For Life NutritionGet Off The Diet – Get On With Life!

The Holidays are a time when families, friends and coworkers come together to celebrate and enjoy each other.  In most cases those celebrations will include lots of high calorie foods and drinks.  Use these tips to enjoy the celebrations and avoid that feeling of regret when stepping on the scale and realizing that you may have gone overboard with the goodies.

For A Party:

• Eat something before you go so that you’re not starving when you arrive.  A salad, cup of soup or sandwich at home will take the edge off of your hunger so that you can arrive relaxed and not feel the need to start grabbing food as soon as you arrive.
• Be sure to circulate and greet everyone before thinking about what you will eat or drink.
• Start with a low or no calorie beverage such as club soda with a twist of lemon or lime.  It looks like everyone else’s drink and you can save your calories for some of that good food.
• When drinking alcoholic beverages, alternate between the alcohol containing drinks and club soda or sparkling water to save on calories and avoid dehydration which can lead to a headache.
• Try standing instead of sitting, it burns more calories.
• Don’t sit or stand near the food table.  Looking at those goodies will cause you to eat more.
• Take along a more healthy snack such as a fruit or vegetable tray.  Use cookie cutters to make fruit or vegetable shapes  such as a stocking or tree.  It looks cute and makes it fun to eat.  Include a low fat dip.
• If your hosts are looking for folks to participate in a charades or a board game, be sure to play along.  Keeping busy will allow less time for boredom eating.
• If your host are looking for participants in a “drinking game”  it’s better to pass and skip all the extra calories from the alcohol.
• Look over the food carefully and only sample a few items that you really want.
• Plan to only eat one plate of food.
• If something isn’t as fantastically delicious as you thought it would be, DISCREETLY wrap it in a napkin and dispose of it.  Use caution to not offend your host or the guest that put all that effort into preparing the dish.
• Enjoy the festivities and have a safe and happy holiday season!!

Do you belong to  a group that could benefit from a class related to nutrition or health?  Invite me to speak to your employees, book club, church group, knitting circle, bowling team, motorcycle club or your favorite group of friends.  I’ll come to you and set everything up.  Classes can be a 1/2 hour or an hour and topics include:

• Nutrition – 101 – Understanding The New Food Plate NEW CLASS
• Healthy Portion Size = Healthy Body Size
• Reducing Your Risk of Developing Diabetes
• Heart Health and You
• Environmental Nutrition – Eating Healthy and Reducing Impact on the Environment
• How To Prevent or Reduce High Blood Pressure
• How To Prevent or Improve Bad Cholesterol
• Feeding Your Family on a Tight Schedule
• Eating Healthy on a Budget
• Making Healthy Food Choices When Dining Out
• Healthy Snack and Lunch Ideas for Work Days
• Family Meal Time, Why It’s Important and How To Make It Happen
• All About Sweeteners – Natural, Processed, Artificial – What’s Available and Which One Is Right For Me
• Reading and Understanding Food Labels
• Smart Shopping – Best Choices for Healthy Selections at the Supermarket
• What to Feed the Kids – Food Guide Pyramid for Children
• All about Fats
• All about Organics NEW CLASS
• Reducing Side Effects of Menopause NEW CLASS - Classes for Women
• Women and Heart Health - Classes for Women
• MY PLATE for Kids -NEW CLASS – Classes for Children
• Healthy Bones and Calcium – NEW CLASS - Classes for Children
• All About Fruits and Vegetables NEW CLASS - Classes for Children
• All About Proteins NEW CLASS – Classes for Children
• All About Grains NEW CLASS - Classes for Children

Do you have a topic in mind that is not listed?  Let me know, I’ll put together a customized class to meet the needs of you and your group.

You may wonder what these titles mean and what the difference is between the two.  There are many titles for people who work in the area of nutrition.  I have been called dietitian, dietician (both spellings are correct), dietrician (I’m not sure of the spelling for that one – I think it’s similar to electrician), nutritionist, nutritionalist, nutrition and wellness counselor, nutrition expert, dietary specialist and probably many other titles that I’ve forgotten.

So what does it all mean and how can you choose the right person to help you with your nutrition concerns?  I’ll try to walk you through the confusion so that you can be an educated consumer.  Registration and Licensure can vary from state to state.  I will address our situation in Pennsylvania.  When I was a student and for several years after I started working in the field, we had registration for dietitians.  Registration came from the American Dietetic Association Commission on Registration.  In order to become registered you needed to have a degree in nutrition, a BS or higher, complete an approved dietetic internship (about 10 months)and you had to pass an exam.   When you had completed all these steps, you could be a registered dietitian.  In order to retain that title you had to complete a specific number of hours of continuing education each year.  This system was set up to guarantee the public would be able to identify educated and qualified nutrition experts to work in hospitals, communities,  laboratories and all other areas.  That has not changed and dietitians in Pennsylvania continue to be registered.

Next came licensure in Pennsylvania.  In 2003, nutrition professionals in Pennsylvania finally obtained the right to be licensed.  Licensure is regulated by the same board that oversees nurses. For anyone who had their  Registered Dietitian (RD) title, it was simply a matter of applying for the license.  It also gave the opportunity for other nutrition specialists who had education but may not have been able to participate in an internship a chance to have a title that would be widely recognized and accepted.  In order to obtain and retain a license, one must meet certain levels of education, experience and pass an exam. 

When an individual is registered or licensed, you can be sure they are qualified to help you.  If for any reason you are unhappy with the professional that you choose, you can report it to the overseeing board.  Individuals who are licensed or registered must answer to the overseeing board and follow strict guidelines laid out by the board. 

I am a Registered Dietitian(RD) well as a Licensed Nutritionist (LDN).  I also use the title Nutrition and Wellness Counselor.  I chose that title because I feel that it describes what I do.  I meet with clients for nutritional reasons but I also try to help clients identify what else is going on their life that may be having an effect on their health and nutrition. 

RDs and LDNs are certainly not the only ones who would like to be your nutrition specialists.  There are many other certificates available through a variety of institutions.  There are also many companies that produce nutritional products such as pills, shakes and other products as well as people who sell these types of products as health enhancers.

Who should you turn to for nutrition advice?  The choice is yours but here’s are some guidelines.  If you have a health issue, your doctor, hospital, or insurance company will send you to someone who is registered or licensed or both.  You can look on The American Dietetic Association website to locate a Registered Dietitian near you www.eatright.org. 

If you’re considering trying a new supplement, diet aide or other product you’ve seen advertised or heard about, please consult your doctor first.  Even natural products can cause unwanted side effects and even death in  some cases when used by themselves or in combination with other products or prescribed medications.

Titles are important but look behind the title to find out if someone is qualified to give you nutrition information.  Where they were educated, what degree or certificate  they received, what kind of experience they have.  If they are selling a product, make sure they can tell you about the product’s quality, sources and manufacturing procedures.

Hot off the press!!  The government recommendations have been updated. 

My Pyramid is now replaced with My Plate.

Contact me to find out all about it or to schedule a class.

What’s Your Sport?

*What ever sport(s) you choose you’ll want to perform at your top level and recovery quickly. Good nutrition and hydration add up to great performance and endurance no matter which sport you’re involved in.
*Different sports require different nutrition to maximize performance.  Some sports require steady energy over long periods of time such as marathon running and long distance bicycling.  Other sports require lots of energy in small bursts such sprinting.  Learning what types of food to eat and when to eat them can help you to improve your performance.
*It is important to consider not only what sports you participate in, but your gender, age and health status as well when factoring how best to fuel up for workouts and events.
*All sports are best when recovery is short and that can be partially controlled by nutrition.  Nutrition and hydration following a workout or event will give you strength in the days following your event and help you to achieve top performance on a consistent basis.
*Everyone needs proper hydration but it is especially important to athletes and the need increases in hot weather.
*Contact me if you’d like to schedule a nutrition consult.  We’ll determine your specific calorie, protein and fluid needs.  I’ll help you to set up a workout schedule for maximum results to help you reach all your goals.

I have been invited by Wegman’s Supermarket of Collegeville to bring tour groups through their store.  You may already know that I offer tours to clients individually in their favorite grocery store.  Now we’ll be able to go through Wegman’s in small groups.

What is a supermarket tour?  It’s when we go around the store to different departments (meats, fish, dairy etc.) and I talk to you about products that you are currently using.  I make suggestions for purchasing healthy products and talk about some products to avoid.

You’ll leave with some educational handouts that you can refer to later.

You will also learn a lot of good information that you’ll be able to use each week when you shop for yourself and your family.

We’ll also discuss how to read food labels so that you can select new products for your family with confidence that you’re making healthy choices.

As a bonus, I’ll also give you a handout that you can use as a reference when you are dining out at restaurants.

Because we can go in a group, I’m able to offer the tours at a very reasonable price.  $10 per person, $15 per couple.  Contact me if you’d like to join us for a tour.  I will be setting up a schedule based on your input of available times.   Groups will be limited in size so that you have a chance to ask lots of questions.

Don’t forget – Wegman’s has that great cafe and pub so bring a friend and maybe you’ll want to get some lunch or dinner after the tour.

NOW OFFERING GLUTEN FREE TOURS TOO!  Check website for dates.  Are you new to gluten free diet and need some help figuring out which products to use and which ones to avoid?  Or have you been trying to eat gluten free but you’re not sure how to progress beyond the expensive packaged gluten free products?  We’ll go through the different departments just like I do on my other supermarket tours but it will be specific to gluten free.  I’ll give you handouts to take home and tell you about organizations you can contact to receive support and guidance on your gluten free diet.  I’ll tell you about my favorite, most informational book on the topic and give you a recipe to make your own gluten free flour that can be used for breads, pancakes and other general cooking needs.

Tour Dates:

Please check events page for tour schedules.

Space is limited so call or email to reserve your place.

Private tours are also available for $35.

When You Call or Email:

I will ask:

• What problem or issues you are experiencing (what you want to learn about or change).
• What results you would like to accomplish.

I will provide:

• A customized plan to help you get the results you’re looking for.
• The price you can expect to pay.
• The number of sessions I feel we will need to get you to your goals.

When We Schedule Your First Session:

I will ask you to provide:

• Your Doctor’s Information – so that I can send a short note keeping her up to date on our work.
• A Food Diary – what you eat and drink for several days.
• A list of current medications – to check for any food – medication interactions.

When We Meet:

You will receive:

• Education
• Information
• Support
• Guidance in setting goals.
• A plan designed to help you get to your goals based on your food preferences, schedule and level of interest in food preparation.

Between Sessions:

You will have:

• Access to me through phone and email for any questions or concerns you may have at no additional cost.

When Our Session are completed:

You will have:

• A healthier version of yourself.
• Continued phone and email access to me.
• Your own personal nutritionist for life.

Menu Of Services

• Nutritional Assessments
• Goal Planning
• Nutrition Education
• Pantry Assessments
• Supermarket Tours
• Enhanced Mind & Body Fullness Exercises
• Walk & Talks (at local park or trail – follow up visits only)
• Progress Note (sent to your doctor at your request)
• Recipes & Menu Planning
• Straight answers about confusing or conflicting nutrition information
• Provide reliable sources for client to seek sound nutritional information

If you’ve never tried yoga you may be surprised to learn that it helps to build strength, muscle, flexibility and stamina.  Yoga helps relieve stress and lowers blood pressure.  It can be relaxing but it can also be challanging and a very good workout. If you’ve never tried yoga or haven’t done any lately, I encourage to check out  my favorite yoga studio, Moyo yoga in Skippack, PA.  The instructors are friendly and knowledgable.  The atmospere is warm and inviting.  If you find the thoughts of going there a little intimidating, give me a call and I’ll meet you there, we can take a class together. 

For more information:

www.moyo-yoga.com

Look for monthly special events and classes.