Saturday, March 15, 2025
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Friday Faves 4.5 – The Fitnessista

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Hi friends! How was the week? I hope you had a great one. What’s going on this weekend?

We have a birthday party, a night out with friends, and I’m teaching a barre class.  I also can’t wait to crawl into the sauna blanket this afternoon; it’s a little chilly today. I’ve love to hear what you have going on!

I was also thinking of doing a spring challenge, similar to Spring Shape Up but with MORE. Wellness tips, fitness programming, live calls, free, the whole deal. Let me know if that’s something you’d be interested in doing and we can start later this month!

It’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party (on a Saturday! Yesterday ended up being wild, but I still love doing this particular post each week). This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

Friday Faves 4.5

Life:

Easter fun! We had an amazing Easter weekend here at home after our San Diego and Disneyland trip last week. Saturday night, the girls and I went to mass, and Sunday morning, the Easter bunny made a stop at our house.

He brought new swimsuits and candy for both kids, a drone and a stuffed animal for one kid, skincare and lulu for the other. 😉

Friday Faves 4.5 Easter treats basketFriday Faves 4.5 Easter treats basket

We had a lovely breakfast at my dad’s house with his side of the family and we finally got to meet the newest member of the family, Hudson! He is snuggliest sweetest little guy… and is NOT helping my current baby fever. (Team Two and Through, but I’m struggling with this right now lol.)

girls with baby Hudsongirls with baby Hudson

Classic Easter pic:

Classic Easter family picClassic Easter family pic

Dress is from my RTR unlimited subscription:

dress from RTR unlimited subscriptiondress from RTR unlimited subscription

Read, watch, listen:

Thank you to my friends at Bored Panda for including me in this article.

Started this book this weekend and it’s already living up to the hype.

Don’t forget to check out this week’s podcast episode here.

Fashion + beauty:

Beautycounter extended their promo through the weekend. You can get free shipping on orders over $50 and 30% back in product credit with Beautycounter! You can check out all of the details here. This is the first time I’ve ever seen them do 30% back in product credit. It definitely makes it worth the Band of Beauty signup fee here! You get a free gift with qualifying and orders, and product credit to use later. I use and love this lipgloss, supreme cream, all bright C serum, overnight peel, and AHA mask.

Friday Faves 4.5Friday Faves 4.5

Everyone is obsessed with Abercrombie, and the last time I shopped there was in high school, when we’d wear a lacy cami under our Abercrombie polo with a popped collar. Those were the dayyyyysssss haha. Needless to say, they’ve really upped their game lately and are even giving off a Reformation-ish vibe. I’m going to order a few things to try for spring/summer, including these:

These tailored pants.

This everyday mini dress.

This linen blend blazer.

This bodysuit.

This maxi dress.

Fitness, health, and good eats:

I can’t wait to try some of these go-to recipes.

Everything bagel cauliflower rolls.

You have to try my favorite oatmeal bake.

Sweet Tomatoes is baaaaack! They all closed during the time that shall not be named, and the first one to reopen is our beloved Tucson location. It was always a nostalgic spot to take the girls, and we’d often meet up for family dinner. As soon as it reopened, we planned a family dinner with madre, my stepdad, and Nani. It was like a time warp – everything was exactly the same!

Sweet Tomatoes salad | Friday Faves 4.5Sweet Tomatoes salad | Friday Faves 4.5

 

Had the BEST strawberry pop heart from Dedicated, which is a local gf bakery. It was everything.

strawberry pop heart from Dedicatedstrawberry pop heart from Dedicated

A question for you this weekend: what’s your favorite coffee cup?

Mine seem to change each year, but right now, there are three in my favorites rotation: a Wizard of Oz mug I’ve had since middle school, a succulent mug for maadre, and one I got from Kajabi for hitting my first $50k in sales.

Happy happy weekend, friends! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today and I’ll see ya soon.

xo

Gina

Riding Road Trip Tips – PezCycling News

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Riding in new places is one of the most rewarding aspects of our sport. Each trip offers new roads, new challenges and a chance to explore areas you likely would never have seen if it wasn’t for the bike. Early in my career though, I often dreaded the idea of travelling for cycling – knowing I had a big goal waiting for me and so many stressful uncertainties to deal with on the way there.

airport
Don’t stress

Athletes usually thrive on routine and each travel day inevitably turns that carefully calibrated schedule on its head. When will I sleep? What should I eat? Are my legs still going to be good after all of this? Will I even make it to the start line with a bike to ride?

Even if you aren’t competing but are heading off on a cycling vacation, these questions still loom. No one wants to spend their hard-earned money on a cycling trip only to have it compromised before the riding even starts.

Invest in a Good Bike Box

Some of this anxiety can be relieved by controlling certain variables in travel. Travelling with a quality, modern bike bag or case makes an enormous difference compared to older models that had the maneuverability of a tractor trailer and seemed to weigh as much as one too. Ease of transport and the security of knowing your bike is well protected are benefits worth paying for, even if you only travel once or twice a season.

Scicon
The Scicon bike box – Others are available

Invest in a Smoother Flight Plan

The same can be said for planning the most reasonable, straightforward travel itinerary that you can. It can be tempting to hunt for bargain flights and give the airlines as little of your money as possible – after all they seem to do everything in their power to damage our precious bikes. But after fourteen hours in airports, a missed connection and lost luggage, most athletes would pay handsomely for a do-over with a direct flight. This advice may seem fairly obvious, but over my years of competing and coaching it seems like most athletes, including myself, learn those lessons the hard way.

Dealing with Travel Stress

While you can control certain aspects of your travel experience, your day is still very much at the mercy of external forces, both in terms of delays and in availability. Sometimes a four am alarm, bad weather and an endless wait at the rental car desk are unavoidable. Suddenly your routine is disrupted and you find yourself eating a six dollar airport candy bar for breakfast while doing laps of the concourse trying to “keep your legs moving”. Even worse, I’ve often seen many athletes so welded to their training plan that they end up kitting up and riding away from the hotel at nine o’clock at night to makes sure they check off the prescribed ride for the day.

My best advice to deal with an unnatural travel day schedule is simple: relax and rest. One imperfect day is not going to ruin months of preparation. I used to leave a box of protein bars and some beef jerky in my travel backpack even between trips. That way if things went awry I wouldn’t go hungry or eat anything I would regret later. It’s not the healthiest diet in the world, but for a day, it will do just fine.

soudal 2024
Don’t stress

Don’t Stress the Training

I recommend the same approach in terms of physical activity. If you end up missing your ride that day, you will be okay. The hay is already in the barn in terms of training and you are at the stage when a little extra rest will be a probably be a benefit. Trying to squeeze in a pre-travel ride in before dawn or a post-travel “spin out” when you should be winding down for bed are both far riskier than just accepting a sedentary day off. In my experience, getting on the plane well rested and relaxing on arrival do more to keep an athlete healthy pre-race than all the hand sanitizer in the world.

There are legitimate concerns about resting too much and starting a race feeling “over fresh” or flat. A proper pre-race ride with some “opener” type efforts can be helpful for optimal performance. For that reason, I would always try to arrive two days before my goal event so that I could have a full day to tune up and get mentally focussed, even if I had an abysmal travel experience. Sometimes that isn’t possible and you find yourself between a rock and a hard place scheduling wise. In those cases, I would suggest the risk of being “too rested” is a much better option than starting the race tired and broken down from adding too much stress the day before.

Rest & Relax

Overall, simplicity and rest are the best weapons you have against the strains and frustration of travel. Even when it comes to adjusting to new time zones and limiting jet lag, my advice is the same. Relax and sleep as much as you can and eat when you are hungry, no matter what the clock says. You can try to adjust your diurnal rhythm for a new time zone in the days and weeks leading up to your event but trying to drive your body to do it mid-travel is just another stressor you don’t need. A final insight that I picked up in my years on the road, is the value of company on your journey. Braving the potential chaos of travel alone can feel like torture, but if you can take it on with a teammate or a partner, the entire process feels a lot less daunting.

So as the warmer weather greets us and you make the final plans for your big goals of the season, aim to make your travel as calm and painless as possible. Let go of as many concerns as you can, rest up and be confident that you are ready to perform at your best.

morrice
Warm weather training


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Combat the Cost of Groceries with a Plan

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Food costs have skyrocketed in the past year, but that doesn’t mean you have to forego healthy eating. With just a little forethought, there are ways to counter this increase. Here are some tips for maintaining  a nutritious diet without breaking the bank. 

Think ahead 

Take inventory. Before heading to the store or submitting your online grocery order, shop for your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. Take inventory and plan to make recipes using what you have on hand first. 

The most important tip is taking inventory and planning your menu accordingly. Have you ever tossed a bag of soggy spring salad mix? Welcome to the club! It’s happened to most of us at some point, but that’s throwing money away. 

Prioritize perishables. Take care to use up fresh produce like spinach or other greens that tend to spoil quickly. Toss greens into a soup or pasta sauce to use them up and simultaneously add a nutrient boost to your meals. Check the expiration dates for perishables like yogurt and create meals around those foods first. For example, you might use up yogurt in breakfast parfaits for the family.

Planning your meals, starting with what you have on hand, helps reduce waste and therefore save money. But you might also consider changing what’s on the menu altogether. 

Eat less meat. Meat is expensive. Beef, chicken, and fish can run up a grocery bill faster than anything else. Adding more protein-rich plants to your plate can help. This can mean using beans a few nights a week instead of meat–and thinking of ways to add more produce to your meals overall. This will automatically help increase your fiber and antioxidant intake.

“The cost of meat and meat products isn’t dropping, so think about incorporating more plant-based foods in your meals,” recommends Sara Haas, RDN, a Chicago-based chef, author, and food photographer.  “Whole grains, canned/frozen/fresh varieties of vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, beans, and legumes are all great options.” 

Though the price of eggs has more than doubled all over the country, eggs are still one of the least expensive sources of protein you can buy. Consider enjoying them for dinner for an inexpensive meal like Eggs in Purgatory. This recipe is made with canned tomatoes and is a great base for adding any vegetables you have in the fridge to use up, such as zucchini, peppers, and spinach.

List it out. Create a detailed grocery list and stick to it. Shop online (if you get free shipping) or go through the store as quickly as possible. Most of us know not to go to the supermarket hungry since that’s a recipe for impulse buys. However, studies show the longer you’re in the store, the more you buy. To save time in the store, organize your list by food aisle or departments to avoid backtracking—and make sure you have a snack before you shop! 

Shop smart 

Shop the sales–and stock up. Take a few minutes to peruse the weekly online ads for your favorite supermarket. It may help to get the deals delivered to your email as a reminder. Many sales are seasonal, and you might notice how some stores offer similar sales on a monthly cycle. Take note and buy accordingly. 

Haas reminds us to check out sale items and develop meals around those foods first. 

And don’t forget the staples. “If those shelf-stable basics are on sale, buy extra! Think rice, beans, and canned goods that can last at least one year if not opened,” she advises. 

Use coupons wisely. Physical coupons are great but not always available. Clip digital coupons to save time and money at the register—and remember, coupons are only a good idea if you buy food that you will actually eat. Though they exist, there aren’t many coupons for fresh fruits and vegetables or fresh meat, poultry, or seafood. Look instead for deals on frozen or canned produce, yogurt, eggs, and other healthy foods, plus household items like detergent and toothpaste.

Buy in bulk—if it makes sense. This strategy is common, but it only saves money if your family can eat the food before it expires. Large containers of olive oil or nut butter can go rancid and giant boxes of cereal can go stale if not used on time.

Switch things up 

Be flexible. If you have a recipe that calls for ground beef, but ground turkey is on sale, substitute ground turkey. There’s a wide range of substitutes that work well. If your recipe calls for chicken breasts but chicken thighs are on sale, consider making the swap. If you’re making stew, baked chicken, or soup, the chicken thighs will add even more flavor to the dish, so don’t be afraid to try something different!

Grow and regrow herbs and more. With fresh water and sunshine, you can grow a variety of foods indoors. We all know how expensive those little packages of fresh herbs can be. You might be surprised at how easy it is to grow them yourself. 

Common herbs, including basil, parsley, mint, and oregano, grow in plain water—no soil or potting needed. Simply place the stems of leftover fresh herbs in a jar of fresh water and place them in a sunny area such as a windowsill. Use as needed and refresh the water regularly. 

You can also regrow flavor-packed green onions using the same method. Place the white root end in a glass of fresh water and watch them regenerate in seven to 10 days. This is a fun project for kids to manage, but it also saves you from buying green onions again.

Though some of these tips may seem small, it all adds up in the end. Use these tiny tips to save big over time. 

Roasted Asparagus Recipe – Love and Lemons

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This oven roasted asparagus recipe is an easy, delicious spring side dish. The spears are tender, juicy, and flavorful. Ready in 15 minutes!


Roasted Asparagus


Roasted asparagus is the best spring side dish! Ready in 15 minutes, it’s so easy to make. Just trim the asparagus’s woody ends, toss it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and pop it in the oven.

Roasted asparagus is also delicious. The spears are juicy and tender (NOT stringy or mushy), and their tips are browned and crisp.

I could happily eat oven roasted asparagus straight off the baking sheet. But I love it even more when I season it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a punchy sauce, or flavorful garnishes.

I’m sharing my simple roasted asparagus recipe below, along with my favorite seasoning ideas. I’ll be making it often this season, and I hope you will be too!


Recipe ingredients


Roasted Asparagus Recipe Ingredients

You only need 5 ingredients to make perfect roasted asparagus:

  • Asparagus, of course! I like to roast spears that range in size from medium to thick. Because they’re not too thin, they don’t get flimsy as they bake.
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, sea salt, and fresh black pepper – Roasting essentials!
  • Fresh lemon juice – Squeeze it over the roasted asparagus for a pop of bright flavor.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.


Asparagus on a baking sheet


How to Roast Asparagus

My method for how to roast asparagus is super easy! Here’s how it goes:

First, trim the asparagus. Have you ever eaten a piece of asparagus and found yourself chewing…and chewing…and chewing? Chances are, you got a bite of the tough, woody end of a spear. These thick ends are too fibrous to eat, so you should always trim them off before you cook asparagus.

How to Trim Asparagus

You can trim asparagus in two ways:

1. With a knife. Lay the asparagus spears flat on a cutting board with the tips pointing in the same direction. Trim off 1 to 3 inches of the thick ends, cutting where the asparagus transitions from being thick and woody to juicy and crisp.

2. By hand. Hold a spear of asparagus by its thick end, and gently bend it until it breaks. It will naturally snap at the point where the tough, woody part of the stalk ends. Repeat with the remaining spears, and you’ll be ready to cook!


Hands seasoning asparagus with black pepper from a pepper mill


Next, season it. Transfer the asparagus to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle it with olive oil, sprinkle it generously with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on the baking sheet. If the spears are crowded together or overlapping, they’ll steam in the oven, and they won’t brown and crisp up as they bake.


Baked asparagus on a sheet pan


Finally, bake! Pop the sheet pan into a 425°F oven, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the spears are lightly crisp and tender. Squeeze the roasted asparagus with fresh lemon juice, and serve.


Roasted asparagus with dill sauce


How to Season Asparagus

I love oven roasted asparagus seasoned simply with olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice. But it’s delicious with other toppings and seasonings too!

Feel free to experiment. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Sprinkle it with a few tablespoons of feta or freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
  • Top it with toasted nuts like almonds or pine nuts.
  • Drizzle it with dill sauce, green goddess dressing, or a balsamic vinegar reduction.
  • Shower it with chopped fresh herbs like parsley, dill, and/or mint.
  • Toss it with lemon zest, red pepper flakes, or finely grated garlic.

Serve the oven roasted asparagus with any protein you like, or pair it with a spring entree like my pesto pasta or spinach quiche.

How to Store Roasted Asparagus

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They keep well for up to 3 days.

Reheat them in the microwave for a quick veggie side dish, or add them to a pasta, frittata, or omelet!


roasted asparagus recipe


More Easy Asparagus Recipes

If you love this oven roasted asparagus, try one of these easy asparagus recipes next:

Want to learn how to roast more vegetables? Try my roasted broccoli, roasted cauliflower, or roasted Brussels sprouts recipe!

Roasted Asparagus

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Serves 2 to 4

This roasted asparagus recipe is easy and delicious! Ready in just 15 minutes, it’s a perfect spring side dish. Season it simply with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, or try one of the serving suggestions in the blog post above.

Prevent your screen from going dark

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

  • Toss the asparagus spears with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread them evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly crisp and tender. Squeeze with lemon juice and serve.

Birth Story: Preparing and Training for Birth! with Katie Lohiya

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We’re back with my favorite type of podcast episode, a birth story!  We’ve been able to create an amazing community of students here at PYC.  I see many of these students twice, sometimes three time a week.  I get to know them, hear their stories, listen to their concerns and I am able to share with them what I’ve learned.  Today we have Katie Lohiya, sharing her birth story.  She has been part of our PYC community since she was 13 weeks pregnant.  She attended class 2-3 times per week, even when she wasn’t in NYC she would join online, which I absolutely adored. I was able to get to know Katie well.  We have a similar background, we are both dancers and performers and I resonated with her.  When I asked her to share her birth story she said “absolutely.” Katie tells a beautiful birth story.  I am deeply honored that as she was explaining her story, her time at PYC was very much interwoven into her birth.  I am very appreciative that the time we spent together helped her throughout her labor experience. 

On today’s episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, we’ve invited Katie Lohiya, one of our community members.  She is originally from Chicago but has lived in NYC for 14 years.  Katie graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in Dance.  Before having her daughter, she danced professionally for a contemporary company (Lydia Johnson Dance) and has taught extensively throughout NYC.  She’s been married to her husband Vaibhav for 10 years and they live on the Upper West Side.

Katie recommends that parents trust their instincts when it comes to pregnancy, birth and parenthood.  She points out that there is so much information to sift through, that it helps to tap into their own intuition.  Whether it’s finding the right provider, advocating for themselves in labor, or getting a second opinion from a pediatrician, she believes that if parents trust their inner voice they will ultimately make the best decision for their family.  Katie’s story is heartfelt and candid.  I’m really excited for you to hear her story, it’s very special!

In this episode you will learn:

  • How she envisioned her birth and what contributed to that vision and idea. 
  • How her preexisting body awareness, as a dancer, helped her prepare for for the discomforts of an unmedicated birth.
  • How yoga and PYC helped prepare her for birth.
  • Where in her birth story a black bear shows up!
  • What coping skills she most gravitated towards.
  • About her experience during transition and how she got to the other side.
  • About something in her story that she will always remember.
  • About her postpartum experience.
  • A piece of advice Katie would like to offer new and expectant parents.

About Katie:

Katie Lohiya is originally from Chicago but has lived in NYC for 14 years.  She graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a BFA in Dance.  Before having her daughter, she danced professionally for a contemporary company (Lydia Johnson Dance) and has taught extensively throughout NYC.  She’s been married to her husband Vaibhav for 10 years and they live on the Upper West Side.

Check out similar Yoga | Birth | Babies podcast episodes:

  • Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE 
  • If you love what you’ve been listening to, please leave a rating and review! Yoga| Birth|Babies (Apple) or on Spotify!

To connect with Deb and the PYC Community: 

Instagram & Facebook: @prenatalyogacenter

Youtube: Prenatal Yoga Center

carrot coconut baked donuts

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Carrot Coconut Baked DonutsCarrot Coconut Baked Donuts

Carrots and coconut are a magical and nutritious combination in this fiber-rich baked donut recipe.

Carrot Coconut Baked Donuts teaspoonofspice.com @tspbasilCarrot Coconut Baked Donuts teaspoonofspice.com @tspbasil

I’m not much of a carrot cake fan. I find it a bit too sweet and there’s just something I don’t like about carrot and pineapple together. I’m more of a butter/chocolate frosting gal.

But coconut + carrot? Bring it.

Last year, I finally bought a donut pan. I immediately made Gretchen @kumquat ‘s Totally Coconut Donuts and then went on a bit of a baked donut spree

But since then, the donut pan has been dormant for a while so I figured it was time to dust it off. And with spring finally in the air, I figured I’d do a take on carrots and coconut after seeing a few carrot quick bread recipes and a bunch of Easter coconut desserts.

So, these are my “Not Carrot Cake” Carrot Coconut Donuts.

Carrots and coconut are a magical and nutritious combination in this fiber-rich baked donut recipe. Recipe at Teaspoonofspice.com  #donuts #baked #carrots #coconut #bakeddonuts #carrotcakeCarrots and coconut are a magical and nutritious combination in this fiber-rich baked donut recipe. Recipe at Teaspoonofspice.com  #donuts #baked #carrots #coconut #bakeddonuts #carrotcake

I like baking with coconut flour as it produces a tender, fluffy result, is mild in flavor and is super rich in fiber (coconut flour has double the amount of fiber compared to whole wheat pastry flour!) It’s also a great option for those who need to follow a gluten-free diet. (Note: this recipe is NOT gluten-free as I did a mix of coconut and wheat flour.)

Between the flours, carrots and shredded coconut, each of these donuts provides over 6 grams of fiber. 

Not too shabby for a donut.

Print

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Description

Carrots and coconut are a magical and nutritious combination in this fiber-rich baked donut recipe.


For the batter:

  • 2 teaspoons coconut oil
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 1 ¼ cups coconut flour
  • ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk
  • 2 eggs

For the frosting:

  • ¾ cup plain Greek low-fat or nonfat yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract


  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. If coconut oil is in a solid state, place on baking tray and put in oven for a few minutes. Remove tray and add carrots and unsweetened coconut. Mix together and spread evenly on tray. Roast for about 8-10 minutes or until the coconut starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside 1 cup of carrot/coconut mixture for frosting.
  3. Lower oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  4. In a large bowl, mix together remaining roasted carrot/coconut mixture, coconut flour, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk together coconut milk and eggs. Add to dry ingredients and beat until ingredients are just incorporated (batter will be thick and sticky.)
  6. Grease a 6-count donut pan with cooking spray. Fill each cavity with batter. Bake for 18 – 20 minutes or until batter starts to turn golden brown. Remove from pan and cool on a rack. Repeat with remaining batter.
  7. While donuts are cooling, in a small bowl, beat together yogurt, powdered sugar and vanilla.
  8. Once donuts are completely cool, one by one, dip top of donut into frosting to fully coat top. Dip into remaining carrot/coconut mixture. Store in air tight container in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Carrots and coconut are a magical and nutritious combination in this fiber rich baked donut recipe. teaspoonofspice.com @tspbasilCarrots and coconut are a magical and nutritious combination in this fiber rich baked donut recipe. teaspoonofspice.com @tspbasil

 

Advancing Health Equity in Health Care | Blogs

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Jacinda C. Abdul-Mutakabbir PharmD, MPH and Lauri Hicks, DO, FACP
Jacinda C. Abdul-Mutakabbir PharmD, MPH and Lauri Hicks, DO, FACP

In March 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman.” Health equity is the state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health.  Health disparities and inequities in infectious diseases (ID) have existed throughout history, and ongoing inequities became more evident during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Within the subspecialties of healthcare epidemiology, infection prevention and control, and antimicrobial stewardship, there is also evidence that certain patient populations are at increased risk for infectious complications during hospitalization, and antibiotic prescribing varies according to several factors, including patient race and ethnicity, geographic location, and type of prescriber.

To increase the publication and accessibility of ID-related Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) content, the Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology (ICHE) journal editors issued a call for DEI-focused manuscripts. Several scientific papers published as a part of the collection provide insights ranging from disease-related inequities based on socioeconomic status to antibiotic prescribing discordance based on race/ethnicity. Released in the April 2024 issue of ICHE, we authored Advancing Health Equity through Action in Antimicrobial Stewardship and Healthcare Epidemiology, which synthesized the valuable insights provided through the ICHE DEI collection. Additionally, we provided commentary on how individual clinicians, healthcare organizations, and the public health workforce can apply these findings to their healthcare epidemiology, infection prevention and control, and antimicrobial stewardship activities.

Everyone has a role to play in improving equity, whether you are providing clinical care or leading infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship implementation, or an entire healthcare organization. The act of addressing the uncovered inequities may seem daunting. Nonetheless, we emphasize that making a personal commitment to equity is an important starting point. That commitment to mitigating disparities will hopefully create a forum to conduct an assessment of your practices, including assessing implicit biases and examining how social determinants of health may impact your patients and the community more broadly. This will aid in equitably addressing the needs of different populations.

Finally, the continued advancement of equitable interventions requires the inclusion of diverse individuals in the workforce. Thus, we all must acknowledge our role in advocating for the recruitment of marginalized individuals into infectious disease and public health roles. Moreover, we must also commit to providing these recruits with mentorship and support throughout their careers.

Improve Antibiotic Use, Improve Health Equity

Authors:

Jacinda C. Abdul-Mutakabbir PharmD, MPH, is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pharmacy and Researcher at the University of California San Diego.  Her translational research program is focused on identifying inequities in antimicrobial resistance and stewardship to inform tailored interventions for vulnerable communities.

Lauri Hicks, DO, FACP is a Captain in the US Public Health Service and the Chief of the Medical Product Safety Branch in the Division of Healthcare Quality and Promotion at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

Social Security Payment Schedule: April 2024 Checks

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Anyone who is getting Social Security benefits should know the Social Security payment schedule for 2024. Knowing when you’ll receive your Social Security benefits each month will make it easier for you to budget your money, pay your bills, and make the benefits that you receive stretch as far as possible.

If you’re wondering, “When will I receive my Social Security benefits for April, 20024?” don’t worry. This guide has everything you need to know about the Social Security payment schedule in April and everything you need to know about when you will receive your Social Security benefits throughout the year.

Social Security Payment Schedule: Exactly When to Expect Your Checks in April 2024

There are several factors that influence the Social Security payment schedule 2024. The type of benefits that you receive, the date of birth of the person receiving the benefits, and how many people in the household receive benefits can all impact when your Social Security benefits arrive. Holidays and other potential delays can also affect when you receive your Social Security disability benefits.

If you are receiving SSI benefits your April 2024 SSI payment will arrive on Monday, April 1st, 2024. Anyone who has a Direct Express® benefit card or has direct deposit of their benefit should see that money in their account on April 1st, 2024.

People who are receiving other types of Social Security benefits like retiree benefits, SSDI payments, or survivor’s benefits will receive their benefits according to the schedule created by the Social Security Administration. That schedule is based on the date that you were born. The April 2024 Social Security payment schedule is:

  • If your birth date is between the 1st and 10th of the month during which you were born, you will receive your payment from the Social Security Administration (SSA)on the second Wednesday of the month, April 10th.
  • If your birth date is between the 11th and the 20th of the month during which you were born, you will receive your payment from the Social Security Administration (SSA) on the third Wednesday of the month, April 17th.
  • If your birth date is between the 21st and 31st of the month during which you were born, you will receive your payment from the Social Security Administration (SSA)on the fourth Wednesday of the month, April 24th.

If you are a recipient of survivor’s benefits you need to remember that the date when the benefit money will arrive is based on the birth date of the primary recipient.

If you’re thinking when is my Social Security payment for April 2024 coming? Here are the exact Social Security payment dates for April 2024:

April 1st: You’ll receive a Social Security payment for April 2024 on Monday, April 1st if you receive SSI from the SSA.

If you meet one of these criteria you will receive your SSI payment on Friday, April 3rd:

  • You live outside of the U.S.
  • You receive both Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security benefits.
  • Your state pays your Medicare premiums.
  • You filed for Social Security benefits prior to 1997.

If you are receiving any kind of Social Security benefit payment that isn’t SSI you will receive your April, 2024 Social Security benefit payment on these dates:

April 10th: If your date of birth falls between the 1st and 10th of the month during which you were born, you will receive your April 2024 Social Security payment on the second Wednesday in April which is April 10th.

April 17th: If your date of birth falls between the 11th and 20th of the month during which you were born, you will get your April 2024 Social Security payment on the third Wednesday in April which is April 17th.

April 24th: If your date of birth falls on or after the 21st of the month during which you were born, you will receive your April 2024 Social Security payment on the fourth Wednesday in April which is April 24th.

How much Social Security benefit money will I get in April 2024?

How much will you receive from Social Security in April 2024? Typical April 2024 Social Security payments are:

SSDI

If you are getting SSDI payments from the SSA in April 2024 the maximum benefit amount that you can receive each month is $3,822.

SSI

If you are getting SSI from the SSA in April 2024 the monthly SSI payment maximum benefit that you can receive is:

  • For an individual: $943
  • For a couple: $1,415
  • For an essential person: $472

Retirement Benefits

If you are getting retirement benefit payments from the SSA in April 2024 the maximum benefit amount you’re able to receive each month is:

  • Full retirement age benefit: $3,822
  • Retired at age 62: $2,710
  • Retired at age 70: $4,873

Survivor Benefits

If you are getting survivor benefits from the SSA in April 2024 the maximum benefit amount you’re able to receive each month is:

  • Individual survivor, no children: $1,773
  • Survivor with two children: $3,653

These are just general amounts. The actual amount of money that you receive from Social Security may be higher or lower depending on factors like when your Social Security benefits were awarded. These amounts do include the 3.2% COLA increase that started on January 1, 2024.

To calculate exactly how much money you will receive from the SSA in April you can use our handy disability benefits calculator.

The April 2024 Social Security benefit payment schedule is usually accurate, but there are sometimes delays that can impact when your benefit payment arrives. If there is a Federal holiday during the month benefit payments may arrive late. Weekends can also affect when Social Security disability benefit payments arrive.

If your payment is due to arrive on a date that falls on a weekend, then your benefit payment should arrive the Friday before the weekend. Mail delays due to heavy traffic, storms, or understaffing can sometimes impact when payments arrive, but that’s unusual.

There are no major holidays in April 2024 that should impact when Social Security benefit payments arrive. Easter is on March 31st, but Social Security payments for April, including SSI payments, should be received on schedule in April.

If you live outside of the United States, if you receive both SSI and Social Security benefits, or if you filed for Social Security benefits before 1997, you should receive your April Social Security benefit payment on Wednesday, April 3rd.

Social Security Payment Schedule: Exactly When to Expect Your Checks in April 2024

Waiting for a Social Security benefit payment isn’t fun. It means putting off buying things you need like food or waiting to pay bills. That’s why people who are receiving Social Security benefits are encouraged to sign up for direct deposit.

If you have a checking or savings account at any bank or credit union you can have your monthly Social Security benefit payment deposited electronically into your account. The money will be deposited on the day that you should receive your payment based on the SSA’s 2024 Social Security payment schedule.

Another option to get your Social Security benefit payments faster is to sign up for the Social Security Administration’s Direct Express® card. The Direct Express® card is like a debit card. Your money will be deposited onto the card electronically each month. You can use the card like a debit or credit card to pay for things or to withdraw cash at an ATM. There may be fees for withdrawing cash, depending on the ATM that you use.

To sign up for either direct deposit or the Direct Express® card just go into your account on the SSA’s website and follow the prompts.

If you’re not sure when you will receive your Social Security benefit payment you can check your Social Security payment date online.

Knowing your payment date is very important so that you can budget your benefits and make arrangements to pay your bills. Knowing your payment date can help you avoid late fees, overdraft or NSF fees, and other fees that can eat into your benefits when you do receive them.
To find out when your April 2024 Social Security benefit payment date is just go into your account on the SSA’s website. Under your account information, it should list your payment date.

Sometimes it can feel like it takes forever to get Social Security benefit payments, especially if your application hasn’t been approved yet. It can take a long time to get your Social Security application approved, but once it’s approved you won’t have to wait very long to start getting benefits.

There is a five-month waiting period to start receiving Social Security benefits. However, if your application takes longer than five months to be approved you won’t have to wait another five months before you start getting your benefit payment.

If your application is approved in less than five months after you apply you will start receiving Social Security benefits the sixth month after your application was submitted. If your application is approved but it’s been more than six months since you applied you will start receiving benefits the next month. Your benefit payment will arrive according to the Social Security benefit payment schedule.

Back pay is paid differently than regular monthly benefits. You should receive your back pay in a lump sum within 60 days of your application being approved. But, back pay is only paid electronically. You will need to have your back pay deposited directly into a bank account or sign up for a Direct Express® card.

Social Security Benefits Payment Schedule 2024

You should receive your April 2024 Social Security benefit payments on time. There are no major holidays in April 2024, and no reason to think that payments should be delayed. If you want to double check your April 2024 Social Security payment date you can always log into your SSA account and check your payment date.

If you are concerned about getting your Social Security payments fast you should sign up for direct deposit or get a Direct Express® card from the Social Security Administration. Those are the fastest ways to get your money.

Check back often for any updates on the Social Security 2024 payment schedule so that you’ll always know when your Social Security payment is arriving. Knowing when your money will be in your account is important so that you can manage your money, pay your bills on time, and make sure that your rent or mortgage gets paid promptly.

If your claim for Social Security benefits was denied, or if you haven’t filed your Social Security application yet you should really speak with an attorney who specializes in Social Security claims. A Social Security lawyer can answer your questions, help you fill out your application, and help you if your claim is denied and you need to appeal.

To get personalized help with a Social Security claim or to get answers to your questions about Social Security benefits fill out a Free Case Evaluation now. You will be connected with an attorney who might be able to help you. You don’t have to pay anything upfront to get connected or speak with a Social Security attorney by filling out our form. This is because Social Security disabiliity lawyers only get paid if they are able to get you the benefits you may need.

The tough sell of the third-party candidate

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This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here.

Third-party and independent candidates are never all that popular in American presidential elections. But this year, fear of handing the election to Donald Trump is making an outsider run radioactive.

First, here are four new stories from The Atlantic:


Outsider Attempts

The third-party presidential candidate is not a beloved figure in American life. Many of these contenders are ignored or mocked for their unrealistic ambitions—unless, in rare cases, they end up influencing a close race, at which point they are blamed for spoiling things for the major candidates.

This year, outsider candidates are trying their luck in a particularly high-stakes election—and facing major pushback from those who fear that a spoiler could hand the White House back to Donald Trump. That dynamic helped fuel the downfall of No Labels, a sincere and well-funded—though confusing and perhaps naive—attempt to get a centrist alternative on the presidential ballot. After months of courting various candidates (the list reportedly included Condoleezza Rice, Will Hurd, and Nikki Haley), collecting what it said in November of last year was $60 million in donations, and getting on 18 state ballots, the organization called it quits last week: It just couldn’t get a credible candidate to run on its ticket.

“Anyone who earnestly opposes Donald Trump—Democrat, Republican, independent, whatever—is terrified of participating in anything that will hasten Trump’s return to power,” my colleague John Hendrickson, who has covered No Labels, told me today. Even though No Labels itself insisted that its third-party bid would not be a spoiler in the race, John explained, many people saw it as just that.

A theoretical No Labels candidate sweeping the general election was never a realistic risk. Americans have never elected a third-party candidate—in part because such politicians don’t have the combination of fundraising machinery and party backing that Republicans and Democrats do, John told me. He explained that third-party candidates can also have a hard time getting on the ballot in various states, which have their own laws determined by politicians who are overwhelmingly members of either party. “We often think of presidential elections as ‘national’ elections, but the reality is that ballots are administered by states,” John said.

Still, there’s just enough precedent for “spoiler” candidates changing the game at the last minute to give pause to those who do not want Trump back in the White House. These candidates have siphoned votes in a few close races in the past—notably in the 2000 election when Ralph Nader nabbed about 97,000 votes in Florida, where Democratic candidate Al Gore lost by about 500 votes, and in 2016, when Jill Stein garnered some that could have gone toward Hillary Clinton. (Both candidates ran for the Green Party, so were likely more attractive to liberal voters or those who voted for Democrats.)

Many voters are unenthused—even distraught—about the major-party candidates on offer in this election. These negative feelings could inject real volatility into the race. My colleague Elaine Godfrey, who published an article this morning about a group of undecided women voters in the electorally vital suburbs of Philadelphia, found that some—appalled by Trump, wary of Joe Biden’s age—were casting about for other options. A few of them were checking out Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the former Democrat and conspiracy-minded political scion who has shown surprising momentum in his outsider bid.

RFK Jr.’s “We the People” Party is present only on the Utah ballot so far, but he is currently polling around 12 percent—well below either of the major-party candidates, but a number that distinguishes him as the highest-polling independent candidate since Ross Perot ran in 1992 (in what was then the most successful outsider bid in many decades). As John wrote of RFK Jr. last month: “His movement’s potential to ‘spoil’ the election remains very real.” He just announced his vice-presidential pick as Nicole Shanahan, a wealthy Silicon Valley lawyer who was until recently married to a Google co-founder, whom he selected from a bucket of contenders that reportedly included Aaron Rodgers, Tulsi Gabbard, and Killer Mike; Shanahan’s wealth and age (she is 38) could help RFK Jr. bring in new voters.

Some of the women Elaine interviewed did seem to think that RFK Jr. has a real shot at winning. But other Americans, as Jon Krosnick, a political-science professor at Stanford University, told me last fall, vote for an outside candidate not because they think that person has a chance but because they will feel better about themselves if they choose that person. Krosnick’s point is a reminder that voting is not only a political act—it is emotional, social, and deeply human.

Related:


Today’s News

  1. A total solar eclipse emerged along Mexico’s western coast and finished its path across continental North America in Newfoundland, Canada.
  2. In a new video, Donald Trump said he would leave the issue of abortion rights up to states’ discretion.
  3. President Biden outlined his plans to lower or cancel student-loan debt for more than 30 million Americans.

Dispatches

Explore all of our newsletters here.


Evening Read

Picture of Alex Garland
Photograph by Stephen Ross Goldstein for The Atlantic

Civil War Was Made in Anger

By David Sims

When the first trailer for Alex Garland’s new movie, Civil War—a harrowing depiction of conflict between American states in the near future—was revealed, a wave of bafflement spread across the internet. Incredulous articles questioned the conditions that would lead Texas and California to become allies against “loyalist states,” as was written on a promotional map. Others wondered how the film could dare to depict such conflict without really explaining its origins, given that Civil War takes place well into its titular war, with rebel forces descending on the White House to evict a president (played by Nick Offerman) who has refused to leave office.

This reaction only justified Garland’s reasons for making Civil War—not merely as a gnarly war drama, he told me in a recent interview, but as an argument against political polarization: “I find it interesting that people would say, ‘These two states could never be together under any circumstances.’ Under any circumstances? Any? Are you sure?”

Read the full article.

More From The Atlantic


Culture Break

A rainbow image with multiple faces of Dwayne Johnson
Illustration by Matteo Giuseppe Pani. Source: Getty.

Don’t blink. Because the Rock doesn’t either. Dwayne Johnson’s career is a parade of different personas and ventures, but if there’s one thing that unites it all, it’s that he will “always spin things his way,” Robin Sloan writes.

Watch. The SNL “Secretaries” sketch, starring the former cast member Kristen Wiig, knew just how to skewer mid-century office culture, Esther Zuckerman writes.

Play our daily crossword.


Stephanie Bai contributed to this newsletter.

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EMA and delays in drug launch – Healthcare Economist

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For patients with serious illnesses, timeline access to efficacious medications is paramount. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) was created in part to help expedite drug approvals and insure these products are save and effective. As stated in a paper by Grünwald and Stargardt (2024):

The EMA [European Medicines Agency] was founded in 1995 primarily to harmonize the marketing authorization of pharmaceuticals in the EU and EEA…as there had been substantial differences among European countries in terms of launch delay and the availability of pharmaceuticals

The EMA had 3 key community procedures that grant access to the markets of some or all EU member countries simultaneously.

  • Centralized procedure (CP). If the EMA evaluates a pharmaceutical and grants it marketing authorization, this determination is binding all all European Union member states. CP was introduced in 1995 and was originally used only for “biotechnological processes, such as monoclonal antibodies, controlled gene expression or recombinant DNA technology”. The list of treamtents evaluated under CP has expanded to includeorphan drugs and substances against cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS (in 2005), viral diseases and auto-immune diseases/dysfunctions (in 2008), and advanced therapy medicinal products (e.g., cell and gene-therapy) also in 2008.
  • Mutual recognition procedure (MRP). In this case, the assessment is performed by a reference member state, which the applicant can choose freely and whose decision is subsequently adopted by all other member states in which the applicant seeks market access. This procedure was adopted in 2001, and includes new treatments that are outside of the CP such as other pharmaceuticals and generics.
  • Decentralized procedure (DCP). Adopted in 2005, this would allow pharmaceutical manufacturers to seek country by country approval. This is only eligible for new substances not governed by CP or MRP.

To examine the impact of these procedures, Grünwald and Stargardt (2024) conduct a differences-in-differences analysis comparing countries subject to these community procedures against those who were not. Specifically, with EU enlargement, in 2004 the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia (Cyprus and Malta also joined the EU on this date but the authors did not have data from these countries). In 2007, Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU and then Croatia joined in 2013. In contrast, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Russia, Serbia, Switzerland , and Turkey never joined the EU. Using IQVIA sales data from 33 European countries, the authors examined (i) the launch delay and (ii) the availability of new active substances. The authors find that,

…countries experienced a mean decrease in launch delay of 10.9 months (p = 0.004) after joining the EU. Effects were higher among pharmaceuticals that belong to indications that might voluntarily participate in the CP but are not obliged to. These are often financially less attractive to manufacturers than pharmaceuticals within the compulsory scope. Availability of new pharmaceuticals launched remained unaffected. We found signs that the magnitude of the country-specific effect of centralized marketing authorization on launch delay may be influenced by strategic decisions of manufacturers at the national level (e.g., parallel trade or reference pricing).

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hec.4819

For more details, you can read the full article here.