Mar
02

Curious About Integrative Nutrition? Courses and Resources to Expand Your Knowledge

By Anne Danahy MS RDN


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Integrative and functional medicine treats the patient as a whole – and many who work in the field are convinced this is the future of medicine. The goal is to understand why the patient is ill, and work to fix the root cause, rather than just prescribe a medication to manage their disease.



Similarly, integrative and functional nutrition is a more personalized approach in which a dietitian and patient partner together to heal the root causes of symptoms or an illness. It’s still science-based, but it considers all aspects of a patient’s lifestyle, genetics, and biochemistry, rather than just prescribing a standard diet for their disease.



Using an integrative and function...


Feb
09

National Nutrition Month RD Resources

By Lisa Andrews Med RD LD

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Unless you’ve got your head in the sand, you’re well aware that the most important month for nutrition professionals is right around the corner. That’s right! National Nutrition Month is less than 4 weeks away!


With the recent release of the 2020 US Dietary Guidelines, this year’s theme is all about “personalizing your plate”. As dietetics professionals, it’s our job to help our clients meet their unique nutritional needs on their terms. Gone are the days of simply handing someone a pre-printed list of suggested foods to eat. What good does that do anyone?


Our national Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) has lots of great resources to help you bri...


Dec
17

RD Holiday Recipe Hacks

By Lisa Andrews Med RD LD

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Contrary to popular belief, dietitians are not the food police. We really love food! We want to give our clients delicious ways to enjoy nutritious food and not see it as punishment. Holidays can be particularly tough for people on modified diets or those wanting to lose weight, but in the end- we all want our cake and to eat it, too.


This month, I’ve asked a handful of RDs for their best recipe hacks. These include creative tips to increase the nutrient quality of a dish without compromising flavor and practicing mindfulness. Lettuce face it- food must taste good for us to eat it!


Recipe hacks


Joby Neelankavil www.jobyneelankavil.com advises “using cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg to...


Nov
10

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month

By Lisa Andrews Med RD LD


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You don’t hear much about pancreatic cancer, but when you hear someone is diagnosed, you should be alarmed. While pancreatic cancer is rare, it’s one of the more fatal types of gastrointestinal cancers and is on the rise. Unfortunately, many people with pancreatic cancer are asymptomatic until it’s too late and in its final stages.


A recent study published in JAMA this year showed that unintentional weight loss and diabetes may be signs of this deadly cancer. The study tracked 160,000 adults for close to 30 years. Individuals who had been diagnosed with diabetes for 4 or more years had twice the risk of pancreatic cancer while those with a new diagnosis had triple the risk...


Oct
22

Food and Mood: How Diet Can Help Manage Depression

By Anne Danahy MS RDN

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Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses in the United States. Severe depression can impact a person’s quality of life and their ability to function throughout the day. Treatment with medication and therapy helps millions. However, nutrition is often overlooked, although it can be an important part of treatment. In many cases, improving one’s diet can go a long way toward managing symptoms of depression.



Facts About Depression


Major depressive disorder affects more than 16 million Americans. Most are women, and the average age at onset is 32.5. (1)


About half of those with depression are also diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. (1)


Some m...


Sep
22

Plant-Based Diets: Can They Be Too High in Carbs for Diabetes?

By Anne Danahy MS RDN


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It’s no secret that eating more plants is good for everyone’s health. The nutrients and antioxidants they provide protect cells from oxidative damage and inflammation. That may in turn, reduce the risk of developing many chronic diseases, including diabetes.



However, people with prediabetes or diabetes often ask whether diets that restrict animal protein are a good choice for managing blood sugar. Or are they too high in carbohydrates? Here’s a look at some current research and recommendations for patients regarding vegetarian and vegan diets.



Research on Diabetes and Vegetarian Diets


Vegetarian diets can range from vegan, which restricts all animal foods, to those which i...


Sep
08

What New Food is in Your Food?

By Lisa Andrews Med RD LD

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Food trends come and go. One year, kale is the latest food in the culinary spotlight, being added to smoothies, salads and sold as chips. The next, avocados are America’s sweetheart. While both of these super foods are still in style and highly sought after, a few other ingredients and trends are making their way to your local grocery. Here’s a review of the top 5 latest food trends to look out for.


1. Pea protein- Americans are becoming increasingly concerned about their health and the health of the environment, which is a good thing. As we move away from animal-based products, plant-based proteins remain popular. Pea protein, made from yellow peas, may be found in anything fro...


Jul
28

School Nutrition in the Age of a Pandemic

By Lisa Andrews Med RD LD

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It’s August! A time when students are getting ready to return to school. While many of us think of school as a place to learn and socialize, families suffering food insecurity may see it as a place to eat. Many schools operate year-round to keep kids fed during the summer months.


Summer feeding


Dietitian Donna Martin, Director of Burke County School Nutrition Program in Atlanta has been working all summer with her staff of 50+ people, feeding roughly 4,000 students a day. “Food is either being picked up by families or being delivered by buses. While it’s been more difficult due to COVID19, the silver lining is that, food that was going to be used by restaurants has been d...


Jul
03

Summer Salads

By Lisa Andrews Med RD LD

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With temperatures rising, the last thing people want to endure is more heat, especially in their kitchens. Summer is the perfect ‘thyme’ to enjoy seasonal produce from your garden, farmer’s market or grocery. There’s plenty of creative meals that can be made from fresh produce and pantry staples.


In addition to keeping the heat down, research shows that plant-based diets reduce the incidence of certain cancers, diabetes, heart disease and obesity. 1 Plant-based proteins such as legumes, lentils, nuts/seeds and soy-based products are becoming more popular for their health benefits including fiber, heart-healthy fat and phytochemicals. 2 These protein sources are also ...


Jun
17

3 Reasons Less Meat is Best for Men

By Lisa Andrews Med RD LD



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It’s no coincidence that Men’s Health month coincides with Father’s Day in June. It’s a perfect time of year to celebrate the favorite men in your life. June also follows Memorial Day- the official kick off of grilling season!


Unfortunately, this grilling season may be quite a bit different than last year. COVID19 has altered our meat supply in several ways. While farms in America haven plenty of animals raised for meat production, several meat production plants were initially shut down due to coronavirus amongst workers. Amongst those who were forced to close this spring was Tyson meats. Typically known for chicken, Tyson also processes pork and beef. A recent report...