Saturday, March 5, 2011

Student Dietetic Association at FIU is
Spreading the Word about Healthy Eating

The Student Dietetic Association (SDA) at Florida International University (FIU) are eager to share with the community the importance of eating healthy and creating awareness of the obesity epidemic. 

FIU SDA visits Coconut Palm Elementary School and shows the kids new fruits and vegetables they didn't know existed.

FIU SDA students participate in a "healthy protest where they walked around the FIU campus with posters about alarming statistics about obesity, as well as healthy tips.



SDA teams up with the meditation club and creates healthy snacks for stressful times during finals and midterms.

The future of Dietetics and Nutrition
are in Good Hands.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Time Magazine Turns 88 Years Old.
A look at Food and Nutrition through the
Pages of Time

TIME was first published on March 3, 1923 as a newsmagazine which summarized and organized the news. Here are some articles and cover stories form Time Magazine focusing on Food and Nutrition.

Monday, Oct. 08, 1923, Medicine: Vitamin X
Discovered by Dr. Herbert M. Evans and Dr. Katharine S. Bishop, of the University of California.* They call it ";Vitamin X." "Vitamins," now so popular, were unknown ten years ago. They cannot be seen or weighed. They came to light only when it was found diets are not providing proper nourishment and in some cases deficiencies would occur, such as scurvy, beriberi and pellagra.

Monday, Mar. 31, 1924, Medicine: Vitamin D
Dr. Walter H. Eddy, Professor of Physiological Chemistry in Teachers' College, Columbia University showed a group of his colleagues four test tubes containing 70 milligrams of a crystalline substance, Vitamine D. Their work may lay a basis for future synthetic foods to form a scientific diet, though the authentic vitamin scientists have nothing but condemnation for the various commercial tablets, cakes, etc., now on the market. The best diet can still be secured from natural foods.

Monday, Jun. 09, 1941, Medicine: The Nation's Food
Nine hundred doctors, dietitians, chemists, industrialists met in Washington last week to tackle an immense problem: the U.S. diet. As a whole the U.S. today is probably better fed than any other nation, but at least 45,000,000 people in the U.S. are undernourished. Another 50,000,000 people drag along on four cylinders, but cut a good five years off their work-life by not eating the right foods. Of the 35,000,000 remaining, quite a few suffer from overeating.

Monday, Aug. 06, 1956, Medicine: Crazy About Reducing

U.S. experts on diets and reducing are in a tizzy. For years they had been preaching the gospel that the only way to reduce is to cut down the amount of fuel (expressed as the number of calories) stoked into the body.

Friday, Nov. 25, 1966, Food: Everyone's in the Kitchen

Julia Child, 54, is the 6-ft.-2-in.-tall star of the Emmy-winning half-hour program, The French Chef. Her viewers on 104 educational TV stations across the U.S. watch her every move, forgive her every gaffe and, in a word, adore her.







Dec 18, 1972, The Perils of Eating, American Style
Whether they are simply trying to get thin, or whether they are pursuing health or even salvation through diet, Americans are perhaps more preoccupied than any other nation with what to eat, what not to eat, how to eat and even when.







Monday, Sep. 17, 1973, FOOD: The Burger That Conquered the Country
The destiny of nations depends on the manner in which they nourish themselves. - The Physiology of Taste, Jean Brillat-Savarin (1826).  If so, America's destiny manifestly depends to no small degree on the hamburgers, French fries and milkshakes served beneath the golden arches of Mc Donald's. Last year the chain of drive-ins and restaurants rang up sales of $1.03 billion, passing the U.S. Army ( 1972 food volume: $909 million) as the nation's biggest dispenser of meals.


Monday, Nov. 02, 1981, Diet and Exercise Dangers
Regular exercise is good for the heart rate, blood pressure, respiration and metabolism. Says Jim Barnard, research cardiologist at U.C.L.A.: "It's similar to tuning up your car's engine to make the car run more efficiently." Vigorous physical effort helps release tension too. But it can also do a lot of damage, especially if the athlete is a neophyte or weekend warrior, both of whom tend to try to do too much too soon.

Dieting poses a whole set of different hazards, especially the quickie weight-losing schemes that separate U.S. dieters from a few pounds each year. Among the current In diets are the Pritikin, the Atkins and the Beverly Hills Diet. Nutrition experts insist that many fad diets are not really diets at all but bizarre and temporary ways of depriving the subject of adequate nutrition.

Mar 15, 1982, Salt: A New Villain?
KILLER SALT screams the book cover from a huge display of volumes with titles like Shake the Salt Habit!, Cooking Without a Grain of Salt and Halt! No Salt. These days they are selling in the the hundreds of thousands.

Mar 26, 1984, Hold the Eggs and Butter
Cholesterol is proved deadly, and our diet may never be the same This year began with the announcement by the Federal Government of the results of the broadest and most expensive research project in medical history. Its subject was cholesterol.

Dec 24, 1990, Health: Red Alert on Red Meat
The link between high-fat diets and colon cancer gets stronger.

Jul 15, 1991, The Fight over Food Labels
By launching a holy war against misleading claims, the government could clear up some of the confusion on supermarket shelves and help Americans become healthier consumers

Apr 06, 1992, The New Scoop On Vitamins
They may be much more important than doctors thought in warding off cancer, heart disease and the ravages of aging and, no, you may not be getting enough of these crucial nutrients in your diet

Jan 08, 1996, HEALTH: ARE WE READY FOR FAT-FREE FAT?
The FDA is about to decide whether you can eat these chips. They are fried in a fake oil that can't make you fat. Dip, Anyone?

Nov 01, 1999, The Low-Carb Diet Craze
Fad diets come and go, but this one is exploding. Can you really lose weight by feasting on beef, eggs and bacon? And should you?

Jan 21, 2002, 10 Foods That Pack A Wallop
Eat, drink and be healthy! Scientists are rapidly identifying the natural chemicals that give preventive punch to a rainbow of ordinary edibles.

Jul 15, 2002, Should We All Be Vegetarians?
Would we be healthier? Would the planet? The risks and benefits of a meat-free life.

Jul 07, 2003, Cracking The Fat Riddle
Should you count calories or carbs? Is dietary fat your biggest enemy? The latest research may surprise you.

Oct 20, 2003, Health: How to Eat Smarter
In a world that is raining food, making healthy choices about what and how to eat is not easy. Here are some rules to live by.

Jun 07, 2004, America's Obesity Crisis: Activists: The Obesity Warriors
What will it take to end this epidemic? These experts are very glad you asked

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Dietitians on YouTube and in the News
February 22, 2011

February 22, 2011

Five Tips on Organizing the Kitchen
For Healthy Eating From
Dietitian 
Ashley Koff

Dietitians Association of Australia recommends looking for the APD credential when choosing a dietitian. APDs are university-qualified and have extensive expertise in nutrition. Finding an APD is easy -Go to www.daa.asn.au Great message from our colleagues down under.



Fat State Stretched Thin: Tenn. Covers Gastric Bypass, by Daniel Potter.
Tennessee's state Medicaid program faces hundreds of millions of dollars in budget cuts in the coming months. The program, known as TennCare, won't pay for overweight patients to get counseling from dietitians, but it will pay for the morbidly obese to lose weight through surgery, such as gastric bypass.

On Nutrition: What about protein? By BARBARA QUINN.
The Monterey County Herald (MCT). Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. She is the author of "Diabetes DTOUR Diet," Rodale, 2009. Email her at bquinn@chomp.org.

CIGNA CP : Six Easy, Fun Steps to Better Health.
CIGNA and Healthy Kids Challenge, working together since 2004 to fight obesity, today announced the launch of their latest initiative – an online CIGNA Mix Six for Healthy Balance Toolkit offering real-life ways for individuals, families and employers to incorporate better health into their daily routines.


Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Center for Science in the Public Interest
(CSPI) Turns 40

I first learned about CSPI in the mid 1970’s. I was working on my undergraduate degree in Dietetics and Nutrition when I heard about a conference on regulating food advertising aimed at children.  A topic, I am deeply concerned about, then and now. Michael Jacobson, PhD, Executive Director and one of the original founders of CSPI was the keynote speaker. His enthusiasm and determination was contagious.

Founded in 1971, CSPI has worked vigorously to educate the public, advocate government policies consistent with scientific evidence on health and environmental issues, and question industry’s influence on public opinion and public policies. Over the years, CSPI has earned the respect of consumers, politicians, health professionals, media, government agencies, and scientific communities as an influential and independent science-based organization and consumer advocate.


 Mission Statement. 
“CSPI is a consumer advocacy organization whose twin missions are to conduct innovative research and advocacy programs in health and nutrition, and to provide consumers with current, useful information about their health and well-being.”
Nutrition Action
Major Changes in the Food Environment
May 7, 2008


CSPI publishes the “Nutrition Action Healthletter”, known for its current and objective information on nutrition and health concerns. The content represents CSPI’s three main goals:
1. To provide useful, objective information to the public and policymakers and to conduct research on food, alcohol, health, the environment, and other issues related to science and technology
2. To represent the citizen's interests before regulatory, judicial and legislative bodies on food, alcohol, health, the environment, and other issues; and
3. To ensure that science and technology are used for the public good and to encourage scientists to engage in public-interest activities

Topics are easy to understand and are written by experts in the field, such as CSPI nutrition director Bonnie Liebman, MS. One of my favorite sections is the “Right Stuff vs. Food Porn”.

CSPI is an organization made up of dedicated individuals. The work they have accomplished in the last 40 years is remarkable. As an educator and journalist, my responsibility is to continue to inform the public of reliable resources.

To the new generation of concerned citizens, politicians, health and science professionals, media, and government agencies, CSPI is an organization to follow. You can also become involved by joining CSPI Action Network.

To learn more about CSPI visit
Website.  CSPI
Facebook. CSPI
YouTube. CSPI TV

Subscribe to Nutrition Action
Join CSPI Action Network
Make a Donation


I was too shy back in the 1970s to say thank you; I hope it’s not too late.

Happy Birthday CSPI and Thank You for Keeping us Safe and Informed.

with warm regards,
Sandra Frank, Ed.D., RD, LDN
Dietitians-Online.com







CSPI in the News

Kellogg's Agrees to Reduce Junk Food Marketing to Kids
 May 9, 2008
    

 Heart Attack Entrees and Side Orders of Stroke
June 3, 2009 
Unsafe levels of sodium chloride, or salt, in chain restaurant meals increase one's chance of developing hypertension, heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The nonprofit food safety and nutrition watchdog group today is exposing chain restaurant meals with dangerously high levels of sodium and is renewing its call on industry and government to lower sodium levels in foods. Here is some news coverage of CSPI's report. 
 
 

CSPI is currently working on the following issues:
  1. Get junk foods out of schools nationwide.
  2. Rid the food supply of partially hydrogenated oil, the source of artificial trans fat that promotes heart disease.
  3. Reduce sodium in processed and restaurant foods.
  4. Improve food safety laws and reduce the incidence of foodborne illness.
  5. Advocate for healthier, plant-based, environmentally friendly diets.
  6. Ensure accurate and honest labeling on food packages.
  7. Require basic nutrition labeling on chain-restaurants’ menus and menu boards.
  8. Provide responsible information about the benefits and risks of agricultural biotechnology.
  9. Obtain greater federal funding for alcohol-abuse prevention policies; and
  10. Expose industry influence over the scientific process and in government policy-making.


A Heart Healthy Valentine

Collection of heart shaped and heart healthy foods with special valentine messages for a heart healthy life.






Wishing you love, laughter, health and friendship.






Thursday, February 10, 2011

America Goes Red for Women Across the Country

Go Red For Women encourages awareness of the issue of women and heart disease, and also action to save more lives. The movement utilizes the energy, commitment and power women have to band together and collectively wipe out heart disease. It challenges them to know their risk for heart disease and take action to reduce their personal risk. It also gives them the tools they need to lead a heart healthy life.

Go Red and Beat It!
Texas Health Fort Worth employees are joining together to beat heart disease. A creative and innovative video depicting the employees passion to raise awareness of heart disease, Texas Health Fort Worth wants to know what you are doing to beat this disease?

Red Heart Dance - MetroSouth Medical Center
MetroSouth Medical Center employees produced a video to raise awareness
about heart health. They urge all who are risk to Know Their Numbers By Heart







Life's Simple Seven


Life's Simple Seven:‎ 1. Get Active; 2. Control Cholesterol; 3. Eat Better; 4. Manage Blood Pressure; 5. Lose Weight; 6. Reduce Blood Sugar; and 7. Stop Smoking.

Tell five family members and friends how they can get heart healthy. Visit the
American Heart Association. A warm thanks to the Broward County Dietetic Association for their assistance in helping spread this Heart Healthy message.
 
Outrunning My Shadow
GoRed Day in Las Vegas
GoRed day is the fight against Heart Disease in Women. Video shot at Macy's
and The Freemont Street Experience in Las Vegas


Greystone Healthcare Management (Florida, Indiana and Ohio) .
Prepared this video to create awareness of Heart Disease,
the leading cause of death in the United States.




Anadarko: Go Red For Women Day


Jersey Shore University Medical Center
Go Red for Heart Disease Awareness

Friday, February 4, 2011

Go Red for Women
Life's Simple 7

The Broward County Dietetic Association wants you to Tell 5 and Save Lives. Keep your "Heart- Healthy". A message from the American Heart Association.
 


Go Red For Women
 In 2004, the American Heart Association (AHA) faced a challenge. Cardiovascular disease claimed the lives of nearly 500,000 American women each year, yet women were not paying attention. In fact, many even dismissed it as an “older man’s disease.” To dispel the myths and raise awareness of heart disease as the number one killer of women, the American Heart Association created Go Red For Women – a passionate, emotional, social initiative designed to empower women to take charge of their heart health.

Go Red For Women encourages awareness of the issue of women and heart disease, and also action to save more lives. The movement utilizes the energy, commitment and power women have to band together and collectively wipe out heart disease. It challenges them to know their risk for heart disease and take action to reduce their personal risk. It also gives them the tools they need to lead a heart healthy life.

In 2010, the American Heart Association set a strategic goal of reducing death and disability from cardiovascular disease and strokes by 20% while improving the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20% by the year 2020.

Go Red For Women targets women because only 55 percent of women realize heart disease is their No. 1 killer and less than half know what are considered healthy levels for cardiovascular risk factors like blood pressure and cholesterol. The Go Red For Women movement works to make sure women know they are at risk so they can take action to protect their health.
 
Tell 5 and Save Lives
Tell five family members and friends how they can get heart healthy. Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women, taking the life of 1 in 3 women each year. This means women just like you - mothers, sisters, friends - are dying at the rate of one per minute because they don't know what you know: heart disease kills.

Just think: By simply bringing your network to our network, you could save lives. And if your five tell five, your mission can eventually impact hundreds and thousands of women.

Life's Simplified Seven

Get Active
Finding time in our busy lives for exercise is a challenge for all Americans. But the benefits far outweigh the sacrifices it takes to create time. The facts are clear: By exercising for as little as 30 minutes each day you can reduce your risk of heart disease. Without regular physical activity, the body slowly loses its strength and ability to function well. Physical activity = living a longer, healthier life.

Regular Physical Activity helps: Lower blood pressure, increase HDL “good” cholesterol in your blood, control blood sugar by improving how your body uses insulin, reduce feelings of stress, control body weight and make you feel good about yourself.
 

Control Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like, waxy substance found in the bloodstream and in all your body's cells. It's normal to have cholesterol. Cholesterol is an important part of a healthy body because it's used for producing cell membranes and some hormones, and serves other needed bodily functions. But too much cholesterol in the blood is a major risk for coronary heart disease (which leads to heart attack) and for stroke.

Cholesterol comes from two sources: your body and food. Your liver and other cells in your body make about 75% of blood cholesterol. The other 25% comes from the foods you eat.
LDL cholesterol is the “bad” cholesterol. When too much of it circulates in the blood, it can clog arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke. LDL cholesterol is produced naturally by the body, but many people inherit genes that cause them to make too much. Eating saturated fat, trans fats and dietary cholesterol also increases how much you have.

American Heart Association Recommendations:  Total blood cholesterol is the most common measurement of blood cholesterol. It's the number you receive as test results. Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). A cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL or higher puts you in a high-risk category and is cause to take action.


Eat Better
A healthy diet and lifestyle are your best weapons to fight cardiovascular disease. You may be eating plenty of food, but your body may not be getting the nutrients it needs to be healthy. Nutrient-rich foods have vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients, but are lower in calories. To get the nutrients you need, choose foods like vegetables, fruits, whole-grain products and fat-free or low-fat dairy products most often. The American Heart Association recommends that you eat a wide variety of nutritious foods daily from each of the basic food groups.

Recommended Food Choice Guidelines: Vegetables and fruits are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber; and lower in calories. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables may help you control your weight and your blood pressure. Unrefined whole-grain foods contain fiber that can help lower your blood cholesterol and help you feel full. Eat fish at least twice a week. Recent research shows that eating oily fish containing omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, trout, and herring) may help lower your risk of death from coronary artery disease. Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat. Select fat-free, 1 percent fat, and low-fat dairy products. Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet. Aim to eat less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol each day. Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt. Aim to eat less than 1500 milligrams of sodium per day.
 
Manage Blood Pressure

Hypertension (also know as High Blood Pressure) is the single most significant risk factor for heart disease. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can injure or kill you. It's sometimes called "the silent killer" because it has no symptoms. One in three adults has high blood pressure, yet, about 21% don’t even know they have it. Of those with high blood pressure, 69% are receiving treatment, yet, only 45% have their blood pressure controlled.

By keeping your blood pressure in the healthy range, you are:
* Reducing your risk of your vascular walls becoming overstretched and injured,
* Reducing your risk of your heart having to pump harder to compensate for blockages,
* Protecting your entire body so that your tissue receives regular supplies of blood that is rich in the oxygen it needs.

American Heart Association Guidelines: High blood pressure is manageable. These changes may reduce your blood pressure without the use of prescription medications: eating a heart-healthy diet, which may include reducing salt; enjoying regular physical activity; maintaining a healthy weight; managing stress; limiting alcohol; avoiding tobacco smoke.


Lose Weight
Among Americans age 20 and older, 145 million are overweight or obese (BMI of 25.0 kg/m2 and higher). That’s 76.9 million men and 68.1 million women. Obesity is now recognized as a major, independent risk factor for heart disease. If you have too much fat — especially if a lot of it is at your waist - you are at higher risk for such health problems as high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol and diabetes.

If you're overweight or obese, you can reduce your risk for heart disease by successfully losing weight and keeping it off. When coming up with a fitness and nutrition plan to lose weight, it’s crucial to understand your recommended calorie intake. And then the amount of food calories you’re consuming verses the energy calories you’re burning off with different levels of physical activity. It’s balancing healthy eating (caloric energy) with the (molecular) energy that leaves your body through a healthy level of exercise.


Reduce Blood Sugar
The American Heart Association considers diabetes one of the six major controllable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Adults with diabetes are two to four times more likely to have heart disease or a stroke than adults without diabetes. Diabetes is treatable, but even when glucose levels are under control it greatly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Most people with diabetes die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease.
Pre-diabetes and subsequent type 2 diabetes usually results from insulin resistance. When insulin resistance or diabetes occur with other CVD risk factors (such as obesity, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol and high triglycerides), the risk of heart disease and stroke rises even more. Controlling glucose can slow the progression of long-term complications. Often, many small changes add up to surprising improvements in diabetes control, including less need for medication.

American Heart Association Guidelines:  When diabetes is detected, a doctor may prescribe changes in eating habits, weight control, exercise programs and medication to keep it in check. It's critical for people with diabetes to have regular check-ups. Work closely with your healthcare provider to manage your diabetes and control any other risk factors. For example, blood pressure for people with diabetes should be lower than 130/80 mm Hg.


Stop Smoking
Smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Smokers have a higher risk of developing many chronic disorders, including atherosclerosis - the buildup of fatty substances in the arteries - which can lead to coronary heart disease, heart attack (myocardial infarction) and stroke. Smoking by itself increases the risk of coronary heart disease. When it acts with the other factors, it greatly increases your risk from those factors, too. Smoking decreases your tolerance for physical activity and increases the tendency for blood to clot. It decreases HDL (good) cholesterol. Your risks increase greatly if you smoke and have a family history of heart disease. Smoking also creates a higher risk for peripheral artery disease and aortic aneurysm. It increases the risk of recurrent coronary heart disease after bypass surgery, too.


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