Family practitioner — and bodybuilder — shares her journey and benefits of vegan diet Dr. Harriet Davis loves to tell people that she “eats like cow.” Not because she’s packing it away like there’s no tomorrow. But rather, she’s literally eating like a cow – no meat. For the last 14 years, Davis — who just happens to be a bodybuilder — has been eating a plant-based diet. “It was just one of those things,” she said. “I didn’t intend to be vegan, I just wanted to feel better.” The problem: her d

I sit down with a registered dietitian and come away with a new outlook We’re just days away from digging into the biggest eating season of the year. And after a brutal 2020, we probably are all ready for some holiday comfort eating. But what about those who want to step away from the traditional approach to holiday feasting and go a healthier route? That’s where Kimberly Spatola, registered dietitian at the Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute offered her expertise, and in doing so, help

Question: Can dessert be creamy, buttery, or indulgent without including the likes of milk, butter, cream, or other animal byproducts in its composition? A few short years ago, my conjecture would likely have been “ummm…no!” But today, having consumed more education about veganism and having experienced the sheer pleasure of tasting vegan desserts, I am resolute in my stance that vegan desserts do in fact deliver the taste, quality, and visual appeal that whet our voracious appetites for the tra

They say “ask and you shall receive,” and that’s exactly what we (PreGel America) did last year. As a business professional, you know that establishments of similar types look for ways to stand out from one another, but the common denominator between the fiercest competitors is the shared desire to truly know their audiences. To help us achieve the goal of fully understanding the ever-evolving needs, desires, and expectations of our audience better, and how they perceive us as a company overall,

They say that storytelling is the best form of teaching because the lessons resonate better with the listener. Some could argue that making the decision to go into business (or invest in one) is an instance that requires learning by way of gathering A LOT of knowledge. However, I would imagine that the more stories you hear about why entrepreneurship, especially in the frozen dessert industry, is a good idea, the easier the apprehension might fade. In my opinion, one of the best forms of inspir

Attention please! There are three words I’d like to share with you as we near the end of the year and the beginning of the festive period when consumers across the board are seeking menu diversification. You may be wondering why those three words. Well, out of all the spices and herbs in the world, those three seasonings are guaranteed to be found in almost every kitchen. Why? Because they are staple ingredients that can be used across the menu, and ingredients with characteristics like that ar

There’s vanilla gelato, and there’s vanilla gelato with crunchy chocolate cookie pieces. There’s green mint ice cream, and there’s “melt-in-your-mouth” mint chocolate chip ice cream. There’s cheesecake, and there’s turtle cheesecake with gooey caramel sauce, crunchy chocolate morsels, pecan bits, and grainy graham cracker crust. Magic! By now you’ve got the point: the texture of our food (smooth, creamy, crunchy, grainy, chewy, rubbery, slimy, etc.) makes a big difference in what we choose to e

Can I confess something to you? Although I’m not a pastry chef, I really enjoy the air of excitement that takes over the PreGel International Training Centers – NC when there is a 5-Star Pastry seminar taking place. And so far this year, the enthusiasm among the student chefs has been consistent. From July 16-18, we hosted Chef Amaury Guichon, an extremely talented pastry chef and chocolate artist. His seminar in Cutting Edge Petit Gateaux left student chefs amazed and encouraged, which lead to

If every month had an assigned frozen dessert flavor to market, I would vote green mint for March. Why? My first reason is solely superficial – because it’s green, which correlates beautifully with St. Patrick’s Day. Second, because March is the month of the spring equinox, and the color green represents the season of spring in Western cultures. Third, because for eateries, March is when there is an uptick in food trends and new food concepts are launched for the coming warmer season. In my pro