I was fortunate to be able to complete my clinical nutrition management rotation at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center. My preceptor was the clinical nutrition manager. She was such a supportive mentor during my time there. Her commitment to my success was what helped me get through some pretty rough times. The executive chef was also always willing to answer any and all of my questions and help with any issues I had.
One of the best experiences I had was the opportunity to participate in a community outreach health fare put together by West Hills Hospital and Medical Center. The theme of the event was cardiovascular health and awareness. Every department was invited and encouraged to participate. I was fortunate to be selected to manage our department’s involvement. I was given full freedom to come up with the idea of how best to represent the food and nutrition department regarding that health topic and came up with samples of anti-inflammatory foods that we would serve in 2-ounce little ramekins. I also created recipe card handouts that had the recipe on the front and health benefits of the anti-inflammatory ingredients on the back. My rationale was that the recipe cards could highlight some anti-inflammatory herbs and give the general public an idea of how they could use them in various recipes. The health benefits on the back were meant as a supplement to reinforce what I wanted to share with them as well as serve as a reminder when they got home that they can use various herbs to help manage inflammation.
Creating the recipes around functional foods and herbs with anti-inflammatory properties was harder than I thought. Finding the ingredients that showcased the healing properties was easy but putting them into a recipe that actually tasted good was quite a challenge. The three samples I came up with were Garlic-Mashed Cauliflower, Spiced Oatmeal, and Curry Quinoa. Almost everyone who attended the event made their way over to our booth. I got a lot of people who came back for seconds and thirds. In fact, people kept coming over looking for samples for their spouses, friends, neighbors, and everybody else. I’d say the curry quinoa was the show stopper, but I got feedback from everyone that everything was pretty good. I asked the kitchen to scale up the recipes to serve at least 300 people. I am of Italian descent and it is customary in our culture to make way more food than any group of people could ever hope to finish, and yet this group almost did. The community who showed up loved the food and they even stuck around the booth long enough to hear my little health pitch showcasing my anti-inflammatory ingredients like turmeric, cinnamon, and mint to name a few. This event was rewarding. People loved the food, were receptive to my informative spiel (even if only for 60-seconds), and I felt like I had done something meaningful to inform the public about how nutrition can positively impact cardiovascular health. This was one of the most rewarding events I experienced and I am so proud of how well I pulled everything together the way I did. Most importantly, I had mentors that believed in me enough to allow me to take full ownership of this project and manage it almost completely myself.
Quinoa Curry
-1 cup Quinoa
-2 cups light Coconut milk
-1 tsp. Cumin
-1 tsp. Turmeric
-½ tsp. Black Pepper
-2 tsp. Coriander
-½ tsp. Chili Powder
-½ tsp. Ground Ginger
¼ cup cup Carrots chopped
-¼ cup cup green peas
-1 tsp. low sodium Tamari Sauce
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a saucepan. Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until milk has been absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Cool at least 5 minutes then serve.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Herbs
Black Pepper: This herb contains a special compound called piperine, which helps reduce the early acute inflammatory process that happens right after an initial injury, infection, or illness.
Turmeric: This herb has an antioxidant called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties.
Ground Ginger: The bioactive compound in this herb is called gingerol, which functions as an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties.
Cumin: This herb contains antioxidants called apigenin and luteolin, which help prevent cancer. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
Coriander: This is an herb with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce inflammation.
Chili Powder: This herb contains compounds called capsaicinoids, which help reduce inflammation.
Vegetables and Starches
Carrots: Rich in vitamin A and Beta-carotene help reduce inflammation from stiff joints. Carrots are also high in fiber, which can help lower cholesterol and help reduce the risk for heart disease.
Green Peas: Peas are a great source of fiber and antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, and reduce the risk for cancer.
Coconut Milk: Good dairy alternative that has anti-inflammatory properties
Quinoa: Contains omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce cholesterol and inflammation. Also a great source of fiber and protein.
One of the best experiences I had was the opportunity to participate in a community outreach health fare put together by West Hills Hospital and Medical Center. The theme of the event was cardiovascular health and awareness. Every department was invited and encouraged to participate. I was fortunate to be selected to manage our department’s involvement. I was given full freedom to come up with the idea of how best to represent the food and nutrition department regarding that health topic and came up with samples of anti-inflammatory foods that we would serve in 2-ounce little ramekins. I also created recipe card handouts that had the recipe on the front and health benefits of the anti-inflammatory ingredients on the back. My rationale was that the recipe cards could highlight some anti-inflammatory herbs and give the general public an idea of how they could use them in various recipes. The health benefits on the back were meant as a supplement to reinforce what I wanted to share with them as well as serve as a reminder when they got home that they can use various herbs to help manage inflammation.
Creating the recipes around functional foods and herbs with anti-inflammatory properties was harder than I thought. Finding the ingredients that showcased the healing properties was easy but putting them into a recipe that actually tasted good was quite a challenge. The three samples I came up with were Garlic-Mashed Cauliflower, Spiced Oatmeal, and Curry Quinoa. Almost everyone who attended the event made their way over to our booth. I got a lot of people who came back for seconds and thirds. In fact, people kept coming over looking for samples for their spouses, friends, neighbors, and everybody else. I’d say the curry quinoa was the show stopper, but I got feedback from everyone that everything was pretty good. I asked the kitchen to scale up the recipes to serve at least 300 people. I am of Italian descent and it is customary in our culture to make way more food than any group of people could ever hope to finish, and yet this group almost did. The community who showed up loved the food and they even stuck around the booth long enough to hear my little health pitch showcasing my anti-inflammatory ingredients like turmeric, cinnamon, and mint to name a few. This event was rewarding. People loved the food, were receptive to my informative spiel (even if only for 60-seconds), and I felt like I had done something meaningful to inform the public about how nutrition can positively impact cardiovascular health. This was one of the most rewarding events I experienced and I am so proud of how well I pulled everything together the way I did. Most importantly, I had mentors that believed in me enough to allow me to take full ownership of this project and manage it almost completely myself.
Quinoa Curry
-1 cup Quinoa
-2 cups light Coconut milk
-1 tsp. Cumin
-1 tsp. Turmeric
-½ tsp. Black Pepper
-2 tsp. Coriander
-½ tsp. Chili Powder
-½ tsp. Ground Ginger
¼ cup cup Carrots chopped
-¼ cup cup green peas
-1 tsp. low sodium Tamari Sauce
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a saucepan. Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until milk has been absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Cool at least 5 minutes then serve.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Herbs
Black Pepper: This herb contains a special compound called piperine, which helps reduce the early acute inflammatory process that happens right after an initial injury, infection, or illness.
Turmeric: This herb has an antioxidant called curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties.
Ground Ginger: The bioactive compound in this herb is called gingerol, which functions as an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties.
Cumin: This herb contains antioxidants called apigenin and luteolin, which help prevent cancer. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
Coriander: This is an herb with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce inflammation.
Chili Powder: This herb contains compounds called capsaicinoids, which help reduce inflammation.
Vegetables and Starches
Carrots: Rich in vitamin A and Beta-carotene help reduce inflammation from stiff joints. Carrots are also high in fiber, which can help lower cholesterol and help reduce the risk for heart disease.
Green Peas: Peas are a great source of fiber and antioxidants, which can help reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol, and reduce the risk for cancer.
Coconut Milk: Good dairy alternative that has anti-inflammatory properties
Quinoa: Contains omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce cholesterol and inflammation. Also a great source of fiber and protein.
