Signposts. Lessons Along the Trail

This was the first week of spring semester classes.  The workload has yet to dig in and leave marks on my shoulders, so for the present I feel foolishly enthusiastic to run, skip, and leap ahead into every class, assignment, and reading.  But hold on-let me turn around and peer back to the beginning, way back to the trailhead.  Where have I trekked, and what have I learned?  I'm glad this blog can help me remember the signposts along my trail.

 December 2009, Davis CA.  

Exploring a new [muddy] trail one fine afternoon.

Get ready for some more random pictures..

Signposts along the Dietetic Internship
What's a dietetic internship?  Short answer: Learning the skills to become a Registered Dietitian through 1200+ supervised hours of clinical nutrition training.  Long answer: please see the American Dietetic Association.
Here's the rotations I've done so far.

1. Tufts Weight and Wellness Center-a multidisciplinary approach to weight loss and bariatric surgery.  What did I do?  I donned scrubs and observed a gastric bypass surgery.  I [unsuccessfully] attempted a meal-replacement diet by eating high protein bars from 3 days.  I watched a lot of nutrition counseling.  But most importantly, I learned respect from the clients that I met.  Behavior change is HARD!  Also, the dietitians here introduced me to greek yogurt.  A lovely substance.
2. Tufts Research rotation.  These dietitians and researchers are investigating the relationship between HIV and nutrition.  I did my first diet recall here!  (I had one convicting assignment involving omega-3 fatty acids. I went home and bought walnuts, and I am still on the search for cashew butter.)
3. Outpatient Head and Neck Oncology.  Chemotherapy and radiation makes for some unhappy patients.  This was my first chance to read medical charts-so many abbreviations!
4. Dental rotation at Tufts Dental School- I learned about preventative oral nutrition.  You know-don't eat hard candy, avoid soda, brush those pearly whites, and floss.  Yay for a free toothbrush! 
5. Administration Rotation- mock staffing schedule and quality control exercise...tedious but very relevant.
6. Management Rotation- mock budget exercise, and a lesson on the politics of hospital bureaucracy...scary.
7. WIC Office.  I never thought I would like community nutrition.  But here I was truly touched.
8. Joslin Diabetes Center.  Ahh, 3 weeks of diabetes overload at Joslin-what a priviledge!  I counted my carbs and tracked my sugars (yay for a free glucometer!), I observed insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring training (wow, high tech stuff), I learned about Vitamin D and UV exposure, and I met a very cool pediatric dietitian.  Now here's someone who rocks her job! 
9. PRIORITY- a new pediatric weight clinic at Tufts Floating Hospital for Children.  I gathered materials for a nutrition education handout on healthy restaurant eating tips.   Pretty *shocked* by the Cheesecake Factory and Uno's menus.  5000+ mg of salt and 30+ grams saturated fat in ONE dish?!  

Farmers market at Point Reyes, CA.  I want some of this!  

Signposts from the classroom.
I've learned so much from my classes, but here's two things I'd like to share.
First.  I'm thankful that my classmates are my future colleages.  In my biochem class I enjoyed hearing the opinions of my peers as we tore apart the new cookie diet, debated the soda tax, or questioned the front of package food labels.  I'm constantly humbled by their accomplishments and ideas.  What an optimistic future.
Secondly.  I've been thinking about the field of nutrition, and I have a lot of questions.  Online nutrition information is like an unchartered frontier.  How can I sort through the inaccurate junk and dig up the nutrition truth?  Nutrition is a multi-disciplinary field crossing into government policy, food industry, marketing, and scientific research.  Thus, is there such a thing as a nutrition expert?  Nutrition is a hot topic, and everyone wants to get their hands dirty: the food industry, sports and fitness professionals, physicians, researchers,...and every person who eats is their own nutrition expert, right?   As a future dietitian, where is my place?

Summer 2009 Farmers Market.  

It snowed yesterday, and I'm longing for some color!

For the next 4 months I'm out of clinical rotations.  This means my posts will be related to the masters classes, and not so much the dietetic internship.
Here's my Sping semester lineup:

Public Policy of Health Claims for Foods

Regression Analysis for Nutrition Policy

Advanced Medical Nutrition Therapy

Communication Strategies in Health Promotion

Design of Epidemiologic Studies for Nutrition Research

Crumbs of Advice: for Dietetic Students [and myself!]
Get friendly with Pubmed.  This search portal for scientific literature is the ultimate resource for nutrition research, or any research!  Reading, understanding, and translating research literature is an art and an essential skill.   I'm slowly getting better.
Have you tried Google Reader?  Stay on top of real time nutrition news by subscribing to RSS feeds of the NYTimes, Wall Street Journal, other major newspapers, and government health agencies (USDA, NIH, non gov't IOM).
Plunge into social media.  It's pulling out to sea, so get on board.  No I'm serious!  Blogs, twitter, linked in.  Yup-even if you don't like it, at least be aware of it.  I believe this skill set will be critical in our internet-fueled economy.
Get aquainted with Microsoft Excel.  Quite frankly, I struggle with Excel and wished I had learned it sooner.

Battery Park, NYC.  January 2010.  Hey little guys!  You cold up there?

Thank you to those who read my blog, or for anyone who is stopping by for the first time.  I enjoy processing my thoughts, sending them out into the void, and sometimes hearing echoes and answers.
I'm happily munching and crunching along this trail, and I'll try my best to keep spreading the crumbs of what I'm learning.
Sincerely,
Rachel

Giveaway Winners!

Good morning!
I fell asleep at 8pm last night.  (I was trying to study US health claims policy for food labeling, and clearly it knocked me out.)  When I woke up 4 hours later, it was time to choose two lucky winners on random.org for my book giveaway!
Congratulations to:
Jenn of Jenn Cuisine.  1st place winner for Michael Pollan's newest book Food Rules!
My entry prompt was, "What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book?"  Jenn is currently reading only French workbooks, since she is trying to improve her French skills!

Brooke of Famished to Fantastic.  2nd place winner for More Vegetables, Please! 
Brooke is currently reading Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think.  (By the way, this book is great!)

Thank you to everyone who participated!  This was fun, and I enjoyed hearing what books you are reading.  I have a few additions for good ole' Boston Public Library : )
Have a lovely Tuesday,
Rachel

Aloo Gobi-Intro to the Indian Potato and Cauliflower

Last night pots were banging and knives were flashing, since it was my second Indian cooking lesson!  The head chef was my roomate Nikita.  The featured guests were Mr. Potato and Mr. Cauliflower- old buddies in her kitchen, but newer acquainances to me (growing up I never ate cauliflower!).  But there was no awkwardness.  For Nikita flawlessly handled the introductions, and together with our honored guests we pooled forces and created a mouth-watering north Indian vegetable dish called Aloo Gobi (literally translated to "Potato and Cauliflower").
Cheerio!  Let the Fun Begin.
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 potato, cubed
1 head of cauliflower, broken into large florets
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
3 tsp turmeric powder
3 tsp coriander powder
3 tsp garam masala
2-3 tsp chili powder (modify for desired spice level)
salt to taste
Add 2 tablespoons of oil and sizzle whole cumin seeds for a few seconds.  Add chopped onion and cook until onions are completely transparent and brown (it looks burned but that's perfect).  Keep the heat on medium so that the onions don't blacken.
Add all spices, except salt.
Add chopped tomato and 1/4 cup water.  Stir and cover pan to steam for 5 minutes on medium heat.  This medium heat allows the spices to infuse into the mixture, without cooking off the flavor.  The goal is to create a pasty onion-tomato-spice mixture.

Add salt.
Precook potato by microwaving for 3-4 minutes in a bowl with a little water.
Add the semi-cooked potato and the cauliflower.  Stir in with onion-tomato mush.  Add a little water and cover pot to steam cook for 5 minutes, or until cauliflower is almost cooked.   To finish off the cauliflower, allow the aloo gobi to cook uncovered.  This will dry out the mixture.

Enjoy with roti (pictured below) or naan!

Nikita explained that a traditional Indian dinner consists of 4 things: roti/naan, yogurt, vegetable, and a lentil/curry dish.  The vegetable dish, such as Aloo Gobi, is usually a dry side dish to complement a curry-like lentil or legume dish.  Yogurt is an essential side for any wet dish, such as the lentils.

Naan is bread made from white flour.  Think of the traditional bread served at an Indian restaurant.
Roti is a bread made from whole grain flour.  Tonight I ate my Aloo Gobi with roti.

Don't forget!  I'm giving away Michael Pollan's newest book Food Rules!  Deadline to enter is midnight (EST) January 25th.  Click here to enter!

Masala Roti/chapati( Spiced Indian Flat Bread)

Giveaway! Michael Pollan's New Book and More...

This giveaway is closed.  Thank you!
Two Fabulous Books for the Taking!

1st Place

Food Rules: An Eater's Manual 

I am delighted to give away Michael Pollan's latest book.  Pollan, (bestselling author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food) starts Food Rules with seven words of wisdom: Eat food.  Not too much.  Mostly plants.  He then embelishes this manifesto with 64 rules for eating wisely.

I like Rule #19, "If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't."  Since publication the book has sparked controversy, as some people question the simplicity of Pollan's rules.  For example, adhering to Rule #12 (Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle.) exludes many healthful foods such as whole grain pasta and dried fruit from your shopping cart.  Although I love this book (I am in total awe of Pollan's writing career and nutrition influence), I feel that his numerous "do not's" and "avoids" may overshadow other important food factors such as flavor, taste, and enjoyment.  For other perspectives check out Pollan's article on The Huffington Post or Nutrition Unplugged "Some Rules Are Meant to be Broken."

This book is hot!  Enter to win, and read it for yourself!

2nd place 

More Vegetables, Please!

I have a friend from a dieting website company who recieves lots of free books for promotions.  He passed on this book, and I'm excited to give it to you!

This veggie-friendly cookbook provides delicious answers for those who struggle to incorporate green crunchies into family meals, or for those who simply need some novel veggie-licious recipes.  Seasonal eating tips, kid-friendly variations, and health notes scatter the margins of every page.  Plus a vegetable glossery kindly explains the difference between leafy greens, stems and stalks, and roots and tubers.  Published 2009.  Enjoy!

*Note: I am not being paid by any publisher to market these books.*

To Enter 

1. Please comment on this post by answering one of the following questions: What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book (fiction, nonfiction, cookbook, picturebook)?  Please leave an email contact too.
   
2. Follow me on Twitter and tweet @CoconutCrumbs Food Rules book giveaway.  Please link your tweet back to this post.

Each method will count as a separate entry, doubling your chances to win.   The deadline to enter is midnight (Eastern Standard Time) on Monday, January 25th.  I'll use random.org to pick two winners, and announce them next week Tuesday, January 26th!  Good luck : )
This giveaway is closed.  Thank you!

My Sweet Romance

Sticky, lumpy, creamy, milky.  And sweet, oh so sweet.  What could it be, but rice pudding!

Today I had a sumptuous adventure in New York City.  (Rotations ended on Friday and spring semester classes don't start until next Thursday, so I jumped on a bus into the city!)  This afternoon I walked in the drizzle to the heart of SoHo in search of Rice to Riches, a rice pudding haven recommended by two of my fellow Tufts dietetic interns.  What an adorable place it was!  Even as I type this out, I'm tempted for a second taste tomorrow...Oh dear, I'm head over heels.

Rice to Riches

Old-Fashioned-Romace Traditional flavor with Toasted Coconut Topping.

What are your thoughts on rice pudding?  Any new sweet adventures in your life?  

Start Your Day with a Slurp!

I made a colossal pot of miso soup on Monday night.  I love this stuff, and the whole week I've been eating it for dinner and breakfast.  Am I strange?  I don't know.  But my morning dose of soup has been doing me some good!  So then I got to thinking, and sometimes thinking leads to blogging.  
So here I am with  5 reasons to start your morning with a slurp,  and then I'll share my miso soup recipe.

My Miso Soup.  Does this look healthy, or what?!

Starting Off Savory
Soup can be the breakfast of champions!  Here's why:

• Veggies in the A.M.!  With soup, it's never been so easy to get an early start on your daily veggie count!  I  struggle to eat the recommended 5 servings of veggies per day, so starting with some cabbage at meal #1 certainly helps!    
• Protein for the long haul.  Carbs take 1/2 an hour to digest, while protein takes 2 hours.  Protein wins, and leaves you satisfied for longer.  So pack in the protein with soup!  My miso soup has tofu, but any soup with lentils, beans, or chicken can also power you through the morning.
• Fiber for fullness.  I added white rice to my miso soup, but if I was smart I would've added barley for soluble fiber.
• A warm wake-up call.  A steamy bowl of soup warms my belly on these chilly winter mornings.
• Savory trumps sweet!  I'm usually a sweet-tooth, but sometimes it's nice to change the daily routine of cereal or oatmeal.  Even poptarts can get old after a while.  : )

So what do you think?  What's your favorite soup, and would you eat it for breakfast?   Well, I have two more breakfasts left in that big pot of mine.  I guess after I'm done with the miso, I'll go back to oatmeal, hehe!

Miso Soup...or Stew?
Maybe you've had the dainty bowls of miso soup that come with the bento meal at a Japanese restaurant.  These palate cleansing elixers feature snippets of green onion and whisps of seaweed with cutie squares of tofu-all served in a delicate lacquer bowl.  Well, if that is miso soup then my version must be miso STEW!
Let's Mix It Up!
1 Tbsp Hondashi-fish stock
2 Carrots-chopped
Extra Firm Tofu-cut into squares (add as much as you want!)
1 head of Napa cabbage- cut into large pieces
1/2 cup Miso paste, white or red kind
Enoki mushrooms, optional
1/8 cup dried Wakame (seaweed), optional
Rice

1. Boil 6 cups of water with 1 Tbsp of hondashi fish stock.
2. Add chopped carrots.  When carrots are halfway cooked, add Napa cabbage.
3. If adding seaweed, soak peices in water to hydrate.  Then drain and add seaweed after Napa cabbage.
4. Lastly, add tofu and enoki mushrooms.  These do not need to cook, but simply heat up.
5. Turn off heat and stir in miso paste at the end.  It is best to dilute miso paste with a little water in a coffee mug first, and then pour the miso into the large pot.
6. Serve with rice.  Enjoy!

Stuck on the Subway-with Anthony Bourdain

No, no, no.  Not in real life.  But his sarcastic, humorous voice has been my primary entertainment on the frustrating subway hold-ups these past two days.  It took the subway 15 minutes to inch from Central Square to Harvard (I could've walked in half that time) two nights ago, but with Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential I didn't mind one bit.

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

by Anthony Bourdain

published 2000

"Cooking is a craft, I like to think, and a good cook is a craftsman-not an artist.  There's nothing wrong with that: the great cathedrals of Europe were built by craftsmen-though not desigend by them.  [...]  Personally, I'd prefer to eat food that tastes good and is an honest reflection of its ingredients than a three-foot-tall caprice constructed from lemongrass, lawn trimmings, coconuts and red curry.  When a job applicant starts telling me how Pacific Rim cuisine turns him on and inspires him, I see trouble coming.  Send me another Mexican dishwasher anytime.  I can teach him to cook.  I can't teach character.  Show up at work on time six months in a row and we'll talk about red curry paste and lemongrass." -Chapter 4, "Who Cooks?"

Just Finished Reading

Life Without Ed: How one woman declared independence from her eating disorder and how you can too.
By Jenni Schaeffer with Thom Rutledge

published 2004

Two weeks ago, during winter orientation for the dietetic internship, one of the dietitians mentioned this book as a useful resource when counseling patients with eating disorders.  Though cheesy at times, the content is convicting.  Dietitians play an integral role in the recovery of individuals with eating disorders.  Thus as a future dietitian, I'm glad that I read this book.  Also, looks like Jenni Schaeffer has a new book. Goodbye Ed, Hello Me: Recover From Your Eating Disorder and Fall in Love with Life.

On Hold at the BPL

Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating From America's Farmers Markets

by Deborah Madison

I love libraries.  I LOVE the Boston Public Library.  Every week I stop by, and it's always fun to see what new books are waiting for me on the hold shelves.  Just want to give a shout-out to libraries everywhere-big or small!

On My Wish List

The Clinical Dietitian's Essential Pocket Guide

by Mary Width and Tonia Reinhard

One of my friends, also a Tufts dietetic interns, just bought this.  I leafed through her copy, and it looks very handy.  Plus it fits right into your lab coat pocket.  Sweet!

Coming Soon: MY FIRST GIVE-AWAY!

Be on the lookout, because I will be announcing my first give-away shortly (as soon as I figure out how to do the random.org selection process).

Here's a hint: It's going to be some books!

So get ready, and get excited!
bye for now,
Rachel
P.S. -I'm curious.  What are you reading these days?  Anything interesting?