by kelsey | Jan 17, 2013 | Wellness/Health
With all of this talk about the flu and illness, I thought it was fitting to discuss how nutrition can play a key role in boosting your immune system. A healthy and balanced diet not only helps your heart and your waist line, but it aids in a healthy immune system as well….especially a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C is helpful in boosting your immune system. Vitamin C is very rich in citrus fruits such as oranges. Sleep can also make a difference. If you aren’t getting at least 7-8 hours of sleep most nights of the week, your immune system can be weak and more susceptible to illness. Another essential method to ward off illness is proper hand washing. Thoroughly wash your hands for at least 20-30 seconds under warm, soapy water regularly throughout the day. Using hand sanitizer is also beneficial. Taking good care of yourself will help you live a longer and healthier life, but it will also keep your immune system strong to fight off infections and illness…which is ever more important right now during flu season!
Strive to get your 5 a day fruits and veggies, engage in regular activity, and practice good sleep habits, and your immune system will be in prime shape to keep you healthy!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 16, 2013 | Diet, Weight Management
With the obesity epidemic comes a push for healthy eating and wellness and this is ever more prevalent as we ring in the new year. You may get mixed messages about who to go to for your nutrition advice as every where you go it seems like someone is trying to promote their product or message….and if you search the internet, you will find just about everything you’d want to know, accurate or not! I am thrilled that our society has put more of a focus on health and wellness but I also get concerned that consumers are misinformed at times. Many of you who follow our blog know me and know what my work as a Registered Dietitian entails as well as my educational background, but many do not, so I decided to put today’s focus on discussing what I, as a Registered Dietitian can do for you!
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recently had this description on their website and I really can’t put it any better way, so I am quoting them and you can view their website at the link below. This is a great description and explanation about what an RD can do for you.
“Here are just a few of the benefits of working with a registered dietitian:
The highest level of nutrition counseling: Anyone can call him- or herself a nutritionist, but only a registered dietitian (or RD for short) has completed multiple layers of education and training established by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In addition to holding a bachelor’s degree, an RD must fulfill a specially designed, accredited nutrition curriculum, pass a rigorous registration exam, and complete an extensive supervised program of practice at a health care facility, foodservice organization or community agency. What’s more, roughly half of all RDs hold graduate degrees and many have certifications in specialized fields such as sports, pediatric, renal, oncology or gerontological nutrition.” –A personal note here…In addition to holding the credential of Registered Dietitian, I am also licensed in the state of South Dakota with their Board of Osteopathic Examiners (the “LN’ behind my name means Licensed Nutritionist). The RD and LN are important to recognize when looking for nutrition advice. In addition, I have my Master’s in Nutritional Sciences, completed the CDR Certificate of Training Adult Weight Management, and have done extensive research in wellness and weight gain prevention.
“Personally tailored advice: When you see an RD, the last thing you’ll get is one-size-fits-all diet advice. “A dietitian is like an investigator seeking to learn about your current and desired state of health,” says McDaniel. “At your initial visit, expect to do a lot of talking while the dietitian does a lot of listening.” After learning about your health history, favorite foods, eating and exercise habits, an RD will help you set goals and prioritize. Follow-up visits will focus on maintenance and monitoring your progress.
Help managing chronic diseases: If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes or cancer it can be hard to know what to eat. “An RD can review your lab results with you, help you understand your condition and provide education about the nutrients that affect it,” says Angela Ginn, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Then, he or she will help you create an eating plan that includes all the important nutrients that can help you manage your condition.”
Guidance navigating food allergies, sensitivities and intolerances: When you suffer from conditions like celiac disease, food allergies or lactose intolerance, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by what you think you can’t eat. That can translate into a boring diet and may even lead to nutrient deficiencies. An RD can teach you how to read food labels so you’ll know which ingredients to avoid and a help you find substitutions to keep your diet balanced and tasty, too.
A weight-loss program that really works: Fad diets may sound like the quick ticket to weight loss but they rarely work for very long. A registered dietitian will partner with you to develop a safe, effective weight-loss plan that you can stick with for the long haul. To guide and motivate you, a registered dietitian will use creative and out-of-the-box strategies to help with meal planning, grocery shopping, food journaling and mindful eating.”
The direct link for this story is: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442472620#.UPbLpazlDsc.
As you can see, there are a variety of services Registered Dietitians can offer you and the important thing to consider is that we have the educational background to provide you with evidence based and accurate medical nutrition therapy personalized for you. We have extensive education in biology, chemistry, and physiology all of which your physician, pharmacist, and midlevel providers (PA, NP, etc) also have. These classes are challenging to take, but it does give us the proper education to understand nutrient metabolism to provide you with the most accurate and evidence based nutrition education. Whenever you are wanting nutrition advice or help, I encourage you to consider asking a Registered Dietitian as we are your expert in this field!
-Kelsey Raml, MS, RD, LN
by kelsey | Jan 15, 2013 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
One of the most challenging aisles in the grocery store is the cereal and granola bar aisle as there are so many choices and it’s hard to know what’s good and what’s not! For those regular followers of our blog, you probably know by now that you should choose a whole grain cereal, but from there…how do you decipher which choice is better than another?! Well, let’s start with the basics…you want to avoid any of the real high sugar cereals such as Lucky Charms, Cocoa Pebbles, etc due to their high levels of white, refined sugars.
Here are some tips to help you make a healthy choices:
• 8 grams (g) of sugar or less/serving, if the cereal contains 3 g or less of fiber/serving
• 16 g or less of sugar/serving, if the cereal contains 5 g or more of fiber/serving
Note: raisin bran contains 20 g of sugar/serving and is the exception to the rule—still a great choice due to its higher fiber content)
• Instant hot cereals should contain no more than 100-150 milligrams (mg) of sodium/serving
In addition, be sure to fully read the nutrition facts label and not rely on the manufacturers marketing claims as they can often be misleading!
A way to make breakfast a more balanced meal is to add a source of protein and a serving of fruit to your meal. With the balance of protein, fiber found in your cereal, and some natural sugars, you are set to start your day off in a great way!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Jan 10, 2013 | Diet, Food, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
The gluten free diet is a medically necessitated diet…for some people. It is also the newest diet trend sweeping the nation.
So what is gluten? Gluten is protein found in wheat, rye and barley. For some individuals, consuming gluten in any form causes an immune response that damages the small intestine. This damage is a big deal. The lining of the small intestine contains million of tiny, fingerlike projections called villi. Villi function to absorb nutrients from the food we eat. In people with celiac, consuming gluten destroys the villi and limits the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
Currently, it is estimated that celiac disease affects approximately 1% of the U.S. population. This is about1 in every 133 people and this number may be on the rise. The only treatment for celiac disease is strict adherence to a gluten free diet. And gluten seems to be in everything: pasta, pizza, breads, gravies, sauces, soups and more. Grains to avoid and grains that are safe for the gluten free diet are listed below:
|
Grains to Avoid
|
Safe Grains/Grain Alternatives
|
|
Wheat
(includes spelt, kamut, semolina, triticale)
|
AmaranthBuckwheat
Corn |
Bean/Legumes(chickpeas, lentils, peanuts, soy, kidney, navy etc. |
|
Rye
Barley
(including malt)
|
MilletQuinoa
Rice |
Nuts(almonds, walnuts, chestnuts et) |
|
SorghumTeff
Oats* |
Tubers(Arrowroot, potato, tapioca et. |
*There is currently some controversy surround the safety of oats in the gluten free diet. Rolled oats are subject to significant cross-contamination during processing. Steel-cut oats are currently acceptable; however proteins in oats called avenins are currently being studied for potential reactivity in gluten free patients. At this time, oats are allowed in the gluten free diet based on individual tolerance
Following the gluten free diet has gotten much easier in the past few years. Gluten free products are becoming more mainstream. They are more available in regular grocery stores and more companies are beginning to manufacture gluten free products or at least label that their products are gluten free. The quality of gluten free products is improving as well. But there are still nutritional challenges with the diet. Gluten free products are typically not enriched or fortified with iron, folate, B vitamin, niacin, riboflavin or thiamin like normal grain products. Gluten free products typically contain much less fiber as well, since white rice flour is often a main ingredient. Finally, to compensate for poor flavor or texture, gluten free products often have more sugar or fat added to them, which can lead to weight gain.
The moral of this story is that unless you have been diagnosed with celiac disease by a licensed, medical practitioner there is absolutely ZERO reason for you to follow a gluten free diet. In fact, it can be harmful to your health if you don’t plan properly due to a lack of several nutrients. Any major diet change, be it gluten-free, vegan – whatever—should be discussed in with your medical provider and registered dietitian to make sure you are getting the calories and nutrient that you need.
Please note: There are very specific tests and procedures used to diagnose celiac disease. It is not recommended to begin following a gluten free diet until these have been completed. Please contact your medical provider for more information.
Fasano, A., Berti, I., Gerarduzzi, T., Not, T., Colletti, R., Drago, S., & … Horvath, K. (2003). Prevalence of celiac disease in at-risk and not-at-risk groups in the United States: a large multicenter study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 163(3), 286-292.
Fric, P., Gabrovska, D., & Nevoral, J. (2011). Celiac disease, gluten-free diet, and oats. Nutrition Reviews, 69(2), 107-115. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2010.00368.x
Green, P., & Cellier, C. (2007). Medical progress: celiac disease. New England Journal Of Medicine, 357(17), 1731-1743
-Submitted by Chelsea Rambo, MS – USD Dietetic Intern
by Dan | Jan 9, 2013 | Exercise, Goals, Motivation, Wellness/Health
We are taking off for Orlando tomorrow. Some good friends are coming with us to take in the Run Disney Half Marathon/Marathon this weekend. Their daughter Carissa and Sarah are running the half marathon on Saturday, and Steve Hauck and I are running the marathon on sunday. Steve and I have become good training partners this past year. We originally were going to do Fargo in May, and Steve had health issues and we had to shut him down. I posted on this earlier last year. Well, now he is healthy, and we are ready to take on his first marathon. They will be cheering loud for us, and know where we are from when we are wearing these shirts that day.
It has been a lot of work, and we are ready to take this on, and our families are ready too! The only goal of this marathon for me is get my training partner across the finish line. That is our first goal. A secondary goal is to break 4 hours. Regardless of our time, the journey has been a lot of work, but it has been a lot of fun. When you go through this with someone, you start creating a bond that can last forever. When it comes to our health, everything else should be secondary.
Like the back of our shirts say, Success–A Journey, not a Destination. This whole training plan has been a journey, and adventure. We will finish our marathon this sunday, but by no means will it be our final destination. Steve will accomplish his goal of finishing his first marathon, but the running will go on. It will be an end to a chapter to this story, but the beginning of another. Take care of your health. You don’t always get second chances. Keep moving everybody!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1932
