ASKING QUESTIONS, EXPLORING OPTIONS, CHANGING THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.

Wellness & Nutrition

The Truth Behind Carbohydrates.

Americans have a love hate relationship with carbohydrates. We believe that carbs make us fat and sluggish, but despite our beliefs the research reveals we consume carbohydrates in almost record amounts. What’s the truth about carbohydrates? Here is what is known.

Carbohydrates come in two distinct forms. Complex carbohydrates include those in whole grain breads, brown rice and many vegetables and these carbohydrates are also the major source of dietary fibers. These foods typically are less processed than their carbohydrate cousins.

Sugars are those carbohydrates found in fruits, milk and sweeteners added by manufacturers. Clearly, the added sugars by manufacturers and in sweet foods are creating the bad reputation that carbohydrates have earned over the years.

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Wellness & Nutrition

Nutrition Advice: Are You Trying To Lose Weight? Get SMART.

The statistics are grim.  Two out of three Americans are overweight but often times we don’t see our weight like health professionals do.  Despite the statistics stating otherwise, only 38% percent of Americans think they are overweight. How can this be?

We are living in an environment where everyone is gaining and obesity is getting more difficult for us to see. It has become the new normal.

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Wellness & Nutrition

Children and Taste Development.

Children are not immature adults.  Anyone who has tried to encourage a toddler to eat a new food can attest to this.  Is it stubbornness or something else? 

There are biological reasons why children often refuse foods.  A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2006 suggests it might be in the genes.   

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Wellness & Nutrition

Teens Eat Right.

Dear REEP blog readers,

Educating teens about the impact of good nutrition on their health and then motivating them to make good food choices is an important but difficult task!  Teachers can play an important role in this health education.  However, it is important for teachers to have the resources and tools that not only allow them to present sound nutrition information but which also encourages their students to be interested in the foods they are eating and how their eating habits impact how they feel.

The Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN) Dietetic Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association is pleased to support secondary level educators in their efforts to educate teens about nutrition by offering a FREE resource Teens Eat Right (TER).

TER is an up-to-date and engaging resource available for immediate download.  This resource includes a slide presentation, well developed handouts and an evaluation tool; additionally, teachers can get support from dietitians who can be contacted during National Nutrition Month (March) via Skype.  The dietitians will clarify materials to the teachers or can be directly linked with classrooms to answer questions from students who are interested in learning more about food.

For nutritional education, it is important that evidence-based research is the basis of the recommendations.  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formally known as the American Dietetic Assoc.) is the nationally recognized provider of evidence-based nutrition recommendations in the field of nutrition and dietetics.  Teachers can thus be confident that the information being presented to the teens is verifiable and timely.

The TER materials include:

  • Teens Eat Right Slides with notes
  • Seven Teens Eat Right student handouts
  • Teens Eat Right post-presentation quiz

The Teens Eat Right material can be downloaded free from our website, a trusted and reliable source of nutrition information for health professionals, teachers, and consumers.

For further questions regarding these educational materials and if you would like to sign up for Skype Dietitian, contact: Carol Lapin, MS, RD, CSSD, LD at Carol.lapin@yahoo.com.

This is a gift for educators looking for resources for the classroom.  I am the former chair of this group and we are committed to outstanding nutrition education!

Wellness & Nutrition

The Taming of The Candy Monster – Or Is It More Than That?

Halloween signals the beginning of “food season” for most Americans.  As your children go trick or treating or attend a fall festival, developing a comprehensive strategy to lower sugar intake is more effective than focusing in on this day of high sugar feasting.

The problem is that the candy monster is not just a once a year concern and it is not just candy. As Americans we are drowning in the sweet stuff.  The average American consumes approximately 45 pounds of sugar per year. It is the added sugars by the manufacturers that are the real concern. There are natural sugars in fresh fruit and milk that are not a concern.  These foods are nutritious and we want to encourage our children and family to consume more of these nutritional powerhouses.  So where can we begin? Should we throw away the candy?

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