Welcome!
Pumpkin Pie Truffles - The recipe is on Ruthanne Bigley’s Instagram page thebigleybasics. You can make it with either raw honey or maple syrup, so no refined sugar and no cream and instead uses nut butter and coconut flour. I used an 81% dark chocolate to keep the refined sugar as low as I could.
As I continue my annual fall tradition of searching for a recipe to make a healthier homemade version of a pumpkin spice latte that actually tastes as good as the high sugar version from your local neighborhood barista, I tried instead to satisfy my pumpkin spice craving making these pumpkin truffles made with a super dark 81% chocolate.
I’m also still trying to catch up on my never ending task of website updates and found this press release over on the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health website. It was a little eye-opening to say the very least, that just now as in 2024, that “A professionally-diverse panel of medical and nutrition experts have proposed a set of recommended nutrition competencies for medical students and physician trainees.” It’s really hard knowing what I know now after everything I’ve read and heard through conferences, that there hasn’t been any prior required standard for “nutrition competencies” for med students. How is that possible?
Cheryl Leving
Founder, Research for Wellness
health resources with cancer survivors looking for support to create a healthy lifestyle plan moving forward after treatment.
If you have not been impacted by a cancer diagnosis, I hope this library of health-promoting resources
– including links to research studies, articles, apps, and other digital media content –
will inspire you on your own path to reduce cancer risk and create wellness!
Upcoming Free Online Events
How Gratitude Changes You and Your Brain
Livestream Panel Discussion via You Tube
Thursday, November 21, 2024
1:30 - 2:30 PM ET / 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM PT
Registration Required
This one-hour conversation “… will share insights into the psychological benefits of gratitude, along with practical techniques for people, and practitioners, to easily incorporate it into their day-to-day lives.”
Soy Essentials: Evidence-Based Insights
and Culinary Tips
Tuesday, December 3 - 1pm ET / 10am PT
Presented by Culinary Nutrition Collaborative
"CNC is pleased to host an upcoming webinar featuring Dr. Mark Messina who will outline research about the health impacts of soy foods, including key topics like seed (vegetable) oils and ultra-processed foods. Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Liz Weiss will provide practical tips and recipes for incorporating soy into meals, making it a delicious and nutritious addition to your cooking."
Wellness Research in the News
Nov. 7, 2024 Five minutes of exercise a day could lower blood pressure - University of Sydney, Australia
“The finding that doing as little as five extra minutes of exercise per day could be associated with measurably lower blood pressure readings emphasises how powerful short bouts of higher intensity movement could be for blood pressure management.”
Nov 4, 2024 - New study reveals blood sugar control is a key factor in slowing brain aging, highlighting the benefits of the Mediterranean diet - Ben-Gurion University, Israel
”The study suggests that improved blood sugar control could be one of the most important factors in slowing down age-related brain changes.”
Oct. 24, 2024- New Study Shows Eating Pistachios Daily Can Support Eye Health - Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University
"The study, led by researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, showed that pistachios, which have measurable amounts of a plant-based pigment called lutein,2 can help increase macular pigment optical density (MPOD). This important part of the eye filters harmful blue (visible) light and protects against age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which is one of the leading causes of blindness in older adults."
Sept. 18, 2024 - Can the MIND Diet Lower the Risk of Memory Problems Later in Life? - Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology
”The MIND diet is a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets. It includes green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale and collard greens along with other vegetables. It recommends whole grains, olive oil, poultry, fish, beans and nuts. It prioritizes berries over other fruits and recommends one or more servings of fish per week.” Researchers found that “People whose diet more closely resembles the MIND diet may have a lower risk of cognitive impairment,…”
Sept. 17, 2024 - Moderate coffee consumption is associated with lower risk of developing multiple cardiometabolic diseases - Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
”Consuming moderate amounts of coffee and caffeine regularly may offer a protective effect against developing multiple cardiometabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke,…”
Sept. 6, 2024 - Broccoli and kale top the shopping list for lowering blood pressure - Edith Cowan University, Australia
”Cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, kale, and cauliflower have been found to lower blood pressure, in comparison to root and squash vegetables, in middle-aged and older Australian adults with elevated blood pressure.”
Resources for Professionals & Students
Plantrician University
Plant-Based Nutrition Education Portal
For health profession students and clinicians in training.
“Plantrician University is free to confirmed health profession students around the world. It equips and empowers future physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, registered dietitians, public health officials, and other healthcare professionals in training, with the knowledge and tools they need to become advocates and educators for the evidence-based role of plant-based nutrition to prevent and dramatically reduce rates of chronic disease, grow health equity, and improve human and global health.”
Teaching Happiness
with Dr. Laurie Santos
For High School Teachers
A free curriculum hub
Free. Adaptable. Evidence-based.
"Teaching Happiness is designed to help teachers provide their students with evidence-based strategies for increasing their well-being in high school and beyond. Plus, all the resources are free!"
LearnSkin.com
Integrative Medicine Resources
For Dermatology Professionals
How it Works - “LearnSkin provides continuing education activities with an integrative and innovative approach that you won’t find anywhere else. Our content is geared towards healthcare professionals in both Western and Eastern medicine across multiple specialties and subspecialties. Our curriculum encompasses a broad range of educational levels from basic to advanced.”
Membership Options
Free Basic Membership - Limited access to content including articles, podcast episodes, courses, and masterclasses
Premium Membership - Click on Membership Options for more info
$19/Month Reduced Plan For Students
$59 / PER MONTH - Save $209 By Paying Annually