Do you want to have your cake and eat it, too? I sure do! By managing the fat, sugar, sodium, and/or calories in your recipes, you really can enjoy your holiday favorites and still keep health in mind. Trying new recipes can be fun, but I also enjoy taking my family’s favorites and lightening them up a bit through recipe modification. There are two basic ways to modify a recipe: change a cooking technique or change an ingredient (reduce, eliminate or substitute). It sounds simple enough, but what you may not know is that most ingredients not only provide flavor, they also provide some function in the recipe (i.e. fat can provide a crispy texture or sugar can provide browning). Therefore, when you make changes you might get different results than you expected.

I often tell people I’m addicted to chocolate, sleep and ballet class. If there is chocolate nearby, I don’t even try to resist it – I eat it. I crave quality sleep every night – I really like eight hours, but can function on six if I have to. And I’m adamant about going to my ballet class once a week or I go stir crazy. Does this mean I’m addicted because I can’t resist something, I need something in order to function or I’m tense and nervous without it? Of course not. Because chocolate, sleep and ballet are not addictive. And neither is caffeine.

Chances are, you or someone you know has diabetes or prediabetes – and it might be undiagnosed. As of 2012, 29.1 million Americans had diabetes. Of the 29.1 million, 21.0 million were diagnosed and 8.1 million were undiagnosed. Another 86 million Americans had prediabetes. Those are some scary statistics, and I have seen firsthand how the fears associated with diabetes can impact those who are living with the disease as well as their loved ones. But I’ve also seen firsthand how being empowered can make a significant difference in how well diabetes is managed.

Besides festive family gatherings, there is another big reason to be excited for the holiday season: sweet seasonal treats! It can be easy to lose sight of the most important nutrition mantra (everything in moderation!) when we’re passing around the pumpkin pie or digging into our Christmas stockings. Luckily, we have ways to help us enjoy our sweet treats while moderating our sugar and calorie intake.

It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is right around the corner. That means it’s time for some of my favorite fall foods including pumpkin pie! Not only is it a delicious treat, it packs a powerful nutritional punch of Vitamin A (in the form of beta carotene, providing 311% of the Daily Value per ½ cup). It’s also a great treat to “hack” for American Diabetes Month, as you can cut the carbs and sugar content of the recipe using low-calorie sweeteners (recipe below).

PROLOGUE: Although Amanda is from Australia, I recently had the pleasure of meeting her in person at the FNCE meeting in Nashville. I’ve enjoyed getting to know her and learning all about her career path and the creation of her product Portion Perfection. I hope you’ll enjoy our conversation….

I have to admit, I’m not someone who regularly reaches for caffeine in the morning to get me going – but I certainly do use some to boost my training for endurance runs and triathlons. It definitely helps me focus better, swim/bike/run faster, and feel better during and after my workout. And I’m not alone. Marathon season is upon us, and I know many of my friends who are runners rely on small doses of caffeine to boost their performance.

My family recently spent the day at an amusement park. When my son asked for a snack, we found a restaurant that offered a variety of choices and stood in line. The woman in front of us had a son about the same age as mine and struck up a conversation with me. When she found out I was a dietitian, she told me that she had put her son on a gluten-free diet because he is overweight and other “diets” hadn’t seemed to help.

I can’t think of any better goal than a healthy family. But making that goal a priority means more than just putting it at the top of your list – it means taking action. Literally!

Were you at FNCE in Nashville? If so, you may have attended my session: Claim the Spotlight! Beyond Traditional Media: Videos, Podcasts & Self-Publishing. I presented with Julie Beyer and we had so much fun inspiring our audience to get their voices out there! You may have heard about the “Queen Karaoke” we did at the end! The media landscape is evolving, providing YOU, the RDN, with new opportunities you can use to highlight your expertise while promoting RDNs as THE nutrition experts. Videos, podcasts, and self-published books are three exciting alternatives to traditional media that allow you to embrace your inner “celebrity” and gain valuable exposure. Check out the video “starter kit” and some RDN YouTube Channels and Podcasts here!

I have a love/hate relationship with headlines about food. I understand the challenges and limitations of distilling the science into soundbites, but it bothers me how often those short snippets get it wrong.

It’s back to school time, and as a dietitian and a mom of a second grader and a sophomore in high school, I’ve had my fair share of questions about our school district’s nutrition programs. After all, one of the most important things we can do for our children is raise them to be healthy eaters.

Can we please talk about the elephant in the room? Or rather the elephant in the coffee cup? The recent media buzz about some stores adding real pumpkin to their coffee drinks, and/or removing caramel coloring has instantly reminded me why I became a dietitian over 20 years ago. I cannot stand it when fear, hype, and pseudoscience dominate the nutrition headlines, instead of sound science and strong evidence.

I would never downplay the importance of breakfast. It’s brain food that both kids and adults need to perform their best every day. However, I would argue that dinner is more important, and here’s why: It’s about more than just nutrition.

PROLOGUE: Although Jessica and I have yet to meet in person (we have plans to do so at FNCE in Nashville this year), I feel like I already know her and like her. As a nutrition communications consultant with a focus on culinary nutrition and the founder of Nutritioulicious, Jessica has a phenomenal brand and social media presence. I love the work she’s doing to promote dietitians and credible nutrition information to the public. I’m excited to share my interview with her and hope you enjoy reading it.