Holy Kale! From Aspiring Actress To Best Selling Author... Julieanna Hever's Story

Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT

Once an aspiring actress, Julieanna Hever has now made a name for herself in the world of health and nutrition. She's become known as The Plant-Based Dietitian and is making a huge impact throughout the United States as she takes the message of plant-based nutrition to the masses.

Julieanna was recently featured on the Dr. Oz show speaking about the benefits of a whole foods, plant-based diet on one's overall health. She and Dr. Oz amazed their viewing audience by showing how eating healthy, wholesome foods transformed the lives of three female volunteers in just 48 hours. The volunteers saw their blood pressure and cholesterol numbers drop dramatically in addition to watching unwanted pounds melt away right before their eyes.

Julieanna has a Masters of Science in Nutrition and is also an ACE-Certified Personal Trainer. She's a best-selling author of two books and is also co-producer of a documentary featuring all the biggest experts in the field of nutrition and medicine. I was fortunate enough to grab an exclusive interview with her recently. I was able to get her to spill the beans on everything from how she grew up to her secret on helping athletes perform at their peak. I hope you find her interview as enjoyable as I did.

Forget Counting The Calories This Thanksgiving

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

Did you know the average Thanksgiving dinner is 3,000-3,500 calories? That’s nearly two days worth the calories eaten at one meal! You can forget counting calories and enjoy seasonal favorites with these Thanksgiving ideas.

First, look at what you’re serving and see if a lighter version can be made. Do you add cream cheese and butter to the mashed potatoes? Forget them and don’t tell anyone. Instead add a couple of chopped turnips or parsnips to the boiling potatoes and whip with the potatoes for a slightly sweet flavor and a nutritional boost. Prepare roasted vegetables by cutting any combination of potatoes, carrots, onions, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and beets in ¾” chunks and sprinkle with rosemary and/or thyme and salt. Roast in a 425° oven for 30-35 minutes until tender tossing occasionally. A low calorie alternative to candied sweet potatoes is whipping cooked sweet potatoes with just a dash of cinnamon added.

What about the green bean and mushroom soup casserole topped with fried onions? A calorie-reducing alternative is to cook green beans in salted boiling water until crisp-tender for about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Meanwhile, sauté onion and sliced mushrooms in a little vegetable broth. Add the green beans and toss. Put in serving dish and top with sliced almonds. Carrots will become a favorite by cooking sliced carrots in a little orange juice and finish with some chopped dill. A new salad idea everyone will enjoy is mixed greens with walnuts and dried cranberries tossed in a dressing of pureed raspberries with 1-2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.

Limit the number of desserts offered. A welcomed dessert after a big meal is tossing some toasted coconut in a variety of diced fruits of your choice such as pineapple, bananas, apples and berries.

You will keep the waistline in check and still enjoy a feast this Thanksgiving with these guilt-free ideas.

Jody Perrecone is a corporate manager for the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP). CHIP is an international wellness program focusing on lifestyle interventions to create a healthier workforce and reduce overall health care costs. Jody works with hospitals, corporations, and communities to offer CHIP programs throughout the U.S.

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by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com. 

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!

Food Stamps And Fast Food

by guest blogger Cyndi Laurenti

There's a frightening trend sweeping the nation: allowing those on food assistance and food stamp programs to buy processed, prepackaged foods, including at fast food restaurants, as an alternative to using that assistance only at grocery stores. Despite the efforts of some states to restrict the types of junk food allowed to be purchased with food stamp or food assistance cards, more states are adopting the policy of letting recipients buy some of the unhealthiest foods on the market. However, for some these foods are simply the most economically viable option.

The Reality of the Situation

Unfortunately, fast food is often cheaper than high-quality or organic food. Because the budgets of families that receive food stamps must be counted out to the penny, a $5 meal at a fast food restaurant may seem like the only option when healthy and nutritious food from a grocery store may cost two or three times as much. With such limited income, the choice becomes less a matter of eating something healthy instead of a fast food hamburger and more an issue of simply trying to get the most food for the least amount of money.