by Annette Pinder

Kelly Cardamone is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, Exercise Physiologist, Integrative and Functional Certified Practitioner, and Certified Wellness Coach at General Physician, P.C. She is also pursuing a Doctorate in Clinical Nutrition from Rutgers University. Above all, her passion is helping people improve their health.

Recalling her first aerobics class as a teenager, Kelly says, “I’ve been active my whole life.” Kelly initially planned to become a lawyer. However, while working at the college fitness center teaching aerobics, she realized her passion was in exercise science and switched gears. It led to an internship in Florida, and the rest is history.

When she was 30, Kelly moved to NYC to work as an office manager at a private practice on Fifth Avenue. She also taught fitness classes at the World Trade Center. “I was teaching a class there the night before 911. The next day, while training for a marathon, running along West Side Highway, I saw the first plane hit. It made me realize that life is short, precious, and you never know what’s going to happen next.” With her passion for healthy living, Kelly returned to school to pursue a degree in Nutrition. “I knew that when I ate better, I felt better. Eating healthy was always a part of my life. My mom always made homemade meals. I always loved reading books about healing through food,” said Kelly.

To help her clients achieve their optimal health and goals, Kelly focuses on a combination of nutrition, fitness, and wellness coaching, and getting back to the basics, saying, “Eating healthy should be practical, sensible, and easy to follow. It also doesn’t have to be more expensive, and can cost the same as unhealthy eating.” Basic foods she recommends are beans, brown rice, oatmeal, nuts and seeds, seasonal fruits and vegetables, and lots of herbs and spices. One of her favorite dinners is spaghetti squash, diced tomatoes, Italian herbs, and lentils. For breakfast, she often prepares overnight oats with almond milk, diced apples, raisins, and cinnamon. She recommends recipes available at the Forks over Knives website at www.forksoverknives.com.

During these unprecedented stressful times Kelly offers the following suggestions: avoid junk food by not having it in the house; choose whole foods over processed; eat 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables daily; refrain from drinking your calories; read labels so you know what you’re putting into your body; and get enough sleep as it’s more important than you realize. For those wanting to lose weight, she recommends starting with a goal of losing 5 to 10 percent of your current body weight and moving more

At home, Kelly embraces a whole food plant-based diet, while being reality-based and balanced in her choices. “Focusing on whole food plant-based doesn’t mean only eating fruits and vegetables. You can implement it 100% or 70% and add in eggs and fish. With children, you have to be realistic. My son is 8 and my daughter is 10. A typical meal might consist of veggie burgers, fruits, and veggies. We make our own milk using almonds or other raw nuts, such as cashews and filtered water. It’s really easy! We also make granola bars from the nut milk pulp.” Kelly especially loves gadgets that make cooking easier, such as an air fryer and instant pot. As for restaurants, she says, “Sure, we eat pizza and go to restaurants. We’re a real family. If you restrict your kids, they’ll just go to their friends’ houses and indulge there. You cannot make unhealthy choices the forbidden fruit.”

Kelly and her family are also physically active. “Our kids don’t have phones or live on social media. They love soccer, skiing, and swimming. Their goal is 90 minutes of physical activity daily and walking 8,000 steps. Kelly and her husband’s goal are 15,000 steps. To celebrate her 47th birthday on Thanksgiving, the whole family will be walking five miles in this year’s Turkey Trot.

Any final advice? “After graduating high school, not knowing what I wanted to do, I became a janitor and swept floors. At the time it paid the most money to save for college — the means to an end goal. Figuring out what I loved made my life less stressful and more fulfilling. Always remember to take time outside of your job to nourish your body, get enough sleep, exercise, make time for yourself, your family, and friends. Make sure to find the things you love that bring you joy.”

Learn more about Kelly at https://www.gppconline.com/kelly-cardamone-ms-rd-cdn-cde-cnsc  or call 716-631-8400. Also, watch Kelly on an upcoming tv show. See p. 46.