Being Healthier

Hi blogland!

Body:
I took a break from the intense workouts this week to prepare myself for my first official Half Marathon Sunday November 1st !  I did two strength sessions, first focusing on quads & biceps and the second on hamstrings, chest, tris. I also did several cardio workouts, including a short 4 mile neighborhood run yesterday to loosen me up!

I am totally nervous but more anxious and excited about this half marathon! The rational side of me realizes that I am completely capable of doing this, but the irrational side that has gotten countless injuries is very cautious!

On the injury note, I have been taking Celadrin , which is a fatty acid supplement that helps with joint inflammation. The first brand I tried  
I had found at Walgreen’s.  It was “demonstrated to be 6x faster and 6x more effective than Glucosamine/Chondroitin” and I believe in that claim after quickly running out from fantastic results. I recently purchased another brand (natural factors) at Whole Foods:

but unfortunately this brand gives me the Salmon Burps. Blech! If you would like to try it, go for the Inflame Away Celadrin. You can get a “free” sample through their website here : www.celadrin.com but you do have to pay $1.50 for s/h. ( Celadrin did not pay me in any format for this review)

I have absolutely LOVED taking this supplement more than the Vegan Glucosamine . I am allergic to shellfish ( among other things!) so I cannot take regular glucosamine/chondroitin which is derived from shellfish ( makes sense for joint cartiledge!).  The Vegan Glucosamine didn’t seem to do anything at all.

I also had the opportunity to sample Sequel Natural’s Vega Sport Optimizer, website here,
which includes tons of purpose-driven ingredients for athletic performance. This has been wonderful! I am drafting a formal review and using my last sample pre-race tomorrow morning! Thanks, Kelly!

Mind:
In Medical Nutrition Therapy, our lectures this week were about Upper GI disorders. We had a guest speaker that completed her thesis in 2007. She has Celiac’s and also was diagnosed with lymphoma (celiac’s does increase your risk of cancer) and her thesis focused on Vitamin D, Calcium (bone mineral health) with a female celiac population on gluten-free diets. The lecture material on Celiac’s was so interesting, and we had a bunch of sample foods that were gluten free.

Almond flour cookie, chocolate cupcake, chocolate cookie, lemon cookie, and a cranberry muffin. The cupcake was out of this world ( from Whole Foods) and the muffin was great as well! Below are more samples, untoasted GF bread and toasted GF bread with GF pasta ( Tinkyada brand) and a thickened juice supplement for patients. The GF bread tasted much better toasted, sweeter and quite dense.

Thesis News! I have decided to focus on Vitamin D metabolism, and its unexpected/speculated properties such as anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer roles. Potentially this will involve examining female athletes and/or a female celiac population following a gluten-free diet!

My Food Service Exam on Tuesday went very well and the quiz thursday as well. We start our Off Site Rotations in the Campus Dining facilities next week. 

Soul:
This past week was rather low key compared to all others. I loved the time I had to myself to really think, focus, reflect on all the things that I have wanted to! ( Not like it was all that much time but relatively speaking)… Yoga twice this week was fantastic at focusing my intentions. I am ready to complete this half marathon, which has been a goal for me since starting this blog. I know it will be just one more milestone to getting toward completing a marathon.

I know I mentioned my “rough times” recently have been pulling me away from blogging, so I wanted to thank everyone again for all of their amazing support and encouragement. Everything happens for a reason, right?

Its all about Fall! Here are some of my meals from this week with fall foods like Apples, Pomegranates, Pumpkin, & Acorn Squash!

( Puffins with almond milk, greek yogurt, cinnamon, pb, pom seeds and apple slices)

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookie with Yogurt and PB for dipping

PB Puffins, PB and Banana

Steamed Acorn Squash sprinkled with Cinnamon, Maple Syrup and Almonds

Organic Mixed Greens, Tomato and Red Onions in Balsamic Vinaigrette, Pomegranate, veggies, Grilled Zuchinni and Grilled Chicken Breasts.

GF Pasta with Cheese and Tofu

Steamed Veggies

Body:

Friday was my “do or die” day for the City of Oaks Half Marathon November 1st ( yes that is in 1 week!!!!) . I set out on a mission to run 10 miles- if all went well- systems were a go for the half. If I had any pain- I would re-think the race.. I am thrilled to report ALL SYSTEMS ARE A “GO” !!!

Distance ~ 10.5 miles ( I ran a distinctive 10 but there were some back and forth mileage to and from my car etc.)
Polar Says:

I paid my registration fee for the Half Marathon November 1st !!! I will be sticking to yoga , biking, and ellipticizing this week… getting in maybe one or two short runs to loosen up…

Mind:

I have an exam Tuesday in Food Service and we have a lab quiz and start our Off Site Rotation Thursday! I have been studying this weekend and working. Busy as always. I did catch up on many blogs- check out the happenings below.

Soul:
I feel like I have been “dealing” with everything, getting frustrated over things that happened in the past, unintentionally stressing out, trying to figure out what decisions will be best for my future.

” You are too concerned about what was and what will be. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today…Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present. “

Isn’t that just so true!? Anyone want to guess at where that came from?

Today.. I wanted to let go of the past and not think about what will be…. so after spending 6 months growing out my hair….

I let it all go and got it chopped. It feels really nice.

Blogosphere Happenings:

Mimi, Damn that Freshmen 15, realized “There are so many things I’d like to say that I LOVE. But I think, to fully love the world around us, first we have to love ourselves. And that means taking care of ourselves, in body, mind, and spirit. ” – I couldn’t agree more which is why I format my blog the way I do!

Ashley over at Daily Goods is up for a Good Mood Gig- She is a fantastic person for this gig because she is always positive in her outlook and definitely has that “it” factor that draws you in.. Vote for her here: http://www.sam-e.com/job/profile/758

More to Life than Food posted this photo that made me literally laugh out loud:

Amanda at  Run to the Finish  is having a giveaway for gluten free cookies!  I recently had an “Ah Ha” moment assessing a case study in Medical Nutrition Therapy class. A teenager was having fatigue, weight gain, digestive issues including acid reflux on a typical diet ( filled with gluten) but symptoms subsided when back to a diet of meat, fruits, vegetables and legumes…”Ah Ha” In 2007, I spent that year taking Nexium for acid-reflux symptoms (at age 25) and assumed it was from stress, I had gained about 12 lbs, again thinking it was stress, and the weight didn’t budge despite that I was running  5-10 miles every few days and working as a fitness instructor for kids every day! I remembered that when I lived with my brother I ate mostly fruits, vegetables, meat, yogurt, eggs, nuts and oatmeal …. no gluten… I also weighed about 15 pounds less but ate the same amount of calories as I was while on Nexium. Ding ding ding- my whole life I always thought I hated bread, pasta, and cereal because they made me feel sick. I just never put it together that it could be the gluten!!!

Another really inspirational reader vying for this job is Steve from Log My Loss, you can vote for him here http://www.sam-e.com/job/profile/75

Sagan at Living Healthy In the Real World is back from the POM Wonderful Harvest Tour- check out her recap by clicking here

Cherry Apple Stuffed Pork Tenderloin served with Sauteed Kale and Zuchinni and Herbed Quinoa.

I had found two tenderloins stuffed with apples and cherries at Harris Teeter, and decided to give them a try. For my sides, I used my new favorite lab recipe for sauteed Kale with Garlic, Shallots and Capers , then added sliced zuchinni to the skillet.

I also made Herbed Quinoa with scallions in the pressure cooker… It wasn’t as fluffy and dry as the steam method used in our lab.
However, the meal was delicious! I couldn’t finish the pork, but it was moist from the stuffing and obviously had great flavors from the cherries and apples!

Another pork dish … I bought a pork loin roast and really had no idea how to cook it. I wanted to do a roast in a slow cooker, so I rubbed the roast with olive oil, salt and pepper. I seared it on all sides in a skillet, then popped it into the slow cooker with some apple cider vinegar, oil, and some seasonings ( carolina style BBQ seasonings)… Voila!

It was AWESOME! I served it with baked beans and some veggies I had sauteed- roasted corn (from TJ, frozen),and also okra, tomatoes, onion and zuchinni ( frozen and thawed). The pork was so moist, spicy and filled with flavors like paprika, cumin and pepper.

I am not a huge fan of pork however, I love trying out new things! Oink, oink.

Hey there long time no read again… womp womp. I thought I would share with you my latest breakfast creation, which is of course Easy, Healthy, Super Fast, and Inexpensive to prepare.
It is a take on a breakfast cookie, only because I randomly microwaved the two ingredients and the result was a cookie like texture vs. the standard bowl of oats.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cups rolled oats ( the old-fashioned type) 
• 1/3 cup pure pumpkin puree
• pinch of salt

Preparation:
Mix ingredients together very well. Pat down into cookie shape. Microwave ~ 2 minutes-3 minutes.

Easiest thing ever right!? The fun part comes when you add the toppings! I have tried bananas, blueberries, and peanut butter.

Cinnamon, bananas, peanut butter

and Pears up the stairs with bears in chairs

I tried soaking it overnight with mixed in Agave, Cinnamon, PB2, and such but it came out mushier like regular oats. So I stuck with the technique above, adding my toppings after on top, and it came out in chewier, chunkier pieces, much more like a big ol cookie.

As far as lunches go, it has been
Fresh Salads

Packed up quickies like a balance bar, nuts, mini Organic Oikos, and fresh apples
Yogurt messes with fruits, nuts, coconut, and apple butter
 

and Taco Tofu with Veggies

Dinners have been more fun so I will do a separate post for those! I hope I still have some readers out there after my lengthy hiatus! On that note..

Body:
I have been loving my new running shoes AND loving a new yoga class Yoga Fusion with Claudia!  Staying on track for this half marathon coming up has been tough but my body is definitely holding together so far!

I have been running every day, if not every other day recently, and sticking to a 3-4 mile length during the week with a longer run on the weekend. My pace has been a steady 9 minute mile, even though I do speedwork at 6 minute miles. I have also kept up with cross training, biking, ellipticizing, yoga-ing everyday I am not running, and taking at least 1 rest day a week.

Mind:
I decided to do the Thesis option versus NonThesis option for graduate school, because mainly, if I go to Med School OR PhD school, a thesis could only help and not hurt. I am confident in this taking me less than the normal amount of time but you never know! I have picked out a few ideas and have been researching them… more on those later!

We have dessert lab this week for Food Service- Our team is doing CHOCOLATE! I know, Stay Tuned!
I researched on a college-run Community Supported Agriculture garden for class tomorrow! Exam on Monday went well, Exam on last thursday went well and I have a quiz tomorrow!

Soul:
I have been going through some incredibly tough times recently that I cannot even begin to write about on here, which is hard for me but best for everyone involved in general. It has been building up this whole semester, hence the lack of posting regularly. I hate to have not posted for a week because I love blogging and keeping up with all my readers.  These rough times are just not part of this blog despite these things being a huge part of me.

Thank you to all my loved ones that have been so helpful and understanding and supportive right now, I really appreciate each and everyone of you more than words could ever express. I feel so close to so many of my readers as well, so I hate to distance myself like this. If you do wish to know more about what is going on, you are welcome to email me!

Lame:
Coffee grinds falling out of the filter and into the pot…

Not lame:
Pumpkin Oats, Fruit and Stoneyfield Yogurt for Breakfast

Lame:
Doing laundry, folding, and finding 4 newly purchased, unmatched socks… really?

Not Lame:
Having Clean Clothes!

Lame:
Not being given enough bread to taste the sauces for the Sauce Lab…

Not Lame:
Tasting Sauces!!

Counterclockwise from the top: Something with mustard, Peanut Something, Balsamic Reduction, and Something else, and fried julienned sweet potatoes in the middle.

Lame:
Not getting any recipes for these things and having to refer to them as “Something with Mustard”…

Not Lame:
Taking photos of all the sauces and garnishes!

Herb Croutons

Raspberry Couli

Lab E ( they are across the counter from us) made a delicious Raspberry Cooli, which was a chilled puree of 3 lbs raspberries and 1lb+ sugar !! It was (not surprisingly) really sweet but not overwhelming. It had a great thick consistency, more tart and refreshing. It would be a perfect accompaniment to a dessert, especially chocolate!

Parmesan Crisps

Roasted Red Pepper Couli

Our team made a Roasted Red Pepper Cooli, which is a cooled puree that we made after roasting 3 red peppers and blending with 3 Tbsp olive oil, 3 tsp red wine vinegar, and 1 medium shallot (finely sliced) ( salt and pepper to taste).

Lame:
Having to eat again 30 minutes later because there wasn’t enough to fill me up …

Not Lame:
Organic Fuji Apples

Lame:
Working on a presentation for hours because Word keeps auto formatting things I don’t want auto formatted!
Not Lame:
Finishing the presentation due Thursday

Lame:
Not being able to decide between a Thesis or a Practicum
Not Lame:
Finding a practicum working with The Ronald McDonald House

(sort of) Lame:
Frozen Pizza and Veg for Dinner…


Not Lame:
Advice from Dove Chocolates….

Body:
Neighborhood Run + 4 miles
I love this run , although not at first, because there are so many hills around here. It makes me feel so empowered after I get back home like “Oh yea, I rocked those hills, that was me, uh huh”

*My ankle is still sore- but I used a gel insert in my new shoes and it felt just fine!

Mind:
It’s a rush to Thursday yet again!
I have two problem sets due thursday in my first class (food service) , followed directly by my next class where I have a presentation on two chapters including outlines for everyone (food and society) immediately followed by … an EXAM in Lifecycles!
Phew… I shall now crawl back into the hole I’ve been studying furiously in.. jk.

Soul:

I had to work yesterday and thought it was going to be painfully slow. Well, on the contrary , there was just two of us hostesses and no busser which means we are splitting the tip share two ways instead of normally 4. Even better than that- We were quite busy and we had a ton of to-go orders that tipped us (hostesses get those tips directly) and made over $15 in to-go alone! That is not the usual so it makes me quite happy to know I have a decent total waiting for me! I mention the number so that I remember when I go back in 6 days (forever) to get my tip-share.. The best part of the evening?…. Jeff came to see me and totally surprised me. My face lit up when I saw him (I had started to greet him automatically before realizing it was him!)

Off to Food Service Lab…. We are doing sauces and garnishes today, Yippee!

It just takes me awhile to catch up. Ah well, such is life.

I contemplated calling this post “Soluble Fiber Galore” because for some reason I have been consuming lots of soluble fiber! Some of the highest sources of soluble fiber ( the kind that helps with lowering cholesterol not the type that works on G.I transit) include Oat Bran, Oat meal, Eggplant, Kidney Beans and Legumes…

“Soluble Fiber Disguised” – I threw together eggplant, tomatoes, cheese, garlic salt and kidney beans for dinner this past week (I should note that I am not trying to lower my cholesterol)

One of Quaker’s biggest advertisements is that (their) Oatmeal helps lower cholesterol. Well, Oat Bran actually has a higher amount of Soluble/viscous fiber than Oatmeal, making it a better choice for those with high cholesterol. Check out my post on how soluble fiber lowers cholesterol here.

Did you know that the research is “inconclusive” to whether or not oat bran contains gluten? Most people with celiac’s would probably steer clear, but what about all the people that have a gluten intolerance? Well, it’s up to you if you want to take your chances.

The same goes for oat meal, typically , oat itself would not contain gluten. However, due to the processing techniques of grains, usually more than just oat grains ( oat bran, oatmeal, rolled oats, cut, etc)… wheat most likely would get into the container. So…. you basically don’t know what you’re getting .. and neither does the company and neither do dietitians. Hmmmm.

I ate my oat bran under plain OIkos with cinnamon, strawberry preserves, banana slices and peanut butter (its hiding under the banana).
This stuff did not digest well. Not sure, maybe it did have gluten in it ?

Hello Peanut Butter meet Dates…

Lara from Thinspired asks me the best questions! Her most recent question
was regarding dates and if they are nutritious or just delicious ( or both). Here are some stats I shared with her that I thought I would share with the blogosphere as well:

4 dates would provide approximately…

12% of your daily Vitamin B6
20% of your daily Potassium
6% of your daily Calcium
5% of your daily Iron
15mcg of Folate
65-75g Carbohydrates
~ 6 g Fiber
~60-70 g Sugar
~2 g Protein

Despite all their sugar, they are fairy low on glycemic index since they do contain quite a high amount of fiber ?Their calorie content varies because of their sugar development and size- but the guy in my photo on the right is about 50 kcal, the fatty on the left is about 65 kcal….

Lots of sugar…. definitely “nature’s candy”… Both nutritious and delicious, more so delicious. 

Amazing Grass had sent me samples to review awhile ago (check it out here: SuperFood) and the bars were gone so quickly! For some reason, I was really craving a chocolate covered superfood. Good thing this lady has a Whole Foods behind campus and a gift card for it!!

Notta Pasta

This stuff was really good! It made four huge servings- I turned half of it into a Beef Peanutty Thai dish…

Mushrooms, onion and peppers sauteed in lite soy sauce, beef stock, peanut oil (from the peanut butter jar), sesame oil and sliced flank steak.

The other half I had reserved for a dish I decided should be called “Hammy Notta and Ricotta”

This had mushrooms, ham, cheddar (lowfat), blue cheese crumbles, ricotta and notta pasta. It doesn’t look like much but it was DELICIOUS! No problem digesting this gluten free pasta… I think I might do a blind gluten test, have Jeff make me two pastas one with gluten and one without. Then, I can test each one and see if one digests better!
 
Wrap (low carb) with mushrooms,chicken and hummus.

Toast with Minute Spinach Dip ( I threw together frozen spinach (thawed) with ricotta, parm, and red onion…

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Fun Facts:
Just one sprout ( who can eat just one?!) offers
8 kcal
2 g Carbohydrate
1g Fiber
1 g Protein
3% daily Vitamin A
1% Calcium
7% Iron
42% of your daily Vitamin K !
27% daily Vitamin C !

Mango, Cherry, Bulgur, PB2

Bulgur is full of fiber, protein and does contain gluten. Not surprisingly, I couldn’t finish much more than 1/4 of one serving.

Now that you know what I’ve been up to…go forth… Be Healthier!

Good Morning!!
Last night’s dinner went well, I am paired with a member of nearly every board that is related to nutrition & public health so I look forward to some networking, academic,and career guidance. I am so excited for this Fall break from classes! I have been “go- go -go” for the past two months so it is quite the contrast to this summer. Since it is Fall, I couldn’t think of a better breakfast than something with pumpkin!

I heated up pumpkin puree ( about 1/4 cup) with frozen blueberries, raspberries and cherries swirling in Stoneyfield Oikos (plain, greek) yogurt and some coomb’s organic maple syrup ( about 1 tsp). After topping with peanut butter and another delicious Fall ingredient, crisp apple slices, I had a yummy breakfast in an instant!

Body:

• My ankle/heel has been bothering me this past week so I focused on cross training (limited running ).  I was concerned it might be from breaking it in college cheerleading years ago. However, I am confident now that it was more an issue with the shoes I have been wearing both during the day ( lack of support) and during workouts ( “dead” running shoes that I hadn’t felt like replacing yet). I snagged a new pair on sale and tried them out yesterday. All went fine but I will still take a few days before a run to make sure!

This past week’s training schedule was:

• Friday: Run, 4 miles, pace.
• Saturday: Rest
• Sunday: Run, 4 miles, easy.
• Monday:
• Cardio: Elliptical, Resistance 6, 9 50 minutes.
  Strength:Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Abs
• Push Ups (all). 2 sets of 20
• Overhead Pulley Extension (Triceps). Attach a rope to the pulley at the top, lunging slightly away from the machine, take the rope over your head and press out straightening your arms. 3 sets, 20.
• Bent Over Row (Rear Deltoids-aka- Shoulders). Using dumbells sitting on a bench, lean your chest on your quads. Laterally raise dumbells with a slight bend at your elbow. 3 sets of 15
• Dumbell Extension (Triceps). 3 sets of 15
• Planks (Abs). 3 holds for 1 minute each.
• Ab Twists. 3 sets, 10
• Tuesday:
• Yoga
• Work!
• Wednesday:
• Cardio: Cycling Class- 1hr… my butt hurts
  Strength:Quads, Back & Biceps:
• Curls with Bench Squat (Q, Bi). Holding one leg on top of a bench behind you, squat on front leg at a 90* angle while curling dumbells. 3 sets of 12, each leg
• Pulley Curl (Bi). Attach a straight bar to the pulley at the floor, with a slight bend in your knee raise the bar with the typical curling motion. 3 sets, 15.
• Squats (Q). Bar behind your neck, resting on your shoulder blades. Squat down, balancing your weight in your heels and keeping knees from going past your toes ( 90* angle).
• Pulley Row (Back). 3 sets of 15
• Dumbell Row (Back) 3 sets of 15
• Planks (Abs).
• Thursday:
• Not sure yet! Maybe take a rest day to rebuild all my muscles …

Mind:
Fall Break isn’t much of a break- Although I do not have classes, I will be studying for Lifecycles Exam #1, Research for Medical Nutrition Therapy/ Practicum and Three food service assignments! Hopefully I will also catch up on all my favorite blogs and get in a few blogging tasks that have been on the back burner for a bit!

Soul:
I have not felt like myself lately and I am hoping that this break is exactly what I need to get back on track!

Any weekend plans yet?

Our lab this past week was obviously on Meats, Fish and Poultry! I know many of my readers /bloggers tend to be vegetarian ( I am slowly becoming flex-atarian) so you might not think much of this lab. However, this lab was interesting because we had to utilize different cooking methods that were appropriate for different types of meats. We used high quality meats that we had to purchase ourselves (well with a school credit card) at Whole Foods. so we knew the animals had been humanely treated, antibiotic free, cage free, etc.  Other teams prepared completely different items: pork tenderloin, beef, chicken, tilapia, catfish… Our team was assigned to cook recipes that used a moist heat method (braising) for chicken breasts (lean poultry),  a dry-heat method (searing) for Lamb Chops (medium fat meat) and a dry-heat method (grilling) for Salmon (a fattier fish). One student did convince our professor to try a tofu recipe, because in the field , we should be aware of how to cook plenty of “meat options”.

Looks can be deceiving though…

Tofu Marsala. It looked like it would be absolutely fabulous, but unfortunately..

This slice ended up in the trash after two mini bites.  I know, tragedy. It had this odd texture, very watery and bland. I think squeezing out the excess water in tofu prior to cooking is a must, but I’m not sure if that was done or not! It would have given it a better texture and it also needed more salt. But, I didn’t prepare the recipe so I’m not sure what happened to it. All I know is that I was excited to try it but disappointed throwing it out.

Our lab team prepared this Braised Chicken with Celery Root and Garlic ( recipe link here) …and my job on the team was to do the Lamb Au Poivre. (recipe link here)

A section of the braised chicken with celery root..

I thought I would like the celery root as did my friends, but hardly any of us liked it! The chicken also turned out a little on the dry side which was unfortunate but common.
The lamb…

was moist, tender, flavorful and fun to cook! I really enjoyed the flavors of this recipe, and it was rather simple to make. You just roll the chop in crushed peppercorns and sear for two minutes on each side. You reduce the leftover juices with shallots and high-quality aged vinegar (or cognac) and voila. One issue we ran into for lab was overcooking the meat, indirectly, due to our timing /plating issue. In general, I think both teams that prepared this did a great job ( )

Our lab team also prepared Salmon with Mustard Vinaigrette (right , recipe link here) and another team marinated Flank Steak

The flank steak was cooked very well but I have had it before, so it wasn’t anything extra-ordinary. I think the flavors in our Salmon just didn’t mesh well for me.. although Amanda did a great job on it…
Salmon Spotlight:

another team focused on moist heat preparation of Tilapia: steamed on top of Escarole and Potatoes . ( recipe link here)

The tilapia was very moist and the greens underneath were really tasty, although quite salty. I would definitely try this recipe in the future.

Pork Tenderloin covered in Apples ( in photo below on top, recipe HERE) was amazing! The pork was cooked perfectly, juicy, tender and a fantastic job by the team! Unfortunately, no close up! Also covered in apples and in the photo below was Braised Chicken Thighs ( bottom) (recipe)

Up close: Fried Catfish (left) with Braised Chicken Thighs (right)

This chicken was much moister than our breast, obviously a contributing factor was the dark meat vs. white. The catfish (below) was outstanding! I have had freshly caught catfish before and definitely have had fried fish many times. This recipe was well balanced in saltiness, satisfying but not greasy, and really quite flavorful.

I am officially on Fall Break!  It has been a crazy semester so far and I am looking forward to this break!  I have lots to report  but it will have to wait until this evening!  I am off to the  Raleigh District Dietetic Association’s kick-off dinner! I have been paired up to shadow a local R.D that has her PhD in Health Services and her Master’s in Public Health from UNC.  It should be an interesting dinner and hopefully with no tofu marsala!