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Academy of Culinary Nutrition Program Graduate

Academy of Culinary Nutrition program

For the past few months, I have been getting an amazing education from The Academy of Culinary Nutrition program, run by Meghan Telpner. I was challenged with new recipes in the kitchen, pushed to my limits writing research papers while taking care of three little ones, and am inspired by the community I am now a part of as an alumni. Let me tell a little more with my review of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition.

Last winter, I started feeling a little lost. Maybe it was a result of living in a foreign country without my friends and family nearby. Maybe it was looking ahead to September and realizing my kids would be in school all day together in a Montessori program. Did I want to be a full time blogger? No, my heart wasn’t there. I knew I needed something more. That’s when it hit me.

Nutrition.

I can talk about real food and nutrition all day long, but I never received any credentials around my love for healthy living. The idea of health coaching clicked and I started doing my research. For a month, I talked with multiple health coaching programs and chatted with a friend who has a successful life coaching practice. I learned a lot about the quality of different programs, and also the lack of regulation when it comes to being “certified.”

Then I found The Academy of Culinary Nutrition.

Health coaching online program options

When I learned Meghan was based in Toronto, it felt like a sign. I’m only here for two years and this amazing program is in my backyard, yet is online and available from anywhere in the world. It would offer me flexibility as I traveled in the fall and still be able to access the program. I read everything I could about the program, listened to the webinar (and took a lot of notes!), had Jim watch the video about making almond milk, and I was hooked.

The Academy of Culinary Nutrition program is for people like me who wanted a solid nutrition education, and then I added on an optional business component. There’s also an honorary level for the program for anyone who wants the information for personal use. I signed up last spring and for the next few months, I couldn’t wait to get started on this new journey.

Over the summer I started doing some of my required reading, including Meghan’s Undiet book. It gave me a great foundation for understanding the philosophy of the class. In September, I was ready to get going and get my hands dirty in the kitchen.

Not only did I get my hands dirty, but I trashed my kitchen a few times. There were some marathon cooking days when I had recipe assignments due, a family to feed, and just a mountain of dishes to tackle. I only wish I could have had a house elf to do dishes for me during this course!

Kimchi Maki Rolls Academy of culinary nutrition program homework

A peek at one of the recipes for a homework assignment.

On those cooking days, I used ingredients I had always passed by at the store. Nori rolls, seaweed, gelatin, and horseradish root. I always considered myself a “foodie” but I truly didn’t understand how powerful food is for our health.

Academy of Culinary Nutrition Success Story

The #1 thing I came out with from this class is how important it is for us to take care of our health and let ourselves feel amazing. I have followed a gluten-free, dairy-free lifestyle during the course and am continuing this path. Why? Because I feel better. I have more energy. I no longer feel wiped out late in the day as I’m trying to get dinner on the table. Plus, the skills I learned in the class has helped me learn how to do this without getting stressed out about planning my meals.

Did I mention I had homework each week? That would also be why I couldn’t get a blog post up the past few months. I love writing, but not sitting at a computer. I reached my typing limit during this course, but look forward to sharing some of my new recipe creations here in the coming weeks.

What you learn in the Academy of Culinary Nutrition program

I worked on creating custom meal plans for clients that help with digestive issues. I came up with a protocol for managing thyroid conditions. Armed with books about natural medicine and knowledge from hours of lectures from the course has given me the culinary nutrition education I was looking for. Here’s a recap of all the skills taught in the Academy of Culinary Nutrition program:

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• A thorough understanding of the impact food choices have on health and specific health conditions.

• The development of meal plans in accordance with various dietary restrictions.

• Recipe modification and testing.

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• Recipe development and testing.

• Experience with a client simulation: following a prescribed meal plan for 3-7 days

• Selection of specific healing ingredients, experimentation with a variety of applications, and the creation of recipes that exploit health promoting benefits.

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• Successful hosting of a cooking class /workshop.

• Knowledge in and experience with local food community.

• The study and development of food philosophy.

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Now it’s my job to help share this message by working with clients to help them learn how to bring real food back to their life. Need a custom meal plan? I can help. You can learn more about my nutrition consulting services here. And a big thank you for being a part of my community here via the blog. It’s been over seven years and I can’t wait to see what the next seven holds.

One more thank you to my children and husband, who tried everything I put on the table. Thank you for being so supportive.

Emily Roach CNE graduate academy of culinary nutrition program

I cannot speak more highly of The Academy of Culinary Nutrition program. Meghan, her team, and the culinary nutrition expert community were all so supportive during this journey. Head over the the school site, and get on the mailing list to learn more about the community. If any has questions for me about the program,  or my services, feel free to reach out to me at hello@emilyroachwellness.com. I’m happy to listen and share more about my review of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition program.

As summer vacation beckons, it’s a time for kids to let loose and just play. It’s also a good time to let them read books of their own choosing to foster their interests. In our family, we often plan a visit to a new library when we have a rainy summer day. We read as many books there as we can, then put them away and say goodbye till next time. Having a “new” place to read can help keep the fun in an educational activity, for both little kids and big kids.

Pottery Barn Kids partnered with PBS Kids to promote the Summer Reading Challenge. Read any 8 titles from their recommended list and receive a free book! PB Kids stores also have weekly story times where kids can help reach their goal. The challenge runs through July 17th.

Creating a summer reading nook is another way to encourage reading during the quiet times of the day. On a recent visit to Pottery Barn Kids, they shared their ideas for a successful reading nook.

create a reading nook

There are also some fun book plate DIY projects to make with the kids for their favorite books. I tried making a couple at the Pottery Barn Kids store and will do it again with my kids. The downloadable templates for the project is found on the Building Blocks blog, a fun collection of ideas from Pottery Barn Kids.

  DIY book plate

Here is the list of books included in the challenge:

·         Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

·         Big Brothers Don’t Take Naps by Louise Borden

·         Corduroy by Don Freeman

·         Curious Baby Counting by H.A. Rey

·         Good Night, Good Night Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld

·         Grammy Lamby and the Secret Handshake by Kate Klise and M. Sarah Klise

·         Heads by Matthew Van Fleet

·         How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? By Mark Teague

·         How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?  by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

·         Ladybug Girl by David Samon and Jacky Davis

·         Llama Llama and the Bully Goat by Anna Dewdney

·         Madeline and the Old House in Paris by John Bemelmans Marciano

·         Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too by Anna Dewdney

·         Olivia by Ian Falconer

·         Paddington Bear by Michael Bond and R.W. Alley

·         Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes by James Dean and Eric Litwin

·         Sniff by Matthew Van Fleet

·         Tallulah’s Toe Shoes by Marilyn Singer and Alexandra Boiger

·         The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers

·         What Sisters Do Best/What Brothers Do Best by Laura Numeroff and Lynn Munsinger

 

Ready to create a new summer reading nook for your kids? To kick things off, Pottery Barn Kids is offering a $25 gift card to one lucky winner. Please leave a comment below naming your favorite childhood book. Contest is open until Saturday June 7th. Winner will be notified via email.

Daniel Tiger pbs kids

Have you ever wanted to peek at what your kids are doing online at that very moment in time? Maybe you are at work or you are trying to give them some quiet alone time. Are they watching videos or still working on an educational game? PBS Kids recently came out with the Super Vision app (for iPhone) that allows parents to check in on their child’s activity on pbskids.org in real time.  It’s like you can be Super Mom with eyes in the back of your head.

The technology connecting your child’s activity on pbskids.org and the app on your iPhone is very new and very cool. After a one time sync, you can get a snapshot of what your kid is working on, plus a report card for the day or week’s activities. Maybe your kid loves Curious George but is ready for something new. The app will make suggestions for other PBS Kids shows they may enjoy.

PBS Kids Super Vision app has a timer to transition kids from online activity to meal time or bedtime.

Another wonderful feature is the timer. If you are making dinner and want to let the kids play online for a little while, you can set a timer to close out their show or activity. You can choose it to transition to meal time, snack time or bedtime. I love that I have a helping hand in transitioning the kids to the next activity of the day.

If you download the app and start thinking of other features you would like to see, there is a feedback button where you can submit your ideas. PBS Kids wants this app to be helpful and they appreciate hearing your comments which helps prioritize what new features will be added.

pbskids.org

My kids have been into tv shows a little more than I would like lately and I’m trying to offer up the pbskids.org site as an alternative. I think it’s cool to get a glimpse into the types of activities they are choosing, either math, science or literacy. Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.

PBS Kids Super Vision app

Learn a little more about the Super Vision app at a Twitter party Wed 5/21 9-10PM ET using the hashtag  #SuperVisionPBSKIDS .

Disclosure: I am a PBS Kids VIP blogger and my kids love Curious George, Peg + Cat and Wild Kratts. All opinions shared here are my own.