New Faculty Member

We are happy to have on board with us a new assistant professor, Kyndra Pedrino.  Functioning as our Clinical Coordinator, she is in charge of placing our students for their clinical, community, and administrative practical affiliations all over California as well as in other states. She started working with us almost a month ago. Ms. Pedrino possesses an array of assets, which includes vibrant energy, a beautiful smile, and a passion to partake in the education of tomorrow's dietitians.

Prior to taking on her new post here at LLU, we had been already familiar with Ms. Pedrino. Back then, she impressed us with her leadership skills. She is a graduate of our program and completed her masters of nutrition and dietetics science degree in 2011.

Shortly after graduation, Ms. Pedrino passed the Registered Dietitian (RD) exam, which immediately opened up doors of opportunity for her. Officially working as an RD, she first worked at the Women, Infants, and Children clinic in Lake Elsinore as a Degree Nutritionist. She then proceeded to work at Palm Springs Unified School District as the Nutrition Education Project Manager.

Later this year in November, Ms. Pedrino and her fiancee, David, will be joining their lives together. We wish them both many blessings as they begin this new chapter in their lives.

Photography and traveling are a few of the activities, Ms. Pedrino loves to do. Cook-offs with her fiancee is a favorite past time for the two of them, while they invite friends to be the judges. In the past, Ms. Pedrino enjoyed being involved with her church's high school group and hopes to be involved again in the future. Other future goals for Ms. Pedrino includes expanding their family once David and her are married and to start on the long and challenging journey of completing a PhD. In the meantime, Ms. Pedrino loves being an aunt to her three nephews and one niece.

Ms. Pedrino covered a lot of ground and experience in the past two years since she completed her degree and we are blessed to have her back...and this time, as our colleague. 

Beet Green Pesto Recipe

By Cory Gheen, Excecutive Chef Instructor

Portions: 4

Ingredients:
Amount                        Item
1 bunch                                        Beet Greens
2 oz                             Parmesan Cheese, not grated
1/2 cup                        Cashews, lightly toasted and cooled
3 tbsp                          Olive Oil
Pinch                           Salt

Method:
Shock the beet greens by holding the entire bunch by the stems and plunging the leaves into boiling salted water for two seconds. Immediately remove and plunge into a bowl water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Break the parmesan into pieces and put in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Process until the cheese is pulverized.

Add the nuts and process again until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

Remove the beet greens from the cold water and shake off any excess moisture.

Pull the leaves from the stems and discard the stems.

Add all the greens to the nut/cheese mixture in the processor.

With the machine running slowly, stream in the oil.

Process until a paste is formed. If the paste is too thick, add a tablespoon of water then more oil until your desired consistency is reached.

Taste for proper seasoning and adjust with a bit of salt if needed.

Serve over fresh cooked pasta or spread on toasted bread.

Keep remainder in a sealed container in refrigeration for up to three days.

Enjoy!

Featured Whole Food

Mexican Grande Avocado from my tree at home.

Many patients have told me over the years that they try to stay away from avocados, because it is "fattening".  Well, the truth is, the fruit itself does not make anyone fat. The honest truth is that avocados do contain a high amount of fat. The good news is that the type of fat this fruit contains is mostly monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fat is the heart healthy fat that does help in lowering our bad cholesterol. Therefore, no need to fear eating avocados JUST as long as it is consumed in moderation. (You'll notice that "moderation" is a word I love to use in talking about food.)  Another important nutrient avocados contain is potassium. Avocados contain a good amount of this important nutrient.  Potassium is involved in muscle activity. We lose potassium through producing sweat from running for more than an hour doing other prolonged aerobic activities.

For a post meal after those long runs, include avocados in small pieces in your salad.  Although avocado is considered a fruit, because it doesn't taste sweet, it lends itself to tasting more like a vegetable. Avocados also do taste delicious in a sandwich. Don't be afraid of the avocados!  Your heart will be thankful you had some. One more thing, there are a wide variety of avocados out there, so explore the wonderful world of avocados if you haven't already.

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What is your favorite way of enjoying avocados?

Cardiac Climb

Written by Louise Schneider, DrPH, RD


The sense of accomplishment when you are able to achieve a lot of things is addicting and I find I acquire enthusiasm when able to do more than one thing at once, since it helps me feel so proficient.  You know what I mean: to cook a pot of soup while you are pushing clothes through the laundry; to have something baking in the oven while you update your address book or press a tablecloth; and to head up an incline while you are out getting your exercise adds to the glow on your cheeks, the exhilaration when you complete the task, the pleasure of relishing the next meal as the appetite is sharpened.

We got away from this daily endeavor for a time, but now my husband and I are back doing the cardiac climb out in the hills of Loma Linda.  We have a route we follow that takes us on a trail up the hill but instead of going straight up, it inclines for a time, levels off and then the trail rises up again.  For the bliss of doing two things at once (and the fact that my husband had a birthday), I purchased a pedometer for him and bought one for myself at the same time.  I now know that the total amount of steps on this “Cardiac Climb”, is  4,000 steps from my door and back on the short route and on weekends when we have more time, we take the longer route, and when we do this, my new pedometer says there are 5,000 steps, start to finish.

Statistics say that sedentary Americans typically walk an average of 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day.  Research shows that if you walk 6,000 steps a day you significantly reduce risk for death and 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day promotes weight loss. 

 
          For further reading:
1. Tudor-Locke C, Bassett DR Jr. How many steps/day are enough? Preliminary pedometer indices for public health. Sports Med. 2004; 34(1):1-8.
2. McDermott AY, Mernitz H, Exercise and Older Patients: Prescribing Guidelines. Am Fam Physician 2006;74:437-44.
3. Hill JO, Wyatt HR, Reed GW, Peters JC. Obesity and the Environment: Where Do We Go From Here? Science 2003; 299:853-855.

Featured Dietetic Graduate

 Written by JeJe Noval

Most days of the week, oatmeal is an important part of my breakfast meals. Let's revisit the goodness of oatmeal and be reminded why it is good for us. Here, one of our dietetic students, Robert Esparza, shares with us some nutrition bits about oatmeal.

Robert Esparza graduated with his MS in nutrition and dietetics this past June.  Loma Linda University is proud to call him an alumnus.  Robert was an outstanding student with great work ethic and will make a wonderful contribution to the world of nutrition.

Enjoy the goodness of oatmeal and make it a part of your healthy lifestyle!

If you are interested in becoming a registered dietitian, please visit Loma Linda University's website. www.llu.edu/nutrition.

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What is your favorite morning cereal and why?



Upgrade Your Mashed Potatoes

Written by JeJe Noval
 
We're starting our blog once again and this time, we are committed to keeping it going strong!  To start the blog over again, Chef Cory Gheen has a word of advice for your mashed potatoes...

· Upgrade your mashed potatoes. Sautee small diced root vegetables (carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, celery root, etc.) in oil until they just begin to caramelize. Then add them to cooked potatoes just before mashing and continue making your potatoes as normal. The added ingredients will impart their unique flavors and add a kick to your mash.

Thank you, Chef Cory, for the advice!

Cheers to you and your family!

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Any tips you'd like to share when you make mashed potatoes?