by kelsey | Oct 18, 2012 | Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
As many have you heard, there continues to be frustrations with the recent changes to school menus. The National School Lunch nutrition guidelines were updated this year to now include more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, low fat dairy, and restrictions on total fat, trans and saturated fat, and sodium. As a dietitian, I think these changes are a great improvement in the nutrition content of the meals and will make a positive impact in our children’s health, long term. Change is never easy and most of us don’t like change, which is partly why we have heard more negative feedback than positive right now.
In the last few weeks, I have had the opportunity to visit with Kaitlyn Hemmingson, SDSU Nutrition Graduate Student who has been assisting Brookings School District with their menu updates as well as the Watertown Coordinated School Health group. From what I’ve gathered from these visits, is that the feedback is really individualized for each district. Some schools have been prepping to make these changes in the last few years so those districts have already gotten their students accustomed to these changes whereas, other district’s are struggling a bit more with student’s appeal and satisfaction to the changes. It will also take some time for the foodservice folks to figure out which foods students like and which need some revising, as well as learning to cook and prepare the foods in a manner students will enjoy. The last update for school menus was 15 years ago and as many know, the health of our nation has greatly changed in the last 15 years as we now have about 66% of Americans in the overweight-obese BMI categories, leaving only about a third of Americans at a healthy weight.
I feel these changes are a step in the right direction and it’s just going to take some time for students to adjust and get used to the changes. In addition, it’s going to take some time for our foodservice workers to adapt the menus and learn how to prepare the new foods in an appetizing manner for students to enjoy. A main complaint is that students are still hungry, so what both Kaitlyn and the Watertown Coordinated School Health groups are recommending is that parents take initiative and pack their child some extra snacks in their bookbag for afterschool or in between sports and we recommend these snacks to be healthy ones to help fuel their bodies. Healthy snacks include whole grain granola bars, fruit, trail mix, half a turkey sandwich, whole grain crackers and cheese, etc. The long term effects of these menu improvements will make a tremendous and positive impact on the health of our nation, so be patient and give it some time to work!
To view the full report you can click this link: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-01-26/pdf/2012-1010.pdf. Page 24-25 lists the chart of recommendations for each food group according to age groups and the sodium restrictions.
If you have any questions about these changes, don’t hesitate to contact me!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 17, 2012 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food
Last night’s STRIVE 2 Survive meeting was excellent! Deidra VanGilder, PharmD was our speaker and she did a great job discussing medications, supplements, vitamins, and minerals and what’s best for our body and our health conditions. She is an excellent resource to Brown Clinic and STRIVE 2 Survive and if you ever have questions regarding your medication or supplements, feel free to contact her at the clinic!
We also had some great food (always a favorite part of the night for me!). County Fair Foods provided a very tasty Mango Salsa and provided us with some great omega-3 fatty acids with salmon cakes. Be sure to give these recipes a try!
Quick Mango Salsa
2 mangos peed, seeded, and chopped
1 large tomato diced
1 small onion minced
1 small jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
1 Tbsp cilantro minced
1 lime juiced
Salt and pepper to taste.
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and enjoy with whole grain chips or crackers.
Salmon Cakes
1 box Zatarans salmon cake mix
16 oz Shurfine pink salmon
1 egg
1/4 c. fat free mayo
1/2 c. cold water
Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Let stand in refrigerator for 30 min. Mold salmon cake mixture into small patties. Fry in olive or canola oil until browned.
Dipping Sauce: 1 c fat free mayo, 1 Tbsp hot sauce–mix well.
Enjoy!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 11, 2012 | Wellness/Health
Scott Torness, DPM
Much of my work at the clinic and with STRIVE 2 Survive is working at preventing diseases like heart disease and diabetes through dietary, activity, and lifestyle modifications. We put a lot of emphasis on the body’s health, but we often overlook the importance of keeping your feet healthy! Healthy feet are essential to helping you stay active and live a long and healthy life, thus we are excited to welcome Podiatrist, Dr. Torness to the Brown Clinic team! Dr. Torness, DPM, joins Dr. Johnson, DPM to help serve our patients with top notch foot care services. Dr. Torness, originally from Milbank, provides the following foot care services: ingrown toenails, bunions, hammertoes, plantar fasciitis, sports injuries, ankle arthroscopy, flat-foot reconstruction, fractures of the foot & ankle, diabetic foot checks, an chronic wound care. Dr. Torness will be a great asset to our team and especially to our diabetes team.
As you all know, we recommend getting at least 30-60 minutes of activity a day to aid in overall health and the most important part of our body that helps us do this is our feet! Taking good care of your feet is essential for a healthy lifestyle. In addition, proper foot care is essential for those with diabetes or elevated blood sugars. Cleaning, moisturizing, wearing the appropriate socks or support hose, and shoes are all essential components of foot care. For more information and assistance for your foot care, be sure to schedule your appointment with Dr. Torness or Dr. Johnson and read more about basic recommendations here: http://diabetes.webmd.com/foot-problems?page=2 .
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 10, 2012 | Cooking Tips, Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
As the weather starts changing and it gets colder out, we tend to change our pattern of eating to more soups, stews, and casseroles. These selections are a great way to pack a variety of nutrients into one dish. In addition, they can be very cost effective due to the excess garden produce present in our grocery stores and farmer’s market lately. Here are a few nutrition tips to consider when you’re prepping your favorite meal:
- When using store bought broths or soup mixes such as cream of chicken, choose the low-sodium or reduced fat varieties.
- Use herbs and spices to season rather than salt.
- Add more vegetables and lean meat to the recipe to give you more nutrition.
- Thicken with pureed beans, potatoes, or vegetables.
- Sprinkle your soups or stews with low fat cheese for added flavor and nutrients, without too many calories.
- Think about balance: incorporate something from each food group into your meal to provide your body with a top notch quality and nutritious meal.
- Practice portion control: it’s easy to dish up your plate with casserole or fill up a big bowl of stew and not realize how much you’re eating, so measure out your foods and eat mindfully to ensure appropriate portion control.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Oct 9, 2012 | Wellness/Health
As a health professional, I often get questions about supplements, vitamins, minerals, and fad diets. I am always eager to help patients and others inquiring as I appreciate the fact that they asked about the safety and effectiveness of the product before taking it. The supplement industry is huge in the United States and there is always a new product out claiming to be the ‘next best thing since sliced bread’ thus it’s essential to be smart and savvy consumer. The supplement industry is not regulated by the FDA like prescription medications are and often times the representative selling you the product have little formal education in biology, biochemistry, nutrition, pharmacology, and medicine which means they lack the knowledge or ability to provide you with credible health advice….and they’re more so in it for the money making part.
Next Tuesday, our Doctor of Pharmacy, Deidra VanGilder will be presenting on this very topic to our STRIVE 2 Survivors and will discuss many common supplements and medications and what we should know about them. There are many products that are truly beneficial for you, but it’s important to always ask your health care provider (MD, CNP, PA, PharmD, or RD) for their advice and recommendation to ensure it’s safe for you. Also, it’s important to note that we always encourage food first so if you can achieve those nutrients from real food, we will always encourage that over a supplement form. The FDA has a great site to help you learn more about important consumer information for selecting supplements: http://www.fda.gov/Food/DietarySupplements/ConsumerInformation/ucm110567.htm.
Be sure to check this out and always ask your provider before taking anything. I am already looking forward to Deidra’s talk next week as she’s an excellent resource for this topic and there is always a lot to learn in this area!
-Kelsey
