Author Archives: Jessica Cassity

About Jessica Cassity

Jessica Cassity is a health journalist who regularly contributes to dozens of magazines including Self, Shape, Fitness, Women's Health, Family Circle, Ladies Home Journal, and Details. She is also a certified fitness instructor in several disciplines, author of the book Better Each Day, and an enthusiastic cook and gardener. She is based in Portland, OR.

3 Easy and Tasty Ways to Eat Through Your Stash of Easter Eggs

Easter is all about eggs. And while your household may have an easy time snacking on the various candy eggs that made their way into your house (chocolate eggs, jelly bean eggs, etc.), good old chicken eggs may be slower to move.

We love eating hard-boiled eggs as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack—they’re a tasty blend of protein and fat which is why diets like The Royal Danish Diet and The Paleo Diet recommend them. But we also know that eating eggs a la carte can get a little old. Rather than slog through another uninspiring bite, try out one of these simple recipes which calls for hard-boiled eggs.

Chicken and Apple Cobb Salad: The apples and avocados in this tasty salad add flavor and extra nutrients. Plus it’s gorgeous! (See above.) (more…)

Posted on April 21, 2023 by Jessica Cassity

Work it Off: 3 Ways to Zap a 169-Calorie Gelato Bar

Did you know that Italian gelato has fewer calories and less fat than American style ice cream? Me neither! But upon learning this fun fact my first thought was, obviously, I’ve got to get some! A few months ago I had seen Bar Gelato for sale in the Bay Area and the brightly colored bars of frozen gelato looked delish! This week I tracked them down and, after much internal debate, I finally settled on a flavor: Pistachio. (Other front-runners included Recchiuti Burnt Caramel and Guittard Dark Chocolate Sorbetto!)

It was, in a word, heavenly. Much denser than most other ice cream bars thanks to the reduced amount of air added to the formula. Much more flavorful than a lot of other ice pops and frozen treats I’ve had, thanks to the natural flavors. And, on an unseasonably sunny and warm day it really hit the spot.

Of course, there’s always a trade-off. This afternoon indulgence weighed in at a fairly reasonable 169 calories, but it was still more than I’d bargained to eat as a snack.

What are some fun ways to burn off 169 calories? (more…)

Posted on April 20, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

Get Your Run On: 6 Races to Add to Your Bucket List

So you want to run a race. Sure, there are probably a number of local runs in your home town, from a charity 5K fun run to full and half marathons. But if you’re going to put in the time to train to run a race, why not commit to running one to remember? There are dozens of races held in fun and unexpected location and with themes that will make the whole experience even more fun, and unforgettable.

Our friends at Shape magazine have compiled lists of the best spring races and the best women’s races. Below is a sneak peak of our favorite 6. (Click the links to see the other 14!)

The Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend: Men are technically allowed at this Florida event, which has a Tinkerbell-themed sister run at the southern California park, but it’s clear that women rule the road for this one. You can run a 5K, 10K, or half marathon; costumes are, of course, encouraged. (February 2024)

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Posted on April 16, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

9 Signs You’re Addicted to Indoor Cycling

Whether you cycle at the gym or at a cycling specific studio like Soul Cycle or Flywheel Sports, there’s a good chance you’ll go from amateur to addict after a few short sessions. Here are the telltale signs you’ve already made the transition:

You carry cycling shoes in your purse. Just in case your dinner date cancels/your lunch hour frees up/your favorite instructor announces he’s subbing that afternoon. (more…)

Posted on April 16, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

Work it Off: 3 Ways to Burn Off a 612-Calorie Margarita

This week I met up with a couple of girlfriends for a welcome home dinner. We went out for healthy Mexican food at Porque No?, one of my favorite restaurants here in Portland. They have tasty fish tacos, homemade tortilla chips, and delish guacamole. They also make a mean margarita. I ordered one, but I got way more than I bargained for—a margarita served in a full-on pint glass. (As in, way bigger than the one below:)

A pint of margarita means essentially two cocktails in one, at least. Margaritas are already known for being one of the more sugary, calorie-loaded cocktails out there so I knew I was breaking some sort of rule by drinking it. (At least I stopped at one!) When I checked the calorie count for this tequila spiked treat I found that a 3.3 fl oz serving has 153 calories. Not bad, until you factor in that the one I had was around 16 fl oz! Multiply that number by 4 and you’ve got over 600 calories in a glass!

(Too bad they weren’t following our recipe for a Skinny Margarita!

What are a few ways I could have burned off the 612 calories in this big and tasty drink? (more…)

Posted on April 13, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

Get Creative in the Kitchen with DIY Taco Seasoning

Improvising can be a lot harder than it looks. (Just ask the cast of “Saturday Night Live”.) Going off-script in the kitchen can be especially challenging, at least at first—after all, what if you screw up and make something that doesn’t taste good?!

But once you get over those initial fears of failure—which is a lot easier once you remind yourself that you can always get takeout!—adding a spirit of adventure to your cooking will likely make the entire experience more enjoyable. Before you know it you’ll be adding a dash of this and a pinch of that to your home creations.

But before you start yelling “Bam” like Emeril and dreaming up crazy-but-tasty flavor explosions, start small.

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Posted on April 10, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

6 Health Habits to Take Home from Japan

Recently I was lucky enough to spend 10 days in Japan. It was cherry blossom season—and a trip that’s been on my bucket list for a while. I only learned two new Japanese words—”konichiwa” is “hello” and “arigato” is “thank you”—but I figured out at least a few explanations for why Japan continues to rate high in rankings of the world’s healthiest countries. Here are a few tricks that are helping our neighbors to the west—who boast the greatest proportion of citizens over 100—live long and healthy lives:

Fish comes first: Eaten raw, cooked, or somewhere in between, not a day went by that I didn’t have fish during my trip. All of this seafood was good for my body and brain: the blend of lean protein and healthy fats makes fish a staple in many diet and healthy eating programs. I’ve always liked sushi, but this visit gave me a new appreciation for sashimi—basically raw fish any rice: You get all of the benefits of the fish without the calories or sugar of the rice!

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Posted on April 10, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

Work it Off: Burn Off the 508 Calories in a Shrimp Tempura Roll

I love sushi. Which is good news because I’m in Japan! One of my favorite dinners is sushi rolls and pieces of nigiri (raw fish with a little rice) and sashimi (raw fish without any rice). I love how fresh it tastes, how flavorful it is, and how healthy it feels. (Fish is, after all, a part of a balanced and healthy diet!) But I can’t help but recall a recent magazine article I read, which said that eating a few sushi rolls was equivalent to eating half a loaf of bread in terms of sugar, carbs, and so forth.

I try to cut down on the rice, sticking mainly to sashimi and nigiri, which really helps keep this meal helathy–you’re eating nothing but fish after all, plus a little soy sauce and wasabi. But sometimes I really want a tempura shrimp roll (and sort of forgo this advice from Fit Bottomed Girls’ Jennipher Walters). (more…)

Posted on April 6, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

100-Day Weight Loss Transformation Captured in 2-Minute Video

Remember that post from the start of the year, about 100, the startup that let’s people record their 100-day transformation? I just found this great video from a woman who went to the gym 100 days in a row:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5FkshLcNLQ

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Posted on April 4, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

3 Ways to Make Your Gym Clothes Last for Years

You put your fitness apparel through the ringer when you work out, sweating in and stretching out garments during long runs, short HIIT blasts, and steamy yoga sessions. But if your tops and crops get abused while on your body, does that give you more or less incentive you treat them with TLC when you wash them for your next wear?

Good question, especially since a single pair of yoga pants can easily cost more than $100 these days.

Full-disclosure: I used to work for lululemon athletica. While doing marketing for the brand’s new SoHo location in 2024 I spent time in the store. Back then, company policy was to tell people to wash garments however they wanted—hot, cold, turbo dryer, or line dry… just no fabric softener.

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Posted on April 3, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

Work it Off: 3 Ways to Burn Off the 90 Calories in a Cup of Yoplait Light Yogurt

There are a number of reason’s that Yoplait Light Key Lime Pie flavored yogurt might not be considered healthy. There’s the strange light green coloring (pretty sure it’s not natural) and the 10 grams of sugar. But, it’s clearly a healthier choice than some other snacks I’ve been known to indulge in, like donuts!

This past week while at the grocery store I saw there was a special on these yogurts. Ten for $5 or something like that—a deal that’s hard to pass up. Add in the fact that things were downright warm in Portland and this seemed like a fitting treat. So I grabbed a few and went on my way. I’ve been enjoying the yogurts all week and, aside from the fact that they’re not exactly natural, they’re a fairly healthy treat: No corn syrup, 20% of the daily recommended value of calcium, and just 90 calories.

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Posted on March 30, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

Author Archives: Jessica Cassity

About Jessica Cassity

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