Fructose: Not Just a Sweetener Most people think of sugar as a sweetener. Your patients may be getting a lot of mixed messages about how much sugar they can have in their diets. Information they glean from popular press or magazines often dilutes dietary advice to simplified messages such as: “Avoid sugar” or “Read labels […]
“Olivia loves sugar so much that if she had her way, she would live off of gummy bears and popsicles,” her frustrated mother said. “You’re a dietitian – tell me – is that normal?” Normal? Yes. Challenging? Absolutely! Concerned parents may believe their children are the only ones who seem to have been born with […]
Why Do People Eat What they Eat? When working with patients, dietitians are trained to evaluate the nutrition status of clients, reviewing everything from medical history, to biochemical and anthropometric data, to lifestyle habits and dietary intake. We determine the best diet for individual clients based on this big picture. When it comes to the […]
Consuming Modest Amounts May Improve Overall Dietary Quality As a Registered Dietitian, I approach designing an individualized eating plan or group menu with an eye on science-based nutrition as well as an eye towards acceptance. After all, if people don’t like their food and it ends up in the trash, it doesn’t matter how fabulously […]
For a healthy diet to be sustainable, it must be one that can be enjoyed. Calories consumed should match metabolic needs and activity, and also provide essential nutrients, but it’s not going to provide nutrition if it’s not eaten. Therefore, it’s important to work with patients and find nutritious foods that they will realistically choose […]
As healthcare professionals, we’ve heard our patients’ concerns regarding sugars. In particular, one type of sugar is often demonized – fructose – especially when it’s partnered with the words, high fructose corn syrup. Fructose has been blamed for obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance and high triglycerides, but it’s important to know the facts about fructose before […]
When sugar is brought up in a conversation about diet and health it is often done so with grave concern. When the new line item for added sugars begins to appear on the revised Nutrition Facts label, more attention will be brought to the added sugar content of foods. Sugar has been blamed for obesity, […]
Sugar has received a large share of media coverage over the past decade. Accused of being toxic, addictive and the cause of obesity, it makes our job as health professionals even more challenging when trying to separate fallacies from facts. Of course, we know that sugar, and more specifically glucose, is the body’s primary energy […]
The American Heart Association (AHA) is now recommending that children between the age of two and 18 limit their consumption of added sugars to less than 25 grams per day, equivalent to about six teaspoons. These are the first recommendations specific to this age group from AHA and were published in an August 22 article […]
In 1984, Time magazine famously featured a sad face made of fried eggs and bacon on its cover. According to experts quoted in the article, fat was the macronutrient villain, squarely blocking the gate to lower BMIs and better cardiovascular health. Thirty years later, Time again tackled the subject of dietary fat, this time showing […]
No matter what sort of nutrition advice you offer your patients, it’s important to first inquire about their diet and lifestyle. A healthy diet is balanced with physical activity, and includes the basics of choosing lots of vegetables, fruit, quality protein, whole grains, and healthy fats, while limiting sodium, sugar and alcohol. However when using […]
For years, carbohydrates have taken blame for obesity. Americans nutritional perceptions have been influenced by low-carbohydrate fad diets for decades dating back to the “meat diet” beginning in the 1940s. Other more modern reduced carbohydrate diets include Atkin’s, stoneage and Paleolithic, “Zone” and “South Beach.” The popularity of these diets encourages Americans to fear carbohydrates. […]
The International Food Information Council (IFIC) foundation recently published findings from an online food and health survey conducted between 2012 and 2015. While there continues to be a disconnect between weight status and perceived health by many Americans, the participants report behaviors consistent with widely disseminated nutrition advice including trying to limit or avoid added […]
When it comes to caloric sweeteners, the most important rule of thumb is moderation (the amount you consume), even for those with diabetes. You may have heard or read about diets using foods that have a low glycemic index (GI), and wondered what that was all about. The glycemic index (GI) was first introduced in […]
