Jennifer Raines Felten RD

06/24/2025

“In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.” John Muir
What a fabulous day we had in Muir Woods. The redwoods are majestic! I thought of you with your forest bathing programs 💚

06/22/2025

Amazing 100% Plant-based restaurant find tonight in San Francisco! I ordered from the seasonal menu ~ green pea and asparagus ricotta raviolis. I’m inspired to use peas more, they are simple, protein rich, and versatile.

06/13/2025

VACATION! The value of vacation extends beyond just fun and leisure, it’s helpful for both mental and physical health. Stepping away from the daily grind provides a chance to re-group, revitalize, and mitigate the impacts of stress. Getting there can be hard - stepping away from work, home needs, pets and more, but we should take them seriously! This beautiful picture is from my family’s trip to Hawaii, but I am headed to California 🏝️☀️!

05/20/2025

ACV - Apple Cider Vinegar - A question that comes up frequently often in sessions, is it worth it? It is touted for everything from weight loss, lowering blood sugar, gut health, skin and more! There is some evidence that the acid slows down the breakdown of starches to glucose in your bloodstream, so it can potentially lower glucose (at least temporarily and help blunt spikes) and having blood sugar managed does help with weight management, and the raw variety contains some helpful nutrients and is full of natural probiotic bacterias good for your digestive system. I would NOT recommend the capsules as they probably don’t contain a potent enough serving AND more is not better (more than 1 tbsp daily could be damaging to your teeth, could displace other nutrients and cause gastric issues). All kinds of vinegar contain the acid to help with glucose, but the flavored ones are going to contain some added sugars and it is the raw ACV that has some of the other benefits. I think the best way to incorporate vinegar into the diet with frequency is on fresh veggies. Others acids can work as well, such as squeezing lemon on veggies or in water. My favorite is blueberry or fig balsamic vinegar, it does have added sugars, but just a tad bit goes a long way and no other dressing is needed.

04/27/2025

04/06/2025

Too sweet not to share! My niece got married last night and these curious creatures attended the whole ceremony! It was a chilly, but beautiful night. My niece was stunning and their celebration was spectacular! 💕

03/20/2025

A perfect nippy March night for some Holupchi (Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls)! Last Spring I reached out to family members to contribute recipes for my niece that was getting married. I’m just getting around to preparing some! Our family has some roots in Ukraine 🇺🇦 and this was one of many I received from a dear cousin way up in Canada 🇨🇦 I substituted quinoa for rice, added mushrooms, and topped with walnuts. See comments for the recipe. It’s a simple and inexpensive way to get in a cruciferous vegetable (cabbage) - rich in fiber, vitamin C, and sulfur compounds helpful for detoxification and might have cancer protective benefits. Anyone have a family recipe to share?

02/25/2025

02/14/2025

Send your gut some love on this Valentine’s Day! Just a few samplings of foods that help harness our own production of GLPs (the key hormone that the popular weight loss drugs are designed to mimic!!). ❤️

01/06/2025

The new year is a great time to replenish the spice cabinet. I buy dried herbs and spices in the bulk section at Sprouts and re-use the plastic bags I have already labeled with the product and the pull #. This grocery trip takes some time, so you have to plan for it, but it is less wasteful of bottles and helps stay on top of what is out and needs refilling. Herbs and spices are not only fragrant and visually appealing, they are a simple nutrition boost and can help reduce salt intake if needed. Easy additions might be tossing sesame seeds on salad, adding saffron to rice, fennel seeds to marinara sauce, cinnamon to sweet potatoes or waffle/pancake batter, rosemary and garlic to potatoes or cumin and garlic powder to black beans. The combinations are endless and it just takes practice to make the inclusion a habit.

01/02/2025

Another fabulous Kroger deal! Yes, these are a bit of a pain to crack, but also a bit therapeutic. I always try to buy shelled nuts this time of year and leave some out on the counter to crack and enjoy and freeze the rest. healthyfats

01/01/2025

To Juice or to Blend? Preferably both! They both have their benefits and I couldn’t resist juicing these beautiful, seasonal oranges gifted to me. Thank you Kim! Juicing concentrates the nutrients, which can increase the bioavailability for quicker absorption and potentially provide a quicker dose of energy. It’s also easier for people with impaired digestion. However, the beneficial fibers are lost and can create a blood sugar spike. So here my family enjoyed the tasty, sweet juice, but then added the discarded pulp to my traditional smoothie of blended fruits, veggies, nuts/seeds and herbs. Both were delicious!