Ursula Ridens, RD Inc.

09/08/2022

Just in case anyone needs a reminder today! I received this from a meditation class a couple years ago and here it hangs on my computer screen. I struggle with practicing meditation regularly but breathing deeply I can do! And I feel so much better when I do.

09/02/2022

Get your kids cooking in the kitchen early! So glad we did! Enjoyed this meal made by our 19 year old daughter last night ❤️ —> homemade meatballs with gravy, mashed potatoes, broccolini, tri-colored carrots and corn. Super delish. So proud.

08/27/2022

Repurposed smoked BBQ meatloaf dinner —-> crazy amazing smoked meatloaf sandwiches 2 nights later with citrus coleslaw. Love dinners, cooking, and enjoying food.

08/03/2022

I’m no fancy chef but I sure love getting creative making pizza! This one turned out delish —> BBQ prosciutto with arugula, red onion, and herbed goat cheese! Super simple using pre-rolled dough.

06/27/2022

I’ve always felt intimidated by the idea of making bread but this one is so totally doable and yummy —-> Dutch Oven Jalapeño Cheddar Bread. Give it a whirl! Recipe in comments. Don’t be afraid to try making something new — you might just surprise yourself with your talent and creativity!

06/26/2022

True story —> I was in Costco recently and overheard someone say “I wish they sold bags of gluten cause I’d add it to everything that’s gluten-free.” I couldn’t help myself and gave a big 👍. This dietitian eats gluten. I know many dietitians who eat gluten. I do also like some gluten-free foods (like quinoa, rice - yep, even white rice! 🍚, oats, corn tortillas 🌮 - ooh, especially freshly made in Mexico) but not because of the popular gluten-free trend but instead because I enjoy their taste! Choose whatever grains you love ❤️ rather than limiting yourself based on fads.

06/19/2022

Choose clothes that…
*Feel comfortable to wear
*Keep you warm when it’s cold out
*Cool you down when it’s hot
*Feature colors and styles that you love
*Let you move and breathe

Who cares what size they are!

06/12/2022

Smoked pork loin (for days…9 lbs!) on the with grilled veggies on the with a little heat with .pepper and Japanese BBQ sauce. Now to repurpose the leftover pork loin = BBQ pork sandwiches, pork loin arugula breakfast scramble, pork and pineapple grain bowls. That’ll work!

06/11/2022

You don’t need that device (today, tomorrow, or any day). Deciding what to eat or how much to eat based on the scale takes you further away from relearning how to read and listen to your innate hunger and fullness cues. You don’t need to subject yourself to the scale telling you if you’ve been good or bad or if you’re “on track.” Free up space - in your bathroom, in your mind, and in your life - by trashing your scale.

06/10/2022

Start your day with this! Thoughts are a form of energy. Bring on the positive thoughts and feel the positive energy. As much as I consider myself a positive thinker, I can also find myself sitting in doubt from time to time. Time to get excited for all the things that ARE going right and WILL go right in the future!

05/31/2022

Are you hard on yourself when you aren’t eating “healthy”? Does this sound familiar? —> “I can’t believe I screwed up again?” “Well, that totally ruined my day!” Being critical shuts the door to self-compassion and gaining an understanding of the why behind the eating behavior - both of which move you closer to positive self-care. Being curious brings opportunity to learn something important — that maybe you had a tough day and your brain was trying to find relief, maybe that your body was just trying to tell you it hadn’t had enough to eat earlier in the day, or perhaps that sometimes it’s ok to eat more because it tastes so good. You are human. Stop trying to eat perfect…it doesn’t exist. Try my motto — Be Curious, Not Critical.

05/29/2022

Smash Burgers on the Blackstone tonight. Extra tasty when you’re at the beach in Baja cooking and sharing food with family. What are you cooking this holiday weekend?

05/27/2022

Got making these gooey delicious pizzas on the Pit Boss Grill! Smoked chicken BBQ pizza with red onion + gorgonzola = yum. Chicken with sun dried tomato + fresh herbed mozzarella balls + basil = double-yum. Thankful for my husband = the Pit Boss Master 😊. Enjoy food without guilt.

02/01/2020

If you're stuck in the dieting cycle, checking out the anti-diet -- Intuitive Eating -- is a must. I feel blessed to have trained with Evelyn Tribole and to be able to share these nuggets with all my clients.

Ban the scale. Eat your favorite foods until they no longer have power over you. Heal your relationship with your body. And welcome to the decades old but now trendy anti-diet called intuitive eating.

01/17/2020

Agreed! Remove weight focus from healthcare. If you are working on changing lifestyle habits, do it from a place of self-care and well-being, not weight phobia. "...researchers found that weight discrimination did not encourage folks to lose weight. In fact, weight discrimination was found to promote weight gain and even the onset of obesity."

Your overall health is more than just one number. For many years, health professionals have debated if you can be healthy and overweight. And it's a debate that we're continuing to have today. While there's no one "right" answer, experts today seem to agree that being "skinny" doesn't automatically....

01/12/2020

Science is proving the benefits of being grateful ❤. We can all benefit...physically and emotionally. "The more you look, the more you can find to be grateful for." Certainly we can all spare a couple of seconds each day to express gratitude, right?! Silently or aloud, to ourselves or one another. Today, I'm grateful for taking time 🕑 to slow down. How about you?

Neuroscientists have found that if you really feel it when you say it, you'll be happier and healthier. The regular practice of expressing gratitude is not a New Age fad; it's a facet of the human condition that reaps true benefits to those who mean it.

01/09/2020

At the beginning of a new year, we're often bombarded by messages or thoughts to "get healthy" or change our body. Here are some tips I wrote for Sharp HealthCare and Sharp Grossmont Hospital to navigate all the crazy information.

Registered dietitian Ursula Ridens gives tips for sorting through health information online.

01/07/2020

Great article on protecting our little one's from diet culture. Let's teach them that they don't need to fix or change their body or avoid foods they enjoy!
And perfect timing as this comes on the heals of my 9 year old son asking "Mom, if I don't sleep enough will I crave garbage food?" My antennas went up. We never label foods in our house so I was curious where he heard that. He shared he heard it on a commercial (ugh, so frustrating). Led to some great discussion about how food cravings aren't bad and might occur when we really like a food or if one avoids the foods they enjoy.

Here’s how you can help your child be resilient in the face of rampant food- and body-shaming.