4Q Method

Welcome to the word Julian Phillip Gross. 🤍🥰🙏🏻

As your mom, I knew my heart would grow the moment you entered this world, but nothing compares to watching your brothers love you the minute they met you. 3 boys under 4 is a wild blessing that I wake up grateful for each and every day. The past couple of months have taught me to slow down; embrace new experiences (3 car seats across isn’t as bad as expected!); and cherish every moment — even the tough ones — because they’re all way too fleeting.

Also, scroll to the end for a little dose of Instagram vs reality. 🤪

Microplastics are showing up everywhere. While research is still evolving, we know early childhood is a critical window for development — and minimizing unnecessary exposures where we can simply makes sense.

And though we can’t eliminate exposure completely, we can reduce it in simple, realistic ways.

That’s why I rounded up 10 toddler products we use and love that are plastic-free (or significantly lower plastic) — from stainless steel cups to silicone snack containers to safer dishware options.

Small swaps. Lower exposure. Same convenience. You can find links to all these products in my Shop Page under “Kid’s Corner” at this link: https://www.amazon.com/shop/4qmethod (or the link in bio)

Because supporting kids’ health isn’t just about what they eat — it’s also about what their food touches.

Save this for later and share with a parent who would appreciate it 🤍

One of my favorite parts of my job is discovering new products and recipes to make eating exciting. As a registered dietitian nutritionist I deeply believe that you need to love what you’re eating for your results to last.

That’s why I was so excited when I came across Peanut Butter Crispies. The ingredient list is perfection — entirely whole ingredients you could find in your grocery store — and the nutritionals make it the perfect after-dinner treat for when you’re craving something sweet but don’t want a full-blown indulgence. When I found them, I knew I had to share!

I’ve personally been loving these. Let me know if you try them and if so, tell me what you think! 😘

One of my favorite parts of my job is finding new products and recipes to keep my eating interesting. As a dietitian nutritionist I strongly believe you need to love your food and be excited to eat if you want your results to last. That’s why when I find a new product on the shelves, I feel the need to share!

Not only are these Peanut Butter Crispies delicious, but the ingredient list is entirely whole foods, meaning you could buy them in your grocery store and actually recreate these at home if you wanted to go through the effort. That is how you know an ingredient list is on point!

As for nutrition facts — while I wouldn’t recommend these for a midday snack, they are perfect for an after-dinner treat when you’re craving something sweet but don’t want a full-blown indulgence.

Personally, I’ve been eating these on repeat and loving them! Let me know if you end up trying them and if so, tell me what you think!

As a dietitian, I talk a lot about nourishing the body from the inside out. But what we put on our bodies matters too. 🤍

If we’re putting so much intention into food, movement, and overall health—our skincare deserves that same thoughtfulness.

My approach? Keep it simple. From a realistic lifestyle standpoint and because less is often more when it comes to skin health.

Non-toxic doesn’t always mean better—long ingredient lists (even “natural” ones) can still irritate the skin. And clean doesn’t have to mean expensive.

This is the pregnancy skincare routine that works for me—supportive, intentional, and uncomplicated. Because caring for your health should feel empowering, not overwhelming. ✨

In the morning: I mist with regular water to gently wet my face and then rub in my vitamin C serum. I then mix my sunscreen with my hyaluronic acid face lotion.

At night: I wash my face with gentle cleanser **and dry my face with face towels** (because wiping my face with a towel that only gets washed once a week grosses me out!). I then sometimes follow up with Azelaic Acid (instead of my usual retinol when I’m not pregnant) and always lock in moisture with .rogers face cream. That’s it!

All these products can be found on my Amazon Shop Page — Personal Care, which you can get at this link: amazon.com/shop/4qmethod or at the link in bio.

2016 was a wild ride 🎢

January: trip to Namibia and Capetown for a friend’s epic wedding with a whole crew of friends from all over the world 🌎 👰 Tried to take food pics — wasn’t very good at it. 😝

March: Cuba for a sustainable agriculture trip. Didn’t know a soul going. No phone access the entire time. Was the youngest person there by far and the only one from New York. Feel so lucky to have had that experience.

April: first date with Zach, then Passover in Israel

Summer: spent a lot of time in the Hamptons with my grandfather who had terminal cancer. We talked about life a lot. (He passed away in October. I still have that hat and wear it often.) My mom and I also took a lot of classes as both an emotional and physical outlet. Took a Labor Day Weekend trip to SF 🌉 while Zach was phoneless at Burning Man — I was crazy and convinced myself he was going to come back with some epiphany to break up with me so I needed a distraction with lots of hiking, good food and a concert at The Greek.

November: Zach’s sister’s wedding. Took him forever to invite me 🙄 (don’t want to admit the amount of conversations I had with my mom and friends about it 🙈)

December: went to Aspen and skiied for the second time of my life.⛷️(Last year was the third and after this pregnancy, committing to keeping it up so I don’t feel like a beginner every time! 🤪)

NYE: landed from Aspen an Zach had full-blown flu. Cancelled our plans to meet friends in the Hamptons and spent the night nursing Zach with all the meds. He was well asleep by midnight. I probably was too. 👩‍⚕️😴🥂

Let’s keep food a-political, shall we? Here’s our take on the latest Dietary Guidelines.

Recently my gynecologist referred me to a genetic counselor to assess my lifetime cancer risk based on my family history. Turns out, it’s pretty high. Thankfully, my genetic testing came back negative, but despite that, I was told I needed to start getting annual breast MRIs and at 40, add in annual mammograms. Little did I know that my breast MRI would turn into a month-long saga of doctor appointments and anxiety. I knew that breast MRIs were very sensitive and therefore produce false positives, but I didn’t know that having small breasts (which I do!) could complicate matters.

I went into my MRI feeling empowered — I was taking my health into my hands. When I got back my MRI results that indicated that I would need a follow-up mammogram/ultrasound + biopsy and if nothing showed up, I’d have to go back for an MRI-guided biopsy, I still remained relatively calm. I knew it was likely nothing. But then, when the radiologist called me to tell me that my mammogram and ultrasound showed nothing BUT that based on the MRI reading, I wouldn’t be a viable candidate for a biopsy, I lost it. She said that because of the location of the mass and the fact that my breast tissue was small, the MRI-guided biopsy simply wasn’t possible and recommended I wait six months to repeat the MRI and see if it changed. I wasn’t waiting.

(see comments for the rest!)

I’m a dietitian and I am telling you that the mountain of veggies you’re consuming may be the thing that’s keeping you from your goals.

Feeling full isn’t just about a stretched stomach — it’s about smart choices. Volume eating and constant calorie counting can train your body to only feel satisfied when your stomach is packed.

But true satiety comes from strategically pairing foods that balance protein, fiber, and healthy fats. That’s because nutrition is nuanced — it isn’t purely quantitative, and it isn’t purely qualitative.

Only people with a true understanding of both aspects of nutrition can help you use that to achieve your goals. At 4Q Method, we do just that.

Want to learn more about how the 4Q Method works? Click the link in bio to schedule a complimentary intro call! 📞