What’s new for breakfast? Break free of your rut with these tasty and nutritious alternatives.

By Lauren Harris-Pincus, MD, RDN

LaurenIt’s easy to fall into a home cooking rut. Many of us cycle through the same handful of recipes, made with the same ingredients, week after week. Here is something new to add to the rotation that your entire family will love: sorghum.

Sorghum needs to become a household ingredient. It’s filled with nutrients and user-friendly, even if you’ve never tried it before. And while it is versatile enough to use for any meal, most people are surprised to learn there are many ways to enjoy it at breakfast. These include my favorite Strawberry Vanilla Sorghum Parfait and another family favorite, Apple Cinnamon Raisin Sorghum Bake. Sorghum can also be used as a substitute for oatmeal or other cereals. Just add almond milk, cinnamon, vanilla and a little sweetener. (more…)

Running on Empty

By Dr. Trina Moore-Southall

trinaWhen I was in college, I had no money to spare. I quickly recognized how much money it took to fill my gas tank, and how many miles I could drive until I was empty. I was also keenly aware that Betsy, my 1988 Ford Escort, could drive for 7 miles after she hit empty. I sometimes parked my car 3-4 miles away from my apartment or from my job, or campus, and I would walk to my destination. This was not a good decision for the overall maintenance of my car, and I often drove on empty. I found myself praying that I could get to the gas station if I was approaching 7 miles past empty.

In the last few weeks, I have been 7 miles past empty. There is no gas station in sight. Some of what has taken away from my tank, is being a mother of two Black men. The mileage required for this role is unexplainable. The visibility of racial inequity and injustice across multiple platforms and media has stolen from my tank. The gas required to show up in predominantly white spaces and continue to operate when I am mourning, sad, hurt, and defeated has emptied my tank. (more…)

What’s your exit plan after staying at home for months?

By Dr. Ara Suppiah, MD

araIf you’ve been cooped up eating comfort foods and binge watching TV for the last few months, chances are your body could use some TLC about now. Losing weight and getting back in shape can seem overwhelming. But emergency room and sports medicine physician Ara Suppiah reminds us, “The reason why people give up is because they focus on how far they have to go instead of how far they have come.” 

A map is useless without a starting point
In his book, “Lose Weight & Feel Great Forever, an insider’s prescription to turbocharge your life now,” Suppiah provides a self-assessment quiz to help set your personal health GPS on a path toward wellness. The questions cover everything from diet, sleep habits and stress levels to relationships, exercise habits and whether you suffer from such things as allergies, gastrointestinal problems or anxiety.  (more…)

Hunger for Awareness Spreads Awareness About Eating Disorders

By Leila Shadgou
leila shadgouSocial media has grown to become a toxic environment for young generations, perpetuating narrow ideals. Unfortunately, this further institutes unattainable standards that lead impressionable individuals to manipulate their bodies to fit these “perfect” expectations. In effect, promoting edited images has produced a spike in concerns over body image and weight, forming a direct link to anxiety, eating disorders, and depression among social media users. This is a serious problem. If left unsolved, people will continue to alter their bodies in an unhealthy manner to reach an archetype that simply doesn’t exist. In order to eliminate this destructive cycle, Hunger for Awareness aims to have every person’s voice heard through normalizing discussion about these personal issues. (more…)

Colleges Go Test Optional

Do your kids still need to take the Sat/ACT?

By Erik Klass

First of all, and most importantly, I hope everyone is healthy and keeping safe. As you may have heard, an increasing number of colleges are changing their admission requirements to “test optional” (regarding the SAT/ACT). Many of our clients have been asking about how this may impact their own SAT/ACT planning. I hope the following information answers the common questions.

Do I have to take the SAT/ACT?
Many colleges, including the UC schools, are now making the SAT/ACT optional for fall 2021 applicants (current high school juniors). I suspect many other colleges will follow suit. However, be careful: as of this writing, most colleges still require one of the standardized tests. My advice: unless you are sure all of your target colleges will go test-optional (which, I admit, is hard to figure out while things are still changing quickly), I think you should plan to take one of the tests. (more…)

Permission to Say YES to Your Desires, Because it Makes You a Better Mom

By Gina DeVee

When mothers hear about my lifestyle of running my business while traveling the world, the thought arises: “Well Gina, YOU can do that because you don’t have kids.” Admittedly, the second part is true. However, the idea that my lack of children is the enabling factor for my fabulous lifestyle couldn’t be more false. I know because I’ve worked with hundreds of mama-preneurs who have proven the opposite: in the 21st century, a woman can truly have it all (including elite frequent flyer status), even with toddlers and teenagers in the house.

At the same time, I completely understand why most mothers are convinced their dreams must wait until retirement (or at least until pre-k starts). From the moment we give birth till long after the kiddos are dressing themselves, it’s expected that we put ourselves last. In fact, the average woman tends to fall near the bottom of her own priority list even if she’s never thought of getting pregnant. It’s simply how we’ve been conditioned to survive and stay “safe” in the world. In our male-dominated culture, we’ve been taught that we must give tirelessly to prove our worth. We’ve learned that taking care of ourselves or indulging our desires is “selfish.” And thanks to all these untrue stories, we’ve unnecessarily cut ourselves off from receiving what we really want in life. (more…)

Proper Supplementation How to boost your immune system during the Covid pandemic.

By Daniella the Dietitian

I have always been a strong believer that food is medicine. Balanced nutrition with abundance of fruits and vegetables should always be the forefront of any diet. However supplements can also play an important role in not only enhancing your bone, heart and immune health but reversing conditions such as elevated triglycerides, anemia, hypertension, diarrhea, bariatric deficiencies and vegan B-12 deficiency.

People are always asking me about what supplements I recommend (prenatal, immunity, heart health, energy etc.). Since the FDA does NOT regulate supplements, like they do medicine, it is very important to find a company that does purity testing and that’s proven safe. After extensive research I have discovered Shaklee. This Californian company has been around over 60 years, more importantly they have surpassed US pharmacopeia screening standards for contaminants, pesticides and impurities. Scientist, peer reviews and the famous Landmark Study have shown that their supplements have increased biomarkers of heart, brain, and cognitive health in their users. Shaklee follows a non-GMO policy and produces over 100,000 quality control tests yearly! Plus the majority of the nutritional line is Kosher Star-K. They also stand behind their products with a 100% money back guarantee. For these reasons, I feel confident as a dietitian recommending this product line. (more…)

How to Manage Homeschooling

Tips from a homeschooling mom of four and social emotional learning specialist

By Sofia Dickens

Sofia DickensWith over 50 million kids at home, we’re all trying to make sense of this new reality as moms. How can I make sure my kids don’t fall behind academically? How can I get anything done around here? And how can I help my kids get along in close quarters?

I want to share some friend-to-friend perspective to give you confidence when asking yourself those “how” (or should I say WTF) questions.

Even for those of us who are fortunate enough to have online learning already up and running, there are many hours in the day, and plenty of minutes to dedicate to worrying about your kids getting “enough” of what they need. So I’d like to take a minute to help reframe your thinking about education in order to free you from some of that worry! (more…)

We’re Homebound: How to Keep Kids Safe Online

By Dr. Gail Dines

Gail DinesWith workplaces shuttered and schools closed for an indeterminate period, many of us are sheltering at home. It’s no surprise that screens will become a central pastime. Young people, especially, will miss their friends, may feel anxious, and will be seeking entertainment and distraction. Young people are especially vulnerable to porn, which is available for free 24/7 vi
a smartphones and on teen platforms like Snapchat and Instagram. We want to make sure you have the tools and tips for keeping your kids safe.

One of the simplest ways to take stock of which conversations we need to have with our kids about online safety is to ask when, where, what, why, and how? Culture Reframed recommends these 5 ways to keep your kids safe on social media: (more…)

Educator Shares Tips on Thriving During Homeschool

By Nathalie Kunin

Nathalie KuninWhen the Great Plague of London hit in the late 1600s, Isaac Newton was sent home from school as a precaution. At home, he developed many of his most famous concepts, from the beginnings of calculus to theories on optics. And whether he sat under an apple tree or not, it was during this time that he articulated the theory of gravity.

Today, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended our daily routines and has forced many of us to stay home and work digitally. Countless schools have temporarily closed and transitioned to online platforms. These are certainly challenging times but there is some guidance from stories such as Newton’s. Coupled with the abundance of online tools at our disposal, our child’s time at home can remain fruitful and fulfilling. (more…)