My Writing: ‘Tis the Season for Good Digestive Health

Until I figure out how to link my nutrition-only site to my all-things-me portal (here). I’m simply cut and pasting this post. Old school.

November 2009 Issue
’Tis the Season for Good Digestive Health
By Maggie Moon, MS, RD
Today’s Dietitian
Vol. 11 No. 11 P. 28

Don’t let constipation hinder the holidays. Educate your clients on its triggers and recommend dietary and stress management solutions to help them maintain healthy, happy insides.

With November comes the inescapable onslaught of the holiday season, which for many includes a fair amount of stress and a marathon of eating extravaganzas. People who are on the go scheduling holiday travel, handling financial concerns, and balancing work and life can get all “stopped up” during the holiday season. Continue reading…

a few of my favorite txts

I have one friend who puts pen to paper to write me. Of course, he also refuses to acknowledge the existence of cell phones, computers, or the internet.

For just about everyone else, there are text messages. And, like yellowing pages, some are like old friends.

And as I contemplate moving beyond my “I only need my phone to be a phone” phase, I’ll have to say goodbye to the text messages I’ve kept over time and through various text-purge phases. This is what has remained, names kept out for privacy (what text messages have YOU kept?):

Too good to delete:
- X is so hammered he jumped into the fountain at rock center. Fully clothed. 5/18/09 , 11 PM

- Then he accosted guys on st. Not sure how im getting him home. 5/18/09, 11:03 pm
[at this point, I suggest a cab. quick!]

- He can’t. He’ll throw up. We’re walkin. Almost to the park at least. He can barf there. 5/18/09, 11:05 pm

- Now he’s humming ride of the valkyries. 5/18/09, 11:06 pm

- Ya. Not interested in walking to harlem but we,ll figure it out. Now we’re in a cab and he’s insulting the driver. Lovely. He so owes me! 5/18/09, 11:11 pm

- Annnd we got kicked out of the cab. Ok i’ll stop now. 5/18/09, 11:19 pm
[that's the end of the series, folks]

- i cao drunk. and didnt see u off. i hug u bgye. 10/11/09, 5:06 am
[sat night/sun morning in new orleans]

- This is alvin!
[This comes after a handful of messages I send to a number I think still belongs to someone I later find out has moved out of the country]

Life events:

- Adam Patrick Kavulla born 7:54 am. 8lbs 6oz! A bruiser 4/23/09

- Happy first anniversary! 5/17/09

- Condo is sold! 7/29/09

- Passed!!!! 9/03/09
[from a friend on her way to a PhD!]

Random:
- Hi! I think i just saw u on tv! miss u, X. 7/08/09, 11:20 am

- Why would X be txting me to ‘call’ him ‘asap’? That totally makes me not want to call him…

From the husband:
- I love my beautiful wife. 3/13/09
[he was out of town at a conference and I was home packing for our 3/15 move; plus, a talking heads ref]

- Omg I can’t wait to be with you sleepy
[slightly edited.]

- I love you. You are brilliant and exceptional. 8/12/09
[was in the midst of a series of job interviews]

- Wow. You are the greatest. Awe. 8/16/09
[I believe I had cleaned the house... to perfection.. which he found waiting for him when he came home early from a conference... i was out at brunch]

- Btw Talking about relationships always makes me love you even more. I love you. Than you 4 being the best wife. 8/20/09

- Happy times are hoo-less. 9/04/09

Win Cash for Groceries.. just tell me how you could use rice to stretch your food budget!

And as a dietitian, I like working with the USA Rice Federation. They’re good people, and rice is nice. Plus, they really get this eating healthy on a budget thing.

How does cash for groceries or free rice cookers sound?

$ Value

The USA Rice Federation is launching the Rice to the Rescue Sweepstakes to educate consumers about the health benefits of rice and providing consumers with tips on how to get the most nutrition out of every buck.  Rice is not only healthy, nutritious, and versatile it is only 10 cents per serving!

Health Value

Research shows rice eaters have healthier diets. Learning about how people use rice to stretch their budget is a good way to spread the message of how important rice is in the everyday diet, as rice partners well with other healthy foods like lean proteins, vegetables, and beans.

Prizes & How it Works

- Competition entry is simple: Submit your best budget stretching tips with rice online at www.usarice.com/ricetotherescue, from now until October 31, 2009 and you are automatically entered to win the Rice to the Rescue Sweepstakes!

- First place winners will receive a prize of $500, second place $250 and 3rd place $150

- Seven runner-ups will receive an Aroma(R) Rice Cooker

- PLUS, the best budget stretching tips using rice will be posted to the website and may even be included in a nationwide press release

ONE MORE THING: When you get to the part about “where did you learn about this contest” …. Please please please say you heard about this contest on a blog.. name my blog if you like  Bloggers who get the most tips of the hat have a chance to win a little something, too. Not me, since I work for USA Rice, but still, I like getting the blog-cred, and it shows USA Rice that bloggers are influential!

Happy tipping, and I hope you win something!

And as a dietitian, I like working with the USA Rice Federation. They’re good people, and rice is nice. Plus, they really get this eating healthy on a budget thing.  So.. how does cash for groceries or free rice cookers sound?

Prizes & How it Works

- Entry is simple: Submit your best budget stretching tips with rice online here from now until October 31, 2009 and you are automatically entered to win the Rice to the Rescue Sweepstakes! (I guess it doesn’t HAVE to be healthy, but I’m a dietitian, so… you know)

- First place winners will receive a prize of $500, second place $250 and 3rd place $150

- Seven runner-ups will receive an Aroma(R) Rice Cooker

- PLUS, the best budget-stretching tips using rice will be posted to the website and may even be included in a nationwide press release

ONE MORE THING: When you get to the part about “where did you learn about this contest” …. Please please please say you heard about this contest on a blog.. name my blog if you like  Bloggers who get the most mentions have a chance to win a little something, too. Not me, since I work for USA Rice, but still, I like getting the blog-cred, and it shows USA Rice that bloggers are influential! And if you’re a blogger, and want to post info about this contest, please feel free.

Happy tipping, and I hope you win something! More info about U.S.-grown rice below…

$$ Value: Rice is not only healthy, nutritious, and versatile, it’s only 10 cents per serving! It can be used to make affordable meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and yes, even dessert (think rice pudding, for starters).

Health Value: Research shows rice eaters have healthier diets. Learning about how people use rice to stretch their budget is a good way to spread the message of how important rice is in the everyday diet, as rice partners well with other healthy foods like lean proteins, vegetables, and beans.

Lots more at www.usarice.com

My writing: Double Trouble – Counseling Clients with Diabetes & Celiac Disease

My latest article in Today’s Dietitian is available online.

People with this dual diagnosis present a unique challenge to RDs, who must help them not only control their blood glucose but also successfully avoid gluten.

Two women walk into a bar. One has type 1 diabetes; one has celiac disease. How many gluten-free, carb-controlled meals do they order? Two, naturally: One for the woman with both conditions and one for her friend, who orders it purely out of sympathy.

In real life, that scenario is more complex … continue reading..

Do I practice what I ..

Back in June, a feature article I wrote for Today’s Dietitian had it’s cover singing, Complex Times Call for Simple Foods.

Do I heed my own call? While my husband and I are (very gratefully) doing alright, this recession still pokes at us like the rain we’ve had this July (no fair and yet, no surprise).  Because I have the best husband ever, when it rains, we splash. You’ll find us just outside our brownstone apartment, playing with sticks, giggling (me), and enjoying the water.

Actually, it’s raining again tonight. But anyway. Getting back to it.. enjoying simple, affordable, delicious and healthy foods, like a rainy-day-turned-waterpark, is the hopeful response to a sort of crummy situation. So yes, not only did I write about embracing simple foods, I do it. Let’s take a look at some recent eats:

The strawberries speak for themselves: tasty goodness made affordable by the season. Same with the vitamin-packed blueberries (little bombs of juicy flavor).

The salad is one of my favorite new dishes to prepare. I make a big bowl (it takes about 10 minutes), and we eat it for a couple days (on its own, or with crackers). I simply mix together a handful of ingredients that happen to be affordable, nutritious, filling, and fresh.

So cheap & easy, you might call it ‘fast food’ (no? not where your mind went when I said cheap and easy?):

OK. So, go get a big bowl. Add coarsely chopped sweet summer onions. Squeeze the juice from a handful of limes. Use your hands, play with your food, and rip apart a chicken from a grocery store rotisseried bird (I like to use just the white meat for this salad… dark meat can be reserved for soup or something).

You washed your hands before and in-between foods, right? Thought so, good! Now, add about a pound of drained coleslaw from your grocer’s deli (about $1.99/lb), and make sure it’s looking crisp and lively — no goopy coleslaw allowed. If you happen to have fresh herbs on hand, give them a sloppy chop and add them to the mix. Enjoy right away or cover, refrigerate, and enjoy for days (the lime means it just keeps getting better and better).

There’s no reason to settle. Be healthy, eat well, and enjoy it. And don’t forget to tune in to my sermons.

top 2 new additions to my life

I present the following items in contrast to the many things in life that allow for a shocking range in price (e.g. mascara, writing utensils, t-shirts, sunglasses…) without the benefit of a seismic variance in value.

[Let me just take a moment to interject that within the same lunch hour spent shopping around SoHo, I found extremely similar sunglasses for $150 (private label Italian manufacturer) and $5 (H&M). Tell me how that's fair.]

Added bonus: These two items also lend themselves to healthier living.

1. Asics Gel Nimbus

Firstly, kudos to Jack Rabbit Sports for offering customized fittings, complete with videotaped treadmill test-run stride analysis.

Secondly, why didn’t anyone ever tell me shoes could be this comfortable? I’ve been running around in likes of Diesel “fashion” trainers forever.

Thirdly, who wants to take a walk with me to Canada? Because, these shoes are just that comfortable. I’d also be up for a 5-hour dance rehearsal (that happened last week, and my feet were doing OK in the aftermath… vs the pain they’ve been in for 2 days post performance in heels).

Oh right, the price tag. These were $125, and in my estimation, worth every penny. I’ve been positively jaunty everytime I slip these on.

2. At-home Soda maker, by SodaStreamUSA

I can’t explain it, but I’ve developed a preference for sparkling water to the point of purchasing and lugging home several litres a week.

Friends and neighbors Lauren & Aaron turned us on to this at-home soda maker. They really should be getting a referral fee for all the people they’ve introduced to this fantastic gadget.

Some kitchen gadgets are superfluous. If you like sparkling water, this one is not.

For example, gizmos like an egg timer, apple corer, or garlic press could just as easily be replaced by say, any clock or a knife, respectively.

It’s a lot harder to find a make-shift CO2 canister.

By the way, I’m in no way compensated by either brand or product. I just happen to love them. They improve my quality of life, and I appreciate that.

[For the curious, the sodastream's range from $89-199]

Bastille Day in NYC, 2009

The event and our dancing received complimentary reviews in French and English!

Music: Copenhagen by Sidney Bechet
Dancers: Maggie Moon, Eden Atencio, Akemi Kinukawa, Paolo Lanna, Dave Graybill, Patrick Germaine
Choreographer: Maggie Moon
Event: 85th Bastille Day Ball in NYC
Location: Crest/ China Club, West 47th & Broadway, NYC

NYC Pier 54 Dance Performance

Dancing on the Hudson River, pier 54, in New York on a balmy Sunday at sunset, July 12th, 2009.

Music: Copenhagen by Sidney Bechet

Dancers: Maggie Moon, Eden Atencio, Akemi Kinukawa, Paolo Lanna, Dave Graybill, Patrick Germaine

Choreographer: Maggie Moon

Event: “Moondance” with George Gee & the Make-Believe Ballroom Orchestra

Location: Pier 54 NYC Hudson River @ West 13th Street

My Writing: The Hygiene Hypothesis

My latest article in Today’s Dietitian is available online.

Ever heard the expression that a little dirt never hurt anyone? Those who are familiar with the “hygiene hypothesis” just might have some data to back that up—or do they?

The hygiene theory periodically finds its way into the news under the guise of headlines such as “Modern Hygiene’s Dirty Tricks” (Science News, 1999), “Kiddie Allergies: Let Them Eat Dirt” (What Doctors Don’t Tell You, 2002), and “From Good Hygiene Comes Bad Allergies” (Seed magazine, 2006)… Read more…

My Writing: Complex Times Call for Simple Foods

Cover article by Maggie Moon, MS, RD

“Complex Times Call for Simple Foods”

Today’s Dietitian, June 2009

Available online here.

Home is where the healthy foods are. Pantry basics such as rice, beans, and tea not only provide the basis for wholesome meals but also cost pennies per serving—good news for clients feeling the economic pinch. more…