Who Is The Candid RD?!

Hello readers! Welcome to my blog. My name is Gina and I'm a Registered Dietitian from Columbus, Ohio. I graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor's degree in Dietetics, then graduated from The Ohio State University with a Master's degree in Human Nutrition. I currently work full time as a university dietitian, after three years working as a supermarket dietitian (very different jobs, but also very rewarding and challenging in the best ways possible).

A couple years ago my husband (then my fiance) and I moved into a new house, which we've been frantically trying to decorate and make into "our home" ever since.  It's tough owning a home, but the rewards are worth every penny.

Nick and I recently got married in Bald Head Island, North Carolina.   Planning a destination wedding?  I recommend Bald Head Island.  It was the best 5 days of my life!

 

Nick and I are BIG Ohio State fans. Here we are at the National Championship game in 2007. This was before we got our butts kicked by some nasty team down south.

I started this blog in March of 2009, and since then Nick and I have gotten used to taking pictures of just about anything that involves food, or anything even remotely interesting. Nick is even used to holding food up to me when he's driving. I have to be candid and capture even the weak fast food moments!

You know what they say, dating makes you gain weight. In my case it was a good thing. I had an eating disorder from my junior year in high school, through my junior year in college. It was never life threatening (or at least never bad enough to be hospitalized, but I guess you could argue it was life-threatening), however I restricted my fat intake enough for there to be lasting effects, both physical and emotional. Even though I was healed by the time I met Nick, over 8 years ago, I still had some disordered eating tendencies and he helped me put on a much needed 10 pounds and to finally feel amazing about my body, and myself.

I know a lot about nutrition and I always try to practice what I preach, which means eating healthy about 90% of the time, and enjoying an indulgence at least once a day (for me it's homemade ice cream, Lindt's dark chocolate, and sometimes a really good beer!). Get used to seeing a lot of this on my blog:

We may be slightly addicted to ice cream (I try to make it lower in sugar and fat, since we eat it so often), and I love to make crazy flavors with our ice cream maker (see my dessert section for all the fun flavors).

Although we love ice cream, our new obsession is the slow-cooker.  I can't stop using it!  It's just so easy, and everything turns out so delicious (check out my slow-cooker recipe section!).

Frozen chicken in the slow cooker, with lots of BBQ and other seasonings.

5 hours later...... VOILA!

You'll also notice that I talk a lot about  "low FODMAPs" foods.  This is because I have been following a special low FODMAPs diet (for IBS) for about 5 years now.  It's changed my life.

Life is a journey, and a fun one at that. I like to try to live like a child, and laugh as much as possible. I like to live by a child's food philosophy as well; eat when you are hungry, and don't eat when you are not. In other words, be an intuitive eater. At the same time, listen to what your mother always told you and "Keep your choices varied, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, and choose sweets and alcohol in moderation!!" (my mom truly used to say stuff like that).  What's moderation, exactly?  Good question.  I try to eat healthy about 90% of the time, and the other 10% I splurge.  That's my "moderation", and it seems to work for me!

This is who I learn from, just as much as he learns from me (I hope). He's Joe, my 17 year old brother And the coolest teen in America (yes, this picture is a couple years old, but he looks the same, just a bit taller now!)

This blog is my outlet for sharing my favorite healthy (mostly...) recipes and food creations, as well as my opinions and thoughts on nutrition, food, and health.

Thanks for stopping by!

See more of me on Twitter (@CandidRD),  Facebook  (The Candid RD),  Instagram (TheCandidRD) and Pinterest (The Candid RD (Gina Casagrande)

Although...

Although We Aren't Married......

We bought a house together, and we couldn't be happier.



Although our new house is small and in need of updates.....

We love it.


Although we paid a lot for such a tiny house.....

The neighborhood and schools make it completely worth the money.

Although the floors and cabinets in our kitchen are pretty awful.....

The marble counter-tops, tons of cabinet space, and window to the outside (which I did NOT have in the apartment) make up for it.

Although the curtains that came with our small dining room are pretty ugly....

We're able to deal with them for the time being.

Although there is a gigantic maple tree in our front yard that is going to cost us $1000 to prune and manicure......


The back yard and the giant garage are perfect. We already know where our garden will go, and I no longer have to park in a parking lot!

Although our living room needs painted, needs blinds, and new curtains (yikes)......

The hardwood floor and giant fireplace sold us right away.

Although the closet space throughout the house is pretty lousy.......

I'm lucky enough to have a boyfriend who is ok to make the laundry room into his closet (he's still working on perfecting the "look". He is a laundry fanatic, he actually loves having his closet in the laundry room!).

The largest closet is the one upstairs. I haven't even filled it yet. That's awesome.

Although the upstairs carpet is uglier than sin......

I finally have an office where I can escape and find peace. I still use the ironing board for my "stand up desk", but we plan on putting a shelf in soon.

Although I already miss the apartment gym.....

I purchased a yoga mat, 5 pound ankle weights, and an ab ball to use in addition to my weights and resistance band. We are also located right next to a park and running path!

Although my bathroom is small and needs updated eventually.....

It's my own and I can finally take baths.



Although the basement isn't really "finished".....

Nick finally has a place to himself where he can escape and find peace (this is the bathroom that is located in the laundry room. Yeah it's kind of strange to have a random shower and toilet in the laundry room, but it's a full bathroom!).



Sorry, we're still working.

Although our master bedroom is not complete (we are waiting to paint before we hang our pictures and do more decorating. We are also waiting for our bedding to come in the mail any day!)...



We do have a guest bedroom, so you're welcome any time! Yes, it also needs some updates.


Although we have about 5 years of work to put into this place, Nick and I are ready for the challenge. We bought this house knowing we would be spending a lot of money to make it perfect. We are in no rush to get it completely updated, as long as it's ready by the time we a) have kids and b) want to sell it! We are simple people and it doesn't take much to make us happy. We've moved to the best suburb in Columbus and we are so proud. Thanks for stopping by :) Come again!

Giveaway Update
Coco of Balance, Joy, and Delicias, is having a coconut flour giveaway, check it out here!

Coming Up

Today Nick and I are going to start tackling the yard (if it stops raining). I also have some work to do for work, which will mainly involve getting caught up on class preparation and dietary consultations! Tomorrow, or Tuesday, I will post about some new meals I've created, and I'll also give you a look inside our cabinets and freezer.

Have a great Sunday everyone! Thanks for reading :)