Zen & Spice | Dallas Dietitian Nutritionist | Food Photographer
There are two parts to my business and blog: zen, and spice. I believe that a balanced life contains a little of both-- inner peace, mindfulness, as well as enjoying flavorful, nourishing foods and treating our bodies with respect. All of my recipes are enjoyable, satiable, and nourishing (for the body AND soul).
I believe the path to a nourished, happy life is to develop a healthy relationship with food, our minds and our bodies. By cooking more at home, eating and moving intuitively, we can achieve peace of mind and be happy in the here and now. Follow along for delicious, easy recipes and simple strategies to learn how to become comfortable in the kitchen and embrace mindfulness.
Just because I'm a dietitian doesn't mean that I never eat "bad" foods. I enjoy chocolate, beer, chips and salsa, ice cream, all that good stuff. The foods that nourish your soul. I am a huge fan of Intuitive Eating. With intuitive eating, cravings are diminished because you allow yourself to eat whatever you want, as long as you pay attention to how full you are, and how certain foods make you feel after eating them.
A healthy, balanced lifestyle is far more than just nutrition and food related. Stress management, exercise, healthy and positive relationships, nourishing food, sleep, hydration, and mindfulness all factor in to a well rounded lifestyle.
I firmly believe in the concept of Intuitive Eating:
Just because I'm a dietitian doesn't mean that I never eat "bad" foods. I eat foods that nourish my body and soul. By paying attention to how certain foods make me feel after eating (or drinking) them, I can choose foods that nourish without making me feel bad afterwards. I enjoy chocolate, beer, chips and salsa, ice cream, all that good stuff. Foods that make a common occurrence: cheese (all kinds), milk, beef, fish, PASTA, pizza, burgers, soups, carrots, green beans, and berries.
Whatever you have a taste for. Listening to your body is one of the best ways to figure out what to eat-- trust it, it knows what makes it feel good! I firmly believe we should focus on what we should be eating more of instead of less of.
Read this helpful article about why restriction doesn't work.
You don't need anything too fancy-- my must-haves are a good kitchen knife, cutting boards, and a large non-stick pan. Oh and a food processor and a spiralizer.
None of the recipes on my site will ever have the calorie count listed. I am not a calorie counter. I find that it makes me stress out about the foods I eat and feelings of guilt occur. By focusing on nourishing our body and mind, and how foods make us feel, you can be sure you're choosing the right types and amount of food.
I own my own content, photography, images, and recipes. Please refrain from using it as your own. I’m all about sharing, however! You can share a recipe or image by contacting, referring or linking directly back to my site.
While I'm not taking care of my six month old baby, Abigail, I'm working! A typical day consists of waking up and feeding the baby, making coffee, doing a Pelton spin workout or yoga, and then settling into working. While Abbey naps, I develop recipes and shoot photos for this website and for clients. I also teach cooking classes and demos at various locations including the Dallas Arboretum, Sprouts Farmers Market, and for corporate clients.
I'm super into yoga! I have an online membership for Yoga Glo, and I usually do yoga in my home. I roll out my mat in my office, turn the lights down, light a candle and play relaxing music!
I really love cooking and food photography. I also love hanging out with my friends and family, my puppy, and being outside. I have a very artistic side so I like to paint, craft and do photography.
Visit my About Me page for more.
I started my first blog back in January of 2013-- it was called The Apron Blog, and let me tell you, it was a mess! A year later, after I learned a TON about blogging from researching and practicing, I changed my name to Zen & Spice. This name opened up my scope from just recipes, to nutrition, wellness, mindfulness, everything that I love to blog about. The new name has helped my blog grow exponentially over the past year. If you are interested in starting a blog of your own, check out my how to start a blog page and this list of my favorite resources.
RD and RDN mean the same thing and can be used interchangeably, RDN is a recent addition to our credentials.
To become a Registered Dietitian/RD (now also known as Registered Dietitian Nutritionist/RDN):
Minimum education of a bachelor's degree with approved course work and education received through an approved and accredited program via Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND).
Completed a supervised practice component with accredited sites (by the ACEND), practicums vary in length from 6-12 months at a variety of locations/experiences (food service, community, hospital/clinical, outpatient, wellness, etc. This is combined with either undergraduate or graduate studies.
Passed a national exam administered by Commission on Dietetic Registration.Complete continuing education requirements to maintain registration.
There's a saying that goes: Is your nutritionist a Registered Dietitian? A Registered Dietitian can refer to themselves as a health coach, wellness coach, or a nutritionist; but a nutritionist and a health coach can not call themselves a registered dietitian.
Registered dietitians (RD’s) are trained in the scientific, pathophysiology, and nutritional therapy aspect of nutrition, but RD/RDN’s and also trained in diverse aspects of nutrition counseling. There are a variety of RD/RDN’s with education and expertise in culinary/food science, community nutrition, coaching, counseling, women’s health, clinical care, sports nutrition, etc. No matter what our professional practice area, we all have in common to support our clients in any way possible including empowering them to reach their highest potential possible by lifestyle and behavior changes. Registered Dietitians have a diverse background in the sciences which is extremely helpful in understanding and applying nutrition components to facilitate the appropriate lifestyle changes.
Health coaches and nutritionist programs/certifications receive a general/broad-based knowledge on nutrition, with less focus on the sciences and disease processes and applying specific medical nutrition therapy and focus on other therapies of care for the individual.
Sure can! You can directly subscribe to all updates from Zen & Spice by clicking here. You'll also get a copy of my free e-book, 15 Easy Veggie Sides once you confirm your subscription!
Visit my work with me page for more information!
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Have more questions? Send an email at [email protected] to have yours answered!