Happy Registered Dietitian Day!

In honor of Registered Dietitian Day today, I want to highlight all my incredible colleagues all over that provide free, reliable nutrition information on their blogs and websites for consumers.  Make note of these names in this video and save them as your favorites!  There is so much misinformation in the world wide web about nutrition and these resources will set the record straight.  Special thanks to my Florida colleague Sandra Frank Ed.D, RD, LDN for putting this amazing video tribute together.  I couldn't have said it better myself, so here it is!



To find a Registered Dietitian in your area that can customized healthy nutrition plans for you and your family, go to The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) RD finder at: http://www.eatright.org/programs/rdfinder/.

Eat Right to Boost Immunity – National Nutrition Month

I don’t know about where you live, but there are lots of nasty illnesses going around - from the flu to strep to this weird stomach ache that is nicely paired with a low grade headache and an all-over achy body.  Our family was lucky to have the stomach cluster issue all last week, but have (so far) warded off the other stuff.  Don’t be surprised when I tell you that our eating patterns can help protect or put us at risk for all the nastiness out there.  Good nutrition is essential to keeping your immune system strong.

March happens to be National Nutrition Month, and every March we encourage everyone to get back to the basics of healthy eating.  This year’s theme, “Get Your Plate in Shape,” is a perfect reminder in using food as a weapon against a variety of illnesses from the minor to the major.  So many people turn to popping supplements that they forget the power that food has in doing the trick better!  The USDA’s MyPlate is a great visual of how we should build our plates. 

Here are some ways to “Get Your Plate in Shape” and also boost that immune system:

·        Make half of your plate fruits and vegetables: Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green, red and orange varieties. Add fresh, dried, frozen or canned fruits to meals and snacks.  Fruits and vegetables are loaded with immunity-boosting capabilities including key nutrients such as vitamins A and C (especially orange and yellow varieties).

·         Make at least half your grains whole: Choose 100 percent whole-grain breads, cereals, crackers, pasta and brown rice. Check the ingredients list on food packages to find whole-grain foods.  Whole grains including fortified cereals and breads contain zinc has been a key player in maximizing immunity.

·         Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk: Fat-free and low-fat milk have the same amount of calcium and other essential nutrients as whole milk, but less fat and calories. For those who are lactose intolerant, try lactose-free milk or a calcium-fortified soy beverage.  High in protein and vitamin D, these are also two things that help ward off illness.  Some research suggests that vitamin D may help reduce the incidence of the flu.  And if they happen to get the flu, it is important to have adequate levels to fight off the illness. 

·         Vary your protein choices: Eat a variety of foods from the protein food group each week, such as seafood, nuts and beans, as well as lean meat, poultry and eggs.  Keep meat and poultry portions small and lean. And be sure to choose seafood as the protein at least twice a week.  Lean meat, poultry, beans and nuts are all good sources of zinc.  Non-meat sources of protein include beans, nuts and tofu.  Protein is the basic building block of immune cells, so it is vital for both the prevention and treatment of illness.  

·         Cut back on sodium and empty calories from solid fats and added sugars: Compare sodium in foods and choose those with lower numbers, and season your foods with herbs and spices instead of salt. Switch from solid fats to healthy oils like olive and canola oil. Replace sugary drinks with water and choose fruit for dessert.   High sugar foods have a tendency to have less nutrients to fuel that immune system.

·         Enjoy your foods but eat less: Avoid oversized portions. Use a smaller plate, bowl and glass. Cook more often at home where you are in control of what’s in your food. When eating out, choose lower calorie menu options.  Overeating and being overweight can stress your body out, which can lead to a variety of illnesses including cancer.

·         Be physically active your way: Adults need at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of physical activity every week. Choose activities that you enjoy, and start by doing as much as you can.  Exercise has been shown to fight off infections, although they aren’t fully sure how.  Some theories include flushing bacteria through the lungs, temporarily increasing body temperature to kill bacteria and decreasing stress hormones.

Other ways to keep immunity boosted nicely is to get plenty of sleep and keep stress levels to a minimum.  I know this is easier said than done sometimes, so make sure you have people around you to encourage and support you in this thing we call “life.”

Throughout the month of March, I will discuss other practical ways to "Get Your Plate in Shape."  What are your barriers to eating healthy?  I would love to hear from you!  We can address them together.

For more information on National Nutrition Month, head over to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics webpage to check out some fun nutrition games and practical food suggestions by topic.

School Lunches Are Getting Healthier

As a pediatric dietitian and mom of school-age children, I am continually encouraged by the improvements to the National School Lunch and SchoolBreakfast Programs.  First Lady Michelle Obama has been a champion for childhood obesity, and continues to make great strides in making school lunches healthier under the Healthy, Hunger-Free KidsAct.  New school food guidelines are coming to all schools that participate in the National School LunchProgram.  You should see changes by the second half of 2012.

Instead of weeding through all the USDA releases, I have highlighted the changes here:

School meals sample menu -before/after
(click to enlarge)

·         Double the amount of fruits and vegetables being offered, up from just ½ cup combined to a minimum of ¾ cup veggie and plus a minimum of ½ cup of fruit per lunch.
·         Weekly requirements of dark green, red/orange and beans/legumes, as opposed to no specific requirements before
·         Specific amounts of protein requirements by age group with younger children having smaller portions; as opposed to one set portion across the board for every age
·         Half of all grains must be whole grains, as opposed to them being “encouraged”
·         Milk must be fat-free (flavored or unflavored) or 1% (unflavored), as opposed to no guidelines before
·         Now, sodium levels set by age as opposed by no sodium levels established before
·         Minimum and maximum calorie levels set by age ranges
·         No trans fat in any food, as opposed to no limits before

If you want to read all about the changes including the press release, changes to the School Breakfast Program, new meal patterns and specific timeline rollout, go to the USDA’s page on Nutrition Standards forSchool Meals.

If your child attends private school, or if your child attends public school with a high socioeconomic distribution then your school may opt out of the National School Lunch Program.  Ask your school foodservice administration for their child’s school nutrition standards.

Keys to Cooking Healthy + Tasty + Quick with Cindy Kleckner, RD, LD

I went to the most awesome cooking class a couple weeks ago at the Cooper Fitness Center at Craig Ranch.  Aptly named Sizzling Simplicity: Asian Wok Cookery, it was a class on preparing quick, sweet or savory variations of Asian dishes using a wok.  Our chef immediately drew us in with her passion for playing in the kitchen with different tastes and flavors, as she casually discussed her love for food and nutrition.  We learned how to cook – and got to taste firsthand – 3 different dishes.  The aromas of these different dishes filled the room and tantalized our palates even before the food hit our mouths!  I left inspired to cook more Asian dishes, and I also left very impressed by our instructor.

The chef was Cindy Kleckner, RD. LD.  Cindy is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian who has worked in the Cooper Clinic Nutrition Department for over 10 years specializing in weight management, cardiovascular health, corporate wellness and nutritional culinary events.  Cindy has contributed to several books authored by the reknown Dr. Kenneth Cooper.  But just recently, she co-authored the Hypertension Cookbook for Dummies with Roseanne Rust, MS, RD, LDN.  I picked up a copy of the book and was blown away by all the great advice (and recipes!) that Cindy and Roseanne included in this book.  Regardless of whether or not you have hypertension, this book is a must-have for your kitchen cookbook library.

Cindy Kleckner, RD, LD

Recently, I had the opportunity to do a one-on-one interview with Cindy.  We got to talk about her food and cooking philosophy, her book and the cooking classes and on-on-one nutrition counseling she offers here locally:

1.  What started first - your love for nutrition or your love for cooking?   
Funny, even as a kid I had an interest in  food.....coming from an ethnic family (Polish) we had very strong   traditions.  My father died of a massive heart attack at age 33 so we focused more on prevention even though we didn't realize it at the time.  Nutrition and dietetics was such a great fit for me. My beloved Easy Bake oven was a fave back in the day!!

2.  Many people associate healthy cooking with less flavor.    How do you cook healthy without sacrificing taste?    Healthy cooking and taste can co-exist by utilizing all the wonderful   herbs and spices, aromatic vegetables such as shallots, garlic, onions, flavored vinegars, specialty oils like walnut oil and sesame oil and using a variety of cooking methods such as roasting that bring out the natural   caramelization in food.   The ingredients just mentioned provide not only wonderful flavor, but also a   health component by adding antioxidants and phytochemicals.

3.  I get people in my office that just seem resistant to explore recipes, or even try to cook.  What can you say to get a mom or dad cooking even when they declare that they are not a cook?   
It is THE BEST gift you can give to future generations to   spend some time exploring in the kitchen, taking a field trip to the farmers market and modeling that food IS indeed an important part of  our   health.  There are classes offered for families which make an exciting, family activity.  It is also a good way to reign in the food budget by learning how to cook fresh food fast.

4.  Families are busier than ever right now, and making meals at   home is a tall order.  I am a big proponent of increasing family meals  because they have benefits that go beyond nutrition.  What are some key things that you think would help the average family get home cooked meals on   the table without too much fuss? 
Techniques such as foil pouch dinners (just like girl scout camp outs) which can be prepared   ahead of time and placed in the oven or on the grill -  and done in no  time.  Both Stir fry and crock pot cookery are also excellent ways to get food on the table fast.  Recipes are included in our cookbook. We've seen a decline in culinary literacy to the point  that most people are lost without packaged food and take-out   containers.  I guarantee that a few sessions in my demo kitchen will help families gain confidence to get cooking the healthy way.

5.  People want recipes that are not only for one healthy,   but two, are tasty and three, easy to prepare.  I call it the difficult trifecta!  What things does someone look for in a recipe and/or   recipe book that can give one insight into hitting these three items?    
If it’s an old family favorite, ingredients can be substituted to reduce fast, sugar and salt such as substituting canned evaporated skim milk for whole milk or cream.   Wholesome, high quality  ingredients   (whole food) need only simple cooking techniques - such as a piece of   deliciously grilled wild salmon served with a squeeze of a grilled half lemon,  or rubbed with  some smoked paprika, cinnamon,   thyme  and orange zest........a real party in your  mouth!

6.  I love your new book, Hypertension forDummies.  You and   Roseanne rust, MS, RD, LDN did a phenomenal job. This is so much more than a high blood pressure cookbook!  You have so many tips and   suggestions along with tons of recipes categorized by meal type such   as breakfast, lunch, dinner and even a host of vegetarian dishes.  I love your section on meal planning. What are the best features you think might   be especially helpful for families?

Plan ahead.  Falling to plan is planning to fail in the way of shopping, cooking and eating healthier.  When it comes to feeding a family -   exposure to new foods - don't' fall prey to the usual chicken nuggets and mac and cheese.  Take the opportunity to educate young palates with a variety   of different foods.  If you get the whole family involved in the process they will "buy into the program!"

7.  High blood pressure does affect everyone of all ages these  days.  What are some important things to know about eating to lower blood pressure?
It’s not always about "giving up" but rather what to add to make your diet healthier.  Besides being conscious of sodium intake, it is very important to substitute plant protein, add fruits,  vegetables and more whole grains to the diet to add potassium, magnesium and calcium. Here is a cheat sheet I created that will help your readers:  Cindy’s hypertension cheat sheet.

8.  I absolutely love watching you in action at your cooking  classes.  They are chocked full of super practical cooking tips that make people want to get into   their kitchen and get cooking.  Tell me about the cooking classes you offer, and what someone would learn in   them.  Thank you Angela.  My philosophy is as follows:

- > Cooking wholesome, "real" food in combination with nutrition education can help motivate positive behavior change by making food more exciting and satisfying.

-> Promote healthy relationships with food, healthy respect for food and an appreciation for sustainable agriculture and seasonality which help to exercise more restraint.

-> Help clients get back to the basics with selection and preparation of food.  Often the biggest barrier to modify diet is lack of skills in the kitchen.

-> My goal is to educate, inspire, build confidence and help make the kitchen a more user-friendly place while having fun!

9. What other services do you offer at Cooper Fitness Center at Craig Ranch?
All of the nutrition services are OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! No membership required to experience nutrition at Cooper!  Currently, I offer:

- Private Nutrition Consultations to help people achieve long-term  nutrition goals.

-  4-week Hands-On Kitchen Boot Camp that provides participants with the arsenal to help win the kitchen battle with quick and easy tips to get fresh food on the  table fast. Success comes with reviewing basic nutrition information, meal planning, writing menus, stocking pantry, knife skills  supermarket tips, healthy cooking tips, recipe rehab and learning fundamentals of flavor building. There is an emphasis on actual food preparation in this class.

- Monthly themed culinary demos at the state-of-the-art demo kitchen offer unique and memorable education experience.   Themes vary every month based on health related such as "Heart month"  or Chinese new year or Kentucky Derby, Mardi Gras  etc.  During these informative classes, you observe the preparation of the food, taste samples and interact with group for a lively discussion.

- Worksite Wellness Programs

- Culinary Tem Building Events, a unique and effective way to build team spirit, break down office stereotypes  where clients chop, dice and sauté their way to better communication, sales and management skills.

To find out more about the services that Cindy Kleckner, RD, LD offers, contact the Cooper Fitness Center at Craig Ranch at 214-383-1000.

Product Review: Plum Amazins (Dried Plums)

One of the perks of being a dietitian is that I randomly get food sent to me to sample.  Sunsweet sent me their new product that they call "Plum Amazins," which are dried plums.  They are very good! As compared to raisins and cranberries, Plum Amazins contain:

50% More Fiber

About Half the Sugar

53% Better Glycemic Index

Fewer Calories

Whole Fruit Antioxidants

No added sugar or preservatives

I will be honest.  I brought them home for my 4 and 6 year old to try and told them that they were a different kind of dried fruit like raisins.  Their evaluation: they are "ok." After trying them, they proceed to the pantry and pulled out our raisin supply. :-)  But if you're a person like me that gravitates toward a less sweet, slightly sour taste, check out the Plum Amazins!  I liked them very much.

The Sunsweet Plum Amazins website has a lot of different recipes that you can try them in.  I have my eye on the Quinoa, Grape and Dried Plum Salad recipe.  You can easily substitute these dried plums with any recipe you currently have that contain raisins.  Check them out!

All opinions in this post, and in every post on this blog are my own - and are not paid endorsements.

Dangerous vs. Postive Messaging for Girls & Women

This week has been Healthy Weight Week, and today is the 19th annual Women's Healthy Weight Day.  No, it's not a reminder to start that next diet!  It is designed to remind us to strive for a healthy weight for our specific bodies, and for the purpose of good health; NOT to endlessly long for an unrealistic body shape.  I get too many mothers, often with young girls, coming into my office wanting to lose that unrealistic 10-15 pounds - when their bodies are already in the healthy range already.  They eat healthy and exercise regularly, all labs are normal - yet they are plagued by wanting to be just a bit thinner.  What does that teach our girls?  I found this video last week on Dietitians-Online and thought it was perfect to run on women's healthy weight day today.



Shocking, right?!  My little Hannah loves all things girly, and it's fun to be that with her.  So, I don't think that we need to avoid all things feminine.  And we cannot shelter our children from all of the media expsoure that is found in magines at the grocery store line or television commercials or endless weight loss commercials.  However, we can limit the amount that they are exposed to, and we can balance any negative influences out with positive messaging.  It is so important that we work hard to build healthy self-esteems in our young girls.

In addition to the advertisements, children are influenced by:

• Having mothers concerned about their own weight
• Having mothers who are overly concerned about their daughters' weight and looks
• Natural weight gain and other body changes during puberty
• Peer pressure to look a certain way
• Struggles with self-esteem

Now the good news is that there are so many things that we can do to build a healthy self-esteem.  One big way is to have a healthy self-esteem as their mothers.  Let's start with ourselves!  Other ways we can off-set negative influences are:

• Make sure your child understands that weight gain is a normal part of development, especially during puberty.
• Avoid negative statements about food, weight, and body size and shape.
• Teach your children about a balanced approach to eating which excludes calling foods "good" or "bad" but instead seeing them more as "sometimes" and "always" foods.
• Allow your child to make decisions about food, while making sure that plenty of healthy and nutritious meals and snacks are available.
• Compliment your child on her or his efforts, talents, accomplishments, and personal values.
• Restrict television viewing, and watch television with your child and discuss the media images you see.
• Encourage your school to enact policies against size and sexual discrimination, harassment, teasing, and name-calling; support the elimination of public weigh-ins and fat measurements.
• Keep the communication lines with your child open.

For more information on healping to build self-esteems within yourself and your daughters, visit womenshealth.gov and girlshealth.gov.  Kudos to organizations such as Fed Up, Inc. for putting such powerful videos together (such as the one in this post) to get all of us to stop, think and act. 

Happy Women's Healthy Weight Day!

Calories Are a Good Thing!

My last post that encourages people to Get Off The 'Sick Cycle Diet Carousel' in 2012 has identified with a lot of people on Facebook and Twitter judging by the retweets and shares.  I wanted to dedicate some of the next handful of posts on expanding upon aspects of the diet carousel.

Let’s discuss the pink elephant in the room when it comes to weight control.  When was the last time that calories were discussed in a positive light?  Everywhere you look – you see articles written about how to minimize, decrease, eliminate and avoid extra calories.  We were saturated with it over the holidays.  I completely understand the general premise behind these suggestions.  Adults and children are more obese than ever due to calorie imbalance, so the logical recommendation is to find ways to decrease extra calories for weight management.  But what does the constant bombardment of painting a negative light on calories do for our society?  I will tell you what it does – it makes most people fearful of calories and too much fear has never helped anyone.  I see it every day in my private practice.  We need to put calories in perspective, and we need to see the potential of what we can do with quality calories.

Calories, or kilocalories in the biochemistry world, is a measure of energy needed to increase the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.  It is literally the way your body maintains energy to survive.  Without calories, our bodies would die.  It is an obvious statement, but it’s important to remember that calories are actually a good thing.  Too many calories taken into the body without sufficient calories expended will yield weight gain.  On the other hand, not enough calories taken in as compared to energy expended will yield weight loss.  In dietetics, I work with many children and adults that are not taken in enough calories – and their health is negatively impacted as well.  With children, inadequate calorie intake will stunt their growth so it is essential to get them back on track.

Now here is the fundamental problem that I have with many people these days.  Many health-minded adults have been groomed to be afraid of calories.  If you do not take in sufficient amount of calories, these things may occur:

·         Inability to build lean muscle, which is what drives the rate at which you burn calories

·         Lack of motivation to be very active

·         The body may not have enough energy to support basic functions such as fighting off illness or infection

·         Fatigue, irritability, insomnia that can confused for depression (seen frequently)

·         Inadequate intake of vitamins and minerals (resulting in other negative symptoms and issues)

For those of you that know me, you know I am a huge promoter of a very active lifestyle.  I encourage regular vigorous activities most days of the week, and believe in fighting to maintain muscle by breaking it down through strength training 3-5 days per week.  Muscle requires calories to build and/or maintain. It’s the wellness cycle that I discussed in my earlier post.

The next time you go to the grocery store, don’t just look at total calories of a food.  Look at the quality of those calories – i.e., how much nutrients your body will receive for the calories in that food.  A good example of this is comparing a piece of white bread with a piece of whole grain bread.  In general, whole grain bread will be higher in calories.  Why?  It is because there are many more wonderful nutrients in whole grain bread.  You literally have the whole grain.  White bread has been stripped from many of those nutrients and that removes calories.  There are many higher calorie foods that contribute excellent nutrients and health benefits including nuts, avocado, fatty fish and heart healthy oils like canola and olive oils.  Take in the quality calories and use those calories to lead an active lifestyle. 

If you need to figure out how many calories your body needs, go to the Daily Food Plans on the ChooseMyPlate.gov website.  Keep in mind that these are only general recommendations and that each person may differ slightly.  Your local Registered Dietitian can help you tailor a very specific number customized for you.  The key is to get the right amount throughout your active day and choosing quality calories specifice to your lifestyle.  Bottom line: do not fear calories, but instead balance them appropriately with an active, adventurous lifestyle.  We need to get this right in order to be on the right cycle of wellness.