Today marks a very important day for the Global Health Initiative; it’s World Heart Day! World Heart Day was started in 2012 by the World Heart Federation to bring awareness to one of the most prevalent and concerning diseases in the world, cardiovascular disease (CVD).   CVD has become more prevalent in the United States…

Have you skipped a meal because a “diet” told you to?  Have you replaced meals with shakes or avoided entire food groups?  Do you restrict your favorite foods or force yourself to eat foods you don’t like because your “diet” says you should?   You may have fallen prey to the many fad diets out…

Today is the start of National Healthy Weight Week!   Celebrate National Healthy Weight Week by dropping the diet and picking up a few healthy habits instead! Healthy Weight Week is designed to change the conversation about health and weight. The purpose is to help people understand that health isn’t about the number on the…

Here we are again, embarking on a New Year.  While many people focus on resolutions, they tend to be short-lived and you end up with disappointing results.  A New Year means new beginnings and it can be the perfect time to start setting short-term goals that will be attainable.  Goal-setting will only be successful if…

Winter is coming and I am are here to let you know all the ways you can BOOST your immune system just by walking down the aisles of your supermarket. The flu and common colds are among us all winter long, but did you know that there are many things you can do at home…

September is National Cholesterol Education Month!  It’s the perfect time to learn what cholesterol is and to get tips to help lower your cholesterol.   Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is needed in the body to make hormones, Vitamin D, and is found in every cell in the body.  It maintains the integrity of…

The debate between using artificial sweeteners or sugar in coffee, tea, desserts, etc. has been going on for quite some time.   Artificial sweeteners gained their popularity for being a low-calorie alternative to sugar, while still being just as sweet or sweeter.  However, when they first gained popularity, little was known about any possible side effects…

Bend Over Backwards for Milk!   One of the health highlights of May is that it is National Osteoporosis Prevention Month. It is estimated that 10 to 54 million Americans have osteoporosis, with 80% of cases being women.   Bones are living, growing tissue and osteoporosis occurs when there is bone loss or too little…

Ah, sweet, sweet peas!  Green peas are my personal favorite and they are now in season so we can enjoy them when they have the best flavor (and are least expensive, which is always a plus).   Did you know that green peas are part of the legume family?  Green peas happen to be overlooked…

I think most of us can say that we feel stressed far more often than we would like to admit. Our day-to-day lives- from work, family life, etc.- are filled with stressors and can get a little bit chaotic. With all that stress surrounding us, it is important to take a step back every once…

These edamame pods are great as an appetizer, snack or side dish. They are crunchy, flavorful and fun to eat. Substitute a serving of these when you need a snack and you’ll never crave potato chips again!

This is a quick salad to assemble that makes a refreshing side dish to any meal.

I used to think that celery was the dullest of all of the vegetables. I used to resent its mild, watery flavor. Who knows, perhaps it was an immature palate that steered me away from celery. But boy things have changed. April is National Celery Month and a great time to start making healthy food…

Lack of a good night’s sleep is not something that goes unnoticed. You probably experience the consequences right away. The morning is rough, you wake up groggy and lethargic. No amount of coffee can keep you running until lunch.   Sleep is the one thing that everyone needs but that most people take for granted….

Peanuts are one of America’s favorite snacks. You probably can picture yourself at a baseball game, digging your hand into a bag of nuts, cracking the shell and enjoying the sweet, salty taste of peanuts.   March is National Peanut Month That’s right a whole month dedicated to the perfect little peanut! National Peanut Week…

  Every year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics designates the month of March as National Nutrition Month. This honorary month was established to educate and celebrate the benefits of making healthy choices. Of course if it were up to me, every month would be National Nutrition Month. But hopefully you’ll find ways to take…

The Superfood, Spinach It seems that your mother may have been on to something when she told you to “eat your spinach” for dinner! Spinach is bursting with healthful properties including being an excellent source of a slew of vitamins and minerals. This delicate green is high in antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamin K, vitamin A, iron,…

If you have been following my recipe posts for a while, you probably figured out by now that I love balancing different flavors and textures to blend together into one harmonious dish. This spinach salad is true to that theme. The sweetness of the dates and the strawberries blend beautifully with the slight bitterness of the spinach and the saltiness of the nuts. Because the dressing is warm when poured over the spinach, it slightly wilts the leaves, taking away their slightly raw and bitter taste. All the while keeping it fresh and crunchy with all of the nutrients intact.

This dish is an explosion of antioxidants and nutrients from both the orange carotenoids in the sweet potato and the green chlorophyll in the spinach. The spinach and sweet potato complement each other beautifully in this dish that makes a wonderfully cozy side dish or appetizer.

Hi everyone! My name is Jackie LiPera and I’m a dietetic graduate student on Long Island. I work alongside Bonnie to develop wonderful nutrition-driven ideas and resources for you guys. I wrote this blog to give you some ideas on what you can do with your extra day this leap year.   We all have…