March has been declared “National Nutrition Month” by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the national professional association of registered dietitian/nutritionists. Every year has a different theme for consumers and health professionals, and usually it’s focused on health and specific nutrition goals. This year the theme is “Savor the Flavor of Eating Right.” The campaign Read more
Diet
The typical dictionary definition of fasting is 1) to abstain from all foods or 2) to eat only sparingly or of certain kinds of food, especially as a religious observance. Few practice the former, at least not for any significant length of time. The second definition, however, has taken many forms, though in modern times Read more
As a pediatric nutritionist in a clinic that serves children with special needs, I see all kinds of family situations and all kinds of caregivers. Usually the primary caregiver is a parent. But for a variety of reasons, the primary caregiver may be a relative who cares for the child during much of the day Read more
In late February, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) issued its report recommending what Americans should be eating. Dietary guidelines are issued every five years, and this is the first step toward publishing the federal government’s official guidelines later this year. The DGAC only makes recommendations. The feds can choose to take those recommendations Read more
When it comes to holiday weight gain, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the latest research shows that the average weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is only half a kilo, or about one pound. The bad news is that for people who are overweight or obese, a “large” Read more
The American Heart Association journal Stroke published an article this afternoon that reinforces the importance of sufficient potassium intake in reducing risk for the most common type of stroke. The study involved more than 90,000 postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79, who were followed for an average of 11 years. Compared with women who ate Read more
