Tag Archives: nutritious america

PSPfit Boot Camp Cycle 2 Partners with Lane Bryant in Time for Holiday Fitness Season

CeCe Olisa is at it again. The “Plus Size Princess” from TheBigGirlBlog.com is launching the second round of the popular #PSPfit fitness and nutrition boot camp.

PSPfit cheerleaders

This time it will take place during the 30 days leading up to Thanksgiving, from October 26 to November 27. “The holidays can be brutal! It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of shopping and parties and before you know it you’re not taking care of yourself the way you usually do,” CeCe shared. “This pre-Thanksgiving boot camp will bring us through the holidays more mindful of what we eat and how much activity we get.”

Partnering again with nutritionist Abra Pappa, CeCe is setting out once again to bring #PSPfit to any woman in the world. The boot camp utilizes social media to bring nutrition and fitness coaching to its participants. Women of all sizes are encouraged to take part in the 30-Day Pre-Thanksgiving boot camp. (more…)

Posted on October 25, 2023 by Elizabeth

PSPfit Boot Camp Celebrates Positive Body Image as Much as Fitness and Nutrition

There’s a revolution happening in New York City and across the internet. CeCe Olisa of TheBigGirlBlog.com and self-declared “Plus Size Princess” is teaming up with nutritionist Abra Pappa and trainer Anthony Truly to bring a 6-week fitness and nutrition boot camp to any woman wanting to embrace her body while being healthy and fit.

“I hope that any woman who embraces her body while striving to achieve goals will join us, because that’s a hard balance to strike,” CeCe told us. The program was created after she began working with Abra personally.

“She (CeCe) wanted to be able to share the work that we are doing with her followers so we have launched a 6-week boot camp both live and virtual,” Abra said.

Having live and virtual options means women anywhere can participate in the boot camp. The women eligible for the live version are those in the New York City area who can attend meetings and sessions in person. Other women wanting to participate can do so online. CeCe filmed the workouts to watch online and she and Abra will be hosting Facebook group nutrition sessions where participants can engage and ask questions.

The boot camp is the physical manifestation of the #PSPfit movement. That movement started last November when CeCe was in a fitness and nutrition slump. (more…)

Posted on April 5, 2024 by Elizabeth

Eat 120-Calorie Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo to Pimp Your Pasta

By Abra Pappa for Nutritious America

If I had a dollar for every time Fettuccine Alfredo came up in a nutrition session with a client I would be a very wealthy woman. It seems to be the dish that is the ultimate counterpoint to healthy eating, the sin that must be confessed. That steamy bowl of rich creamy pasta is not sensible – it is evil, ridiculous, void of common sense, and completely and utterly delicious!

Unfortunately, one bowl piles in about a day’s worth of calories and fat. ONE BOWL has approximately 1200 calories and 75 grams of fat!

The original recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo was created nearly 100 years ago by a man named Alfredo di Lelio in Rome. He created the recipe to please his very pregnant wife who struggled with morning sickness. Butter, heavy cream, cheese, and pasta to the rescue!

This morning sickness cure can now be purchased jarred or frozen and is on nearly every Italian restaurant menu across the country. Fettuccine Alfredo is an indulgence that we tend to “indulge” in way too often.

Now you can have your Alfredo and eat it too. Just make it at home. The Abra Pimped way. (more…)

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Nutritious_America

We Pimped a Homemade Vegan Pumpkin Spice Latte

By Abra Pappa for Nutritious America

Tis’ the season to consume many, many, many pumpkin spice lattes. A now ubiquitous beverage of fall, this Starbucks flavored java is loved the world over.

Last month there was a reported pumpkin spice syrup shortage at hundreds of Starbucks around the country; lovers of this beverage were outraged! It was the Pumpkin Spice LattePOCALYPYSE! Happily for the PSL fans (that’s what they affectionately call this fall beverage) the syrup was replenished and drinking resumed.


But wait! I am so sorry to burst your pumpkin bubble, but do you know really know what you are drinking? Espresso, steamed milk, and pumpkin spice syrup, yes, but what is in that pumpkin spice syrup? I for one, wanted to know. Starbucks isn’t terribly forthcoming about ingredients. Their website is extremely helpful with fat and calorie counts, but when it comes to actual ingredients one must dig deeper to come up with the truth.

I emailed them (which quite honestly, is very simple to do on their website) and asked for the ingredient breakdown. I received this:

Sugar, Condensed Nonfat Milk, Sweetened Condensed Nonfat Milk, Annatto (E160b, Colour), Natural and Artificial Flavours, Caramel Colour (E150D), Salt, Potassium Sorbate (E202, a preservative).

This list did not make a holistic nutritionist very happy. The first ingredient is sugar, then more sugar in the form of sweetened condensed milk, and numerous coloring agents and preservatives. Then the big whammy, under the guise of “natural and artificial flavors” are hidden health disastrous ingredients that legally do not have to be listed. Ingredients like Vanillin instead of Vanilla (synthetic vanillin primarily comes from wood pulp, a bi-product of the sulphite process. Yum!) are considered “natural ingredients.”

Well fear not pumpkin addicts, this is a truly simple and luscious drink to make at home. You will save calories, fat, and yucky franken-food ingredients, AND save yourself a pretty penny!

Consider the Pumpkin Spice Latte Pimped! (more…)

Posted on October 26, 2023 by Nutritious_America

HealthBuzz October 26: DIR Releases First eCookbook, 57 Types of Sugar, and Halloween Party Food Recipes

It’s the final Friday of the month! The weekend is approaching in a few hours and that means it is time for a dose of healthy news from DIR and our friends. So take some time out of your schedule to read the headlines from this week!

Announcing Baker’s Dozen: Our First eCookbook with 13 Healthier Breakfast and Brunch Recipes

We have launched our first ever eCookbook with 13 different recipes! The eCookbook is filled with healthy and delicious breakfast and brunch recipes and it only costs $1.99! Each dish is fresh, flavorful, and pretty easy to make! Download the eCookbook now because the first 100 get some cool prizes!

John Thompson’s 202 Pound Weight Loss Story

Imagine losing 200 pounds! John Thompson did just that after two years of exercising and eating a healthy diet. A few weeks ago John finished his first half marathon, too! Read more to learn about the small steps John took to achieve a healthy life.

7 Facts About GMOs to Convince You to Vote Yes on 37

Earlier this week I had to explain what a GMO is to 90 college students. It shocked me to see how many people didn’t understand what GMO is and the health risks it poses. If you do not know the facts about GMO then check out our list of 7 things you need to know. Read why voting yes to Prop 37 can help Americans see what they are putting into their bodies. (more…)

Posted on October 26, 2023 by Samantha

HealthBuzz October 19: Famous Vegans, Indoor Fitness for Kids, and Comforting Fall Recipes

It’s Friday and that means it time for a dose of healthy news before you head out to enjoy the weekend. This week’s headline includes a story about celebrities who are living healthier due to their vegan lifestyle. Another headline is an article about indoor fitness for kids that we shared at Nutritious America. And, don’t forget to look at the recipes we love which include a whole wheat chicken pot pie and a sparkling apple sangria recipe.

3 Free Weekly Meal Planner Worksheets Organize Healthy Homemade Food

After a long day of work the last thing you want to worry about is dinner. For those who want to get healthy and manage their grocery budget meal planning can be a big help. DIR is sharing three meal plan worksheets that you can print off for free! The worksheets can help you stick to meal plans at the store and you’ll be less likely to put a bunch of junk into your grocery cart! 

Meet Mr. Honeycrisp, the Man Behind Fall’s Most Popular (and Most Expensive) Apple

About every type of apples tastes the same, right? Wrong. Honeycrisp Apples’ taste is unmatchable compared to Granny Smith apples or Red Delicious apples. DIR’s managing editor recently interviewed David Bedford, the father of the Honeycrisp Apple. Read more about the most prestigious apple out right now!

More Vegan Celebrities Tout the Animal-Free Diet’s Benefits

Being a vegan means that you cut off any animal product from your diet, but it also changes your lifestyle. Vegans swear to not use any animals products or eat animals because it is morally wrong. Celebrities like Pink, Kristen Bell, and Travis Barker have made a healthy lifestyle change since becoming vegans. (more…)

Posted on October 19, 2023 by Samantha

Pimp That Recipe: Caramel Apples for Fall

By Abra Pappa for Nutritious America

Fall is not fall without caramel apples. At least to me. Crisp tart apples and sticky sweet caramel. Yum!

As a child, October meant caramel apples. We would travel to the farmers market to pick out the perfect caramel apple for the ride home. This much-anticipated treat was homemade by the farmer’s wife, with a fresh apple picked from the tree and dipped in a simple caramel sauce, made from sugar, heavy cream and sometimes butter. Then, as Halloween neared, my mother would come home with a big bag of apples and get to work on her own caramel apples for the family.


What was once the simplest and purest treat has turned into the simplest, fastest pre-packaged (and full of scary stuff) treat. Walk down the apple aisle of any grocery store this month and you will find “caramel apple wrappers” and packaged  “old fashioned caramel dip.” Although convenience has its place in today’s hustle and bustle world, I wonder if you have ever read the ingredients in that easy-to-grab dip? (more…)

Posted on October 10, 2023 by Nutritious_America

Pimp That Recipe: The Ultimate (Healthier) Chocolate Chip Cookie

By Abra Pappa for NutritiousAmerica.com

What is more delicious than warm chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven? Not much I tell ya, not much. We all should have a reliable, delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe in our back pocket to wow impromptu guests and convince our kids that we are, indeed, super mom.

Trouble is most cookie recipes begin with ingredients that need..well.. pimping! I encourage you to push beyond your baking comfort zone to try this nutrient dense, crazy delicious treat. The ingredients here should easily be added to your arsenal of real food, health promoting pantry staples.

So let’s pimp that recipe! (more…)

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Nutritious_America

Kid-Approved Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese Launches ‘Pimp That Recipe’ Makeover Series

By Abra Pappa for Nutritious America

The idea behind most recipe makeovers is to take out or replace the “naughty” foods with “lighter” versions in order to reduce the big numbers from calories and fat. While reducing numbers is a piece of the health puzzle it doesn’t tell the whole story. Specifically since high fat/high calorie items are frequently replaced with chemically processed or highly processed “lite” versions which leaves a recipe that, quite frankly, can have a negative impact on your overall health.

This recipe makeover, however, is based on a non-reductive food philosophy; one that doesn’t just rely on taking high calorie foods OUT but focuses on adding the right foods IN. Adding in real whole foods, clean foods, foods as close to nature as possible.

So off we go with a new way of re-doing recipes. Pimp That Recipe will take your favorite comfort foods and upgrade them to a new, wholly health supportive, nourishing, satiating, and delicious version. Surely you’re on board with that!

Pimp That Recipe Mission 1: Macaroni and Cheese

I am jumping right out of the gate with a tough one. Macaroni and cheese is delicious. There, I said it. I understand why many of my clients are in love with this rich, creamy indulgence. But, holy cow traditional macaroni and cheese is not a waist-friendly food. It typically weighs in at 600 calories and 30 grams of fat per serving, with very little micro-nutrients to speak of. Additionally, the standard white pasta and heavy dairy will wreak havoc on gut health, blood sugar stabilization, and your body’s ability to effectively burn fat. Let’s turn this yummy delight into a health friendly, (yet delicious) masterpiece. Shall we? (more…)

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Nutritious_America

The Scientific Quest for a “Healthy” Cheese Leaves us Flavorless

By Abra Pappa for Nutritious America

In a world of endless food “science” it isn’t terribly surprising that even the mighty cheese is subject to investigation, processing, and testing in an attempt to create a cheese-like-food-product that scientists will deem “healthier” by reducing sodium and fat. In this never ending quest to make all food “diet worthy” and eternal dieters “happy” there is no food spared from their turn in the science wheel. Yet, each time we’ve attempted to replace a natural, whole food with a processed version of the food the results of “health” have not exactly worked out.

Case in point: changing butter to margarine. The partially hydrogenated fats that were originally thought to be much healthier then butter’s saturated fat have since proved to be the exact opposite. Why would a “new” cheese be any better?

The average American consumes nearly 30 pounds of cheese per year; that is an awful lot of fat and salt. But, cheese is so much more than a block of fat and salt, it has a story, a life, a history.

If you have ever spent time with a cheese expert or any amount of time in a real cheese haven like Murray’s cheese shop in New York City, you may have been graced with some of the history and story behind cheese. Stories of generations of sheep farmers in France creating glorious cheese from humble resources, or small American artisinal cheese makers who, with a much shorter history of cheese making, are taking this culinary world by storm. Cheese has been consumed as a traditional food in many cultures for literally thousands and thousands of years, and yet it is just in the last 50+ years that we are seeing the steep decline in the health of people. It makes us ask, is cheese really to blame? (more…)

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Nutritious_America

Play More and Eat Less During August Family Fun Month

By Abra Pappa for Nutritious America

There is something inherently playful about August. Even as we are bombarded with the reality that fall is just around the corner and the kiddies will soon be off to school there is a bubbling mischievous and naughty nature about the final weeks of summer. We just want to play hooky, have fun, let loose, experience life, swim, frolic and laugh.

What if we allowed ourselves to do just that? What if play became more important and food less important? What if you spent a day like any 4-year-old where food was absolutely secondary to FUN.

There is a delicate balance that begs to be struck between nourishment from life and nourishment from food. When life is out of balance (unhappy career, long work days, little to no sleep) food can creep in to try to fill the void. When our very essence is begging for fun and our “busy trap” keeps us from having fun it’s amazing how food seems like the solution. What if we satisfied the need for fun? Would food become less important?

Here are three ways to increase your play and upgrade your fun in these last few weeks of summer and allow food to be secondary to the immense joy that a summer frolic can offer. (more…)

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Nutritious_America