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?!
Demystifying Chocolate and Cacao Part 2 of 3
In Part 1 of this blog series we provided some background on the highly successful, inextricable link between chocolate and Valentine’s Day. We also mentioned some cultural information surrounding the growing of theobroma cacao trees around the world. Finally we included some steps involved in processing cacao beans from grower through manufacturer. Image courtesy of albion80 at rgbstock.com Three of the best known categories of cacao beans that may make their way into chocolate worldwide include: Criollo which means “native” and this type of cacao bean may be found in Central America, and then in Venezuela in South America and some
Immersion Blender Created Milk Based Whip
Immersion blenders can be used in many different ways. If you have an immersion blender equipped with a whipping disc (basically flat, but ever so slightly domed disc with no holes), capable of at least 6,000 rpm, then possibly you can make a quick and easy “whip” to satisfy sweet tooth desires. A whip is thicker than a shake would be, since a spoon can stand up in a whip and a whip has the consistency of thick whipped cream. Some devices have two speeds–6,000 rpm and 12,000 rpm. 6,000 rpm is adequate for whipping ice cold fat-free milk.
Demystifying Chocolate and Cacao Part 1 of 3
Chocolate, pink or red hearts, pink or red roses, and angels or cupids–what do they all have in common? Their association with none other than Valentine’s Day! Once again, Valentine’s Day is upon us and we thought it might be an appropriate time to talk a little bit about chocolate. US marketers are delighted that chocolate and Valentine’s Day have been successfully and inextricably linked for so many decades now. In 2012, the National Confectioners Association reported that ~70+ percent of candy sales associated with Valentine’s Day were specifically just for chocolate. It is a retail category where last minute
A Sensory Visit to the Isle of Spice
Grenada, part of the Grenadine islands, has long been called the Isle of Spice or the Spice Island, however, its biggest business today is really tourism with a nod to its heritage as a spice & herb producing & processing island. Historically, Grenada has been the second largest producer of nutmeg in the world (after Indonesia). The nutmeg pod is at the 8-9 o’clock position in the basket, while the cinnamon sticks in the center of the basket are actually approximately 10″ long. Cacao pods and bay leaves are at the 12 o’clock and 1-2-3 o’clock positions.
Super Bowl Party Menu Ideas
With the 2013 Super Bowl coming up on February 3rd, you may be planning a Super Bowl Party Menu. If so, you probably already have some supplies on hand if you are intending on hosting a get together. Hopefully you’re considering a variety of offerings that might include some bean based dips you can whip up yourself, or maybe an eggplant dip, or possibly even doing up a homemade healthier pizza option that is easy and FAST to make. Photo of Make It Now Pizza by Stephanie B-H/Sensory Nutrition ©2013 A little planning ahead will make putting together any Super Bowl
Zucchini-Broccoli Soup
You’ll enjoy the fresh taste of this classic soup. You can adjust the amount of extra virgin olive oil & lemon juice to taste and don’t hesitate to add more broth if need be to reach a desired consistency (the water content of zucchini can vary quite a bit). I really do prefer freshly ground white pepper in this recipe.
Low FODMAP Diet iPhone App Released 17DEC2012
Earlier this month, we mentioned in our December 2012 Potpourri blog post that an iPhone app was coming for the Low FODMAP Diet. That diet approach has come out of research work done at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia (designed to help manage gastrointestinal symptoms). On 17DEC2012, the researchers at Monash University in Australia sent out a press release about their new app called the Monash University Low FODMAP Diet (by CEMA, Monash University) which can be found in the iTunes Store. Graphic source: Dreamstime.com