Archive for the ‘nutrition’ Category

Countdown to 1/2 Marathon – Day 16

Friday, April 12th, 2013

This week has been quite the week at the NutriFit studio for nutrition questions and discussion about who is qualified to know their (nutrition) stuff or not. I know this post is starting off a bit differently from my other Countdown posts, but at the end of the day, let’s not forget that I AM a dietitian/nutritionist, who also happens to be a fitness professional and a running junkie.

First up, the nutrition questions. I received two separate questions about SUGAR, and one, just this morning as I was working out, about PROTEIN SHAKES. I’ll save those for a future post, and for now will address the issue top of mind for me; who, exactly, is qualified to work as a nutrition expert? Two things got me going on the topic.

The first: The gym where I work out each day (no, I don’t work out at my own studio, I’m too busy WORKING when I’m here) is kicking off a series of nutrition programs led by a woman who, to the best of my knowledge (because if she had credentials they’d be highlighted on all of the program materials, right?) has only the experience of “The Academy of I Lost Weight” as her nutrition training. No nutrition degree, no credentialing by The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Nothing. Zip. Nada. Wait, she is listed as a “Healthy Living Adviser”. . .which is what, exactly?

The reason this sticks in my craw is because I worked long and hard to earn my nutrition degree, complete my internship, and earn my masters degree. I do medical nutrition therapy, and work as a nutrition therapist, helping people each and every week make changes that literally save their lives. I take the work that I do VERY seriously, and am privileged to be able to do it.

Not that this woman doesn’t take nutrition seriously. In fact, I’m sure she’s very enthusiastic and pro-nutrition, and probably a generally lovely person. I mean, good for her that she wants to help people be healthier – nothing wrong with that. But when, during the course of her programs she receives questions that can’t be answered from her book of “life-experience-with-losing-weight”, I shudder to think how she’ll respond. People frequently receive erroneous (and potentially harmful) nutrition information from people not qualified to be sharing it. This is also how nutrition myths and untruths are fueled.

The second: This article,”Actually, No You’re Not A Nutrition Expert”, by Dr. David Katz, eloquently and brilliantly captures the essence of the madness that surrounds the “everyone eats, so everyone is a nutrition expert” school of thought. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-katz-md/nutrition-advice_b_3061646.html. Thank you, Dr. Katz, from a highly credentialed and experienced nutritionist who can proudly and legitimately call herself a nutrition expert.

The moral of this post? Check out the cred of anyone who calls themselves anything other than a registered dietitian/nutritionist. To be fair, I know there are qualified nutrition experts who aren’t RDN’s, but then, I know what to look for in credentials and can ferret them out - but I’m not confident the general public can.

Whew. Thanks, I feel so much better.

Generally Agreed Upon To Be a Healthy Choice.

Tossed, Green Salad. Generally Agreed Upon To Be a Safe, Healthy Choice.

 

 

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Remember When Soda Pop Was A Treat?

Tuesday, March 5th, 2013

Yesterday, I had a conversation with a client that flashed back a memory of my childhood. He shared how each Friday his mom would make popcorn for him and his three siblings. When they had popcorn, and only when they had popcorn, they got to drink SODA. Root beer, to be exact.

When I was little, my mom would let us have Pepsi (the REAL thing mind you - diet Pepsi didn’t exist, gasp!), only when we had pizza (homemade, of course – not takeout - that wasn’t available where I lived, either) or movie night popcorn. Oh, and this was a t.v. movie – no dvd’s, no video, no dvr. Lord. How did we survive?

Anyway, it’s not that I’m oblivious to or surprised by the fact that now, many people consume soda pop – diet or otherwise – practically nonstop throughout the day. Heck, my brother is one of them! It’s that the memory made me think about how at the time, neither my client nor myself considered drinking pop only for a treat as unusual - it was simply the norm at the time.

It made me think just how far “the norm” has shifted.

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Meal, Ready-to-eat (MRE)

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010

I have 5 amazing nephews, one of whom happens to be a Marine. I was fortunate to spend time with him over the Labor Day holiday when he made an unexpected trip home, brimming with stories of weeks in “the field”, grueling training sessions, and of course, the food. 

When he first arrived in California (a mere 12 months ago), I found it particularly endearing when he recounted his meals during our phone calls. He excitedly described meals loaded with fruits, veggies, and protein - no junk. This from a kid who was practically raised on junk.

As much as I don’t like to think about it, he’s being trained to fight – and that training regimen requires calories. Lots of ‘em. He’s young, he’s more physically active in one afternoon than most people are in one week, he carries 100+ pound packs for miles, and on occasion totes guns and other weapons that he’s told me weigh as much as I do.

He trains in conditions ranging from blistering desert heat to relentless rain and numbing cold. He has to be mentally and physically tough, and he has to be well-fed, getting plenty of nutrients that support both.

MRE

MRE

When out in the field, he carries his own food; Meals, Ready to eat, or MRE for short. He brought one home with him and demonstrated the preparation method. We all tasted “veggie burger in barbecue sauce” – it was fascinating, and I found the language on the box especially interesting.

“You are more active during field training, deployment and combat than in garrison. You need to eat more and drink more water or other fluids in these situations. When you don’t eat enough to meet your body’s energy needs, you lose weight. This can lead to a loss of body fluids and degrades your performance. In the field you NEED three meals per day. Restriction of food and nutrients leads to rapid weight loss which leads to: loss of strength, decreased endurance, loss of motivation, decreased mental alertness.”

And there you have it. Food = fuel = energy = improved performance and alertness; something even us civilians can benefit from.

MRE

MRE

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Fun Nutrition Presentation!

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

This morning I was privileged to be featured as a speaker at our local cozy, cute bookstore aptly titled, “The Bookstore” http://www.justthebookstore.com/. Two women from my community are participating in the AVON Breast Cancer walk and were interested in bringing folks together over healthy food in support of their fund raising efforts. I came in to speak about nutrition and cancer prevention, and eating to fuel activity (like a 2-day, 30+ mile walk!).

A few points that I made during the program were 1) focus on REAL food, 2) choose food that is as close to its original form as possible, 3) focus on a plant-based diet.

I prepared energy bars made with wheat germ, nuts, dried fruit, and oats, and whipped up soy smoothies made with vanilla soy milk, frozen strawberries, and orange juice concentrate. I wanted to share these easy recipes and tips to show just how simple (and inexpensive) it is to make your own energy bars.

I find that many of energy/meal replacement bars on the market are glorified candy bars. Preparing them yourself allows you to control the sweet, salty, and fat components of the flavor profile. You can even customize with your favorite dried fruit and nut combo – recipes are really just a guideline.

We had a great turnout, everyone loved the food, and we had an interesting conversation about the power of “real” food. As I like to say, make your kitchen your medicine cabinet!

Here’s the recipe for the smoothie we sampled; enjoy!

Fruit and Soy Smoothie

  • 2 Tbs. orange juice concentrate
  • 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, unsweetened
  • 1 cup vanilla soy milk

In a blender, puree all ingredients until creamy. Serve immediately.

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Welcome.

Monday, May 11th, 2009

An updated website certainly deserves to be outfitted with all of the latest site “must-haves”, and without question a blog is the perfect accessory. I’ve been reading about, hearing about, learning about blogs for at least a year; at one point I even attempted to create one, but wasn’t at all sure how to go about it. Thank heavens for my genius website designer. I’m still way behind the learning curve, but I’d say this is progress!

I really think that my blog needs a name, other than, blog. I didn’t want to hold up the launch of my new site any longer while I vascillated between a couple of different blog names. . .so for now, blog it is. I’ve got a name in mind that I really like - but I’d love to hear your clever, catchy ideas. Send me your thoughts by June 1, 2009. If I select your idea for the new title, you’ll receive a complimentary copy of my booklet, “Eat Healthy. Live Healthy. 114 Easy Ways To Make Good Nutrition A Habit”.

So welcome to my blog and my inaugural post. I hope you visit often, and I promise to remain true to my commitment to blog regularly. Because nutrition is constantly on the front lines, it’s my professional duty and my pleasure to keep you accurately informed. I don’t portend to know EVERYTHING, and luckily have a whole host of wonderful resources to tap when I’m stumped.

My mission for my blog is simple. 1) separate the nutrition hype from the help 2) help you eat nutritiously, simply 3) provide healthy inspiration and ideas for nutritious choices and getting regular exercise 4) encourage healthy conversation about eating well and staying fit.

There are a handful of topics about which I am passionate and vocal, and will blog about consistently; women’s nutritional health and self-care, emotional and disordered eating, cooking at home, eating out judiciously (notice I didn’t say “less”?), getting and staying fit, and the power of a healthy diet.

Obviously, those topics pave the way for a vast list of subtopics, but that’s the point, right? I’m very excited – there’s just so much to talk about!

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