In Part 1 of this blog series we provided some background on chocolate and cacao including some cultural information surrounding the growing of theobroma cacao trees around the world and processing cacao beans from grower through manufacturer. In our Part 2 of 3 blog post we discussed some of the best known varieties of cacao trees, as well as some of the flavor notes associated with beans grown in different places in the world. Choco pieces courtesy of lusi via rgbstock.com. In this blog post, we’ll provide some infotainment regarding perceptions of “chocolate cravings” and a bit about flavor sprays,
Category: Nutrition
Behavior Change & 2013 Resolutions Part 1 of 3
We’ll start off this blog post with a true story about a chance encounter with someone in the supermarket who appeared to be ready to make behavior change just this week. While shopping on the day before New Year’s Eve, a fellow shopper was staring at various salad making packages in the produce section. He seemed to be trying to decide if he should get a package and if so, which one to get. He had put a package with added seasoning packets into his cart, then just as our cart was reaching that section, turned right around and put the
Behavior Change & 2013 Resolutions Part 2 of 3
In Part 1 of 3 of this blog series we mentioned a chance encounter in a supermarket with a man who had reached the produce section and wanted to buy more salad vegetables, but was stymied once he was actually in the store at the point of purchase. He almost walked away without any salad ingredients because he was still going through the stages of making an actual behavior change. All he needed was a little encouragement, information & support in his decision making once he was right there in the store. Timing can make such a huge difference in life!
Behavior Change & 2013 Resolutions Part 3 of 3
In Part 2 of 3 of this blog series we mentioned that you’ve probably heard of the “stages of readiness” for making actual behavior change based on the work of Prochaska & other colleagues. In Part 1 of 3 of this blog series we talked about what to expect from a professional resource and even touched on the subject of health coaching. In Part 1 of 3 of this blog series we also cited an example of a chance encounter we had in the produce section of a supermarket highlighting that timing is everything and how it provided an opportunity to
Tips To Honor 40th National Nutrition Month
It’s March once again and National Nutrition Month (NNM) is here! National Nutrition Month helps remind us of the unmistakable link between food, nutrition and health. You can find out more by visiting this year’s NNM site. In honor of the 40th anniversary of National Nutrition Month, we’d like to share 10 categories of tips with you. Won’t you join us in making this the best celebration ever of NNM?!
Whole Food Focus Thanksgiving Preparations
Many people are considering the merits of a Whole Food focus basis for planning their upcoming Thanksgiving meal. Of course, the most important aspect of Thanksgiving is truly the opportunity give thanks for the blessings in our lives and to share that sentiment while being able to spend time with family and friends, so any food choices should enhance that overall experience. Memories of Thanksgivings past are connected to our emotional perceptions of those times, so there are sounds, sights, smells/aromas, tastes, textures that all contributed to the sensory perceptions we have locked in our memory banks of those special
New Year’s Resolutions–Is There an App Out There For You?
It’s that time of year again–when people start out with a new set of New Year’s resolutions and then try to actually find a way to implement them. Without a plan and some good tools, that won’t be an easy task. In fact, they may unintentionally be setting themselves up for potential failure. You can check out a visual way to see what some of these resolutions might typically look like (A Guide to New Year’s Resolutions), by user Lee under Lifestyle at the Infographics & Data Visualization firm’s site known as visual.ly We can’t store any image from that site
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Emergency Storm Apps & Checklists for Food & Other Supplies (Part 2 of 2)
In Part 1 of 2 in this series, we mentioned some sites to check for emergency information for storm preparedness, including for downloading apps to a smart phone, and some water and food considerations to stock in advance of any emergency storm situation. In this Part 2 of 2 of this series, we’ll mention various other considerations, including clothing; paperwork pointers including having handy paper versions of emergency contact info for your own family and then for local services; other equipment and supplies to consider and some ideas of what to possibly have handy for the various human family members; and as
Read MoreEmergency Storm Apps & Checklists for Food & Other Supplies (Part 2 of 2)
Emergency Storm Apps & Checklists for Food & Other Supplies (Part 1 of 2)
There have been many kinds of storms including hurricanes, tornadoes, nor’easters & more over the years & such storm activity will continue in the future. One can’t stress enough how important it is to have an emergency plan of preparedness that includes a checklist for supplies & be ready at a moment’s notice to actually implement any such plan. Dietitians who operate feeding centers have to be prepared to serve thousands of meals, even if there is no power available and limited water supplies. We have personally experienced 11 days without power after a microburst storm hit our area back
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Are You Curious About Nutrient Supplements?
As Fall heads into Winter, many people become more concerned about themselves or a family member or close friend succumbing to a cold virus, or worse yet a strain of flu virus. Besides following vaccination recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), along with their recommendations for hand washing, covering your nose and mouth when sneezing, etc., they are eager to know if there is anything else they can do to boost their own defenses and those of their loved ones and friends against a viral illness this Winter. Image of vitamin pills (and bottle) courtesy of http://www.stockfreeimages.com/ and © 2008