Hi Everyone! Happy Easter and Resurrection Day to those of you who are religious and celebrate this amazing holiday. Growing up, Easter was one of my favorite holidays. This was the time of the year that signified spring, celebrating Jesus’s resurrection (especially coming from a Christian background), and family. Every Easter my family attends church and then spend the rest of the day building memories together, enjoying the signs of spring, and of course eating a lot of yummy foods and treats.

I was given the luxury of bringing a dessert for Easter Sunday. Once I found out I had dessert duty, I was so excited! My dish that I prepared was a Chocolate Chip Vegan Cheesecake. Some of you may be thinking, “doesn’t sound appetizing.” Believe me, my family enjoyed it! They are not always the easiest crowd to please either. So I promise you if they found this dish to be delicious to the point that there was none left, you will enjoy it too!

I, or none of my family members are specifically vegan. I made this recipe mainly because of the ingredients that are used, and because most of us, including myself are lactose intolerant. A complete “dairy-free,” cheesecake! So, what does it mean to be lactose intolerant? People who are lactose intolerant cannot tolerate dairy products well, and therefore must limit it in their diet.

Lactose is known as the carbohydrate (sugar) found in milk. When you are lactose intolerant, your body experiences a lactose deficiency where a normal lactose enzyme splits lactose into glucose and galactose. In the absence, lactase remains intact exerting pressure. Water is drawn into the intestines to dilute the load causing abdominal distention which is commonly known as cramps and diarreah. Then bacteria ferments the lactose releasing a gassy feeling. As a result, most people who are lactose intolerant have to follow a lactose-free diet. Things that can be consumed are aged cheese because there are low amounts of lactose, and yogurt because of the probiotics which break down lactose.

The sky is the limit, and with so many allergy and food sensitive friendly products out there in the market, you can still enjoy your favorite foods without feeling awful after. Finding this recipe, I must say, I fell in love. Cheesecake is my favorite dessert and I can finally enjoy it again without feeling sick after. The best part is the recipe is fairly easy to make.

Now, tell me what is your favorite Easter dish or dessert!?

 

Link to recipe: Enjoy!

Easy Baked Cheesecake (Vegan + GF)

 

Oh my god! Is it weird that I start off a sentence like that. No, but honestly, I picked these treats at Trader Joe’s the other day and let me tell you, they are amazing. I swear that Trader Joe’s always has something fun and new to try. These were actually one of their new products and the last bag on the shelf. I was the lucky duck to grab the last bag! I am such a foodie and I can never say no to chocolate. But when chocolate is combined with peanut butter I am sold! I always like to tell people, and my clients that you should never deprive yourself from a dessert or a treat. Everything in moderation right!? The reason why I am a firm believer of this is because a lot of times people ward off “the bad foods,” as what the general public likes to label it as much as possible from their diet. Then have a “cheat day.” Cheat days a lot of times are a big “dump,” of everything you deprived yourself during the week into one day.

 

I tell people that everything is good in moderation and in portion. Your body responds to whatever you put into it as food, or something to digest regardless if it is a salad or a hamburger. Space it out, do not have “dump,” day or as known as a cheat day. Sometimes that can actually backfire you in the long run. To much of everything at once isn’t always a good thing, or as a matter of fact a healthy approach. When you portion your nightly dessert-treat everyday/every other day you can enjoy it and not find yourself wanting to over indulge in it in the long run. Sounds more like a healthier approach to me!

So treat yourself! I know I will have one of these yummy treats every night as my dessert. =)

 

I woke up this morning, and the first thing I wanted was a yummy bagel. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and lately I have been getting tired of eating the same thing every morning…., oatmeal. I love oatmeal but after a while you want something different. As you might have caught on from my last post, I have been trying to be creative with recipes and making my own healthier version of things. I love bagels so I thought, why not make my own healthy bagel recipe from scratch!

I found a recipe from SkinnyTaste, which I highly recommend checking their website out. They have so many delicious recipes that are easy and most importantly satisfying! The recipe is below. The only thing I did that was different from the recipe was I used whole wheat flour, cinnamon, cocoa nibs, and chia seeds added into the mix. I must say, it made a great beakfast the next morning!

 

Recipe below:

https://www.skinnytaste.com/easy-bagel-recipe/

 

Hey guys! Lately, I have been on chia seed pudding kick. I have been trying so hard to make my own healthy snacks from scratch. I do my best to stay away from buying a lot of prepackaged stuff at the store. I just feel like most things you find are just loaded with junk! What I mean by junk is literally finding prepackaged snakcs with a lot of added sugar, salt, and ingredients that I never even heard of, or let alone can’t even prenounce. That is a red flag to me! So I take matters into my own hands and get creative. I always try to think of unique ways to make different recipes that sound good and appealing. Then I eventually just start whipping random things in the kitchen that actually end up tasting good.

So this brings me to my recipe; Matcha Avocado Chia Seed Pudding. I love pudding! So I figured why not make a healthy version my way. Some of you may have never even heard of chia seeds before. Chia seeds are loaded with nutrients. They are an excellent source of healthy fats (omega-3’s), rich in antioxidants, fiber, iron, and calcium. Omega-3 fatty acids help raise HDL cholesterol which is your good cholesterol that protects against a heart attack and stroke. You can mix chia seeds into so many things, such as oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies, desserts, and much more. I then added avocado which at first seemed weird, but actually quite good. I love avocados! So whenever I can find something new to make them with, I try it. Avocados are rich in potassium, dietary fiber, and healthy fats. Research shows that avocados have been shown to lower LDL or “bad,” cholesterol and increase HDL or “good,” cholesterol. As an added bonus I included Matcha Green tea powder into the recipe. Matcha tea contains a unique, potent class of antioxidant known as catechins, which aren’t found in other foods. In particular, the catechin EGCg (epigallocatechin gallate) provides potent cancer-fighting properties. Studies have shown that green tea has a variety of health benefits, like helping to prevent heart disease, type 2 diabetes and cancer, and even encouraging weight loss.

Sounds like a yummy power packed snack!

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. chia seeds
1 can coconut milk
1/2 Avocado
2 tbsp. Matcha
½ cup Coconut Cream

Directions:

1. Blend coconut milk, avocado and Matcha in a high speed blender.

2. In a medium bowl, pour coconut milk mixture over chia seeds and mix thoroughly

3. Cover bowl and place in the fridge.

4. Stir after 30 minutes and place back in the fridge for 90 more minutes.

5. In a medium bowl, whisk coconut cream with 4 drops of vanilla stevia drops

6. Layer chia pudding and coconut cream into a cute parfait!

 

Chocolate Protein Fudge. Ummm yes! Curb that craving with this yummy recipe. It’s not only delicious, but with an added bonus of protein in this treat will help keep your body fueled. I tried making this recipe and it is now one of my favorites!

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 scoops of chocolate protein powder

1 tbsp. honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

12 drops Stevia liquid

Baking Directions:

1. Line a large tray with baking paper

2. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth

3. Spoon out the mixture onto the tray and spread out evenly

4. Place in the fridge to set for around 45 minutes

5. Once set, cut into squares and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

6. Enjoy!

 

Welp, it’s a wrap! I officially completed my Dietetic Internship this past week. I cannot believe how fast these last ten months went. Or that it’s over! It feels like I literally just started not too long ago. This journey that I embraced over the course of the year definitely was not easy, and there were times I felt like I wanted to give up. However, I gained such a great wealth of knowledge and the growth I saw in myself is remarkable. I would not change a thing reflecting back.

A year I ago I submitted my application to DICAS which stands for Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Services. This is a grueling and dreadful application process one must go through in order to be one step closer reaching their dream of becoming a Registered Dietitian. For those of you who are not familiar with the process, if you want to become a RD, you must complete a four year degree in dietetics, and in addition to that you must apply to a dietetic internship. A dietetic internship is the last step you must go through in order to sit for the RD exam.  You must complete at least a minimum of 1200 hours of supervised practice and go through various rotations like food service, community, and clinical. The sad truth is that over the years it never got any easier. Unfortunately, the process became even more competitive and there is less than a 50% acceptance rate. If you get matched to a dietetic internship, consider yourself lucky. But honestly, when you are matched to a program be grateful. Many people would wish to be in that position you are in.

I vividly remember Match Day (Sunday, November 7, 2017). I was so anxious! It stinks that you have to wait a whole day anticipating whether you get accepted into a program or not. This was my second time applying. Believe it or not, it’s pretty common for most people having to apply more than once. I went to church that morning and I remember sitting in the aisle praying to God that he would open a door for me. This was my future and everything I worked so hard for over the years and the patience I had to gain led up to this very day once more. I humbly told myself throughout the day that no matter what the results were, God had a reason and I put my faith and trust in him. My family was over later that day for a get together at my house and it was hard to keep my focus. I kept telling myself “its okay, it’s okay,” trust God, everything will work out if you just trust in him. Once my family left, it was almost 7 p.m. and I would finally find out if I would officially have a chance to become one step closer becoming an RD. It was a few minutes before the results were in and I literally felt my heart starting to beat. Many thoughts started racing through my head like “okay what’s my plan B if this does not work, I am going to disappoint my family and friends if I fail to match again, I will be stuck working the same job for a while, etc.” As pathetic as it sounds I had to throw a wash cloth over my screen because I just could not handle the anticipation anymore. It was 7 p.m.! Results were in. I remember my dad looked at me and said “remove that cloth, stop worrying!” So I took the cloth off my computer screen and I my mouth dropped. I was matched to my first choice which was, The Be Well Solutions Distance Dietetic Internship in Solon, Ohio. I never felt such relief at that very moment. I felt a load drop off my shoulders. I could finally say RD2Be.

This was a major accomplishment for me. I know many people who go through this process can relate. It’s hard, competitive, and a lot of sacrifice. For me it was a whole other story. For those of you who do not know me quite as well, I was not the perfect student in school, as a matter fact I had many setbacks. In elementary school, I was tested and diagnosed with a learning disability. It was very hard and throughout my education I had to work harder than most to be successful. I had to be very organized, find different learning strategies, and be a strong advocate for myself. I even had to face external challenges. Sadly, I encountered situations where I I was told I would fail in life, or be unsuccessful and never reach my goals. Starting college, I was told I was unfit to go the RD route and should consider changing my major. I was even rejected by a professor saying that I would never get an internship. Sounds rough huh? Look I am not writing this blog post to make people feel bad for me. Because don’t. I am trying to say do not ever let any setback or a circumstance close a door you want to achieve in life. Nobody ever knows what you are capable of, including yourself. Everyone’s journey is different, and we all get to our destinations differently. It’s okay. What counts is that we get there and we don’t lack faith.

Reflecting back on my internship, I had many times where faith was challenged. It was definitely a roller coaster, a balancing act of life, and where a lot of professional growth developed. I remember I was challenged the most during my clinical rotation. I will admit, it was not my favorite because my heart was not into becoming a clinical dietitian. However, I learned so much coming out of it. Fortunately, I was able to complete my hours at the hospital I currently worked at the time. So I already knew the system, and the dietitians (who would be my preceptors). Sounds pretty chill, but the reality was, they did not know. Meaning I knew going into this rotation they would see a whole other side of me that I was not always proud of throughout my education. Such as my learning disability. Thankfully, my preceptors supported me A LOT throughout the entire rotation. I personally struggled most days having confidence in myself and I knew that they saw that in me. There were some mornings walking into the diet office where I thought to myself, “here we go again, me failing at other things, and making myself look bad in front of really smart dietitians.” Clearly my confidence was shot! Halfway during my clinical rotation, things started to change for me in a positive way.  Honestly, all the dietitians I worked with were all amazing. Everyone worked so hard and always challenged me to be my best. I had many ups and downs just like anyone else. I realized going through my rotation that I really had to work on my confidence in order to fully succeed. One night I remember after a long, and challenging day, I went home in tears and I thought to myself what is going to take! I just want to do well, I want to give back to the dietitians who care enough to see me succeed. These are people who actually care. I must say support was always key for me when I went through hurdles during my schooling. I did some critical-thinking and started doing a lot of self-reflecting. It suddenly happened where soon after I started making small gradual improvements. I made a routine where it involved me waking up wicked early, writing scripts to enhance my interview skills, and doing extra homework. It was a sacrafice, most days was not very easy, but I did it. Overall, I know I wasn’t perfect but I did it, and I am grateful for all the help and support from my preceptors, family, and friends.

All of my rotations were rewarding. I honestly cannot complain. All my preceptors were very knowledgeable, supportive, and very helpful. I would not be where I am today without them. 

I flew back for exit class/graduation this past week. As happy and relieved I was being done with the internship it was definitely bittersweet. These past ten months, and this entire journey will be something I will never forget. Why:

1.) I made close friendships with a group of interns spread out across the country. Ah I miss them all!

2.) I can say I took part in the very first graduating class for the Be Well Solutions Distance DI in Solon, Ohio.

3.) I made many amazing connections with Registered Dietitian’s in the Boston, area. F.Y.I.: If any of you are reading this, and you know who you all are, thank you for all that you did for me and taught me as your intern!

4.) I never thought I would have this chance or experience to have gone through the D.I. and looking back was very life changing and I learned so much!

5.) I am not the same person before I started the internship in January.

6.) I am ready to start my journey as a Registered Dietitian.

I could just sit here and type some more, but it is emotional looking back and seeing how much growth I have seen in myself. Sometimes in life when you look back, so much can change. Whether it is for the good or bad. Sometimes when you can just simply pause from all the chaos, and reflect back, you begin to appreciate things more.  This can relate to all of us. Ten months ago, or even a few years ago, I never thought I would be where I am today.

Here is a verse that holds true to my heart that sums up my journey, and as I look unto a new chapter moving forward in my career;

Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

-I quote something a fellow intern of mine said that is very true: “We should not fear the next season of our life. That is exciting. This is a gift. We should be excited, eager, and grateful for what we have or will accomplish.”

Sometimes you have to go through the story book of life to get to where you are today. Always shoot for the moon and never let anything stop you from achieving your dreams. Opportunity is always knocking at the door. Is it easy, no. Is it worth it, yes!

What’s your story?

 

A few photos that the interns and I took together during Exit Class:

 

We all hear the same questions and misleading information out there regarding if coffee is really good or bad for you. I don’t know about you, but I love my coffee. Especially since I have been in my dietetic internship it has been a life saver and a great pick me up.

I usually do only 2 cups of coffee twice per day. I have one cup in the morning and one in the afternoon as a pick me up. My ideal cup of coffee is simple, and straight black. I sometimes will add a little bit of almond milk for calcium. I think some people don’t realize that research shows that coffee has health benefits. It only becomes unhealthy when we add tons of sugar, and flavorings/syrups to it, (yup, I admit those guilt trips to Starbucks getting my favorite, my raspberry vanilla soy latte, but hey once in awhile is okay!).

According to an article published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, recommended at no more than 3-4 cups of coffee per day. Evidence shows that that health benefits coffee has include lowering risk of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and some cancers. Also, coffee contains small traces of nutrients such as potassium, niacin and magnesium. Certain groups, such as people with hypertension and the elderly, may be more susceptible to the adverse effects of caffeine. Pregnant and breast-feeding women will want to limit intake to a maximum of 200 to 300 milligrams a day of caffeine (the amount in 2 to 3 cups of coffee). The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that pregnant women cap caffeine consumption at 200 milligrams a day.

So stay calm and grab that cup of joe!