Great American Meatout Day March 20, 2011

About Meatout
Meatout is an international event exposing the public to the benefits of plant-based foods, while promoting the availability and selection alternatives to meat and dairy in mainstream grocery stores, restaurants, and catering operations. Meatout was launched in 1985 and is coordinated each year by FARM, a national nonprofit, public interest organization. FARM advocates plant-based (vegan) diets to save animals, protect the environment, and improve health.

Meatout TV Ad

Meatout has grown to become the world's “largest annual grassroots diet education campaign”. Participants are asked to "kick the meat habit on March 20 (first day of spring) and explore a wholesome, diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Meatout Facts:
•Over 30 million Americans have explored a meat-free diet.
•One in five teens thinks vegetarianism is "cool."
•National beef and veal consumption have dropped by 25 and 70%, respectively.
•Major manufacturers and retailers are marketing meat-free and dairy-free meals.
•Several national fast food chains are offering veggie burgers and several major baseball parks are selling veggie dogs.

Meatout Mondays
To keep the spirit of Meatout alive throughout the year, Meatout Mondays were developed. Those who sign up for Meatout Mondays pledge to eat compassionate plant-based foods every Monday. Each subscriber receives a weekly colorful e-mail containing recipes, product suggestions, health news, encouragement, and inspiration. To view past issues, click here.

The Benefits of Meatout
"Kicking the meat habit" holds lasting benefits for consumer health, world hunger, resource conservation, environmental quality, and animal protection.

Kicking the meat habit reduces our risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and other chronic diseases that cripple and kill nearly 1.4 million Americans annually.

Kicking the meat habit raises our energy level, lowers our food budget, and simplifies food preparation and cleanup.

Kicking the meat habit preserves our topsoil, water, and other food production resources vital to the survival of our children and their children.

Kicking the meat habit protects our forests, grasslands, and other wildlife habitats.

Kicking the meat habit saves animals from caging, crowding, deprivation, drugging, mutilation, manhandling, and agonizing slaughter. Each person who adopts a plant-based diet saves over 80 innocent animals each year. Over a lifetime, an individual can save more than 6,000 animals just by going vegan.

To learn more, visit the Meatout website.
A free Vegetarian Starter Kit is available at http://www.vegkit.org/.

Introducing the Green Foods National Nutrition Month

Green Foods

Host: Grace

Food Sources

Alfalfa, Artichokes, Arugula, Asparagus, Avocado, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Broccoli rabe, Brussels Sprouts, Celery, Chives, Collard Greens, Cucumbers, Dandelion Greens, Edamame, Endive, Fennel, Green apples, Green Beans, Green cabbage, Green Grapes, Green Olives, Green Onion, Green Pears, Green Peas, Green Pepper, Green Tomatoes, Honeydew, Kale, Kiwi, Leeks, Lettuce, Limes, Mint, Okra, Oregano, Parsley, Pistachios, Snow Peas, Spinach, Sugar snap peas, Swiss Chard, Tarragon, Tomatillo, Wasabi, Watercress, Zucchini.

Do you know other foods that are Green?

Ways to increase Green Food Intake:
•Add spinach or broccoli when cooking pasta, rice or soup.
•Freeze green grapes for a sweet snack.
•Add thin slices of green apples or zucchini on a sandwich.

About Green Fruits and Vegetables.
Green in plants signifies the presence of the plant pigment chlorophyll. The nutrients found in these fruits and vegetables may reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol levels, improve vision, enhance the immune system, and fight harmful free radicals.

Green fruits and vegetables are rich in many vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, folate, vitamin C, and beta-carotene (vitamin A). They contain phytochemicals such as luteins and indoles, which may reduce the risk of heart disease. They are high in fiber and support a healthy digestive system.

Definitions:
Phytonutrients (or phytochemicals) are found in plants. They are part of what gives fruits and vegetables their colors. Phytonutrients help protect plants from diseases found in the environment and protect us in a similar way. Studies have linked an increase of fruit and vegetable intake with lowering the risk of specific cancers and heart disease. The following list describes how phytonutrients may also help protect human health.
1. Act as an antioxidant.
2. Improves immune response.
3. Improves cell-to-cell communication.
4. Destroys cancer cells.
5. Repairs DNA damage caused by toxins in the environment.

Antioxidants. As the body uses oxygen, there are by-products (known as “free radicals”) that can cause damage to cells. Antioxidants can prevent or slow down the damage caused by these free radicals and decrease the risk of many chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Antioxidants may also improve the immune defense and lower the risk of infection. Some examples of antioxidants include vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein, lycopene and flavonoids.

Wellness News employs young adults with "Special Needs" (Cerebral Palsy, Autism, Down Syndrome, Muscular Dystrophy). My staff started the project in September 2010. Over the next five months, we would take over 600 photographs of colorful foods in order to create the March presentation for NNM. Many of the photographs are available for purchase with the proceeds going to special need young adults. Contact Dr. Sandra Frank for additional information (recipenews@gmail.com).

Prepared by
http://www.dietitians-online.com/
http://www.weighing-success.com/
Wellness News (www.weighing-success.com/WellnessNews.html)
http://www.wheelchair-connection.com/
Sandra Frank, Ed.D, RD, LDN
Jake Frank
Lance Li

Jonathan Cruz

What a Difference Some Color Can Make!

Book Review: The Small Change Diet, 10 Steps to a Thinner, Healthier You

A weight control program emphasizing small changes and a lifetime of health. The author, Keri Gans, a registered dietitian shares her simple steps to achieving healthy, continued weight loss by making small adjustments that often lead to the biggest impacts. The key is mastering one new habit before expecting yourself to tackle another.

Each chapter describes a step in the program and excuses used "not to succeed"; tips to overcoming these excuses and a short review to see if you're ready to move onto the next step.

Take your time! Once you’ve completed all ten steps, you’ll feel healthier and thinner for a lifetime. The Small Change Diet turns "unhealthy" habits into healthy new habits that become second nature.

A great book for an individual looking for a refreshing and practical guide to achieving permanent weight control, while learning to enjoy healthy foods. Also, a terrific resource for registered dietitians who want to learn how to handle obstacles and excuses they may experience with their clients.

I found myself smiling each time Keri mentioned an excuse – I’ve used in the past or my readers have asked me.

Here is Keri Gans, MS, RD, CDN in her own words
as she describes "The Small Change Diet."

 

About the Author: Keri Gans, MS, RD, CDN

Keri Gans is a Registered Dietitian in private practice in Manhattan. She holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Ohio University. Before working solely in private practice Keri was a clinical staff dietitian at St. Lukes Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan and North General Hospital in Harlem.

Keri has made numerous television appearances, including ABC Eyewitness News, Good Morning America, Discovery Times, and Fox The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, and Dr. Oz's show. She is a regular guest on Sirius/XM's Dr. Radio and is frequently quoted in national publications. For over 5 years Keri was seen weekly on Manhattan public access TV in a nutrition lifestyle program called “Diet Diva”.

Keri is very active in professional organizations. She is a Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association (ADA) and ADA Delegate for the New York State Dietetic Association (NYSDA). Other past volunteer positions include: NYSDA President, NYSDA PR Chair, NYSDA Annual Meeting Chair, Greater NY Dietetic Association PR Chair and Treasurer. Keri is the proud winner of the 2010 NYSDA Media Excellence Award and 2006 NYSDA Emerging Dietetic Leader Award.

You can learn more about Keri Gans
by visiting her online resources.
Website. http://www.kerigansnutrition.com
Twitter. http://twitter.com/kerigans

Check Your Batteries Day and Recharge March 13, 2011

Every day your body needs to recharge.
A great way to recharge is to start your day off with a healthy breakfast.

Registered Dietitian Day 2011 Quotes from Dietitians Worldwide

The goals of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) are to provide consumers with information on how to lead healthy lives, promote education, advance nutrition knowledge through research, and learn to make healthy choices.

Dietitians-Online was created to acknowledge the contributions of Registered Dietitians on the Internet and their global impact.

The experience in working with Dietitians-Online has been an amazing journey. I’ve met and discovered dietitians who demonstrate commitment, dedication, creativity, knowledge and excellence in the dietetic and nutrition profession. As I review and learn from the work of my colleagues and observe a new generation of dietitians, I am excited about the future of our profession."  -Sandra Frank, EdD, RD, LDN

Congratulations to
all the Dedicated Dietitians!

The video can be viewed as a slideshow for your convenience.
See below or Click the following link: Dietitians-Online

Dietitians-Online has available the RD Quotes from 2010 and

“The History of the American Dietetic Association”

 
Gifts for a
Registered Dietitian





 

National School Breakfast Week March 7-11, 2011

Rise and Shine with a Healthy Breakfast
A Special Thank You to Raffi and the Centre for Child Honouring for
providing permission to use "Rise and Shine" to encourage a Healthy Breakfast.

*Children who eat breakfast are less likely to be overweight.

*Children who eat breakfast have more energy.

*Children who eat breakfast concentrate better.

*Children who eat breakfast have higher grades in school.

*Children who skip breakfast may have learning and behavioral problems.

*Children who skip breakfast may develop nutritional deficiencies.

*Children who eat breakfast are

Alert, Energized and Ready for a Brand New Day.

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) created the School Breakfast Detectives Campaign to promote awareness about the benefits of school breakfast.

Resources and Tools
SNA’s Member resource website www.schoolnutrition.org/nsbw has menus, checklists, logos and activity sheets to help get your NSBW celebrations started.

"School Breakfast Detectives" Book Cover Contest
This year students have the opportunity to design their own school breakfast detective in the form of a book cover. Students also need to give the book a title with a healthy eating message e.g. "The Case of the Missing Breakfast".

All local contests end on March 11, 2011, and national entries are due March 31, 2011. Find out more and download contest forms at www.schoolnutrition.org/nsbw.

Raffi" (Raffi Cavoukian), C.M., O.B.C.

Founder and Chair, Centre for Child Honouring

He is known to millions as "Raffi", a beloved songwriter and performer, author, ecology advocate and founder of Centre for Child Honouring. Child Honouring is a vision for creating a humane and sustainable world by addressing the universal needs of children.

In his career, which spans three-decades, Raffi has refused all commercial endorsement offers, and Troubadour Music, his own company, has never directly advertised or marketed to children. He is a passionate advocate for a child’s right to live free of commercial exploitation.

"We invite you to be a part of the global movement that views honouring children as the best way to create sustainable, peacemaking societies."  - Raffi

To learn more about the Centre for Child Honouring, please visit the
Centre for Child Honouring and join "the compassion revolution."

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.

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

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.

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

Weighing-Success.com
Wellness-News

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.

Resources and References
1.  Highlights from 40 Years of Accomplishments 
2.  Happy Birthday to Us! (pdf)
3.  Right Stuff and Food Porn 
4.  Menu Labeling, FDA Reform, and School Foods Victories Cap Year 39 for the Group Sometimes Known as the "Food Police" (pdf)

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.