailspin and you can't and don't want to do "all the things." Moments like mine, when you're standing in your kitchen, alarms and doorbells going off with trash in your hand. If you don't know which way to go, don't be a hero and just hit pause. 

#embracethehellyeah

~AE

"To Dairy or Not to Dairy?" in a Plant-Based World Weekly Wisdom

Do you find yourself questioning what foods you should be consuming?

Food, nutrition, diet culture, wellness, health are important words to all of us. Each of us may have a different definition and this is OK. We are all one our own unique wellness journey. 

The wellness climate is constantly changing, this is the beauty of science and why I find this area so fascinating. I have always been drawn to what people eat, why they eat it and what it provides them from a nutrient standpoint. In the current wellness climate, sustainability, safety, and animal welfare are buzzwords. There are also a lot of conversations surrounding the term"plant-based" eating. This notion is not new. Eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes has been around since I have been a dietitian and way before. Except now it is sexier. It is finding a way to reinvent itself by this trendy term, new products and of course media endorsement. 

With a current documentary being released, I find myself getting a lot of questions about what being plant-based means, what my thoughts are and how can someone do it. In many conversations and digging a little deeper into each individual, there is a gaping hole of daily intake of plant-based foods.  In my own experience and practice, people love to eat anything but or very little of these types of foods it their purest form. 

How does one going to transition from an omnivore diet (where we eat plants and animals) to a herbivore diet (all plants) and do we have to?

As a registered dietitian, I do believe we need to eat more plants and there is no way around it. But we can balance them safely in our wellness journey with animal foods. About 1 in 10 adults meet the fruit and vegetable recommendations a day. If we are not eating plant-based fruits and vegetables, then what are we eating?  We are eating pasta, breads, sweets, donuts, candy, cookies, soda, granola bars, fruit snacks and a bunch of "plant-based" processed foods. All of these foods fit into balanced eating but unfortunately, not many of us are finding the balance because we are avoiding certain foods, especially animal-based food because we have heard they are "bad" for us. 

Navigating your wellness journey is very personal and important. I am happy to help anyone soundly develop their personal road map.  I also am happy to remind people understand they can lived a plant-based life while also consuming animal-based foods. I do this by educating myself on where my food comes from, so I can share this with my clients as if they are my own family and friends. 

Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a conference in Chicago with a variety of Registered Dietitians sponsored by Midwest Dairy to learn more about dairy farming practices. This experience not only confirms my desire to continue to educate myself on where our food comes from and the safety of our food, but to educate others. Conversations about food should be positive, safe and offer informative education. This is exactly what I experienced and want to share with you. 

Chicago, IL - Who knew there were local dairy farms so close to such a big city. Did you know fluid milk takes about 48 hours from milking to hitting the grocery store shelves?

Erin Hoisington, Registered Dietitian with Midwest Dairy and Katie Smith, Registered Dietitian and Assistant Professor of Sport Science and Health Education, Simpson College. 

We had a lovely dinner at The Signature Room. As I think about this menu, look at the combinations of plant-based foods and animal foods. Each food group compliments each other in taste and in nutrients, including dessert. Part of the joy of the meal was meeting the farmers, Andy and Sarah Lenkaitis whose farm we would visit the next day. 

This weekend experience took us 50 miles outside of the city to Lenkaitis Holsteins Dairy Farm in St. Charles, IL. This dairy farm is family owned by 3 generations and is managed by Andy and Sarah. The farm is home to 160 Red and White Holstein cattle.

The farm has a room attached to the barn for events and tours of the farm. Our Undeniably Dairy group gathered here for an introduction to the Lenkaitis Holsteins. 

Of course, we had an assortment of foods for breakfast including fruit, breads and different types of milk. When you think about milk, do you think about the different varieties available to us as consumers?  How fortunate are we to have many varieties of this nutrient dense animal food to meet the needs of all types of people. 

As I was enjoying my breakfast, the Lenkaitis's have windows in their conference room with a great view of their dairy operation. I was able to watch 2 cows in the robotic milkers. This is transparency at its best when it comes to a farming operation. Many farmers are willing to open up their farm and show you their operation. 

The Lenkaitis's have a robotic operation. Inside their conference room, Sarah Lenkaitis can watch this computer screen to monitor her cows throughout the day. Robotics enables them to monitor of all aspects of their cows more completely, which results in healthier and happier cows. 

    

In 2018, they built a new barn for their Holsteins, equipped with the latest technology to improve the comfort of their cows and safety of the people who care for them. This includes cameras for monitoring, large overhead fans to help cool the cows in hot summer months and curtains to raise or lower based on the weather. There is also this large robotic "Roomba" (bottom right) which goes through and sweeps the floors after feeding for cleanliness.

 There are individual pens for cows needing special attention, especially this sweet lady who is a mother-to-be. 

The Lenkaitis's grow crops to feed the cows. The cows are fed a total mixed ration twice a day and the blend is monitored by a nutritionist. Cows can eat up to 50 pounds of feed in a day. 

All of their cows have a collar with a RFID or radio frequency identification tag unique to each lady. It is like a Fitbit tracking the cows movement, rest, milking and feeding. The tag will also determine if the lady is ready to milk. The cows are the ones determining if they want to milk. The gate will open up into the milk area once the tag is scanned and then she determines when she is ready to go into the milking stall.  This health management software monitors the health of the cow more consistently and can catch changes in a cow much quicker, leading to faster treatment. 

These ladies are happy cows. They are each given a name. I graciously got to in their special space, pet them and even get some cow kisses.  

It was a mild October morning, with a rain storm going through during the visit. The gals were relaxing comfortably in their barn. The barn has an automated manure system to help keep the barn clean for the ladies. 

The barn has 2 robotic milking stations. Once the collar on the cow is scanned and she is ready to milk, the robot unit will attach to the udder, then dip her teats in an iodine-based cleaner, rinses them, milks her and then dips the teat again. While she is milking, the robot will drop pellets to encourage the lady to come back for milking. 

Sarah shows and explains to us the computer system monitoring the milking process. Along with this outstanding robotic system, they are also good stewards of the land by growing their own crops for feed, separating manure fiber and selling to a local landscaper. They sell genetics to other farmers and sell bull calves to farmers who raise beef steers. 

While the ladies are waiting in the milking area, there are back scratchers. This is part of the wellness of the cows and are a type of a "spa" treatment. Cows are happier when they can scratch their backs or necks which also encourages them to milk.

The milk produced at the Lenkaitis farm goes to Dean Foods to make cottage cheese and sour cream in Rockford, IL. This particular product, Dairy Pure Mix-Ins combines plant-based foods like fruits and nuts with animal-based cottage cheese. This combination of foods has a dietitian recommended balance of high quality of nutrition. 

As I reflect on my visit to the Lenkaitis farm, it just reassures me how sustainability is being practiced in the dairy industry, especially in family-owned farms. The Lenkaitis's are ensuring their milk is good for people, good for the planet and good for the economy. Their food is safe, nutritious and dietitian approved because of the care they provide these animals. Seeing this operation and knowing the dedication this family has in providing a healthy and nutritious food products, increases my confidence in recommending dairy being a part of everyones wellness journey. 

Think of the big picture when it comes to your health. Gather as much information as you can about the food you eat. Know where it comes from, what nutrients it provides, how it fits into your budget and how your body feels when consuming it. And when you need to know more, seek out the expert of the questions you are asking - like a Registered Dietitian or a farmer. Don't stream the latest documentary to answer your questions or question your own wellness journey. 

~AE

*Thank you to Midwest Dairy for sponsoring this post AND thank you to Sarah and Andy Lenkaitis for sharing their farm and beautiful ladies with me. 

What Are Your Health Foundations? Weekly Wisdom

What are non-negotiables for you and living your healthiest life?

As I am getting a little older, I am realizing there is a lot about health I know nothing about and I thought I did being a registered dietitian. Yeah...not even close. Besides all the science type things I geek out on and get lost in while researching, there is a lot to think about and there should be things you should prioritize in your life. The simple things that get pushed aside in bustle of our crazy lives. 

Things like drinking water, getting enough sleep, and eating your fruits and vegetables. 

These are all very important but so are other things. 

What about smiling and laughing, do you get enough of this everyday? And what about meaningful conversations where you are a good listener or someone is a good listener for you?  Do you get hugs?  Do you get praise or positive reinforcement?  How about finding quiet time to spend as you wish?  Do you sit and spend time enjoying and savoring your meal?

There is much more to living your healthiest life than eating right, exercising and taking supplements. I believe these are the items further down the list after all the other above. For me, a non-negotiable is truly taking time to find the joy in each day. I never did that before and finally at 38 years old, I started. Once I starting making joy the foundation of my well being, I felt healthier than ever and all the other components started falling into place. Building this foundation of joy and keeping it strong and steady, has been the ultimate game changer. 

#embracethehellyeah 

~AE

November and Thanksgiving #EmbracetheHellyeah Nutrition Noshes

None One. Wisdom. 

What is your favorite thing about Thanksgiving?

I couldn't resist this quote because it is just too good!  I think the thing I love best about Thanksgiving is all the laughter to be heard between my family and friends. For the past 5-6 years, I head to spend Thanksgiving with my Mom, Aunt Polly and Uncle John and a plethora of other family members and people who have turned into friends. Each year, it is a VERY memorable experience. I was thinking about last year and how completely random it all was and all I can do is laugh. And all I can think about is the laughter I shared with others who were there. I don't even remember what we had for dinner or how much I ate. All I remember is the people I got to share the holiday with. 

I choose to focus on laughter because for the last few years, everyone who attends signs a table cloth. And in the last few years, we have lost one or more of those people. The tablecloth is a reminder of the Thanksgivings in the past, the special memories we have of them being there and all the goofiness happening that year. When people gather, there is always joy, no matter what sadness has followed. 

This year, there will be a couple signatures missing off the tablecloth again. It is amazing what a difference a year can make. This year, I will choose to remember the laughter from conversations with Justin and Mr. Morrissey. Justin's always started with a little smirk and mild chuckle and Mr. Morrissey's bright smile and boisterous laugh.  I am so grateful to have had Thanksgivings with them and no matter what food I eat or cocktails I drink, I will be present and make memories of everyones laughter.

Laughter is a melody, A concert from the heart. 

A tickling by the angels, Creative living heart. 

Laughter heals and comforts

 It's sometimes gentle, sometimes bold 

Laughter is a freeing dance 

Performed within the soul.

#embracethehellyeah | #lessstuffmorelife

Nosh Two. #EmbracetheHellYeah Conversation. 

Conversation 153: November #EmbracetheHellYeah Conversation

What makes you say “hellyeah” at the end of the day?  For any question I am asked or I ask myself, if I cannot 100% say hell yeah as my answer then it is a hell no. I want you to embrace saying yes with your whole heart and soul by enjoying every part of your authentic life. At the end of each month, I want to get more up close and personal with you all on the other side of the airwaves and share with you more about how my podcast guests are I are doing our best to #embracethehellyeah.  It’s Thanksgiving week and I am sharing my 3 tips to stay sane and focus on gratitude, not food. 

Connect and let me know what you think by emailing me or on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

Nosh Three. November Hell Yeahs!

November came and went, quickly, but my most favorite part was getting to spend almost 5 whole days with my friend Brenda in sunny Florida. We relaxed, we ate food, we walked beaches, we looked for seashells, we had cake by the ocean and watched sunsets. We got to slow down and just be. It was lovely!

Sunglitter!

Raw oysters are always a favorite!

Shell Island. 

All the seafood in one delicious dish from the Saltwater Grill

Cake by the Ocean courtesy of the Donut Hole.  

The sunsets were the best part because they are Brenda's favorite part. 

Nosh Four.  Monthly Mixtape. 

November's Mixtape is an oldie but a goodie. Find my #Thankful playlist on Apple Music and Spotify. 

 Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now.

Before I headed out on vacation, I got my dietitian self all recharged with the Iowa Academy Annual Meeting and being a preceptor to this fine gent, Brody. If you have never been a preceptor or mentor before, I highly suggest you do it. Just once. It completely reminds you why you do what you do for a living and how important it is to pay it forward. I know the dietetics profession would not exist if it wasn't for preceptors. Brody, you are going to make a great dietitian, congratulations on the amazing future ahead. 

~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!

Does Vacation Recharge or Drain You? Weekly Wisdom

When you get back from vacation are you recharged or drained?

I really do enjoy traveling but sometimes when I get back and regular life starts again, it totally feels like folding a fitted sheet. Who is with me?  Going away to a difference place is great. You get a break from your to-do list, don't have to clean your bathroom, drink cocktails for breakfast...ya know the usual. And then you return, back to your to-do list and having to do all the things. 

It can be a royal pain in the ass to come back from vacation sometimes. 

I know exactly when I am going to feel like this too. It is usually when there are a lot of things on the schedule before I leave and after I return home and when I mix a little work with pleasure. I usually do them both and I always regret it. This is my current challenge to really enjoying travel for me. 

I will always make the argument that we do not get enough vacation time in the United States, which is why we have so many pressures to taking time off. I think especially for women we have such an ingrained guilt to leaving people or things for time to ourselves. And if we do leave, we don't sleep for 3 nights before we leave trying to tie up all of our loose ends at home and work. 

If you have every felt this way about going on vacation or taking time off, join me in my challenge to knock it off!  We should never feel more frazzled upon return from taking care of ourselves and recharging our souls. Screw the fitted sheet and just throw it in the closet. 

#embracethehellyeah | #lessstuffmorelife

~AE

What is the Difference Between Want and Need? Weekly Wisdom

How do you decipher between want and need? 

When I was thinking about this post today, I realized what a brat I am sometimes. I really do not need anything. I do not even think I really know what it is to need something, especially when it comes to material things. My desires mostly always stem from wanting.

But what if we make the mind shift to more of needing but with substance?

Instead of wanting more material things, thinking about more of what is missing in your life. Are you in need of more affection?  More listening and understanding?  Are you in need of boundaries with certain people in your life? Is there a need for more self care and less stretching yourself thin?  Is there a need to say "no" more often?

It is always easy to push aside the hard things to talk about, the things you truly need in your life. It is not a new sweater and another pair of shoes. It is the deep down in our soul stuff. I know I find it difficult sometimes to tell people who are close to me when I truly need something from them. It is hard for me to articulate because I should be able to do this life on my own right?  Totally wrong. 

No one wants to grind it out until the day they die.  If you want to make the switch from always wanting to articulate what you are needing, you must start talking and sharing those feelings. Only you can change your definition and direction. 

#embracethehellyeah | #lessstuffmorelife

~AE

October "Embrace the Hell Yeah" Nutrition Noshes

Nosh One. Wisdom. 

How do you function on a minimal amount of sleep?

How are all my FNCE friends doing today?  Sleep deprived?  Travelling home with bags stuffed full of goodies?  Full of inspiration and knowledge? If you say hungry, I might be a little concerned for you (ha ha). Another great conference has come and gone, which makes me grateful and extremely tired. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

I hope you had a great experience and feel rejuvenated in your profession. I hope you went back to your dietitian "aha" moment and rekindled with all the reasons why you became a dietitian in the first place. I kind of lose touch of that during the year because I get so overwhelmed with the day to day and question why I chose dietetics in the first place. 

How you feel right now (minus exhausted)...you need to bottle it up and keep it for your next rainy dietitian day. Within the next few days, journal about your experience and write down all the warm and fuzzy feelings you are having about you career in the present and where you want to take your career in the future. This documentation will be pivotal in staying the course of your goals and not giving up on your professional dreams. Conference motivation fades quickly if you do not take some sort of action on what you learned, who you connected with and resources you obtained. Within this next week, give yourself 3 action items to complete to keep the momentum going. 

These are mine:

1. Catch up on sleep

2. Follow-up with contacts by email and connect on social media

3. Organize and condense my notes from the lectures attended applicable to my practice.

Extra Credit:  Pencil in FNCE for next year. 

Nosh Two. Weekly Conversation. 

October #EmbracetheHellYeah Conversation

What makes you say “hellyeah” at the end of the day?  For any question I am asked or I ask myself, if I cannot 100% say hell yeah as my answer then it is a hell no. I want you to embrace saying yes with your whole heart and soul by enjoying every part of your authentic life. At the end of each month, I want to get more up close and personal with you all on the other side of the airwaves and share with you more about how my podcast guests are I are doing our best to #embracethehellyeah.  In this post-FNCE episode, I just had to debrief on all the happenings and what a great experience it was this year. 

Connect and let me know what you think by emailing me or on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

Nosh Three. Monthly Hell Yeah!

October was National Pork Month and I am a huge fan of pork. Once of my favorite cuts of pork is the tenderloin and I forgot how delicious it is. The #1 important thing to remember when cooking pork is temp to 145 degree and not overcook.  Pork is very lean and dries out quickly and cooking to 145 degrees is the key to a juicy and delicious product.  This recipe for Cuban Pork Tenderloin is really great and easy to prepare. 

Cuban Pork Tenderloin

Recipe adapted from www.eatpork.com , Serves 6

            

Quantity	Ingredient	Add
1 ½ lbs.	Hy-Vee Midwest pork tenderloin, trimmed
¼ c.	fresh orange juice
¼ c.	fresh grapefruit juice
2 tbsp.	Gourmet gardens cilantro
1 tsp.	Hy-Vee ground cumin
1 tsp.	Hy-Vee dried oregano leaves
2 clove(s)	garlic, minced
½ tsp.	kosher salt
½ tsp.	Hy-Vee crushed red pepper

Primary Media

Recipe Dat

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together orange and grapefruit juices, cilantro, cumin, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper flakes. Pour into a large plastic bag. Add pork; seal and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.

2. Bake tenderloin as according to pork package directions. The last few minutes, change oven temp to broil. 

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3. Transfer pork to a cutting board and allow to stand 3 to 5 minutes. Cut and serve with desired sides.

October is also a special month of birthdays. We celebrated my friend Jason with fun little Cocktail Club featuring the Clover Club which is realllly delicious. My friend Kevin even made Raspberry Syrup from scratch.

1. Step
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4. Recipe Source: modified from EatPork.org 

Author

I celebrated October with my flu shot. I get one every year. Not for myself but for all the other people in this world who are immuno-compromised. There are many people who are battling harsh medical issues and I never want to be the reason someone gets the flu. The flu can be deadly, be wise and vaccinate yourself. 

Birthday #2 was for my cousin Christine. We made sure to eat well and sing well to celebrate her special day. Our night consisted of 2 bottles of Meomi, meat and cheese boards, cake and great conversation. 

I hope she made some pretty amazing wishes. 

And finally, I am celebrating something I am very grateful for and that in 10 years of living in my home. It was this week, 10 years ago, I moved in. Kind of a similar day, raining and chilly. This was house #2 as the first one was to be completed in May of 2009 but the builder went bankrupt and the house was left incomplete. There has been A LOT of challenges with this home from a flooded basement, twice, and a bathroom ceiling caving in, broken window, cracked sidewalks, a divorce and many others. But it is mine. It is cozy. And I love coming home to sit in my chair each night by the fireplace and snuggle with Lil g.

Nosh Four. Monthly Mixtape. 

October's Mixtape is inspired by my travels to Philly and what my friend Dave Sherotski made sure I had on my playlist. You can find it on Apple Music and Spotify. 

Nosh Five. What I Love Right Now. 

Christine was too sweet to me and brought me flowers on her birthday. One thing I have been focusing on this month is setting up my eating surroundings to be special. A cloth napkin, a candle, sometimes flowers and music in the background. There is something meditative about cooking a meal and then taking the time to eat it in a comfortable environment. It's all about the little things that can lead to big things. I think this way of enjoying my food is changing my mindset about really taking the time to taste my food. 

#embracethehellyeah | #lessstuffmorelife

~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.