The Food Sommelier Podcast

In this tasty episode, I interview Monica Reinagel, The Nutrition Diva. Join us as we sift through the science and the silliness, separate food fact from food fiction, and offer an unique spin on the art of eating well. MONICA REINAGEL, MS, LDN, CNS Monica Reinagel, MS,LDN, CNS is a board-certified, licensed nutritionist and professionally trained chef. Her “sane and scientific” approach and “foodie-friendly” advice is regularly featured on the TODAY show, Dr. Oz, CBS News, Morning Edition, and in the nation’s leading newspapers, magazines, and websites. Monica is the author of six books, including Nutrition Diva’s Secrets for a Healthy Diet, The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan, and How to Win at Losing and creator of the weekly Nutrition Diva podcast, one of iTunes’ most highly ranked health and fitness podcasts since its debut in 2008.Monica’s professional affiliations include the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,

Today we’re talking with my good friend Katie Karcher Lyman about Weight Watchers. If you’re thinking about losing weight, then look no further than this episode for motivation! Today we’re talking with my good friend Katie Karcher Lyman about her journey with Weight Watchers. Katie has gone through a personal transformation this past year using Weight Watchers, which as a program, has recently changed it’s focus. The program has been reinvigorated, especially with the introduction of Oprah Winfrey as the company’s spokesperson. If you’re thinking about losing weight, then look no further than this episode for motivation!  Katie even has the Food Sommelier convinced – I started Weight Watchers this week and so far am finding it to the easiest “diet” plan I’ve ever been on!  Note, the word “Diet” is in quotes as this is not a “diet” but a mindset/lifestyle shift. WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE… 00:00– Food Sommelier show introduction. 00:33- Introduction of Katie and why we’re talking about Weight Watchers 01:35 – Katie’s upbringing and personal struggles 03:00 – Katie’s earlier attempts at weight loss with Weight Watchers and other programs 04:00 – Reasons and motivation for losing weight in the past 05:15 – Things Katie has learned participating in Weight Watchers about losing and maintaining “I no longer go on a diet. I simply change the way I eat.” – Katie

Imperfect Produce tackles one of America’s biggest sources of food waste: the farm, where 20% of fresh fruits and vegetables are thrown away because of minor cosmetic deficiencies.  ABOUT IMPERFECT PRODUCE: Imperfect was started by three national leaders in food waste. The Bens — Ben Chesler and Ben Simon — two of Imperfect’s co-founders, four years ago co-founded Food Recovery Network (FRN), an organization that galvanizes student volunteers to recover wasted food from their campus dining halls and donate it to those in need. Together, the Bens grew FRN to become the largest student led food waste movement in the country. Ron Clark, Imperfect’s third co-founder, worked with the California Association of Food Banks for 15 years, leading their Farm to Family program and building relationships with farmers across California. They united to tackle one of America’s biggest sources of food waste: the farm, where we throw away 20% of fresh fruits and vegetables because of minor cosmetic deficiencies. We buy that produce from farmers, box it up, and deliver it directly to homes at a huge discount. ABOUT EVAN… Evan grew up in Amherst, MA, a lovely New England town with great character and intellectual enthusiasm. He eagerly seeks to fill up all of his free time with an array of group activities — music, sports, reading (reading can be a group activity!), hiking,

Tune in to learn how to appreciate leafy green vegetables and start describing your next salad as deliciously as you describe your favorite glass of red wine! I created the Food Sommelier podcast because I want to prove that eating healthy can be delicious. I want people to be as excited about leafy green vegetables as they are about wine.  Some of us shudder at the memory of being force fed spinach by our mothers, but we know now that she had good intentions. Leafy green vegetables are the healthiest things we can eat! Rich in Vitamins K, C, and most of the Bs, eating leafy greens every day helps improve brain function, eye sight, and bone strength. So why do some of us still have a hard time eating our greens? If you remember my first interview on the show, Dr. Edgar Chambers talked about his research into creating a lexicon for leafy green flavors. He and his team of students developed a quantifiable list of terms to describe the 32 different flavor attributes of leafy green vegetables. On today’s episode, I am breaking down this lexicon and explaining to you how leafy green vegetables taste great. Tune in to hear the lexicon and start describing your next salad as deliciously as you describe your favorite glass of red wine. “A lot of healthy foods have some bitter flavors in them.” WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE… 0:44 Leafy Green Veggie Appreciation! 1:23 My Favorite Movie Quote (from the movie Sideways) 2:47 Wouldn’t it be great if we could get jazzed up about veggies like we do about wine? 3:12 My sommelier experience at my liquor store compared to my experience at the grocers 5:26 The consumption of wine has doubled, but the consumption of healthy food is down to 10% 6:30 What are the wine wheel and the beer wheel? 7:00 Official definition of ‘Lexicon’ 7:25 Did you know there’s an official lexicon for leafy greens? 8:00 Dr. Edgar Chambers’ paper ‘The Lexicon’ describes fresh...

In this tasty episode, Annette and her sidekick Gail critique the flavor and nutritional content of 4 Skinnylicious® options at The Cheesecake Factory. Listen here to find out what you should be ordering! All healthy dining reviews are comprised of 3 segments: 1) restaurant background 2) eating experience and 3) nutrition evaluation.  ENTREES REVIEWED IN THE EPISODE ARE: SKINNYLICIOUS® VEGGIE BURGER: A Delicious “Burger” Made with Brown Rice, Farro, Mushrooms, Black Beans & Onion. Served on a Toasted Bun with Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Pickles & Mayo. Served with a Green Salad ($11.50) SKINNYLICIOUS® CHICKEN ENCHILADAS: Covered with Our Red Chile Sauce and Melted Cheese. Served with Escabeche Vegetable Salad ($13.95) TUSCAN CHICKEN: Grilled Chicken Breast with Tomatoes, Artichokes, Capers, Fresh Basil and Balsamic Vinaigrette. Served Over Fresh Vegetables and Farro ($16.50) GRILLED STEAK MEDALLIONS: Certified Angus Beef® Served with Fresh Asparagus, Shiitake Mushrooms, Sauteed Cherry Tomatoes, Crushed Croutons, Mashed Potatoes and Madeira Wine Sauce ($16.50) WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE…

Discover the taste of good health this holiday season without feeling deprived.  In this episode, The Food Sommelier will teach you everything you wanted to know about Cinnamon and more! Learn: * Where does cinnamon come from & the different types available * How you can describe the taste of cinnamon * Which types are best used for what purpose * A historical perspective on cinnamon * Some healthy benefits and watch-outs WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE… Why is Cinnamon is one of the most popular spices of the season? (0:48) All the aspects of Cinnamon we’ll be discussing in today’s episode (1:20) Where does Cinnamon come from? The Cinnamomum tree! (2:10) Everything you need to know about the Cinnamomum tree (2:30) The use of the rare Cinnamon buds (3:15) The four species of culinary Cinnamon (4:45) The least expensive Cinnamon species you can use for your recipes (6:25) The popular uses for Indonesian and Vietnamese Cinnamon (7:00) The properties of Chinese Cinnamon (8:30) The properties of Sri Lankan Cinnamon (9:20) Why is Sri Lankan Cinnamon different from the other 3 species? (10:45) All the different taste levels of these four species of Cinnamon (12:00) Cook’s Illustrated Magazine tested different qualities of Cinnamons to find the best (13:50) The history of the Cinnamon spice (15:15) Great Greek myths about Cinnamon (17:35) How European invaders discovered the ‘Cinnamon Country’ in Sri Lanka (19:18) The health benefits of Cinnamon (20:34) How Cinnamon boosts brain function (23:22) Resources you can use to learn about more benefits of Cinnamon (23:45) A few negative health considerations regarding Cinnamon (24:05) European regulations on Cinnamon and how the Dutch are working around it (26:30) What is the Online Cinnamon Challenge? (28:01) My favorite Loony Spoon Cinnamon bun recipe (30:07) My trick for the best Cinnamon rolls (30:33) SOME OF THE RESOURCES DISCUSSED… Information on Cinnamon fro...

Discover the taste of good health this holiday season without feeling deprived.  In this episode, The Food Sommelier will teach you 10 key strategies to combat holiday weight gain, bloating, and sluggishness.  Feel great, be in control and ENJOY the season!   Learn how to:   * Become a food SNOB – some holiday treats are not worth eating! * Avoid common holiday mental traps! * Gain clarity on what’s really important this holiday season!  WHAT YOU’LL LEARN IN TODAY’S EPISODE… Why Annette is doing a healthy holiday eating episode  (0:50) The science behind holiday weight gain  (2:34) Mental roadblocks about holiday eating  (5:20) Top ten tips for having a healthy holiday  (6:30) Merry makeovers for 3 popular holiday foods  (15:18) Annette’s recipe for an eggnog smoothie  (16:54) ‘Twas the Month After Christmas poem  (17:55) RESOURCES DISCUSSED Free Gift:   Yanovski JA, Yanovski SZ, Sovik KN, Nguyen TT, O’Neil PM, Sebring NG. A Prospective Study of Holiday Weight Gain. The New England journal of medicine. 2000;342(12):861-867. Hull HR, Hester CN, Fields DA. The effect of the holiday season on body weight and composition in college students. Nutrition & Metabolism. 2006;3:44. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-3-44. Egg Nog Smoothie Recipe: Ingredients: * 1 frozen banana, peeled and cut into chunks * 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt * 1 cup light eggnog * Crushed ice to taste (about ¼ cup) * 1 teaspoon rum extract (or 1 ounce of real rum) * Garnish with freshly grated or ground nutmeg Instructions:  Add all ingredients to the blender in the ...

In this tasty episode, Annette and her sidekick Gail critique the flavor and nutritional content of the “Lighter choices” lunch options on the Chili’s Lighter Choices menu.  All healthy dining reviews are comprised of 3 segments: 1) restaurant background 2) eating experience and 3) nutrition evaluation.  ENTREES REVIEWED IN THE EPISODE ARE: Ancho Salmon: Seared chile-rubbed Atlantic salmon, drizzled with spicy citrus-chile sauce & topped with chopped cilantro & queso fresco. Served with citrus-chile rice & steamed broccoli.  $14.69 (note: our server tried to do us a favor by splitting the plate for Gail and I before serving so this photo is actually 1/2 the portion) 6 oz. Classic Sirloin* with Grilled Avocado: 100% USDA Choice sirloin with Chili’s seasoning & drizzled with spicy citrus-chile sauce, topped with grilled avocado slices, garlic roasted tomatoes & chopped cilantro. Served with NEW fresco salad. $12.19 Mango-Chile Tilapia: Tilapia seasoned with 6-pepper blend, drizzled with spicy habanero mango glaze & topped with chopped mango, cilantro, house-made pico de gallo & fresh diced sliced avocado. Served with citrus-chile rice & steamed broccoli. $10.79 Margarita Grilled Chicken: Margarita grilled chicken breast topped with house...

If you didn’t think taste testing was a science, think again! Sensory science is extremely important to the study of nutrition and public health, and my guest today is a professor at Bowling Green State University who is currently involved in numerous research projects investigating the role taste has on our food choice and our dietary needs. Dr. Robin Tucker is an Assistant Professor of Public & Allied Health, and I brought her on today not only to talk about her research, but also to tell you how you can start a career in nutrition. Whatever your interests, nutrition is such a wide field that you can be sure to find a realm of health and wellness that speaks to you. Robin: “I’m a big fan of moderation, so I try not to deny anything I would like to eat, but I do make sure I don’t over eat.” ABOUT DR. ROBIN TUCKER Before earning her PhD, Robin worked as a registered dietitian in a variety of positions, including in-patient clinical care, outpatient counseling, and public health.  She currently investigates the gustatory (taste) system’s influence on food choice, and she’s conducted studies around whether or not fatty acids are a taste stimuli and how the gustatory system responds to weight gain and sleep disturbances. Dr. Tucker also works to teach students successful research techniques to get them excited about learning,

An Insider’s View of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans with Dr. Cheryl Anderson.  In this healthy episode, I talk with Dr. Cheryl Anderson about the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans that will be published later this year. These guidelines help citizens like us keep tabs on our portion control, weight gain, and healthy living. And Cheryl is on the air today to tell us how these guidelines are developed and how she was chosen to help create these guidelines for the United States. Cheryl: “It’s about what’s the difference between dieting and lifestyle changes.” ABOUT CHERYL ANDERSON, PhD Cheryl is an Associate Professor of Preventive Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. She is trained in nutrition, epidemiology, health behavior and health education; and her research focuses on nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. Recent honors include serving on the 2015 US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and selection as a 2015 Emerging Leaders Fellow for the World Heart Federation. Click here for a link to a full list of Cheryl’s published work Cheryl: “Our environments aren’t built to be conducive for us to be moving.” WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE… How Cheryl got involved with nutrition and healthy living? (2:46)

In this episode of The Food Sommelier Podcast, I chat with Registered Dietitian Lauren Swann about pitfalls and politics around food labels and ingredient statements. ABOUT LAUREN SWANN, MS, RD Lauren’s unique background has creatively combined the dynamics of marketing communications and regulatory affairs — seasoned with a passion for cultural foodways — for an accomplished 30+ year track-record in nutrition communications. Her consulting business Concept Nutrition, Inc. offers strategies to effectively deliver accurate nutrition messages for industry, media and public health by providing food labeling advisory & nutrient analyses; marketing communications & freelance writing; and ethnic dietary practices consulting services. Whether it’s technical food science details, government regulations research, trends evaluation, campaign planning, freelance writing, or targeting consumer, trade, professional or specific subpopulation audience segments, she manages issues “where food policy, marketing trends and public health meet, intersect … or collide”. Highly experienced in applied food labeling regulations, she founded Concept Nutrition, Inc. in 1990 to meet needs for competitive marketplace positioning as well as government compliance following progressively responsible positions in the Kraft Foods Quality ...

In this tasty episode, Annette and her sidekick Gail critique the flavor and nutritional content of the “Lighter Italian Fare” lunch options on the Olive Garden lunch menu.  All healthy dining reviews are comprised of 3 segments: 1) restaurant background 2) eating experience and 3) nutrition evaluation.  ENTREES REVIEWED IN THE EPISODE ARE: Citrus Chicken Sorrento: Tender, grilled chicken breast in a citrus honey glaze, inspired by the Italian city of Sorrento, famous for its lemon groves. Served with lightly seasoned vegetables and artichokes. $11.99 Garden Primavera: A blend of fresh vegetables tossed with tri-colored vegetable penne in homemade basil garlic marinara. $9.49 (we added grilled shrimp for an additional $3.79) Garlic Rosemary Chicken: Marinated grilled chicken breast topped with garlic and rosemary. Served with garlic-parmesan mashed potatoes and spinach.  $11.49. Ravioli di Portobello: Ravioli filled with portobello mushrooms, topped with a creamy,

Tasty talk about Mangoes, Spinach and Dog Food with Dr. Edgar Chambers, Distinguished Professor and Director of the Sensory Analysis Center at Kansas State University.  ABOUT DR. EDGAR CHAMBERS Dr Edgar Chambers IV is Director of the Sensory Analysis Center and University Distinguished Professor of sensory analysis and consumer behavior at Kansas State University. He is Editor-in-Chief of both Journal of Sensory Studies and Beverages, past chair of both the Society of Sensory Professionals and the Sensory Division of ASTM International, and a recipient of the David R. Peryam Award. Dr Chambers is a U.S. delegate to the International Standards Organization committee on Sensory Evaluation. He has published more than 150 articles on sensory testing, consumer behavior, food safety, nutrition and dietary assessment, product development, and statistics. He consults extensively with industry around the world on product evaluation and consumer understanding. His expertise encompasses food products, packaging, personal care, textile, pharmaceutical, paint, fragrance, and other products. Before K-State, Dr. Chambers spent 8 years in industry, including 5 years as Manager of Sensory and Statistical Analyses at the world-headquarters of the Seven-Up Company. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

In this introductory episode, Annette Hottenstein (aka the Food Sommelier) will discuss what to expect from the Food Sommelier Podcast. Learn who the Food Sommelier is and check out the highlights of this brief introduction.  WHAT YOU WILL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE Why The Food Sommelier Podcast (0:41) What a sensory scientist is (2:11) What a sensory scientist is not (5:45) The Food Sommelier’s background (6:19) How to enjoy your food more by eating less (8:10) What is a Sommelier? (8:29) What to expect from The Food Sommelier Podcast (10:56) Some stats and trivia for you (11:55) Podcast frequency, length, and show notes (12:26) Closing words (13:34) THANKS FOR LISTENING! Thanks so much for joining me again this week. Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. Also, please leave an honest review for The Food Sommelier Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Until next time!