Sweet potatoes, a photo by julahooper on Flickr. The sweet potato became a part of my diet after a discussion with my dance professor about increasing my potassium intake to decrease muscle spasms. Low potassium levels put you at risk for muscle spasms (charley horses...) as well as other less fun conditions. As the kidney [...]
Author: Julie Hooper, MPH, RD
Hi! I'm a Registered Dietitian and future doctor (current med student) living with type 1 diabetes. Join me as I share my travels, research, recipes, and life with type 1 diabetes.
A Catanese Christmas!
You know how there are people you meet with whom you immediately feel a connection, like you’ve known them in another life? Well, I get this feeling with places. The first time I felt this was when I went to London. My father told me that I was feeling the pull of my ancestors who [...]
Sweet Potato Gnocchi alla Gorgonzola
I never understood the power of gnocchi until I came to Italy. Store bought gnocchi is always relatively good, but it is not the explosion of flavor that the real fresh stuff gives you. Gnocchi was never the top of my list. In fact I much preferred pasta. This was until one fateful afternoon at [...]
The Italian Experience
Let me tell you a story... As most of you know, I am teaching high school English in Seriate, Bergamo. This means my upper-level students are only 2-3 years younger than me. In my fifth level classes I have been teaching lessons on American politics, which happily coincides with the elections in the US. I [...]
Zucchini Bread… What was that about not liking vegetables?
I have never been a picky eater. In fact, there is a family myth that when I was in the hospital diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of two, the foods I requested were barley soup and avocados. Now, tell me is that the food of choice for a normal two year-old? I [...]
Of Mushroom Hunters and Sheep Parades
“The hills are alive with the sound of music!” I wanted to jump from my bus and run singing through the green pastures of the pre-Alps of Bergamo province. To distract myself from this rather strange urge, I was content instead to spend the last ½ hour of my trip counting sheep. Total tally: 238 [...]
A Permanent Pizza Party
" Pizza: 3 Julie: 0" I thought as I methodically sliced my giant “piece” of pizza into inch long, bite-size portions. I watched in amazement as my eight year old host sister devoured a piece the size of her abdomen “come un lupo” (like a wolf) before I had eaten two bites. Oh if I [...]
Exploring La Jolla: My Top 5 Hidden Gems
Having lived in La Jolla my entire life, I never expected to do a post about the sites here. Tourist season, packed beaches, and my love of the sun have inspired me to venture off the paved sidewalks to hidden spots of Californian paradise . Here are my top 5 beaches and lookouts to rival [...]
The Lake Life
As you can probably see from the simple change in scenery, I have left the Jersey shore and headed north to my home away from home, New England. Currently I am recovering from my cafe and shore lifestyle in a not-so-little house on Squam Lake in New Hampshire. The road to recovery has not been [...]
TYPE 1 TRAVELER 