nutritionwlashaundreab

  • Step Up Your Grilling Game to Include Healthier Options

    Despite the summer heat, people are still grilling or “BBQing.” Is it just me, or is there something about summer time or warm weather that makes you want to fire up the grill? As a child, my mom would grill no matter what season or weather condition. Y’all, she once decided to grill in the middle of a snow storm because she had a taste for BBQ. Yep, that’s my momma!

    Not sure about yours, but most grilling memories from my childhood consist of memories of family gatherings and large portions of meat, burgers and hotdogs being thrown on the grill. Honestly, I cannot recall anything other than meat being grilled. Occasionally, someone would put a few ears of corn on the grill or wrap sliced bell peppers and onions in foil (as shown in the video) to accompany the juicy smoked sausages or bratwurst. However, I rarely saw anything other than meat on the grill.

    Today, I can happily report that my mom and other family members have stepped up their grilling game and are now grilling more than just meat. Yes! Now, I’m seeing grilled asparagus, zucchini and yellow squash, and of course, onions and bell peppers. All of which are delicious, grilled.

    Question- Have you and/or your family members stepped up your grilling game since childhoods to include healthier options? If the answer is “no,” please consider trying some the healthy grilling tips Registered Dietitian, Qula Madkin, has to offer for adding more variety to your grill.

    Qula Madkin – Extension Instructor and Registered Dietitian for Mississippi State University Extension Service

    LaShaundrea B.

  • Sometimes You Have To Make Do With What You Have On Hand

    On most days, I wake up with a certain flavor or dish in mind– yes.. I wake up thinking about food. (Smile) Well, this morning I woke up craving a bagel with lox (cured salmon similar to gravlax, not smoked). Didn’t feel like making a trip to the supermarket or Einstein Bros. Bagels so I had to improvise and create something that would suffice. Here’s what I had on hand and what I created. I had smoked salmon cream cheese spread, mini naan dippers, cucumbers, pico de gallo, and eggs.

    Now, here’s what I created. I toasted the naan dippers, then added the smoked salmon cream cheese spread and cucumber slices to them. I scrambled an egg and added pico de gallo and a dash of tarragon. Although the pico had cilantro in it, it did not clash with the flavor of the tarragon. And to complete my meal, I added a bowl of fresh blueberries and peach slices.Yum! Needless to say, I may not have had the meal I woke up craving; however, the one I had was very satisfying. 

    Question– How do you manage your cravings? Do you make do with what you have on hand? 

    LaShaundrea B.

  • Why Do We Make Eating Healthy Complicated?

    For those in the back, “Eating healthy does not have to be complicated!” Listen, eating healthy is simply making a conscience effort to improve your diet by making small, sustainable changes. By sustainable changes, I am referring to changes that you know you can commit to over a lifetime. Much too often we make changes based on what’s trending, what our friends are doing or to prevent or manage an illness. Unfortunately, over time, if the change was made in haste, was too much of a sacrifice or without proper thought, we revert back to our old habits.

    Here is an example of how I have made a small, simple, sustainable change that will benefit me over my lifetime.

    Story time…

    I love oatmeal. Grew up eating it for breakfast. Started out eating old fashioned oats and over time, graduated to the individual prepackaged kind- yes, the ones that are pre-sweetened and have more calories than necessary. I told you in my intro blog that I am very transparent.

    Anyway.. Over the years, I have gone back and forth, switching from old fashion oats to quick oats (unprepared) to prepackaged. Well, guess what? The prepackaged won! Instead of feeling defeated and guilty because I chose to settle for the less healthier option, I decided to add more nutrients to my oatmeal. Since I always have fresh or frozen berries, and some type of chopped nuts on hand (will discuss pantry must haves in another blog), I began adding them to my oatmeal. No, it does not cancel out the sugar or calories. In all honesty, it adds a little more; however, the nutrients gained are far better than none added. Note: If you are struggling with high sugar levels and love prepackaged oatmeal, I recommend trying the higher fiber version. It has more fiber and less sugar.

    Well, this was only one example of how I have chosen to make my diet healthier. If you choose to stick around, I have plenty more stories and examples to share. Remember to start small and always make changes that you know you will stick with.

    LaShaundrea B.

  • Tips for Staying Physically Active During the Summer Months

    Happy Wellness Wednesday! Today’s wellness information is from friend and fellow Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Qula Madkin -Extension Instructor at Mississippi State University Extension Service.

    Today’s topic is Physical Activity. Although many people view physical activity as one of the primary methods for weight loss, it has many more benefits. Some of those benefits include, but are not limited to- chronic disease prevention and management, improved cognitive health, a reduction in anxiety, and better sleep. Basically, physical activity improves quality of life. Here are a few simple tips for staying physically active, especially during the summer months.

  • Daddy, What Did You Eat? A Diabetes Story

    It’s never too late to begin eating healthier. Even after you have splurged on unhealthy treats! As I mentioned in my intro blog, I am a storyteller so 70-75 percent of my blogs will probably be filled with personal experiences and stories, while the rest will be more informative. 

    Story time …

    This past weekend, I had to have a serious conversation with my dad about his food choices. He’s 71 years old, has Type 2 diabetes, and over the past two or three years he has been struggling with keeping his blood sugar levels under control. Well, last weekend I kind of got a glimpse of why he’s been struggling. 

    Several days ago, my son graduated from high school and my dad celebrated a little too much! Unfortunately, we didn’t know this until the next day. Well, the morning after graduation, before taking his meds, Daddy pulled out his glucose monitor and measured his sugar level. Much to our surprise, it was extremely high– nearly 350 mg/dL, fasting. As we were all sitting there in shock, my bonus mom immediately began chastising him; and l, being the registered dietitian that I am, began throwing questions at him – “What did you eat yesterday?”, “What did you have for breakfast?”, “How much did you eat?”. Thinking back, the poor man must have felt attacked. His explanation- it was the bread from the sandwich he had eaten the night before. Umm… no sir. There was definitely more to the story.

    The rest of our conversation went somewhat like this:

    Me: So Daddy, what did you have to eat yesterday morning before you got here? (He and my bonus mom had driven four hours to attend my son’s graduation.)

    Daddy: I just had a breakfast sandwich from Sonic’s, but I didn’t drink that orange juice they gave me. 

    Me: Okay. Well, I know what you had for lunch– grilled chicken breast, mashed potatoes and green beans. But wait! You ordered a Coke, didn’t you?

    Daddy: Yes. 

    That was large Coke #1 with a possible refill. Sadly, we weren’t paying attention.

    Me: Then we went to the graduation. Oh! I remember you eating a donut before we left the house. 

    Daddy: (Confesses) Well… I ate two. 

    By this time all I could do was shake my head. 

    Me: Two?! Two donuts, Daddy?!

    He then proceeds to tell me that my daughter had told him to help himself, so he did. Not only was I shocked, I was speechless because that wasn’t his last meal. His food recall ended with an Arby’s roast beef sandwich and large Coke that he had gotten on his way home from the graduation. So, yes.. he definitely celebrated! 

    Although I was shocked by everything he had consumed, I didn’t chastise him anymore than he had already been. I could tell he felt bad about his choices. I truly believe he had no idea his sugar level would be that high. As he took his insulin and other medications, I prepared him a nice, healthy breakfast– all portioned out into appropriate serving sizes. Then he really looked sad. I know he was thinking, “This all?!” However, he graciously accepted the food and ate everything on his plate. 

    After breakfast we discussed a few simple things he could do to begin making healthier food choices to include drinking more water. Yes.. I noticed he hadn’t drunk much water the day before. Which was really concerning. Anyway, we began with healthy snack and drink options that I knew he liked. Then we addressed his love of Coca-Cola. Not diet. Not sugar-free. The real thing. Asking him to give it up would have been a battle I knew I would not have won. So I suggested that he consider purchasing mini (8 oz) cans of Coke and only drinking one can whenever he needed to satisfy his craving, but no more than one can per day. Since he was already familiar with the impact carbs and sugars had on his sugar levels, I walked him through the nutrition facts on the back of the can and explained that drinking one large Coke was almost the same as drinking 3-4 mini cans; which meant 3-4 times the amount of sugars and carbs. He confirmed that he understood and said he would begin making better choices.

    Later that day, I received a call from him saying his sugar level was under 200. He also reported that he had chosen water when they stopped for lunch. Woohoo!! Y’all, small successes count!

    As I mentioned in the beginning, it’s never too late to begin making healthier food choices, even after you have splurged. And those choices do not have to be complex or extensive.

    Thanks for reading! Continue making healthier choices, one day at a time!

    LaShaundrea B.

  • LaShaundrea: The Person Behind Nutrition with LaShaundreaB

    I could not introduce Nutrition with LaShaundreaB without properly introducing myself first.

    Hello! My name is LaShaundrea Bradford. Professionally, I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Research Consultant and Culinarian. Personally, I am a mother, daughter, sister, friend and lover of life, people.. and food. Yes, I love food! Hence, the reason for my degrees in Culinary Artistry and Nutrition and Dietetics. Just so you know, I am a storyteller, and I believe authenticity is of utmost importance. Therefore, this blog may be a little lengthy and quite personal. With this said, I will attempt to provide the cliff notes version of my journey. Smile

    So, it all began in 2000 after I separated from active duty Air Force. For eight years I had worked in Airfield Management and wanted to pursue a career that was completely different from what I had been doing. So I decided to pursue a career in Hospitality Management. One of my dreams had always been to open a quaint Bed and Breakfast where I would spend my days decorating, cooking and entertaining guests. Yes, that was my dream. Well, I found a community college that offered a degree in Hospitality Management and enrolled. After attending my first culinary class, I knew I wanted to become a chef. The following semester, I changed my major, and two years later, I graduated with an Associate’s Degree in Culinary Artistry.

    As you can see, my journey did not end there. Unfortunately, when I decided to become a chef, I did not take into consideration the endless hours I would spend on my feet preparing meals and cleaning. Honestly, I saw myself as a personal chef preparing meals for wealthy clients and traveling the world. Yes, I had it all planned out.

    Before I continue, I want to send love and light to all food service workers. I have so much respect for them. Working in the food service industry is not easy. From manager to server, a lot of work goes into making sure customers are satisfied. I know they make it seem easy, but trust me, it’s not. So kudos to them for their service.

    While completing my culinary internship at a rural hospital, I met a Registered Dietitian. Prior to that meeting, I never knew the profession existed. One day she allowed me to shadow her, and the rest is history. From that day, I knew I wanted to become a Registered Dietitian. In 2009, almost ten years from when I began, I received my Master’s Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and became a Registered Dietitian, or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.

    Today, I have over 15 years of experience in Public Health and Community Nutrition. I am aware of the struggles many people have when it comes to eating healthy – cost, time, motivation, and misinformation. I’ll be honest, although I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I also struggle with eating healthy. Here is what I have learned over the years, the best way to adopt healthier, sustainable eating habits is to 1) understand one’s relationship with food; 2) weed out the misinformation; 3) set realistic goals; and 4) establish accountability. Also, eating healthy should not be complexed or feel like work. Which is one of the primary reasons I created Nutrition with LaShaundreaB. Nutrition with LaShaundreaB is designed to be simple, enjoyable and promote healthy, sustainable eating habits.

    Over the next few weeks, be on the look out for health and wellness blogs, meal plans, nutrition counseling/coaching opportunities and Live meal prep demonstrations. Looking forward to connecting soon!

    LaShaundrea

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