Happy, Healthy Holidays 31   Can you believe the holidays are here again? I know everyone wants to hear about how to not gain weight this season, and I will discuss strategies for that, but first I want to talk about a topic that I’ve been thinking about lately, which is the connection between happiness and health. I recently participated on a panel about spiritual, emotional and physical health and wellness. As you might guess, I was the food and nutrition expert. I loved that it got me...

Planning Family Dinners   When my husband and I first got married 12 years ago, we were already committed to having family meals together. In our younger and freer days before having kids, we used to walk to dinner at 10 pm many week nights. Those spontaneous days are behind us now that we have two young daughters, but we are more committed to family meals than ever. The logistics are infinitely more complicated now though. That’s why when it’s 4:30 on a weekday, the last thing I want to be...

Five Seasonal Seasonings   When my older daughter was a toddler, she was fascinated with herbs and spices. She would stand in front of our under-counter spice cabinet, one by one, unscrew the lid of each jar, sniff its contents, screw the lid back on, replace the jar, and move on to the next spice. Occasionally she would stick her finger or tongue into a jar and taste the spice, too. In the cutest way possible she was exploring the seasonings that contribute flavor and depth to the foods we...

Super Snacks   I know my family is in a snacking rut, and I’ll bet yours is too. I have to pack my second grader snacks for school and I admit that my menus have become a little boring. So, today I’m going to lay out the five W’s (when, who, why, where and what) of snacking. I’ve worked with my daughters to come up with some fresh ideas for snacks that I think both kids and adults will love. You can visit our show notes page at Gelsons.com to download my freshest ideas and recipes for...

Taste of Italy—the Mediterranean Way   Gelson’s is celebrating the Taste of Italy in October and my role here is not to just create a delicious new salad for our stores, which by the way is called Jessica’s Tuscan White Bean Salad. (If you haven’t tried it yet, get yourself over to Gelsons service deli for a sample!) My job is also to educate our customers and listeners about the health benefits of Italian food. Before we go any further, I need to clarify what I have in mind when I talk...

Fearsome Food News Today I want to address all of the scary food news that we’ve been hearing lately about the association between processed meats, red meats, and certain carbohydrates with cancer. It’s certainly not news that ham and French fries aren’t health foods, but all of this negative food press can make us feel like there’s nothing safe to eat anymore. If you feel confused and worried about what you’re eating, I want to help guide listeners towards the healthiest approach to eating...

Satiety Strategies Part 2   In the last episode I talked about the factors that influence appetite and satiety, or how satisfied you feel after eating. In this episode, I want to discuss specific strategies for improving your satiety levels.   After so many years of being a dietitian, I naturally incorporate strategies for feeling satisfied into my eating. There are many things you can do to help yourself feel satisfied throughout the day. Some of the strategies may surprise you, but it’s...

Satiety Strategies Part 1   Being hungry is not fun.  It’s uncomfortable and distracting and it is a major reasons why people struggle with their weight.  People experience hunger in different ways: some individuals can tolerate or even ignore hunger pangs, while even the slightest twinge of hunger can feel like an emergency to others.  There’s no simple reason to explain those differences.  Hormones, gut bacteria (microbiota), sensory processing, past experiences with starvation, emotions,...

The Care and Feeding of your Good Bacteria 22   Today I‘m going to talk about a topic that I’ve been following for a few years and I think we finally know enough about to make some useful dietary recommendations. I’m going to tell you about the care and feeding of your good bacteria.   Believe it or not, the bacteria in your gut could hold the key to your health. There are over 100 trillion microbes living on us and inside us and they can influence factors as far reaching as appetite,...

How to lose Weight 23   It’s a new year, so everyone has weight loss on their mind—at least they will for a few weeks! That’s where the fad diets come in. Anyone can stick with some crazy diet plan for a few weeks and lose a few pounds, but those results are only temporary. I don’t like diets because they don’t work. Here’s why:   The term “going on a diet” implies that you will eventually go off of the diet—and back to your old eating habits. Diets are a quick fix that can lead to weight...

Boost Your Immune System Were heading into prime cold and flu season now, so today I want to talk about things you can do to boost your immune system to help keep yourself health this winter. We’re all more susceptible to getting sick in the winter since we’re spending more time in dry indoor environments where we have more exposure to other peoples’ germs, and our protective mucous membranes are weakened when they are dried out. The holidays can also increase our stress levels and interfere...

Four Sensible Ways to Boost Your Metabolism Who doesn’t wish they could burn calories like a fat-burning machine? We’ve all probably noticed how much more easily we gain weight than we used to—especially after a holiday or a weekend of eating out at restaurants. And we’ve all definitely become aware of how hard it can be to lose those few extra pounds that creep up on us year after year. Chalk it up to metabolism, dear listeners. Your metabolism—the rate at which you burn calories--is a key...

Eating Healthfully while Traveling Podcast 19  I just returned from a fabulous vacation with my husband. We always joke that we just go from table to table when we are on vacation because food is such an important part of how we experience the places we are visiting. Whether I’m traveling for work or pleasure, I always like to enjoy the regional cuisine and try local specialties of the places I’m visiting—that meant jamon in Spain and gelato in Italy on my most recent vacation. And I was...

  Healthy Holidays Can you believe holiday season is upon us already?  Are you ready for all of the holiday feasting?  Making it through the holidays without gaining weight is not about willpower; it’s about having a plan!  Keep in mind that a few holiday meals will not destroy your health or your weight; rather it is your overall eating pattern that is important for maintaining your general health, preventing disease, and achieving a healthy weight. My philosophy is that if you eat...

Reproductive Cancer Awareness In this episode, Jessica talks about Reproductive Cancer Awareness and some changes we can make in our diets to help prevent these kinds of cancers.    Every cancer is different, but there are a lot of general things you can do to help prevent cancer. There are three main factors that you can control and they have to do with diet, exercise, and not smoking.    1. Be as lean as possible for as long as possible. Being overweight is the biggest dietary risk...

Five Favorite Pantry Staples In this episode, Jessica tells us about her five favorite items that you can find in your pantry. (Including some bonuses!)   Oat Products She really likes steel cut oats because they take longer to digest. She does also use the instant oats as well. Oats also help your “gut health.” Jessica also likes muesli and granola. In fact she has her own recipe: My Favorite Homemade Granola. When she can’t make it, she really likes the Boulder Organic Granola which she...

Interview with Jessica Siegel In this episode, I get the opportunity to interview Jessica about her career and her thoughts on different subjects.    Here are the questions that I ask Jessica:   • Career aside, could you talk about your personal journey in eating healthfully?   • Could you talk about what got you started you in this field? What interested you in it in the first place?   • What about Gelson’s made you feel it was the right fit for your talents?   • Who are your...

Nutrition for Healthy Aging In this episode, Jessica gives us some tips when it comes to eating for healthy aging. Eating well can really help us as we age. Our population is living longer so maintaining our vitality is an important goal in order to have the best quality of life for as long as possible. As we mature, certain circumstances, health issues, and lifestyle factors change that can, in turn, affect our diet and nutritional status. Here are some of the barriers that older adults...

My Five Favorite Kitchen Tools Jessica takes us into her kitchen and tells us about her five favorite kitchen tools! There are some gadgets that can make cooking faster, easier, and more fun.    1. Panini Press She uses this press to make panini for school lunches for her children.  She developed two recipes:  A Caprese sandwich with pesto, sliced mozzarella, heirloom tomato, and parmesan cheese.  Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Cinnamon Raisin English Muffin with muenster cheese and sliced...

Fuel for School How to feed your kids optimally when they go back to school.     Start with Breakfast It’s the most important meal of the day and you should not skip this meal.  Don’t feed them the sugary cereals, rather go with minimally processed foods, protein and healthy fat and food carbohydrates. This helps to set them up for the day.    Some examples: Kind Cinnamon Oat Cluster Granola with Organic Valley Whole Grass Milk.  Ezekiel Food for Life sprouted grain breads with...

What I Eat and Why   Jessica takes us into a day in her life in regards to what she eats on a daily basis. She uses the Mediterranean Diet as her framework for a healthy diet. Two vegetarian meals per day with an emphasis on eating a lot of vegetables. She eats fresh, minimally processed foods that she makes herself.      Morning Eats within an hour of waking up in order to optimize her blood sugar.  Usually eats granola and yogurt. She often makes her own: My Favorite Homemade Granola...

Shaking Off Sweets   Sugars are easy to eat but are not easy for our bodies to process. The average person eats about 23 added teaspoons of sugar per person per day and this is a conservative estimate.      Sugars and Added Sugars   Natural sugars found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains are not the harmful sugars but are actually helpful in controlling blood sugar when eaten in moderation and in combination with protein and fat.   There are natural forms of added sugar...

Healthy Summer Eating   Healthy Grilling Health risks associated with grilling.  High-heat cooking can be carcinogenic.   Grilling Tips: Clean your grill and heat sources thoroughly before each use.  Don’t use lighter fluid or fire starters. Use low heat and indirect heat.  Limit the amount of animal flesh that you grill. Marinades and some spices can help to reduce the risk of carcinogens. Cook indoors on the stove first and then finish it on the grill. Try not to char the meat...

Eating for Bone Health     Background info on bones Bones mineralize up until about age 30 and start to lose bone density around 35.    Bone Fracture Risk Factors • Previous bone fracture after age 20 • Parent with a bone fracture after age 20 • Steroid use • Smoking • Drinking more than two servings of alcohol a day • Poor Vision  • Being Tall  • Losing or even just  maintaining the same weight since age 20 • Being Unable to get up out of a chair without using your hands or arms...

Eating Green Sustainable Eating Sustainable eating is eating in a way that doesn't damage our current or future environmental resources.   Top Five Things We Can Do to Eat More Sustainably 1. Eat more produce. It takes less energy to grow produce than it does to raise livestock.  2. Eat more minimally processed foods and also foods with less packaging. They take less energy to produce.  3. Try not to waste food. When food is wasted, all the energy that went into producing it is wasted...