Healthy Habits in the Kitchen with Melissa Mondala, MD, Plus a Live Cooking Demo

On Friday, January 29^th, 2021, the Spondylitis Association of America hosted a fun and informative Facebook Live, “Healthy Habits in the Kitchen with Melissa Mondala, MD, Plus a Live Cooking Demo!” The foods we eat can play a role in reducing inflammation, managing pain and other symptoms of spondyloarthritis (SpA), and improving health outcomes. Plant-based nutrition is one of the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine, which uses a holistic approach to help boost wellness and quality of life in the long-term. In this video, Dr. Mondala, a Lifestyle Medicine specialist, gave an overview of foods that reduce – and promote – inflammation in the body, and touched on many lifestyle modifications that can benefit those living with SpA. She also gave a live cooking demo, teaching us a fast, easy, and healthy recipe to add to our repertoires. Watch the video below to hear Dr. Mondala’s tips on anti-inflammatory eating and get her recipe!

Dr. Melissa Mondala is a triple specialist in family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and primary care psychiatry. She completed her family medicine residency as well as her fellowship in lifestyle medicine at Loma Linda University Health. She is in private practice in Newport Beach, CA, and sits on the board of directors of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Dr. Mondala is passionate about treating the underlying cause of disease and teaching transformative healthy lifestyle behaviors. She can be found at drlifestyle.org.

Please enjoy this recipe that Dr. Mondala demonstrated in the video!

Cacao Ball Energy Bites
1 cup rolled oats
3 tbsp cacao powder (or carob powder)
3 dates, pitted
2 tbsp hulled hemp seeds (or flax seeds)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract (or maple syrup)
2-3 tbsp water (so the mixture is as moist as you like)

*Optionally, you can also add walnuts, pecans, or pumpkin seeds for more omega-3, fiber, and protein. You can also add 2 tbsp peanut butter to give these snacks an even richer flavor!

1. Process all ingredients in a food processor until blended, about 2-5 minutes (you can leave the mixture a bit chunky, or process until smooth based on your liking).
2. Hand-form into balls.
3. Store in the refrigerator and enjoy!
4. Optionally, you can coat the balls in more cacao powder so they resemble chocolate truffles.

Have questions or need additional assistance? Please contact us at Programs@spondylitis.org.