Blog
Welcome to Love and Zest! Why the name you ask? Well, I am happily married to the love of my life. I believe that we all have an innate desire to love and to be in relationship. People bring the greatest joys to life.
A few things that I delight in and make life worthwhile are my savior Jesus, my loving husband Eric, family, friends, nutrition, creating, nesting--making a cozy home, and all things nature, especially birds and puppies. I enjoy playing in the kitchen and making new things. Since we eat with our eyes first, I try to make our plates look pretty too. This blog is a place where I share recipes, life, and some nutrition things from a registered dietitian's point of view.
The word zest ties it all together-- my zest to go after my hopes and dreams, nutrition, as well as one of my favorite ingredients to cook and bake with.
Thank you for visiting my blog. I would REALLY REALLY love to hear from you! Connect with me outside the blog on Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. I hope you stay a while, and walk with me through this wonderful life...
Personal
I grew up in sunny Auburndale, Florida with my dad (Dwight), mom (Becky), two brothers (DJ and Tyler) and sister (Lauren). I played tennis across the state on most weekends and enjoyed being active.
When I grew up, I moved from small town Auburndale to bigger/small town Auburn, Alabama for college. WAR EAGLE!! At Auburn I was introduced to endurance sports, and joined the triathlon team. I have so many fun memories and made life-long friends that love the same things I do. I sure do miss those beautiful people...
Now I live in Orlando, Florida with my husband Eric. Eric is out of law school, finally! And is now a practicing attorney. When I'm not working you'll find me out and about exploring the city, walking to a coffee shop or farmer's market, running with Eric, or in the kitchen making a mess testing new recipes while photographing and blogging the showdown.
Professional
Kristina LaRue, RD, LD/N is a registered and licensed dietitian in Orlando, Florida. She obtained her Bachelor’s of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Auburn University, and then completed the dietetic internship at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama.
Since finishing her supervised practice she has worked as a dietitian at Florida Hospital, nutrition consultant and facilitator of the Diabetes Prevention Program at the YMCA of Central Florida, and Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children's Teen Xpress program.
Kristina is the sports dietitian for UCF athletics and a nutrition consultant with Tara Gidus Nutriiton Consulting. She has a heart for working with disordered eating, and provides nutrition therapy in the treatment of eating disorders with Joyful Nutrition, located at the White Picket Fence Counseling Center in Winter Park, Florida.
Her training in adolescent and adult nutrition therapy, sports nutrition, and eating disorders allows her to individualize treatment approaches to meet the needs of each client. She believes in coming alongside to empower individuals toward a healthy life balance and a positive relationship with food and fitness.
Kristina also provides freelance writing, menu planning, cooking demos, and blogging services. You can view her articles on Arnold Palmer Hospital's MyIlluminate Blog.
She is a member of the American Dietetic Association, Orlando Dietetic Association and serves as Secretary, and the Eating Disorder Network of Central Florida.
If you'd like to work together, visit my services page to learn more or contact me at loveandzest@gmail.com.
