Katie Dodd Neal

best advice from new diet books

Katie N. — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:45:50 +0000

Someday you won’t be able to find me in my cubicle—I’ll be buried under stacks of diet books. It’s all for you, my dear readers. Here are the best tips from the latest crop.

Filed under: Magazines, Spry, Web stories Tagged: diet, diet advice, diet books, diet tips, diets, nutrition, weight loss

top nutrition trends of 2013

Katie N. — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:41:18 +0000

This time next year, the veggie we’ll all be burned out on is … cauliflower! Well, my sources say it’s the new kale, anyway. Read my round-up to find out what other nutrition trends you can expect to catch on in 2013.

Filed under: Magazines, Spry, Web stories Tagged: nutrition

fran drescher on coping with cancer

Katie N. — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 16:06:09 +0000

Confession: Sometimes I stay up way too late watching reruns of The Nanny. I don’t know what it is about Fran Drescher, but I just love her. So hearing, “Hi Katie, it’s Fran,” in that famous voice was a treat. So was our hour-long chat for Spry’s February cover story—we discussed cancer and public policy, making the switch to veganism, and her advice for overcoming adversity. In fact, the print headline was taken from my favorite quote in the piece: “At some point you have to stop kicking, screaming and crying, and play the hand that’s been dealt to you as courageously as you possibly can.” Thanks for my new motto, Fran.

Filed under: Cover stories, Magazines, Spry Tagged: cancer, celebrities

deepak chopra q&a

Katie N. — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 18:31:01 +0000

This pair of stories is dedicated to my sister-in-law, Jamie. She’s a huge Deepak Chopra fan, and I thought of her throughout my interview—and even got to work in a mention when I asked him about Twitter, because he replied to her once. (I edited that out of the final story as we like to keep things trim!) If you haven’t checked out Chopra’s latest book, Super Brain, I highly recommend it. We found it so compelling that we based much of our December print story, Happiness at the Holidays and Beyond, on our chat about it. My favorite soundbite? “Your brain is not a noun, it’s a verb.”

Filed under: Magazines, Spry, Web stories Tagged: celebrities, meditation, neuroscience

beauty tips and gift guide

Katie N. — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 19:09:10 +0000

It’s no secret that I love writing about beauty. Check out three of my latest stories, an Ultimate Beauty Gift Guide, reviews of keratin shampoos and a round-up of insider tips from celebrity makeup artists. (I’ve already started doing #10 daily!)

Filed under: Magazines, Spry, Web stories Tagged: beauty, celebrities, gift guide, makeup

2012′s most stunning health changes

Katie N. — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:22:42 +0000

Who doesn’t love year-end lists? (By the way, if you want to lose two hours like I did yesterday, check out Time‘s exhaustive offerings.) Here’s my contribution, a round-up of the health changes that rocked the country this year.

Filed under: Magazines, Spry, Web stories Tagged: best of, health news, healthcare

when ovarian cancer comes back

Katie N. — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:06:42 +0000

This profile of a three-time ovarian cancer survivor is one of my favorite stories I’ve written in a while. I’m so deeply honored when someone trusts me to tell the story of an incredibly difficult and vulnerable time in their life. And their wisdom and courage never fails to inspire me. It is, quite simply, the best part of this job.

Filed under: Magazines, Spry, Web stories Tagged: cancer, ovarian cancer, survivors

randy jackson on american idol and diabetes

Katie N. — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:44:35 +0000

Before I joined the staff of Spry, I was a frequent freelance contributor to its parent publication, the weekly American Profile. So I’m always glad to get the chance to write for AP again, and this cover story on Randy Jackson was a natural fit. The American Idol star was diagnosed with diabetes in 2003, and has completely made over his lifestyle since. Find out what he had to say about growing up in the South, becoming a star nearly overnight and what he hopes viewers will learn from his health challenges.

Filed under: American Profile, Cover stories, Magazines Tagged: celebrities, diabetes, entertainment, music

the chew’s carla hall q&a

Katie N. — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 16:39:55 +0000

I’m not surprised that Carla Hall charmed America on not one but two seasons of Top Chef (and now on ABC’s The Chew). In our interview for Spry‘s November cover story, she was warm, friendly and full of enthusiasm for the idea that Thanksgiving can be a healthy meal. I love that she’s taken the concept of “cooking with love” and expanded it to include using fresh, high-quality ingredients and being sensitive to others’ dietary needs. And you won’t want to miss the ex-caterer’s expert tips on keeping Thanksgiving stress-free.

Filed under: Cover stories, Magazines, Spry Tagged: celebrities, diet, healthy eating, holidays, tv

weight watchers ceo david kirchhoff q&a

Katie N. — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 20:36:38 +0000

Like most Weight Watchers loyalists, I looooooove to talk “The Program.” So it was especially fun to chat with Weight Watchers CEO (and Lifetime Member) David Kirchhoff. Read my interview to find out why he’s learned more about losing in maintenance mode, and what he saves his Points to splurge on.

Filed under: Magazines, Spry, Web stories Tagged: diet, weight watchers