Answering 7 Instagram Questions About Food, Nutrition, Dietetics from the Last 7 Days.
Hello, Hello! Thank you SO much for clicking on this blog post.
I'm thinking about making this style of blog post a regular thing because everyone asks me really great questions that I know for a fact more people would benefit from. So here are the last 7 questions about food, nutrition, and dietetics from the last 7 days!
1) What are your thoughts on the Ketogenic Diet?
That depends. The Ketogenic Diet is a prescribed diet for patients who have epilepsy and do not respond to medication. If I were a clinical dietitian and worked on the neurology unit, I would likely prescribe and or monitor patients on this diet. I support its use when under supervision of a medical team and for its use as Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT).
I do not support its use as a weight loss method or to prevent disease/ maintain health. I wrote more about the side effects of the Ketogenic Diet here at YogiApproved.com if you want to know more. 2) What are your thoughts on produce from other countries?
Personally, I'm happy to provide my family with whole, fresh produce whenever available and sometimes that does mean I'm buying bell peppers and cucumbers from Mexico instead of California. That's okay, to me, and I encourage you do to what's best for your family!
The farmer's market is bumpin' in the summer time and you are sure to find more local produce there. However, don't put yourself on a guilt trip if you're buying kiwis from New Zealand. Our globe has thrived on international trade since the the beginning and overtime regulations have gotten better and more efficient.
You are no more at risk of getting bugs in your food or developing a food borne illness from an internationally grown fruit or vegetable than a domestically grown one.
On the other hand, regulations about organic farming methods may differ from country to country. You may want to support the locally grown conventional butternut squash over the organically grown one to lower your carbon footprint.
3) After I cut carbs to lose weight, how do I add healthy carbohydrates without gaining weight?
First, weight loss, gain, or maintenance is all about energy in versus energy out.
To gain weight: Eat MORE calories than you need To lose weight: Eat FEWER calories than you need To maintain your weight: Eat the same calories than you need.
Okay, okay YES! It's a LOT more complicated than that. For starters everyone has uniquely different needs. Another complexity is that we all have a different genetic make up that changes how we burn calories and what macronutrient ranges fit best for our lifestyle.
So let's talk about carbohydrates. Simply cutting carbohydrates will result is cutting calories, which is why weight loss occurs. When you add back the carbohydrates, you are adding back that amount of calories and weight gain happens.
Whether we cut carbs, fats, proteins ----> weight loss will occur!
So in order to "add back" anything expect weight gain to happen.
If you want to embark on a weight loss journey, we can come up with an individual plan for you that involves eating healthy foods and still enjoying what you like but decreasing your overall portion sizes.
Here are some of my favorite healthy foods that provide a dose of carbohydrates:
Old-fashioned rolled oats
Brown rice cakes
Quinoa
Jasmine rice
Chickpeas
Bananas
Strawberries
Sweet & regular potatoes
4) Do you sell meal plans?
Sometimes, yes and sometimes no. I have a meal planning subscription service that is very user friendly and delivers a full weekly menu to your inbox with recipes and grocery lists for $29 a month! That's less than a dollar a day but like I always say, some things save you time and some signs save you money.
Making food decisions: what to prep, what to buy, what to eat can take up a lot of brain power. Sometimes its nice to have a healthy menu plan already laid out for you and that's why I have these available for you!
When you have another nutrition goal in mind: weight loss, weight gain, diabetes management, kidney stone management etc... then I add meal plans to monthly nutrition counseling as needed.
Interested in meal plans that include healthy carbohydrates, fats & proteins? Click here to find out more!
5) I want to become an RD. How do I get started?!
First of all, I love you. You're making the best choice if you want to be a nutrition professional. No one gets more nutrition education than an RD so if you want to be in the biz, then don't short change yourself and get a certificate.
If you just want to learn more nutrition for yourself (not provide nutrition services to clients) then you can do a certificate program. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a lot of certificates available to both members & non-members for purchase.
But, providing individual nutrition counseling, coaching, therapy etc. requires you have your RD.
So yayyyyy RD!
Anyways, answering the question How Do I get Started on the Road to RD?
First- Choose your college that provides you a Verification Statement. You may be getting another Bachelor's in Nutrition OR sometimes schools offer a shorter track (perfect for adult learners!) that just provide the nutrition courses you'll need to get the verification statement.
Second- Prepare to study very hard and strive to do well on exams & projects ON TOP OF getting involved in extra curricular activities. A part-time job in a related field, a volunteer position, active membership in your local dietetics academy, your school's nutrition club or ALL OF THE ABOVE! I went to Russell Sage College and majored in Nutrition Science. I did work study at the Fitness Center and I was a member then president of the Nutrition Club. I volunteered regularly at food banks, women's shelters, community gardens. I helped other interns execute their internship projects. I worked on the weekends at the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market. I also maintained a 4.0 and nope, not saying this to brag I just want to show what it takes. Its not an easy route and that's why its so freaking annoying when nutrition certificates try and pretend they are equal to being an RD. Nutrition certificates are just no where near the same.
Third- Apply to Dietetic Internships. This deserves its own post! But in short, the dietetic internship is your year of supervised practice. It takes place after your senior year of undergrad and may or not be combined with a graduate degree program.
It's an unpaid internship and you do at least 3 "rotations" in clinical, community and management.
Clinical is broken up into inpatient & outpatient settings. You will work in a hospital (which, honestly was my favorite part and I thought I wouldn't like it!). Outpatient settings can vary. It may be in an epilepsy treatment center, a dialysis center, an outpatient diabetes management setting or even a bariatric outpatient office. Just depends!
Community varied widely. You'll likely work for a city, state, or country office. This may also be where you get to add in your own experience. I interned at Warren County Women Infants and Children (WIC) office and then I did a rotation with a dietitian who ran his own blog and worksite wellness company. (Okay, actually this was my favorite!).
Management includes working as a food service director. That can be at a school, hospital, university. I haven't heard of someone doing their rotation with a restaurant but I have heard some interns do their rotation at major supermarkets like Price Chopper Market Bistro (in New York). You're doing a lot of menu planning, kitchen management and other related projects here. I did my rotation at a K-12 school and I had the best experience learning all about the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program. I recommend doing this rotation at a K-12 school too if you can!
6) What are your thoughts on BulletProof Coffee?
Well, it's just another way to enjoy your morning beverage. It does not have the magical super powers it claims to. Sorry. But that doesn't mean you can enjoy it! Go for it!
Some people like their cream & sugar, some want their butter. I'll stick with unsweetened vanilla almond milk :). Allegro Coffee is my favorite around Denver and they sell it at Whole Foods and also, their shop on Tennyson street!
7) Do you have an easy protein bar recipe?
Yes! Here it is!
Ingredients 1.25 cup, Oats, blended in NutritBullet to make a flour 80 grams of Cake Batter flavored whey protein (by @optimumnutrition ) 0.5 tsp baking soda 0.25 tsp Salt 0.5 cup Unsweetened applesauce 8 oz, Almond Milk - Vanilla - Unsweetened 2 Egg Whites + 1/2 yolk of 1 of the eggs Directions: Blend dry ingredients together. Add Wet ingredients to dry & mix to combine. Pour batter into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Place into a 350F oven for 20-23 minutes. The bars are done when you poke a fork in the middle and it comes out clean. Nutrition Facts Available Upon Request 😃👍🏽
I post recipes first on my instagram so check it out and follow along :)!
I hope I get to answer some of your questions soon! I post way more regularly on Instagram than I do my blog and I love love LOVE getting your questions about nutrition, dietetics, health coaching, my pets ;-) and everything in between!