Live your healthiest, happiest, most purposeful life
Author: Lacy Ngo
Lacy Ngo is a Registered Dietitian with a Masters in Human Nutrition. Lacy focuses on mindful eaitng and living and her blog provides over 400 nutrition and weight loss tips as well as inspiring faith stories
These healthy breakfast burritos are perfect for busy mornings. Simply keep them frozen in the freezer until you are ready to eat. When you are ready to eat, you can grab one of these healthy breakfast burritos and heat it up in the microwave for 2 minutes! That’s it sooo easy!!!
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
A Healthy Breakfast Freezer Meal for busy mornings! These make ahead and freeze healthy breakfast burritos are perfect for busy families! Developed by Registered Dietitian, Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN
Serves 6
Materials
Plastic Wrap
Gallon Freezer Bag
Ingredients
5 Eggs or 1.5 cups of egg substitute like Egg Beaters
1 Onion (To save time, you can buy an already-chopped onion container)
God’s Grand Design: The Miracle of Food and the Human Body
God not only gives us the gift of food, but also gives us beautifully complex and miraculous bodies. The ways our bodies protect us and use fuel from the gifts all around us (food) is truly mind-blowing. If you want to see a miracle just look at the complexity of the human body, and how the body uses food! I don’t want to just tell you though; I want to show you. So for this blog, I am going to walk you through a simplified explanation of what happens to your food from the time it enters your mouth all the way to how it is used in your cells. Hopefully, this basic walk-through will demonstrate how truly wonderful the human body is, and how food and the human body work together…
Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN is a registered dietitian and owner of Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC. Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC focuses on how to live your healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition. Ngo is nationally known as one of the top experts in faith-based mindfulness and nutrition and also the author of several books including, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life, Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals, and The Nourishing Meal Builder. You can also find evidence-based nutrition articles, recipes, convenient healthy snack lists, and faith-based mindfulness techniques on her blog, Mindfulness in Faith and Food.
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
Food and the Human Body: Digestion, Absorption, and Metabolism; How our Bodies use God’s Gift of Food; Written by registered dietitian, Lacy, Ngo, MS, RDN
The Nourishing Meal Builder beautifully combines faith-based mindfulness and nutrition science to help you live your healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life. You can find out more about this refreshing book here.
Faith, Mindfulness, and Nutrition takes you on an inspiring and uplifting journey with dietitian, Lacy Ngo. Thanks to faith-based mindfulness and nutrition, Ngo went from being weight obsessed to feeling healthy and happy in her own body.
Digestion, Absorption, and Metabolism
As we go through the digestion, absorption, and metabolism processes, I will provide nutrition notes in pink to show places in the processes that affect your health.
Digestion and Absorption Basics
The digestive system provides two main functions: digestion and absorption. Digestion is the process of breaking food into components small enough to be absorbed. Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugar, proteins are broken down into amino acids, and fats are broken down into fatty acids. Absorption is the process of taking substances into the interior of the body. The digestive system includes the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, intestines, and anus. The whole digestive tract is made up of the lumen (the interior wall). The mucosa is a protective layer of tissue responsible for absorption. The transit time is the time it takes food to pass from the mouth to the anus. The transit time for healthy adults is about 24 to 72 hours. This transit time is effected by diet, physical activity, emotions, medications, and illness.
The Digestion, Absorption, Metabolism Processes
Developed by Registered Dietitian, Lacy Ngo, MS, RDNFood and the Human Body: Digestion, Absorption, and Metabolism; How our Bodies use God’s Gift of Food; Written by registered dietitian, Lacy, Ngo, MS, RDN
After going through the digestion, absorption, and metabolic processes, hopefully you have noticed two things:
1. Our bodies are amazing and can take on and fight off a lot of environmental factors. Our bodies are complex masterpieces. I am blown away when I think about what God can do!
2. Although our bodies can protect us from so much, what we put into our bodies can greatly affect our mind, body, and spirit. Again, God is amazing. I am so thankful for all of these foods and resources God put on the earth that give us the ability help our bodies’ function.
Food and the Human body: Digestion, Absorption, and Metabolism; How our Bodies use God’s Gift of Food; Written by registered dietitian, Lacy, Ngo, MS, RDN
What Foods Should I Eat to Help My Mind, Body, and Spirit Function and Thrive?
Thank you, God, for the gift of food!
Food provides us joy, nourishment, and energy. Food has so many life-sustaining benefits. But which foods do what? And can I find this list of foods in one spot? Here are a few more questions you may be pondering: What foods are anti-inflammatory? Are there foods that boost the immune system? What foods help with mood, depression, anxiety, and brain function? Can certain foods boost memory and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia? What foods reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes? What foods help with bloating, stomach distention, constipation, GERD, cramps, diarrhea or other stomach problems? Can certain foods reduce joint pain, arthritis pain, headaches, and migraines? Are there foods that can help with autoimmune diseases?
The answer is yes; certain foods can reduce the risk or alleviate symptoms of these conditions!
Certain foods, when eaten too often, can also increase the risk of these conditions or exasperate symptoms. The upcoming book is going to go into MUCH more detail by providing food lists, recipes, and discussions of the research, BUT while you wait, I have made a simple, easy Meal Plan Checklist that all subscribers can print and start using now! You can get the Meal Plan Checklist here!
Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN is a registered dietitian and author of The Nourishing Meal Builder.The Nourishing Meal Builder beautifully combines faith-based mindfulness and nutrition science to help you live your healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life. You can find out more about this refreshing book here.
Create anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, mood boosting, immune supportive meals that reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory.
I hope you have found this series an invaluable resource of nutriton information.
This is the nineth post in the series…
Best Books Written by Registered Dietitians
(Note: At the top of each post in this series, I have provided a description of what a dietitian is; therefore, if you have read any of the other posts in the series, you may want to skip down to the list portion.)
You may be asking…
So what exactly IS a Registered Dietitian, and why do I want to take note when a health and wellness book is written by a Registered Dietitian?
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.
Requirements for Registered Dietitians
So what are the requirements? Is there some kind of certification you need to be a registered dietitians?
Actually, you cannot just get a certification to become a registered dietitian. Whereas there might be certifications available for nutritionists.
To become an RD you must:
Complete a Bachelors Degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Dietetic Education. Some of the required courses generally included are:
Microbiology
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Biology
Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Anatomy and Physiology
Evidence Base Nutrition
Human Nutrition and Metabolism
Nutrition Counseling
and more
2. Complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship (The internship is usually completed in hospitals, community service agencies, medical clinics, etc)
3. Pass the CDR Exam
Just like a lawyer can’t practice law without passing an exam, an RD cannot become a registered dietitian without pasing the CDR.
4. In addition, by 2024, all register dietitian will be required to have a master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do.
5. Complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credentials.
So you can see why it is a plus when a health and nutrition book is written by a registered dieitian. I want to preface here that just because an RD is considered the expert, doesn’t mean you can’t get great nutrition information and advice from non-dietitians. People who have a passion for nutrition or people who have discovered something that works for them can write insightful nutrition books.
Many health and wellness enthusiasts have done extensive research on their own and have valuable information, but if you are getting advice from non-dietitians, I would recommend looking for the following:
Are they getting their information from a Registered Dietitian? Are they seeing what multiple registered dieitians have to say about the topic before giving advice?
Do they know when it is time to refer their clients to a registered dietitian? Many informed people have general nutrition knowledge, but when a client or customer needs medical nutrition therapy; then, a dietitian may be needed. Dietitians are trained in nutrition as it relates to diseases, drug-food interactions, tube feeding, enteral nutrition (nutrients through the veins), and various other medical conditions. These topics can get complicated and even be dangerous if incorrect information is given.
For example, someone may tell a client to eat more bananas because bananas are healthy, after all, BUT if a person has kidney failure and is on dialysis, too many bananas could put someone in the hosptial or worse!
One Final Note..
So one final thought before we move on to the book lists. If a book is written by a non-RD, you may want to see if a registered dietitian has written a review about the book, recommended the book, or even written a forward for the book.
Nutrition books written by non-dietitians are not a deal breaker, by any means, but you can see why seeing that RD beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.
This guide takes people with diabetes through the simple week-by-week steps toward lasting weight loss and improved health. Readers gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence required for permanent weight loss and lifestyle change. I love that this book includes inspriational stories from real people who have improved their health.
If you have read some of my past posts, you know that I have had a history of weight gain. In fact, being called a “two ton whale” in middle school was the negative motivator that started me on a weight loss journey. I kept the weight off for years, but then gained weight right after I got married. It was when I stopped focusing on weight and focused on mindful eating that I naturally lost 55 pounds without needing willpower, without counting calories, without dieting, or getting on the scale. I only know how much weight I lost because I saw the weight at the doctors office. This books is about the power of mindfulness and mindful eating. “The Mindful Diet” discusses how mindfulness and mindful eat can help with with lasting weight loss!
Remember when I said mindful eating helped me lose 55 pounds? Well this book is about that! Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals provides mindful living and mindful eating strategies as well as make-ahead freezer meals. The goal of these freezer meals to make it easier and less stressful for families to eat healthy meals at home. Did you know developing a routine and planning your meals are the keys to lasting weight loss? That is why I designed Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals!
The freezer meals in this ebook are designed to helps families develop a stress-free meal prep routine. This faith-based mindfulness and nutrition ebook is perfect for busy families who just can’t seem to find the time to cook healthy meals everyday. Developed by a dietitian, this ebook shows you how to make ALL you breakfast, lunches, and dinners for the WHOLE month in one day.
This ebook is for moms and families looking to:
Decrease stress,
Eat healthier meals at home
Lose weight,
Have more daily free time,
Reduce the grocery bill,
Simplify cooking, meal planning, and their day, and
Mindfully ENJOY eating healthy meals in the presence of God.
I am an organizer and list maker so I love how organized this book is. In Judith Scharman Draughon’s book, Judith narrows down the science into what she considers the 12 most important things you can do for your health and wellness- all without being on a diet!
Just as the title suggests, this book is geared towards teens and explores the 10 essential steps to losing weight in a healthy way. The Teen Eating Manifesto is for teens, regardless of their weight, who want to live a healthier lives.
Backed by research, the DASH diet has been shown to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, slow the aging process, and help with weight loss. This book provides everything you need to incorporate the DASH diet in your life, including meal plans and recipes.
Dressing on the Side offers a realistic science-based approach to life, and yes, weight loss!
This book provided tools and solutions that work with YOUR specific life. Some of the topics discussed are idetifying “fake” nutrition news; eating to feel satisfied, not just full; and how to form life-long habits even in a world where we are busier than ever.
When I started as a dietitian 15 years ago (eeek!!!!), my focus was weight loss. Okay, I was obsessed with weight loss. You see, I was made fun of in middle school for being “the chubby girl.” When I lost weight, I was determined to help others do the same.
When it was time to go to college, I knew I wanted to major in Human Nutrition. Overtime though, I began to see that nutrition was not all about weight. Foods could nourish and even stop some illnesses and conditions in their tracks! I also began to realize that we are all built differently. In other words, you cant just look at someone and tell how “healthy” they are.
Evidence-based list of foods that boost mood, reduce anxiety, support the immune system; promote cognitive function,; and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Plus meal builder cards are provided to help you build healthy meals with foods from the list.
Eventually I began incorporating mindful eating practices so that I could enjoy my food more and stop food obsessing. I also began to focus on eating to nourish and heal my body regardless of weight.
A few things happened:
1. Symptoms like seasonal allergies, mucus drainage, and acne went away.
2. My mood improved thanks to mood boosting foods
3. I started enjoying food. Food is a love of mine now instead of something I fear.
4. My weight naturally fell into a zone that felt good to me.
So Is This a Weight Loss Book?
So if you want to lose weight, that is okay too! There are reasons you may want to lose weight:
– Maybe you want to lose weight to see if your joint pain will improve (there are foods for that, and they are listed in The Nourishing Meal Builder);
-Or maybe you want to lose weight to significantly reduce the risk of developing chronic disease (yup, there are foods for that as well listed in The Nourishing Meal Builder);
-Or maybe you just want more energy to play and embrace life (These foods are listed in The Nourishing Meal Builder too!)
So you may still want to lose weight, but if you focus on mindful eating and become more intentional about eating healing, nourishing foods, you will more times than not find that your weight will naturally fall into a healthy place for you.
Lacy Ngo, MS, RDN is the owner of Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC and Mindful Vending (a dietitian owned and operated vending company). Ngo, who is one of top experts in faith-based mindfulness and nutrition, is the author of several faith-based mindfulness and nutrition books including, Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals, The Nourishing Meal Builder, and Faith, Mindfulness, & Nutrition. Whether it’s through quick snacks in her vending machines, her healthy freezer meal recipes, or her Meal Builder Cards, included in The Nourishing Meal Builder, Ngo is determined to make eating healthy as easy and stress-free as possible for people with busy lives!
I hope you have found this series an invaluable resource of nutrition information.
This is the eighth post in the series…
Best Books Written by Registered Dietitians
(Note: At the top of each post in this series, I have provided a description of what a dietitian is; therefore, if you have read any of the other posts in the series, you may want to skip down to the list portion.)
You may be asking…
So what exactly IS a Registered Dietitian, and why do I want to take note when a health and wellness book is written by a Registered Dietitian?
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.
Requirements for Registered Dietitians
So what are the requirements? Is there some kind of certification you need to be a registered dietitians?
Actually, you cannot just get a certification to become a registered dietitian. Whereas there might be certifications available for nutritionists.
To become an RD you must:
Complete a Bachelors Degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Dietetic Education. Some of the required courses generally included are:
Microbiology
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Biology
Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Anatomy and Physiology
Evidence Base Nutrition
Human Nutrition and Metabolism
Nutrition Counseling
and more
2. Complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship (The internship is usually completed in hospitals, community service agencies, medical clinics, etc)
3. Pass the CDR Exam
Just like a lawyer can’t practice law without passing an exam, an RD cannot become a registered dietitian without passing the CDR.
4. In addition, by 2024, all register dietitian will be required to have a master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do.
5. Complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credentials.
So you can see why it is a plus when a health and nutrition book is written by a registered dietitian. I want to preface here that just because an RD is considered the expert, doesn’t mean you can’t get great nutrition information and advice from non-dietitians. People who have a passion for nutrition or people who have discovered something that works for them can write insightful nutrition books.
Many health and wellness enthusiasts have done extensive research on their own and have valuable information, but if you are getting advice from non-dietitians, I would recommend looking for the following:
Are they getting their information from a Registered Dietitian? Are they seeing what multiple registered dietitians have to say about the topic before giving advice?
Do they know when it is time to refer their clients to a registered dietitian? Many informed people have general nutrition knowledge, but when a client or customer needs medical nutrition therapy; then, a dietitian may be needed. Dietitians are trained in nutrition as it relates to diseases, drug-food interactions, tube feeding, enteral nutrition (nutrients through the veins), and various other medical conditions. These topics can get complicated and even be dangerous if incorrect information is given.
For example, someone may tell a client to eat more bananas because bananas are healthy, after all, BUT if a person has kidney failure and is on dialysis, too many bananas could put someone in the hospital or worse!
One Final Note..
So one final thought before we move on to the book lists. If a book is written by a non-RD, you may want to see if a registered dietitian has written a review about the book, recommended the book, or even written a forward for the book.
Nutrition books written by non-dietitians are not a deal breaker, by any means, but you can see why seeing that RD beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.
Okay now for the good stuff…
The 8th post in this series is…
Holistic Health: Mind, Body, Spirit Books by Registered Dietitians
Holistic Health and Nutrition (mind, body, spirit) books written by registered dietitians
If you have read some of my past posts, you know that I have had a history of weight gain. In fact, being called a “two ton whale” in middle school was the negative motivator that started me on a weight loss journey. I kept the weight off for years, but then gained weight right after I got married. It was when I stopped focusing on weight and focused on mindful eating that I naturally lost 55 pounds without needing willpower, without counting calories, without dieting, or getting on the scale. I only know how much weight I lost because I saw the weight at the doctors office. This books is about the power of mindfulness and mindful eating and how mindfulness is truly a holistic approach to health. “The Mindful Diet” discusses how mindfulness and mindful eat can help with with lasting weight loss!
You can probably guess that I am super excited about this workbook! This workbook includes mindful eating 101, as well as mindful cooking and mindful eating strategies and reflective exercises.
This is another great book for people with diabetes. What makes this book unique is the yoga aspect of the book. Yoga can benefit someone with diabetes by calming the nervous system and improving circulation throughout the body. Yoga (like any exercise) can increase insulin sensitivity and improve glycemic control as well. This book is a a perfect addition for someone who wants to incorporate a holistic approach to health.
Health is about so much more than the foods we eat and how much we exercise. Health is about the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. “The Attitude Antidote” was a delight to read! This devotional, written by a dietitian, covers the mind and spirit aspect of our health. Jessa Nowak believes there is nothing more defining than your attitude. When we learn to have a grateful and positive attitude and approach to our daily life, then we will be happier and healthier.
Just like the subtitle says, this ebook walks you through how nutrition and yoga as a part of holistic health can support digestion, immunity, energy, and relaxation! This book includes a list of 40 functional foods you should include in your diet to help improve digestion, immune function, energy, and relaxation! Plant-based recipes and snack ideas are also included.
This book is so popular that it was on backorder when I first tried to order it! This book shows you how to have a happier and healthier life by treating yourself with compassion. This anti-dieting holistic book focuses on mindfulness, self-compassion, self-acceptance, gratitude, and affirmations. In other words, this book is about listening to your body and being kind to yourself and your body.
Mindful Books by the Mindful RD
I can’t talk about holistic dietitian books without talking about my four books. Why? Because ALL of my books are about nourishing our minds, bodies, and souls through mindful eating and mindful living. In fact my company is called Mindfulness in Faith and Food, LLC.
So, I had to include my latest book in this list. I decided the best way to describe my book is to leave you with a synopsis of my publishers description below:
This unique book was written by Lacy Ngo, a dietitian nationally recognized as a top expert in faith-based mindfulness and evidence-based nutrition. She shares the exact steps that, based on science, produce the most dramatic health and weight loss success in her book, 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. This book is like nothing you have ever seen before. It combines faith and science. Both are crucial when it comes to producing real change because real change involves the mind, body, and spirit.
Time Management is also a key component to reducing stress and living a healthier, happier, more meaningful life. This book provides a way for you to free up your time so that you can be present with your family while still providing healthy homecooked meals. This book does this by showing families how to make all a month of healthy family-friendly freezer meals in one day. Precooking freezer meals is one huge way to free up your time so that you can use that time to be present with your family, serve others, and rest your mind. Moreover, did you know that meal prepping is one of the keys to developing a lifelong healthy routine? Making a month of freezer meals in one day is the ultimate stress-free meal-prepping plan!
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals truly covers every aspect of holistic health: mind, body, and spirit!
The Nourishing Meal Builder is designed to help you live YOUR healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindfulness and nutrition. Learn how to incorporate faith-based mindful practices, relieve stress, be present, enjoy each moment in life, and listen for God’s guidance a little more.
The goal of the nutrition component of this book is to help you and your family have better focus, improved moods, and more energy to serve God and others; learn and grow; and live a more positive life.
The Nourishing Meal Builder: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Edition
The Nourishing Meal builder is also available in the Gluten-free, dairy-free edition. Take the stress out of cooking nourishing gluten free, dairy free meals!
The Nourishing Meal Builder: The Gluten Free, Dairy Free Edition takes the stress out of cooking nourishing gluten free, dairy free meals!
I hope you have found this series an invaluable resource of nutriton information.
This is the seventh post in the series…
Best Books Written by Registered Dietitians
(Note: At the top of each post in this series, I have provided a description of what a dietitian is; therefore, if you have read any of the other posts in the series, you may want to skip down to the list portion.)
You may be asking…
So what exactly IS a Registered Dietitian, and why do I want to take note when a health and wellness book is written by a Registered Dietitian?
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.
Requirements for Registered Dietitians
So what are the requirements? Is there some kind of certification you need to be a registered dietitians?
Actually, you cannot just get a certification to become a registered dietitian. Whereas there might be certifications available for nutritionists.
To become an RD you must:
Complete a Bachelors Degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Dietetic Education. Some of the required courses generally included are:
Microbiology
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Biology
Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Anatomy and Physiology
Evidence Base Nutrition
Human Nutrition and Metabolism
Nutrition Counseling
and more
2. Complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship (The internship is usually completed in hospitals, community service agencies, medical clinics, etc)
3. Pass the CDR Exam
Just like a lawyer can’t practice law without passing an exam, an RD cannot become a registered dietitian without pasing the CDR.
4. In addition, by 2024, all register dietitian will be required to have a master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do.
5. Complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credentials.
So you can see why it is a plus when a health and nutrition book is written by a registered dieitian. I want to preface here that just because an RD is considered the expert, doesn’t mean you can’t get great nutrition information and advice from non-dietitians. People who have a passion for nutrition or people who have discovered something that works for them can write insightful nutrition books.
Many health and wellness enthusiasts have done extensive research on their own and have valuable information, but if you are getting advice from non-dietitians, I would recommend looking for the following:
Are they getting their information from a Registered Dietitian? Are they seeing what multiple registered dieitians have to say about the topic before giving advice?
Do they know when it is time to refer their clients to a registered dietitian? Many informed people have general nutrition knowledge, but when a client or customer needs medical nutrition therapy; then, a dietitian may be needed. Dietitians are trained in nutrition as it relates to diseases, drug-food interactions, tube feeding, enteral nutrition (nutrients through the veins), and various other medical conditions. These topics can get complicated and even be dangerous if incorrect information is given.
For example, someone may tell a client to eat more bananas because bananas are healthy, after all, BUT if a person has kidney failure and is on dialysis, too many bananas could put someone in the hosptial or worse!
One Final Note..
So one final thought before we move on to the book lists. If a book is written by a non-RD, you may want to see if a registered dietitian has written a review about the book, recommended the book, or even written a forward for the book.
Nutrition books written by non-dietitians are not a deal breaker, by any means, but you can see why seeing that RD beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.
Okay now for the good stuff…
The seventh post in this series is…
Books for Registered Dietitians by Registered Dietitians
Health, nutrition, and wellness books for registered dietitians by registered dietitians. CEUs available
You finish all those years of schooling and all those hours in an internship program, and then you are set free. Now What? That is where this book comes in. “I’m a Dietitian: Now What?” is perfect for any dietitian whether you are a soon to be dietitian, brand new dietitian, or have been a dietitian for years! This books helps you explore why you became a registered dietitian and why you want to continue being a registered dietitian. Bonus! You can get 15 CEUs as well!
This book is a must read for any dietitian who wants to increase their Cancer treatment nutrition knowledge. Along with discussing the varoius types of cancer treatments, this book also discusses how to manage cancer and cancer treatment side effects like anemia, cachexia, fatigue, insomnia, taste changes, food aversion, mouth sores, nausea, and wound healing. You can also earn 20 CEUS!
Create anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, mood boosting, immune supportive meals that reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory.
One of the road blocks to nutrition today is that many people don’t know how to cook anymore. More specifically, people don’t know how to create a meal on the spot without a recipe or a meal plan.
In the real world we don’t always have time to pre-plan our meals, and when the chaos of life gets in the way, we reach for fast food, takeout, or convenient processed meals.
I think one impactful ways dietitians can help others live healthier, and even happier, less stressful lives is to teach our clients and patients how to create meals on the spot. This ebook gives dietitians a simple tool to use to help clients learn how to create delicious nutritious meals then and there.
The Nourishing Meal Builder is also a fantastic resource for dietitians because it provides a catalog of nutrients and foods and their benefits based on research.
This was such a unique and interesting read. I enjoyed reading about a nutrition approach that I didn’t know much about. This book is written as a practical guide for Dietitians, Nutritionists and other healthcare professionals who want to integrate the Ayurvedic principles and into their practice, and provide a holistic approach to counseling.
More and more people are expressing a desire to take on the non-diet approach when it comes to health and nutrition, and dietitians need to learn how to help our clients as they go through their non-diet journey. This book not only explains the non-diet paradigm with supporting evidence but also provides a framework for dietetic practice using the non-diet approach. Counseling discussion points and worksheets for clients are also included as well.
Like “Body Kindness,” this book takes a non-diet approach as it discusses the science behind weight-neutral perspectives. Topics included inthis book are weight bias, stigma, adn discrimination, BMI meets death, and the science of compassion.
Dietitian, Mary Purdy, is halarious. She knows how to perfectly balance humor with actual nutrition knowledge. I think this book’s description explains it best when it says, “Serving “The Broccoli Gods” is a collection of intimate, funny and candid personal essays about life as a dietitian, interspersed with helpful and relevant nutrition tip side bars so you laugh a little AND learn a little!”
Finally there is a place where dietitians can go to find what we need whether it is a book to further develop our knowledge or a handout perfect for our clients, we can find it here!
The topics are endless and the customer service is excellent!
You can find all kinds of books, posters, worksheets, journals on anything from FODMAP diets and childhood diabetes to Healthy Snacks and recipes for your clients. There are even books and resources on how to promote your digital products and how to start a business!
I hope you have found this series an invaluable resource of nutriton information.
This is the sixth post in the series…
Best Books Written by Registered Dietitians
(Note: At the top of each post in this series, I have provided a description of what a dietitian is; therefore, if you have read any of the other posts in the series, you may want to skip down to the list portion.)
You may be asking…
So what exactly IS a Registered Dietitian, and why do I want to take note when a health and wellness book is written by a Registered Dietitian?
This site contains affiliate links (See full disclosure here.)
A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.
Requirements for Registered Dietitians
So what are the requirements? Is there some kind of certification you need to be a registered dietitians?
Actually, you cannot just get a certification to become a registered dietitian. Whereas there might be certifications available for nutritionists.
To become an RD you must:
Complete a Bachelors Degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Dietetic Education. Some of the required courses generally included are:
Microbiology
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Biology
Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Anatomy and Physiology
Evidence Base Nutrition
Human Nutrition and Metabolism
Nutrition Counseling
and more
2. Complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship (The internship is usually completed in hospitals, community service agencies, medical clinics, etc)
3. Pass the CDR Exam
Just like a lawyer can’t practice law without passing an exam, an RD cannot become a registered dietitian without pasing the CDR.
4. In addition, by 2024, all register dietitian will be required to have a master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do.
5. Complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credentials.
So you can see why it is a plus when a health and nutrition book is written by a registered dieitian. I want to preface here that just because an RD is considered the expert, doesn’t mean you can’t get great nutrition information and advice from non-dietitians. People who have a passion for nutrition or people who have discovered something that works for them can write insightful nutrition books.
Many health and wellness enthusiasts have done extensive research on their own and have valuable information, but if you are getting advice from non-dietitians, I would recommend looking for the following:
Are they getting their information from a Registered Dietitian? Are they seeing what multiple registered dieitians have to say about the topic before giving advice?
Do they know when it is time to refer their clients to a registered dietitian? Many informed people have general nutrition knowledge, but when a client or customer needs medical nutrition therapy; then, a dietitian may be needed. Dietitians are trained in nutrition as it relates to diseases, drug-food interactions, tube feeding, enteral nutrition (nutrients through the veins), and various other medical conditions. These topics can get complicated and even be dangerous if incorrect information is given.
For example, someone may tell a client to eat more bananas because bananas are healthy, after all, BUT if a person has kidney failure and is on dialysis, too many bananas could put someone in the hosptial or worse!
One Final Note..
So one final thought before we move on to the book lists. If a book is written by a non-RD, you may want to see if a registered dietitian has written a review about the book, recommended the book, or even written a forward for the book.
Nutrition books written by non-dietitians are not a deal breaker, by any means, but you can see why seeing that RD beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.
Okay now for the good stuff…
The sixth post in this series is…
Sports Nutrition Books by Registered Dietitians
Top Sports nutrition books writtten by Registered Dietitians: Books and cookbooks on fueling child and adult athletes for optimal athletic performance
Such a unique and specific book! If you are a cyclist or if you want to be, this book is for YOU! From nutrition specific for cyclist to bike fit and gear, this book covers all your cycling needs!
This is a great book for parents of young athletes. “Eat Like a Champion” covers everything from snacks and meals to supplements and the importance of nutrients! This book covers so much information!
Here is another great one from Jill Castle, who happens to be a leading expert in childhood nutrition. This cookbook provides you with amazing dinner recipes that will fuel your budding athlete!
Jill Castle does it again! If you want a sports nutrition book geared towards children, then you really should visit Jill Castle’s website. In this particular book, Jill has your breakfast before the big game covered!
Here is one more great sports nutrition book geared towards young athletes. This one is by the dietitian, Heather Mangieri. Heather approaches sports nutrition not only as a dietitian but as a mother of active children as well. This book addressses real issues that families of young athletes face and provides practical down-to-earth solutions.
Okay, we covered sports nutrition for children, now let’s talk about the best general sports nutrition guides. In this book, you get all the sports nutriton details including what and when to eat before, during, and after exercise.
It’s time to get serious with this last book. This is for the serious athlete who wants to take their nutrition to the next level for optimal performance.
And there it is. My top favorite sports nutrition books and cookbooks written by registered dieitians. If you enjoyed this post, please check out all the other “Books written by Registered Dietitians” posts below.
Ah…blogging. When I started two years ago, I had no idea what I was getting into. I also had no idea how much I would love it! Blogging just felt right. I loved writing and was contantly getting the urge to write. The topics and ideas came to me day and night and at the most inconvenient times. I have even pulled over onto the side of the road just so I could get a paragraph or phrase written down, and I have gotten up in the middle of the night because I had a whole blog post floating around in my head that needed get on paper. I just could sleep until I wrote the whole post! Coming up with posts was easy. In fact, I have so many things I want to write about that I think it will take years for me to get through them all. I actually have a whole list in a notebook, and the list keeps growing. While writing posts came easily, blog branding took a little more time for me.
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Learning about Blog Branding
Learning the most effective ways to promote my blog…took a little research and trial and error. Fortunately, I have found several techniques that have helped my blog grow. I am writing this post in hopes that I can help other new bloggers just as I was helped by other bloggers when I first started. Perhaps, a new blogger (maybe you) will stumble across this post as they are doing their own research on blog branding.
Blog branding: How to Get your Blog Noticed.
Step 1: Before you can promote your blog and brand, you first have to determine your brand.
You can figure out your brand by asking yourself these questions:
What is my niche?
A niche is what your blog is specifically about. Make sure you get this down first so that you can match your style and logo to your niche.
Since my niche is about mindful living and nutrition, I like to use beautiful restful flowers and kitchen items in many of my post images, and my books.
Here is a picture of my ebook to give you an example. See how this image of a fork and a flower fits my niche?
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals eBook
What is my color scheme and style?
I have always liked shades of pinks, greens, and teals so I went with this look. I also picked two fun fonts that I tend to frequently use. My favorite fonts are Great Vibes and Arimo. Once you pick your color scheme and fonts, use then often. Use them on your logo, graphics, Pinterest pins/boards, Instagram, and promotional items.
What will your Logo Look Like?
Next develop your logo. I developed my simple logo using Canva. Again, I picked my favorite colors. (These were actually the colors I used in my wedding 15 years ago!) I figured I better pick colors I love no matter what the trend because I will be looking at these colors and logo for a long time.
I chose a simple logo since my blog is about slowing down and being in the moment with mindfulness.
Step 2: Get Your Brand Noticed By Promotiong your Brand
Now that you have your brand identity, you can start promoting it.
Three of my favorite ways to get your blog noticed
1. Continually post your brand look on social media and pinterest.
I have my brand logo at the top of my facebook page as well as on all my Pinterest board covers. People will gradually start recognizing your look. Over time, your blog will become familiar and recognizable to your readers.
2. Add your Logo and color scheme to Business Cards and T-Shirts.
This one is different than many of the other tips I have come across, but I have found that business cards have helped me immensely. Business cards are perfect for those times when your blog naturally comes up in conversation and the person you are talking with wants to know how to find your blog. I have actually found many readers this way. Along with the business cards, I also had a few Mindfulness in Faith and Food T-shirts made. These Logo T-shirts are great conversation starters. (Positive Promotions makes cute logo t-shirts for businesses.) After these t-shirts spark an interest, I can hand the person a business card so that they can easily find the blog.
3. Purchase fun logo items to hand out at events.
Businesses do this to promote their company, but many bloggers haven’t realized how valuable this techniques is when it comes to promoting a blog. Because I have a faith-based nutrition blog, I like to use my giveaway items at events like health fairs and church events. I decided to purchase these cute salad cups from Positive Promtions because they went well with my niche and brand. These cups have been used several times already. I participated in a health fair and gave all the guest these Mindfulness in Faith and Food salad containers. Those salad containers were a HUGE hit, and I recieved many new subscribers during that ONE health fair. More recently I gave the salad containers to each teacher at my daughter’s school as a gift for Teacher’s appreciation week.
Positive Promotion Salad Container with Dressing and fork compartments
So do you have a mom blog? Try giving out your promotional items at family festivals or family focused events. Do you write a food blog? You can give away promotional items at food festivals or Farmer’s markets. The possibilities are endless.
You can also give away this items as an extra thank you when someone purchases another product. Your readers will use the items around other people who will also see your blog logo!
I get my blog promotional products from Positive Promotions. I like them because they have a HUGE variety of fun and unique items…like my salad containers.
Take Home Message: Be Creative
There you have it…. my top three ways to get my blog noticed. I hope you found these ideas helpful. The take home message is be creative! You can find so many ways to get your Logo and blog out there.
I Want to hear from you!
What creative ways have your gotten your blog and brand noticed? Please share your ideas in the comments! If you found this post helpful, please like, pin, and share!
Mindfulnes in Faith and Freezer Meals is a faith-based mindful living and nutriion ebook written by a registered dietitian. This book is so packed full of invaluable information that it is hard to describe it in one sentence (hence the need for this “70 reasons” post). So keep reading the list to truly understand what is in this book. But if I had to describe it in one (or three sentences) I would say this:
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals is designed to help you live YOUR healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindfulness and nutrition. This book is perfect for busy families who want to eat healthy and organize their lives in order to follow God and server others more fully. Timesaving, make-ahead healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes, as well as mindful living and mindful eating techniques are included.
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70 ways that the faith-based mindful living and mindful eating practices explored in “Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals” transformed my life.
70 Reasons you NEED Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals
The Perks to Learning to Live a Faith-Based Mindful Life
1. You want less stress in your life.
Mindfulness techniques have been shown to have a huge impact on stress. Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals provides detailed stress-relieving mindful living and mindful eating techniques. For me, the faith-based mindfulness techniques included in this book provide the greatest impact when it comes to stress relief.
2. You want to improve your mood through mindfulness.
Did you know preliminary observations show that Mindfulness programs in schools may improve social behaviors, mood, stress levels, and even academic performance and test score? Schools are even reporting less suspensions, detentions, violent incidents, principal visits, bullying, and classroom disruptions since incorporating mindfulness programs! If these mindfulness techniques can improve the moods of children in schools, perhaps they can help you too!
3. You want to improve your brain function and focus through faith-based mindfulness.
Notice these school mindfulness programs seem to help with academic performance and test scores as well. Mindfulness techniques help clear our minds of all the other thousands of thoughts preventing us from focusing, and we know that stress can hinder our ability to focus and pay attention. This is where those stress relieving mindfulness techniques can be helpful. Plus, when we practice faith-based mindfulness, we learn to notice God in the present moment. Feeling God’s presence and knowing God is with us, provides peace and comfort like nothing else. Talk about a stress reliever.
4. You want more control over your emotions and actions.
When I practice faith-based mindfulness, I listen to God more. Listening to God helps me make better choices because I’m not letting negative emotions take control of my actions. (At least not as often, anyway)
5. You want to enjoy the present…
6. And have a more positive outlook on life.
One aspect of mindfulness is focusing on being present in the moment. Another aspect of mindfulness is focusing on the positive in your life in that moment. With faith-based mindfulness, you are focusing on how God is present with you in that very moment. While focusing on God’s presence you get to notice all the gifts from God and the beautiful little things in God’s world. Soon after incorporating some of these mindfulness practices, you may begin to notice that you have a much more grateful attitude. (This helps with everyday life situations and annoyances. Sometimes bad things happen and you will, of course, feel sad and upset. Those feeling are completely okay. You should let yourself feel them.)
7. You want to experience those goose-bump, “God is here,” moments a little more often.
When I intentionally focus on God in the present moment, I actually SEE what God is doing in my life and the lives of others around me. By focusing on God in the present moment, I get to experience the feeling of amazement more often, and I WANT TO BE AMAZED!!! (Don’t we all want to be beautifully amazed?)
9. And notice God as God guides you through your day.
10. You want to strengthen your walk with God.
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals explores not only mindfully pausing and praying before eating, but also discusses mindfully pausing before doing anything! Pausing before eating was crucial for my nutritional health, but I began to notice how crucial the pause was in every aspect of my life. I began to notice the impact of pausing and praying before entering any new environment whether the new environment was a park, a friend’s home, or the grocery store.
Pausing and praying, was life changing. I began to notice the importance of pausing and praying when I felt angry, or before saying something difficult, or before even talking with my children. When I forget to pause, I noticed the difference in MY actions and my strength to endure life. On the days that I do a better job of pausing, I notice God’s presence and God’s guidance more.
The Perks to Cooking A Month of Meals in One Day
11. We have established that life is stressful, but meal planning and cooking shouldn’t have to be.
I love to cook, but I found that I didn’t have the time to cook everyday. Trying to juggle cooking, soccer practice, dance class, volunteer meetings, work, cleaning the house, and all the other “mom duties” was just causing too much stress. Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals shows you how to cook a month of healthy freezer meals in one day. Talk about taking the stress out of cooking! I cook once, and I am done for the whole month.
12. Your life is too busy!
To piggyback on #11, sometimes we just can’t find the time to cook healthy meals. When you prep and freeze them all at once, you have time for the other things you want to do.
13. You want to save money.
This book helps you save money in multiple ways. Because you have food on hand, you eat out less. We all know that eating out is expensive. Since you are cooking everything at once, you can bulk shop and thus get bulk prices. This book also provides money saving tips and tricks that I use while grocery shopping. My grocery bill has substantially gone down since I started freezer meal cooking.
14. I can serve others through food.
Food nourishes, comforts, provides energy, and sustains us. After a long day, sitting down to eat gives us needed rest. Food is a gift from God, and when we eat, we are about as close to God’s creation as we can get. In fact, if you think about it, we are actually taking God’s creation into our bodies. So, I think, when we give someone food, it is the ultimate sign of our love for them.
A benefit to having all of these freezer meals on hand is that we have food ready ASAP when our friends or family could use it. Whether a friend just had a baby or just got home from surgery, you have a freezer meal ready to give.
15. You want more time to serve God and others.
Cooking, grocery shopping, and meal planning can be extremely time consuming. One of my priorities in life is to serve God and others. With all my meals done, I have time to spend quiet time with God, and I have more time to love on and serving others in our community.
16. You don’t have to make all your recipes at once, but if you do want to make them all at once, this book shows you how to do it quickly and Efficiently.
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals provides steps and pro tips on how to make all the recipes in one day. These “Efficiency Pro-tips” are strategically placed where you would actually need the tip if you were making all the recipes at once.
17. No need to make a grocery list.
Along with the recipes and “Efficiently Pro Tips,” a complete grocery list is included as well! Blank spots are even included in case you want to add snacks, paper products, or other misc. items to your grocery list.
18. You want your kids to eat healthier, and these are kid-friendly make-ahead meal.
Sometimes convenient food is not as tasty as the good ole’ home cooked stuff. Well, this is real home cooked food! But it is still convenient because you fixed it all in one day!
21. You want to eat at home more.
Before I started this freezer meal routine in my home, there just wasn’t enough time in the day to do it all AND cook. We would often find ourselves grabbing take-out, going to a restaurant, going through a drive through, or eating random less healthy stuff for dinner, and yet as a dietitian, I knew needed to figure something out. This make-ahead freezer meal routine was the solution I needed.
22. Meal planning is not only time consuming, it is mentally draining.
We often have such a huge mental load along with our physical load. Our brains have to organize and remember soo much information. After a long day, opening up that fridge, and trying to make yet another decision, is just too much. The meal planning is done when you do it all in one day! Seriously, many times I just grab the first freezer meal I see. They are all yummy so I know dinner is going to be good regardless of what I grab.
23. You get to have one mindful day to yourself every month.
Mindfulness gives your brain a chance to rest. You rest your brain by centering or focusing your thoughts on one thing. Often times that one thing is breathing. Another component to mindfulness is focusing on the present moment. I use my cooking day as a chance to center my brain on one thing- cooking the food from God’s earth.
When I cook, it is just me and God in the kitchen. I say a prayer and thank God for this food, and for all the people who will be nourished by the food.
When I am stirring, I focus on stirring. I notice how the spoon feels in my hand, and how the food moves in the bowl.
You can also practice a little self-care during your cooking day. Turn on the music, or drink a glass of wine. The point is to slow down and be in the moment. Don’t focus on finishing fast. Remember, I provide efficiency tips so you don’t have to worry about that. In fact, frantically rushing often actually slows us down because we make mistakes.
24. You don’t want to keep buying healthy stuff, only for it to spoil before you get to eat it.
This was a huge problem for me before Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals. I would buy, say, healthy fruits and vegetables to make a salad, and I would really enjoy that salad. And I would even eat the salad again for lunch the next day, but then I didn’t want to eat the same vegetables for a third day. I wanted variety, but if I ate variety, my food would spoil. Now I have all these amazing vegetables and whole grains safely frozen so that I can change up what I eat. Now my food doesn’t spoil and…
25. I get to eat a variety of foods. With freezer meals, I can mix-and-match and change up what I am eating everyday.
26. You want to lose weight.
I don’t want to focus too much on this because all sizes can be healthy. Some people are naturally smaller and some naturally weigh more. We have different builds and genetics. Plus, other things like medications, medical conditions, and even uncontrollable seasons in life can affect weight.
But I also don’t want you to feel that wanting to lose weight is somehow wrong. You may want to see if weight loss will help you have more energy or help with a medical condition. Maybe you feel like you could keep up with your children more if you carried less weight, or maybe you want to see if weight loss can help with joint pain.
There are reasons you may desire weight loss, and fortunately mindful eating can help with weight loss while also helping you stop that food obsessing often associated with dieting. The Mindful eating techniques, recipes, and nutrition tips provided in this book will help you feel full and notice your hunger/satiety cues. Moreover, the desire to binge decreases because you are actually enjoying your food ALL THE TIME.
In a nutshell, with Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals, you don’t need to focus on weight; you can just know that you are eating well by developing a routine using recipes and tips in the book.
27. You want to maintain your weight.
Maybe you don’t want to lose weight, but you do want to maintain a healthy weight. The techniques, tips, and recipes in this book can help you maintain your weight as well.
28. So we have established that this book shows you how to efficiently make all your breakfast, lunches, and dinners in one day, but what of you just want to make a month of dinners?
You can! The recipes and a complete grocery list for just dinners are also included.
29. And guess what. A complete grocery list for just the breakfast recipes is included too.
So if you have your dinners covered but want more breakfast meals ready to go, your can just make a month of breakfast meals if you prefer.
30. A complete grocery list for just the lunch recipes is included as well so you can also just make the lunches.
31. You are about to have a baby, and you know you are going to be sleep-deprived and time-crunched soon.
I have had so many people report that these meals have been lifesavers when they were in the newborn phase of parenting. I even had a couple of moms tell me that they ended up having to be on bed restat the end of their pregnancy, and these meals were everything!
32. When you are ready to eat breakfast or lunch (or even dinner if you want), all your need to do is microwave.
The breakfast and lunch recipes are pre-portioned because many of us eat our breakfast or lunches on our own. When it is time to eat, you can just put one of your meals in the microwave for 2 minutes, and it is ready!!!
33. Dinners are perfect of family meals.
In the ebook, I recommend packaging your dinners family style. That way you just simply throw your meal in the crockpot or oven, and your meal for the whole family is done!
34. You have healthy food ready to take to work.
These pre-packaged home-cooked microwavable lunches are PERFECT for work!
35. Meal prepping is one of the keys to weight loss.
Most of us need to get a little organized and form some sort of easy to follow routine in order to make real lasting changes. Well, Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals IS the ultimate meal prep book because the ebook shows you how to prep ALL your meals for a month at once!!!
36. Another cool thing about having these freezer meals on hand is that you can host guests anytime.
Lots of these recipes work great for parties and socials! Having the girls over for a brunch? Just heat up some crustless quiches. Did you decide last minute to have people over to watch a football game? Throw the burrito dip into the crockpot, and you are ready to host!
37. Enjoy more family time.
I am free to play with my children or help them with homework in the afternoons because I’m not cooking!
We are now consistently having family dinnertime together! I get to have even more quality family time while sitting at the dinner table.
The Perks to Mindful Nutrition and Mindful Eating
70 ways Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals Transformed my Life through Faith-based mindfulness and nutrition: mindful eating techniques and healthy make-ahead recipes included.
38. Learn mindful eating techniques as well as…
39. Learn about the one prayer before a meal that stopped me (a dietitian) from overeating.
There is something about turning on the music and just spending some uninterrupted time in the kitchen one day each month (My meals last 3 months for my family, so I only cook these freezer meals once every three months!)
42. Sneak in more vegetables.
Having vegetables mixed in as part of your main meal, definitely can up your vegetable intake for the day!
43. You want to enjoy your food.
Many times, dieting and food rules, take the joy out of eating. Mindful eating brings the joy back tenfold.
44. You want to stop binge eating.
With mindful eating, you are always mindfully enjoying your food; thus, you never feel deprived. Therefore, your desires to binge eat decreases.
45. You are tired of mustering up enough willpower to diet.
Remember if you are always enjoying your food, then you don’t need willpower.
46. You just want healthy, delicious recipes, but you don’t want to cook all your foods in one day.
You can still make these recipes one at a time whenever you want. There is no rule that says you have to cook them all at once if you don’t want to.
47. Healthy Snack Ideas are included.
Chapter 22 provides a list of healthy and EASY snacks!
48. A registered dietitian wrote the eBook.
A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term, registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.
To become an RD you must complete a bachelors degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Dietetic Education; complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship; pass the CDR Exam; and by 2024, all register dietitian will be required to have a master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do. Registered dietitians are required to complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credentials.
You can find amazing nutrition books by non-dietitians, but you can see why seeing that RD or RDN beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.
49. Mindful eating demo video is provided.
You don’t have to just read about mindful eating. The ebook also provides a link to an actual mindful eating demo video so you can actually SEE what mindful eating looks like.
50. Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals not only discusses mindful eating, but also discussed how to mindfully plate your foods to prevent over-filling your plate.
51. A collection of over 300 dietitian-approved healthy eating and fitness tips and tricks are included like…
52. Snacking Tips (Chapter 6)
53. Dining Out Tips (Chapter 7)
54. Portion Control Tips (Chapter 8)
55. “How to Make Your Own Recipes Healthier” (Chapter 9)
56. “Health and Fitness Tips for Vacationers and Frequent Travelers” (Chapter 10)
57. “When my Work Environment Causes Weight Gain” (Chapter 12)
58. “Eating Healthy at Social Gatherings” (Chapter 12)
59. “Developing an Exercise Routine” (Part 1, Chapter 13)
60. “How to Exercise when Your Kids Are Always Around” (Part 3, Chapter 13)
61. “But What if I am Too Busy to Exercise” (Part 4, Chapter 13)
62. “Ways to Sneak Exercise into your Day” (Part 5, Chapter 13)
63. You can use your results from the included interactive quiz, to determine which tips and tricks you think would make the biggest impact in your life.
64. A “Putting it All Together: Routine Planning Worksheet,” is also included in the book.
You can use this worksheet to figure the habits you would like to implement into your routine.
65. Learn how to organize your kitchen to promote lasting changes
66. Feel satisfied and full after eating these freezer meals.
These meals are hearty, delicious, comfort classics done in a healthier way. They are also abundant in fiber, which helps you feel full.
67. Along with fiber, these meals are full of essential vitamins and minerals.
68. Mindful eating can aid in digestion.
How? Although most digestive enzymes are released in the stomach. Digestion actually starts in the mouth. In fact, one enzyme, called Salivary Amylase, is released in the mouth. This enzyme starts breaking down carbohydrates. Cool fact, if you let a piece of bread sit in your mouth for a moment, you may notice a sweeter taste. That taste occurs because the more complex carbohydrate breaks down into a simpler sugar. Also chewing thoroughly gives those other enzymes in your stomach more surface area to do their work, which again promotes healthy digestion and absorption.
69. Mindful eating can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
We established in #68 that Mindful eating aids in digestion. Healthy digestion promotes gut health. Poor gut health is related to inflammation and reduced immune function. Gut health, inflammation and immunity are all linked to many condition including IBS, Crohn’s, Autoimmune Disease, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, stroke, brain function and focus, mood and even depression and anxiety, to name a few. So anything that promotes a healthy gut is something worth looking into in my book. (Fortunately, a mindful eating guide IS included in my book!)
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals is designed to help you live YOUR healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindfulness and nutrition.
What Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals is NOT
This Freezer meal plan is NOT a rigid “you must eat these freezer meals” plan. This isn’t about strict rules or dieting. Not eating these meals is NOT wrong. In other words, you have not messed up if you go out to eat one night or if you decide to fix something other than your freezer meals one night. If your routine changes sometimes, you have NOT broken a rule or failed. In fact, I provide eating out tips as well as other helpful tips about portion control, snacking, and more.
You can use these provided tips along with your freezer meals to customize a routine that works for your family. I have also provided a chapter on mindful eating. You can incorporate mindful eating everywhere and anytime. You will see how mindfully eating, in my opinion, is one of the number one ways to maintain and lose weight if this is one of your desires.
So read the step-by-step mindful eating guide and incorporate it even when your routine is out of whack. You can mindfully eat at home, at work, at restaurants, and on vacation. Mindful eating techniques travel well, so to speak. This meal plan is meant to make life and eating healthier and easier for you and your family. This plan just makes it easy to eat healthy meals when you are too busy and overwhelmed. This is for families who just want a simple routine to relieve the stress of meal planning and cooking.
How has Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals Helped You?
Has the Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals ebook changed your life in some way? Email me your transformation story by using the Contact Me form on mindfulnessinfaithandfood.com. Maybe you have even experienced another benefit from Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals that I haven’t even thought of. Please email me any of your stories and experiences. I would be so thankful that you took the time to tell me. 🙂
What do you want your life to look like? What about your children’s life? Are there things you would change? What does YOUR healthiest, happiest, and most meaningful life look like?
I am a list person, so when I am asked this question, my immediate impulse is to make a list.
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My Mindful Living Checklist (Does your list look similar to mine?):
1.My greatest desire is to glorify God in all that I do. I want to show God’s love through kindness and giving. My prayer is that I listen for God’s guidance in every situation because when I listen to God, amazing things happen, and I WANT TO BE AMAZED!!!
2. I wish to have a peaceful and positive life and a grateful attitude. I want to enjoy the little moments by taking the time to notice God’s world and soak it up!
3. We humans seem to have a natural desire to work and create. We want to have meaning and purpose in our lives. This is true for me too. In my ideal life, I want to learn, grow, and work. I want to create something new, and in some small way make the world better. I want to challenge my mind through reading and learning from God and others, and I want to challenge my body through physical activity.
4. Just as I desire to work, grow, and be challenged, I equally want to have time to rest, relax, and play. Sometimes finding the time to relax is the most difficult challenge in life, and yet so important for our health and our ability to serve God and others.
What Do We Want for Our Children?
Of course, I want these things, even more for my children. One of my greatest joys is watching my children as they feel God’s presence. They look so peaceful and content. My 2ndgreatest joy is seeing my children show kindness to others, and my third greatest joy is witnessing my children living in the moment and appreciating the little things.
We may all have different wishes and desires, but when we break them down, I’m guessing that this list is at the heart of most of our desires…
Live YOUR healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindfulness and nutrition. For busy families who want to eat healthy and organize their lives in order to better follow God & serve others. Time-saving make-ahead meals, mindful living, mindful eating techniques included
But How Does Mindful Living Help Us Become This Person and Live this Healthy, Happy, Purposeful Life?
Well, I don’t fully know all the answers, but I do know a few things that help, and those are:
Spending time with God
Practicing faith-based mindful living techniques including Mindful eating
Mindfully eating foods from God’s earth that nourish our mind, body, and soul
Getting adequate rest, sleep, and physical activity
So that is where my book, 18 weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life comes in. This book is designed to help you live YOUR healthiest, happiest, most meaningful life through faith-based mindful living and nutrition.
The Life Changing Benefits of Mindful Living
There are many benefits to incorporating the mindfulness techniques discussed in 18 weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Life. In fact, mindfulness techniques are so beneficial that schools have even started implementing mindfulness programs.
Although more research is needed, current research indicates that implementing Mindfulness programs in schools may improve social behaviors, mood, stress levels, and even academic performance and test scores. Schools are even reporting fewer suspensions, detentions, violent incidents, principal visits, bullying, and classroom disruptions since incorporating mindfulness programs!
The Benefits of Faith-Based Mindful Living are Overwhelming
If you think about it, these results make since, don’t they? Practicing mindfulness techniques can relieve stress and help us have better self-control. When we have less stress and learn to have more self-control, we tend to make better choices. Less ideal choices can sometimes cause even more stress, which brings us full circle. Furthermore, aren’t we better able to focus and learn when our brains are calm verses stressed?
So you can see how mindfulness activities can be so impactful, but for me, the most profound impact happens when I combine faith and mindfulness.
1. Mindfully focusing on God’s presence in every moment. One aspect of mindfulness is about focusing on being present. But with faith-based mindfulness, you are focusing on how God is present with you in that very moment….
2. …And while focusing on God’s presence you get to notice all the gifts from God and the beautiful little things in God’s world.
Let’s go back to that “Healthy, Happy, Meaningful Life list” because Faith-based mindfulness helps me fulfill that list like nothing else.
Here is How My Life Has Been Transformed Through Faith-based Mindful Living:
I listen to God more: Listening to God helps me make better choices. I’m not letting negative emotions take control of my actions. (At least not as often, anyway)
Now I am more at peace and filled with comfort because I am noticing God is with me everywhere.
I get to have more goose-bump-“I’m awe-struck” moments because when I intentionally focus on God in the present moment, I actually see what God is doing in my life and the lives of others around me. By focusing on God in the present moment, I get to experience the feeling of amazement more often, and I WANT TO BE AMAZED!!! (Don’t we all want to be beautifully amazed?)
Mindful Living Translates to Mindful Eating: The Prayer Before a Meal That Stops Me from Over Eating and Other Mindful Eating Techniques
Did you know learning to pause and pray is what finally helped me (a dietitian) stop overeating?
When you mindfully eat, you get to experience ALL these faith-based mindfulness benefits and more. Mindful eating gives us the opportunity to focus on God’s presence, feel gratitude for God’s gift of food, and rest our brain! We get to have mini mindfulness moments with God EVERY. TIME. WE. EAT!
With mindful breathing, we are pausing and centering out minds on one thing-breathing. When we are mindfully eating, we are still pausing and centering our brain on one thing, but this time that one thing is eating. With faith-based mindful eating, we are resting our brain by focusing on God and the food God provided.
Some of the Other Benefits to Mindful Eating Are:
Weight Loss
I don’t want to focus too much on this because all sizes can be healthy. Some people are naturally smaller and some naturally weigh more. We have different builds and genetics. Plus, other things like medications, medical conditions, and even uncontrollable seasons in life can affect weight.
But I also don’t what you to feel that wanting to lose weight is somehow wrong. You may want to see if weight loss will help you have more energy or help with a medical condition. Maybe you feel like you could keep up with your children more if you carried less weight or maybe you want to see if weight loss can help with joint pain. There are reasons you may desire weight loss, and fortunately mindful eating can help with weight loss while also helping you stop that food obsessing often associated with dieting. Mindful eating helps you feel full and notice your hunger/satiety cues. Moreover, the desire to binge decreases because you are actually enjoying your food ALL THE TIME.
Relieves Stress
Like the mindfulness practices above, Mindful eating is a stress reliever. Stress can cause weight gain so this is yet another way mindful eating helps with weight loss.
May Reduce the Risk of Many Chronic Conditions
Mindful eating can aid in digestion. How? When you mindfully eat, you take your time chewing your food. Chewing thoroughly gives your stomach enzymes more surface area to do their work, which again promotes healthy digestion and absorption.
Mindful Eating and Gut Health
These reasons, along with the ability to relieve stress, are how mindful eating can aid in digestion. Healthy digestion and stress relief promotes a healthy gut. Poor gut health is related to inflammation and reduced immune function. Gut health, inflammation and immunity are all linked to many condition including IBS, Crohn’s, Autoimmune Disease, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, stroke, brain function and focus, mood and even depression and anxiety, to name a few. So anything that promotes a healthy gut is something worth looking into in my book. (Fortunately, a mindful eating guide IS included in my books!)
How Can Nutrition Help You Live a Healthier, Happier, and More Meaningful Life?
Okay, this feels like a good place to talk a little about nutrition, and how in the world nutrition helps my family and me become those people and live that life listed in the opening paragraph. Healthy foods can help us focus, improve our moods, and give us the energy we need to serve God and others; learn and grow, and live a more positive life.
In 18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier More Purposeful Life you are provided with a list of nutrients and foods that promote cognitive function, boost mood, support the immune system, and reduce the risk of chronic disease and some autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases. I know our children’s learning, behavior, and mood are important to us, so I picked ingredients that can help with focus, attention, behavior, and immunity. These amazingly beneficial foods are included in the Meal Builder Table in this book. With this table, you will be able to build a healthy meal on the spot. The possibilities are endless! You will be amazed at how easy it is to throw together a nutrient-packed meal!
Be Inspired to Take that Mindful Living Step
18 Weeks to a Healthier, Happier, More Purposeful Live takes you on an inspiring and uplifting journey with me, a dietitian who has lost 50 pounds through faith-based mindful nutrition. Thanks to faith-based mindfulness and nutrition, I went from being weight obsessed to feeling healthy and happy in my own body. Ironically, during the process, I ended up, not only losing weight but also strengthening my walk with God. Now she feels healthier than ever, AND she truly enjoys eating! I am able to feed my mind, body, and soul nourishing foods and feel good in my own body without weight obsessing.
Aucoin M, Lalonde-Parsi M-J, Cooley K. Mindfulness-Based Therapies in the Treatment of Functional Gastrointestinal : A Meta-Analysis. Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine : eCAM. 2014;2014:140724. doi:10.1155/2014/140724.Bakosh LS. Doctoral dissertation. 2013. Investigating the effects of a daily audio-guided mindfulness intervention for elementary school students and teachers. Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. (UMI No. 3618722)
Bakosh LS, Snow RM, Tobias JM, Houlihan JL, Barbosa-Leiker C. Maximizing mindful learning: An innovative mindful awareness intervention improves elementary school students’ quarterly grades. Mindfulness. 2015 Advance online publication.
Diamond A, Barnett WS, Thomas J, Munro S. Preschool program improves cognitive control. Science. 2007;318:1387–1388. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
Parker AE, Kupersmidt JB, Mathis ET, Scull TM, Sims C. The impact of mindfulness education on elementary school students: evaluation of the Master Mind program. Advances in School Mental Health Promotion. 2014;7:184–204. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
Parker AE, Kupersmidt JB, Willoughby MT. An investigation of mindfulness education and self-regulation in middle school classrooms. 2014. Manuscript in preparation.
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Britton WB, Lepp NE, Niles HF, Rocha T, Fisher NE, Gold JS. A randomized controlled pilot trial of classroom-based mindfulness meditation compared to an active control condition in sixth-grade children. Journal of School Psychology. 2014;52:263–278. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsp.2014.03.002. [PMC free article] [PubMed]
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Liu, R. T. (2017). The microbiome as a novel paradigm in studying stress and mental health. American Psychologist, 72(7), 655-667.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000058
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Top Meal Prep and Meal Planning books written by registered dietitians
Nutrition Books for Specific Conditions Written by Registered Dietitians
I hope you have found this series an invaluable resource of nutriton information.
This is the fifth post in the series…
Best Books Written by Registered Dietitians
(Note: At the top of each post in this series, I have provided a description of what a dietitian is; therefore, if you have read any of the other posts in the series, you may want to skip down to the list portion.)
You may be asking…
So what exactly IS a Registered Dietitian, and why do I want to take note when a health and wellness book is written by a Registered Dietitian?
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A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.
Requirements for Registered Dietitians
So what are the requirements? Is there some kind of certification you need to be a registered dietitians?
Actually, you cannot just get a certification to become a registered dietitian. Whereas there might be certifications available for nutritionists.
To become an RD you must:
Complete a Bachelors Degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Dietetic Education. Some of the required courses generally included are:
Microbiology
Medical Nutrition Therapy
Biology
Chemistry
Organic Chemistry
Anatomy and Physiology
Evidence Base Nutrition
Human Nutrition and Metabolism
Nutrition Counseling
and more
2. Complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship (The internship is usually completed in hospitals, community service agencies, medical clinics, etc)
3. Pass the CDR Exam
Just like a lawyer can’t practice law without passing an exam, an RD cannot become a registered dietitian without pasing the CDR.
4. By 2024, all register dietitian will be required to have a master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do.
5. Complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credentials.
So you can see why it is a plus when a health and nutrition book is written by a registered dieitian. I want to preface here that just because an RD is considered the expert, doesn’t mean you can’t get great nutrition information and advice from non-dietitians. People who have a passion for nutrition or people who have discovered something that works for them can write insightful nutrition books.
Many health and wellness enthusiasts have done extensive research on their own and have valuable information, but if you are getting advice from non-dietitians, I would recommend looking for the following:
Are they getting their information from a Registered Dietitian? Are they seeing what multiple registered dieitians have to say about the topic before giving advice?
Do they know when it is time to refer their clients to a registered dietitian? Many informed people have general nutrition knowledge, but when a client or customer needs medical nutrition therapy; then, a dietitian may be needed. Dietitians are trained in nutrition as it relates to diseases, drug-food interactions, tube feeding, enteral nutrition (nutrients through the veins), and various other medical conditions. These topics can get complicated and even be dangerous if incorrect information is given.
For example, someone may tell a client to eat more bananas because bananas are healthy, after all, BUT if a person has kidney failure and is on dialysis, too many bananas could put someone in the hosptial or worse!
One Final Note..
So one final thought before we move on to the book lists. If a book is written by a non-RD, you may want to see if a registered dietitian has written a review about the book, recommended the book, or even written a forward for the book.
Nutrition books written by non-dietitians are not a deal breaker, by any means, but you can see why seeing that RD beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.
Okay now for the good stuff…
The fifth post in this series is…
Meal Planning & Meal Prep Books by Registered Dietitians
I LOVE to feel organized. Getting organized takes the weight off your shoulders, doesn’t it?!?! That is why I love this book! The goal of this book is to help you organized your meals for a whole year! This meal planner includes:
One year’s worth of weekly templates to plan breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks
Grocery lists and price comparison sheets
Recipe pages
This wonderful origination tool is written by registered dietitian, Jessica Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN.
This book also made an appearance in my “Healthy Living Books Written by Registered Dietitians,” but I thought this book fit well in this list as well. This 6-week guide includes more than 100 breakfast, lunch, and dinner solutions. In this book, you will find simple, realistic solutions as wells as assessments, food tips and meal ideas to help you live a happier, healthier, and stronger life.
If you want your meal plan to be full of flavorful, nutritious plant-based foods; then, this is the book for you. This guide, which is broken down into 52 weeks, provides 125 A-MAZING plant-based recipes!
Our lives are so busy that we often don’t have much time to plan and cook our foods. This is why meal prepping is soooo beneficial! Toby Smithson provides so many meal prepping tips and solutions in her book. This book is perfect for busy families who want to find a way to eat healthy on a busy schedule.
The Meal Builder Cards included in The Nourishing Meal Builder takes the stress out of meal planning. In fact, you don’t have to do much meal planning ahead at all!
In this ebook, you get a list of anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory nutrients and foods that support the immune system; boost mood; reduce the risk of chronic disease; and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory. You simply use these list to grocery shop! Then when you are ready to cook a meal, you use the meal builder cards to create a nourishing meal on the spot! It’s so easy and the meal possibilities are endless!
Create anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, mood boosting, immune supportive meals that reduce the risk of chronic disease and promote cognitive function, focus, attention, and memory.
As soon as I discovered this book, I knew I had to include it here. Deciding what to eat on a diabetic diet, can feel overwhelming. This books takes out the guesswork by helping you easily plan your meals. Diabetes Meal Planning and Nutrition for Dummies includes tons of helpful information like healthy eating tips for diabetes, food swap ideas, and of course, yummy recipes!
This IS the ultimate meal prep book! Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals shows you how to prep ALL your meals for a month in ONE DAY!!! I developed this book because, although I LOVE to cook, I couldn’t find the time to cook healthy meals everyday. Life. Gets. Soooo. Busy, and figuring out what to eat everyday can sometimes be one more mentally draining decision you have to make.
That is why I began prepping and freezing a month of meals in one day. Over time I became extremely efficient at making all of these meals at once. I can now get all my breakfast, lunch and dinners for a whole month prepped and frozen in only 6 hours!!! This book teaches you the tricks and the steps to take in order to prep and freeze your meals efficiently too. When it’s actually time to eat breakfast and lunch, you simply throw one of these meals in the microwave for 2 minutes and IT. IS. DONE!!!! For dinner, I usually put the family-style meals in the crockpot while I am making my kids lunches in the morning. It’s so simple! With Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals, you have one less thing to think about each day. Now you can enjoy healthy meals and focus on your family instead of trying to figure out what to cook!
Mindfulness in Faith and Freezer Meals includes the some of the most popular family recipes. From Pizza Bites and Southwest burrito dip, to Asian Chicken and rice; there is something for just about everyone.
