School is back in full swing - getting dinner on the table at a reasonable hour can be tough. And what about making sure the kids (not to mention you!) are out the door with a balanced breakfast, if any breakfast at all. Tuna may be the nutritional time saver you need.

Top 5 (plus one) reasons canned and bagged tuna (and salmon) made the dietitian's cut:

1. You can buy in bulk and always have some on hand. Keep in your cabinets, your desk drawer, even in the middle consul of your car.
2. Tuna is packed with lean protein and healthy fats that support brain function and the heart.

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I have enjoyed every one of the Bob's Red Mill products I have tasted to date! Bob offers gluten free (and non-gluten free) whole grain mixes, flours, and plain 'ol grains like quinoa, steel cut oats and flax seed. Mix directions often offer dairy free and egg free alternatives, and end results still turn out well.

Since I personally avoid wheat, any time I come across tasty products, I am excited to eat the foods I often miss on an allergy-restricted diet. But the best news is, you won't miss out with these delicious mixes. These are the ones I have tried and recommend but let us know about your own personal Bob's experience.

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These days it is costing us more and more to treat our bodies like the temples that they are. According to the USDA, organic produce costs and extra $0.13 to $0.36 per pound! Organic milk can have the most overwhelming influence on our pocketbooks costing $6 per gallon. So why am I, along with other health professionals and food experts, still recommending sticking with organic foods as much as possible?

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Xenoestrogens have been getting exposure in the media for their connection to early onset puberty, endocrine disruption, and influence on cancer risk for men and women. A xenoestrogen is defined as a substance that has an estrogenic effect but chemically differs from the naturally occurring estrogen produced by living beings. Certain substances including food, environmental chemicals, beauty products, and household cleaning products have been identified as possible xenoestrogens.

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If anyone has ever heard me speak about quinoa, you know it is one of my favorite foods to discuss. Although its quick stove top cooking time (15 minutes) is one of the reasons I speak so highly of this little grain, I am now even more impressed with the ease of preparing quinoa. I threw it into my rice cooker last week and it produced a fluffy, hands-off side dish in no time at all. I didn't have to watch for overflowing pots as the water began to boil and I didn't have to turn the heat down when it was time to simmer!

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Tired of the same old turkey sandwich? Sick of the local restuarant's salad? Join Melissa Majumdar, Registered Dietitian, and Wendy Pecache, Whole Foods Rockville's Food Demo Specialist as they whip together some delicous, nutritious lunch box recipes. Melissa will teach you how to balance a lunch to prevent the afternoon slump and latenight cravings. Wendy will show you how spending just a few minutes a day can entertain the noontime tastebuds.

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I was lucky enough to turn on National Public Radio during their weekly Science Friday and hear an interview with author and "food opinionist" Michael Pollan. Pollan was discussing a book published in 2001, The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World, but hearing his interview reminded me of a book I would like to share with all my clints: Food Rules.

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The verdict is not clear wether organic produce is actually healthier, but MSNBC.com offers some great tips on how to opimize vegetable intake wether fruits and veggies are organic or conventionally grown. Read below, then plan to incorporate one more veg per day!

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This past weekend some of EB Nutrition and EB Fitness clients had stand out performances at the Baltimore Women's Classic 5k race. Despite a scorching hot day, our athletes performed personal bests. How did they overcome the heat? Dedicated training with the assistance of running coach and personal traininer Melissa Majumdar. Melissa works with the novice exerciser and runner as well as the accomplished athlete and designs workouts to meet their needs and goals. The training programs...

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A diet high in fat and low in complex carbohydrates causes a shift in gut bacteria, thus increasing the risk of colon cancer. People eating a healthy diet containing high levels of complex carbohydrate had significant populations of micro-organisms in their gut called Firmicutes. When high fiber foods or undigestable starches are ingested, these bacteria manufacture short-chain fatty acids and vitamins such as folate and biotin that maintain colonic health.

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Although as a dietitian I am usually more concerned about what goes in the storage containers, I am so impressed with this company that I had to share. Life Without Plastic is an independently run company that believes in health, environment, integrity, and community...without plastic. As we learned from the recent President's Cancer Panel report, plastic can become a carcinogen if it degrades or is heated.

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The President's Cancer Panel released their 240-page report last week detailing the latest research on the links to cancer and how we can prevent it. Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, criticized the report saying it may focus too much on speculation and not enough on what we already know - that nutrition has the biggest impact on cancer prevention. According to the American Cancer Society, at least one-third of all cancer deaths are preventable through nutrition and lifestyle modifications such as physical activity and smoking.

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Take advantage of the long weekend to recharge and relax by picking the right foods to keep you balanced the whole weekend and ready to go to work Tuesday morning!

Start your day with a glass of green tea (decaf preferably), iced or hot. The high acid and caffeine content of coffee takes your blood sugars, mood, and energy on a roller coaster. Green tea, on the other hand, contains the amino acid l-theanine, which has a calming effect.

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By Melissa Majumdar, RD, LDN, CPT

A while back, I received this question from a blog follower:

"Is there a way to determine glycemic index by looking at the label?"

The answer is yes and no. The glycemic index (GI) of an item has been determined in a laboratory setting by comparing the rate of glucose, or in some cases white bread, entering the blood to sugar.

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In office seminar - Register NOW!

Do you suffer from unexplained fatigue, migraines, digestive problems, arthritis, depression or weight gain? Have you tried conventional approaches to treatment with limited success? Did you ever stop to think that your symptom may be the result of an allergy?! Well, it's true! In fact, an allergy can show up as almost any symptom, and if left untreated, it may lead to serious degenerative disease.

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If you have tried an exhausted list of diets without weight loss success, it may be time to look at your hormone levels. Many hormones can interfere with the weight loss process and even cause weight gain. A natural or drug induced imbalance in any of the following hormones may be the answer to your weight conundrum.

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On a scale of 1 to 10, how stressed are you? Have you ever had a bad race or workout because of stress? Do you commonly experience sugar or salt cravings? Do you feel like it takes a long time to recover after exercising or running? Or do you find yourself getting sick often, especially after long races?

Join Registered Dietitian Melissa Majumdar as she explores how stress affects running and overall health. Learn how proper fueling can actually decrease your level of stress and increase your performance level. Explore how nutrition and the "lost nutrients" water and sleep may be your missing link and the answer to your best season yet.

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6:45 pm - April 22, 2010

How many calories does stress have? We agree that this is a ridiculous question, but ask almost anyone if stress makes you gain weight and you will receive a resounding "yes." But, if stress has no calories, then how does it affect your weight? The truth is that the calorie model is not the whole story on fat loss. Stress and other lifestyle factors work through hormonal and metabolic mechanisms that alter not only the amount of calories we eat, but where on the body we store them, and most importantly what we burn: sugar, fat, or muscle.

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FREE Webinar!

12 pm EST Thursday, April 8

Nutrition is often the missing link in an athlete's training plan. If you are looking to improve your performance or take things to the next level (or even lose a little weight), take the next step.

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Pencil in 9pm on this Friday night's calendar for some family time to watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC. It shouldn't be too hard to convince the kids to gather round the tube - if nothing else, schedule a rain check to view the DVR or online version.

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by Lori Rypka

Melissa Bosslet [Majumdar], a dietitian with the practice EB Nutrition in Rockville, said most of her clients come in with weight or health issues, such as gastrointestinal disorders. Her practice gets the majority of its clients from physician referrals as well as patient-to-patient referrals.

RDs often work with a physician to create an overall program for the client to achieve his or her goals, Bosslet said. These dietitians attempt to find the root cause of a problem and use the most natural methods to address it.

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by Melissa Majumdar,RD,LN,CPT

Whether you regularly follow a vegetarian diet or you have vowed to avoid meat on Fridays during the Lenten season, or you just want a tasty dinner idea, this recipe is perfect for you! Try the Polenta and Vegetable Casserole from the Vegetarian Dishes section on our website. I made this recipe last night and had a complete meal in less than 30 minutes. The polenta is creamy and satisfying and the variety of textures is pleasing to the palate. Try a variety of different beans to add a little variety - I used garbanzo and black beans and really enjoyed the bite the garbanzos offered. Also try topping the casserole off with a few slices of avocado in place of some of the cheese - this reduces the saturated fat content and boosts the creaminess factor.

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Melissa Majumdar,RD,LN,CPT

A study published January 25, 2010 online in The Journal of Pediatrics found that adolescents who were more physically fit performed better in the classroom. The study compared California's standardized test scores in a variety of subject areas for fifth, seventh, and ninth graders. Physical and aerobic fitness was measured with a one-mile time trial. For every one minute the mile time increased, test scores decreased by over a point. On average, overweight and obese performed significantly lower on the tests.

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by Melissa Majumdar, RD, LN, CPT
EB Nutrition, LLC

The Oscars are scheduled to appear this Sunday, March 7. Whether you are hurrying to the movie theater to catch the Best Picture nominee or renting the last big flick, think twice before ordering or popping the popcorn.

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Time Magazine summarizes what every dietitian already knew - eating right is 85% of winning the battle against the bulge. The article is well written, so you should read it and escape with insight into your post-exercise indulges. I dare you, add up those calories. In the meantime, here is a quick summary.

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Richard Moyle, National Awareness Coordinator of the Mesothelioma Center, contributed today's post.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that develops in the mesothelial cells that make up the lining of the lungs, heart and abdomen. Though a few other causes of mesothelioma have been discovered, the primary cause is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that was used in a number of military and industrial applications throughout the 20th century. Symptoms do not usually become noticeable until about 20 to 50 years after primary exposure and the cancer is typically diagnosed in later stages when treatment options are more limited.

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I was recently asked about the nutrition content and benefits of chia seeds. These edible seeds are actually the same seed used to have your "pet plant" grow its hair. The seed has its roots in Mexican history, with Aztecs using it as a staple food in their diets.

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Former head of the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) David Kessler takes a walk through the National's Stadium in our own Washington, DC, describing what our food really is and how it traps us in a vicious cycle of eating. He is the author of the book The End of Overeating where he discusses the "conditioned hypereating" that has lead Americans towards the obesity epidemic.

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