Katherine Isacks, Registered Dietitian, LLC

 
Delicious in both savory and sweet dishes, this amazing seed/nut is versatile and serves as a key ingredient in dishes from the Philippines, India, and Indonesia.  In the United States, most of us are familiar with coconut from sweets and Thai curry.  Thai curry typically uses coconut milk as the base (rather than cow’s milk [...]

Dried fruit – Mother Nature’s original candy!  As a dietitian with a serious sweet tooth, I would like to dedicate this post to dried fruit.  A powerhouse of calories, dried fruit will reward you with all the sweetness you crave along with nutrients and antioxidants.  Consider it a delicacy and practice portion control unless you are [...]

Pumpkin, one of my favorite winter squashes, comes to center stage during the month of November. Both the fleshy part and the seeds are nutrient-rich and work well in both sweet and savory dishes.
Nutrients
Pumpkin flesh (or the mushy part) is a fantastic source of fiber, potassium and beta-carotene (an antioxidant and precursor to [...]

Many people have trouble tolerating wheat for one reason or another.  People have told me that despite testing negative for Celiac disease (a disease where the body creates an immune response to gluten), they experience gastrointestinal discomfort when they consume wheat products.  This blog is intended to give the reader ideas on non-wheat sources of [...]

Is organic produce healthier than conventionally grown produce?
I do not know of a study that has directly tested health outcomes in humans who consume conventionally grown produce compared to organically grown produce. However, there are studies showing harmful effects of pesticides on the neurological and reproductive development in animals. There are also studies that [...]

Throughout the United States, major land grant universities have Extension programs that provide valuable education to the local community.  Many people are unaware that Extension programs exist – which is a shame since they are an excellent source of nutrition information as well as provide information on gardening, food safety, natural resources, and 4-H Youth programs.  Check out [...]

I love to cook and eat good food, but I do not like to spend a lot of time shopping for food, prepping food, or washing dishes.  I think that I am a little lazy in some ways but that might actually be an advantage in helping others who are crazy busy and need every [...]

Whether you are a weekend warrior, dancer, athlete, or recently-active ex-couch potato, it can sometimes be a challenge to eat so that you feel strong and energetic, yet not bloated, crampy, or nauseous.
The key to eating well for activity is to eat enough, but not too much before the activity, hydrate before, during, and after [...]

As a dietitian, there are certain foods that I tag as “superstars” due to their nutritional content.  Plain oatmeal is one of those foods.  I love oatmeal because it:
*  Is high in dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates (great for fueling the body without causing huge blood glucose spikes).
*  Can help reduce risk of heart [...]

Dear Readers:
I would like this blog to provide useful information that educates as well as entertains.  Sometimes I’ll post a recipe or provide a link to another blog that I enjoy.  Or maybe I’ll simply rant or rave about a newly published article or research study.  My blog is meant to be informal and hopefully, sometimes funny, but [...]