Monthly Insights
Understanding Sjögren’s Syndrome (July 2025)
I remember when I was a dietetics student, and my professor and mentor Dr. Christine Hamilton Smith lectured on Sjögren’s Syndrome. I also remember seeing questions about this condition when I was studying for and taking the RD examination. Some 28 years later, I’m not only reflecting on the number of patients with Sjögren’s Syndrome […]
Developing Recovery Narratives (May 2018)
When an individual struggles with an eating disorder, it is not easy to work on finding our “healthy voice.” For many, their “healthy voice” is the opposite of what they are thinking, doing, and saying. It is common with eating disorders to be speaking or presenting ourselves from the place of the eating disorder. As […]
What is Weight Stigma? (April 2018)
Sadly, we live in a culture that is obsessed with the thin ideal, idealizes our bodies looking a certain way, and judges people on how they look. According to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) website, Wendy Oliver Pyatt, MD, FAES, CEDS Co-Founder and Executive of Oliver-Pyatt Centers wrote a wonderful article about weight stigma. […]
Heart Health and Unsaturated Fats (March 2018)
There are many trends in the nutrition world, some effective and some ineffective. One of the trends that I currently see is people consuming more saturated fats from all the fad diets that exist. Since I started my career as a cardiac dietitian, heart health has been an area that I have always paid attention […]
The Ups-and-Downs of Roller Coasters at Amusement Parks (February 2018)
Several months ago, a client brought up a topic that I found to be rather interesting. He mentioned the discrimination people in larger bodies experience at amusement parks. As a child, I remember not being able to go on certain rides due to not being tall enough and that resulted in having to stay with […]
Carbohydrate Myths Set Straight (January 2018)
In twenty years of being a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), there is one concept I have found to be true: “History repeats itself” when it comes to various diet trends. When I was in school studying to be an RDN, our culture was obsessed with dieting and afraid of fat. The mainstream food companies, such […]
Holiday Eating – How to Enjoy it and Not be Afraid of It (December 2017)
All over the world, the month of December is a festive time. There are trees lit up with colorful lights, holiday music and movies play everywhere, reminding us of our childhood, and, of course the traditional holiday foods. December is also a time that we can be socially busier than usual, with the holiday party […]
“Who Says You’re Overweight?”- Why BMI and Societal Expectations Shouldn’t Dictate Your Self-Worth (November 2017)
“I am overweight.” Clients tell me this on a daily basis. They hear it from loved ones, their health care team, or the media. With all of this judgment, it is no wonder that people have a poor relationship with food and their body. So often, people are told that they are “X” pounds overweight […]
Has Iceland Found the Fountain of Youth? (October 2017)
Over the summer, I spent three weeks traveling through the Nordic countries Sweden, Denmark and Iceland. Something they all have in common is that smoked fish are staples in their diet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Being Jewish, and going to my fair share of delis, I thought I knew about smoked fish, however […]
Imagine a lunch with Friends without Body or Weight Talk (September 2017)
When was the last time you went to lunch and enjoyed the company of the guests you were with? I was considering this because of a recent experience I’d had with two childhood friends of mine. Growing up, I had two very close friends. We called ourselves the “Three Musketeers” and we truly were. We […]
Nutrition 101: Understanding Why We Need ALL Foods (August 2017)
Due to the various trends floating around, it’s easy to be confused about what to eat. So many discussions tout the best “clean” foods or “super foods.” For someone that does not work in nutrition, it can be overwhelming to constantly learn about, and follow, these trends. A crash course in nutrition can be helpful […]