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Welcome!
I'm a Registered Dietitian, vegan and endurance athlete living car-free in California. I think fun, adventure and good health go hand-in-hand!
Demand the impossible! Of yourself and the world.
If you are interested in learning more about plant-based nutrition or scheduling an appointment with me please check out my plant-based nutrition clinic in Pasadena.
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A few weeks ago I turned 40 in Sicily! Which is a string of facts that both individually and collectively are difficult to comprehend for someone who has always felt old and not quite grown up at the same time. My family is Sicilian and I’ve never been so was a perfect place to celebrate (s/o @flynorwegian and @ryanair for getting us here on the cheap). Much love to my love @lgraves for making it extra special. And no matter which bday I celebrate I’m extra happy to be alive after what I dealt with in April. Food pics to follow! Modeling inquiries can be sent to oldguyitaliannose@gmail.com.It was an honor to speak at this incredible event put on by a hospital, hosted by a local farm (4th generation Sicilians!). We need more of these collaborations. Clinicians simply don’t talk about food- and the benefits of eating more plants- often enough. Getting them together for workshops and a plant-based dinner along side farmers, chefs, community members, cancer survivors and public health officials brings the issue to the table, literally! More of this please. . - . Swipe to see 2) what outside seating for dinner with hundreds of people on a farm looks like 3) @sharonpalmerrd’s delicious recipes brought to life using local produce. Extra special thanks to Sharon for involving me. 4) my ridiculous free rental upgrade parked in a field 5) dinner the night before from @tnkvegancafe- a tasty #veganmodesto spot that I stumbled upon. Yes, that’s #veganshrimp.Shout out to my man @renaissancevegan who saw me at #AR2018 and was so insistent that I go to this spot in our hood that he put the cash in my hand to treat us. He couldn’t go cause he’s traveling the world doing the important work of @veganoutreach. Thx brother! This recovery has been a wild ride and I wouldn’t be where I am without the generosity of others. ✊🏼 . - . These #tofusteaks in ponzu sauce are excellent. Sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. Swipe to see a tasty spicy kale ramen and our array of #vegansushi. They were great about showing us what’s vegan too! Check it out if you are in the area and are tired of veggie burgers. 😃 🌱 #blackflagvegan #veganinHollywoodRolling up on 4 months out from being hit and I’m in the gym doing my physical therapy! My 17 bone fractures are presumably healed and the emphasis is on rehabilitating my shoulder. As of now I’m unable to lift my arm above my shoulder. . - . I’ll be honest- it’s not easy. When they told me 6 to 9 months before I have normal strength and rotation I just about fell over. Some of the muscles are still tight/frozen, in addition to the atrophy, that requires stretching and strengthening multiple times a day. Which then causes more tightness and soreness. 😬 . - . Swipe to see what #strava looks like when you go from 20 MPH to zero and then are put in an 🚑. And a screenshot of my $350k+ medical bill with some extremely expensive screws. 🧐😩 . - . Riding isn’t happening yet but I could probably cruise around on my @mothattack grocery bike at this point. Lots of walking though! Honestly Idk how I could’ve gotten through this without my amazing partner, @lgraves, and all of my friends who helped in so many ways. Even those of you I haven’t met who sent messages (or gift cards!!) THANK YOU. Having support is everything. The lesson here: reach out to people and support them and say those nice things even if it’s awkward. Even if it feels like not enough. Oh, and that cars are deadly and we need safer streets. But we already knew that. #bikeLAIt was #108 yesterday in Los Angeles so we ate at the Krishna Temple on the way home from the beach. #90svegan #🔥🔥#apleatothepeopleofthislandHi friends! Update: almost 12 weeks out from being hit, my bones are mostly healed- I can sneeze without pain! The focus now is on rehabbing my broken shoulder by increasing range of motion and building strength in my atrophied muscles. I’m out in the world doing things and stuff! And you wouldn’t know I recently had 16 broken bones unless I was required to lift my arm higher than my shoulder. 😐 . - . These are some photos from our recent Portland trip and @taylorwolframrd’s beautiful wedding. . - . I’ve learned a lot in this process as it’s been one of the most challenging times in my life. So much I want to say about normalcy and injury and depression. I’ve written a few WAY too long updates. In short, thank you. My friends and community, especially my thoughtful, caring partner have made this significantly more tolerable. From simple messages to stopping by to surprising financial support, I’d be in a much worse situation without you. Thank you. Looking forward to seeing many of you today at #AR2018. . - . #veganRD #bikeLAHi friends! Forty days out from being hit and my recovery is coming along. I’m no longer living and sleeping on a recliner! Was a bit sad to see it go. Also am 99% off of serious pain meds, which has been a rollercoaster. Three weeks ago I was positive I’d fly to @ppodconference this weekend, but reality set in: I’m not able to sit comfortably long enough for the flight so a conference that I help run is sadly out of the question. . - . Returning to normalcy is a new challenge because I tire quickly and have limited range of motion in my right arm while the broken shoulder and clavicle heal. I’m writing/working a bit though still canceling speaking events. 🙁 . - . What else? Getting the normal insurance run around- how do people put up with this? Though the surgeon did call me last week to tell me they found another break they had missed. 🤣 No news on the legal end to report yet. . - . My friends and community are beyond incredible. I’ll be honest: each message/gift/delivery I received in the hospital had me tearing up. From #veganRD to #bikeLA and even @lgraves’ friends I had never met: you made this situation 100x better. I’ve never felt alone in this process and honestly Idk how someone could do it without such support. Thank you. . - . Physical therapy isn’t scheduled yet and my ribs are still healing (I can tell because those weird half sneezes feel like someone punched me hard in the chest) so I don’t have an estimate on when I’ll be riding again. First, lifting my arm. 😂 . - . If you’re local and want to visit lmk! It’s been nice having so many visitors. I also go to the #hollywoodfarmersmarket on Sunday, if you go, let’s hang out. Thanks for reading. ✊🏼Hi all. An update 3.5 weeks out. Had my first follow-up post clavicle/shoulder surgery and happy to report the x-rays show it’s healing nicely. These plates are BIG! Ha. Still another 4 weeks before I’m allowed/able to lift my arm up (I can only move it below the elbow rn). And at least 8 till some normalcy. The medical team that put in my chest tube refused to see me because of my insurance, so that game has begun, but thankfully the nice ortho nurse removed their stitches for me. . - . I’m mobile and am walking every day, and making gains with being able to sit up and adjust on my own. Still have to sleep in a recliner but hopefully within a week that changes (won’t have a choice when we return this rented chair!). Pain wise I’m feeling better, mostly. I am tapering off of 3 different pain meds which is.....challenging. Don’t want to complain too much so let’s just say they work very well! Also still have a softball sized bruise below my rib cage that is....hard? Not sure how long that takes to break up. . - . My friends and community continue to be INCREDIBLE. I’m spoiled. So much love and I’m so grateful. I love having visitors and when they all bring food it’s just the best ever. And financially y’all have been so helpful as I’ve had to cancel several speaking engagements and eat the cost of plane tickets. Thank you. Food delivery is so novel! . - . So I’m improving every day and my outlook is positive, but as I return to work and am coming off pain meds it’s a serious adjustment. In other words, I’m not tired of guests and communication so don’t hesitate to reach out. . - . Appreciate all of you. I’m glad I wasn’t killed otherwise I would have missed all this love! It’s cliché but you never know what is going to happen so tell people how you feel. #veganicecreamhealsbones #bikeLAAs some of you know, two weeks ago a driver made an illegal left in front of me when I was riding home from work, leaving me seriously injured. I spent two nights in a hospital, was released, saw my condition worsen, and then was readmitted, needing a chest tube to remove blood that was pooling in my chest cavity. I also had surgery to install (?) two titanium plates for my broken clavicle and shoulder. That plus 11 broken ribs (I learned we have 12 on each side) and 3 broken ‘minor’ vertebrae totals 16 fractured bones. I’m thankful to be alive and to have avoided any head trauma. I can walk and function, but I’m still in pain (yes, I’m taking pain meds) and I have limited use of my entire right side above the waist. We had to rent a special recliner for me to sleep in. In all this my friends, my exceptional partner, and my communities have come through so strongly; I’m at a loss for words. Cannot thank all of you enough. Anything I think to say sounds cliché. The outpouring of support has been the most emotional part of all this! Even more so than not being able to ride my bike for at least 3 months. 😬 Life is short and we can die at any time so we might as well do what we can while we can to make it better for people and animals. That’s why safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists, and #veganism remain my top priorities. ✊🏼 #bikeLA #veganRD [ps. I should make a full recovery after physical therapy.]Japan! An incredible place. So. Much. Happening. Photos don’t do it justice. But here’s my attempt of our 1st day in Tokyo. 1. After a full day (13+ miles walking) we hit this tiny all #veganramen shop. One guy working. Two very small tables- mats for seats. And this delicious pork ramen. The noodles were perfect! Not pictured: fried chicken with tartar sauce which tasted nothing like that sounds. Which also describes a lot of food we ate. 2. Cat cafe! Had to do this. Free drinks so I tried onion tea, which does tastes like it sounds. 3. #hanami: the act of enjoying cherry blossoms. We spent some quiet time (relative) in #yoyogipark enjoying the #🌸 with hundreds of picnicking locals. 4. Our hotel offered free breakfast at an Italian restaurant which included this pasta with what I think is a fermented salsa sauce? No complaints! Top right is rice with fermented veggies and seaweed. Salad toppings included fried onions and roasted #burdock. 5. The famous doggo of Shibuya, #Hachikō! People lined up to take very serious photos. Loved it. #peteverydog 6. The super fun, fashion-y, neighborhood of #Harajuku is filled with toys and stickers. This welcome sign is a realistic depiction. Recommend @mominokihouse_official for lunch and had a great coffee at @mojocoffee._ too. 7. Tokyo isn’t known for its street food but we found a #mochi vendor and enjoyed this delicious bean-filled sweet so much we went back for another. Scope @lgraves’ #cherryblossom nails. 8. Requisite nighttime #Shibuya photo with our friends @hummingberd and @sandentotten who happen to book a trip the same time as us! #veganintokyoTwitter
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Matt Ruscigno, Registered Dietitian · Food, fun, and adventure!
