The Junk Food Nutritionist

I believe in everything in moderation. But, sometimes people make carbs out to be bad and recommend low-carb diets. So, let's address this misconception that carbs are unhealthy.... First off, everyone needs all three of the macronutrients--carbohydrates, proteins, & fats. There is no single amount of carbs that is right for everyone, but there is a recommended range... Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) AMDR is a fancy phrase for the percent of calories that should come from carbs, fat, and protein, as recommended by the  Institute of Medicine : 45-65% Calories from Carbohydrates 20-35% Calories from Fat 10-35% Calories from Protein Because these nutrient recommendations are a range, everyone can get them differently. Some people do very well on a high carb diet with 65% calories from carbohydrates. Some people do well with only 45% calories from carbs. What do these percentages even mean? These percentages probably mean nothing to you. So, let's look at wh...

 In theory, the Glycemic Index sounds good. Lower glycemic index foods are supposed to cause a smaller rise in blood sugar whereas higher glycemic index foods cause a larger blood sugar spike. Eating lower glycemic index foods could be a good way to prevent or control diabetes. However, there's more to choosing what to eat than just picking low glycemic index foods.   The first time you see a list, it might surprise you. I saw this list from a doctor:  Apple juice 41 Orange juice 52 Brown rice 55 Banana 55 Potato chips 56 Ice cream 61 Pineapple 66 Watermelon 72 Baked potato 85 To an uneducated patient, this list makes fruit juice seem like a health food. It scored lower than other healthy foods like brown rice.  Ice cream seems healthier than pineapples, watermelon, & baked potatoes.  Glycemic Index Looks at One Thing These foods look "healthier" because glycemic index looks at one thing only--the rise in blood sugar.  It is true that ice cream cau...

You may know that I was working in an ICU when COVID-19 first hit my hometown. As a RDN & CNSC, I provided nutrition support to those patients who were on ventilators & couldn't eat by mouth.  However, I have since transitioned to working in a different facility. Sometimes, I am still working with patients with active cases but, more often, I am working with patients recovering after COVID-19 or other illnesses. You may have heard the phrase "Long haul COVID", which refers to the negative health effects that someone experiences after the acute phase of COVID-19 infection. But, in my experience, there can be a prolonged recovery period after other critical illnesses & injuries as well, called post-viral syndrome or post-ICU syndrome. Here's why: In general, illnesses & injuries trigger proinflammatory pathways. These trigger cytokine signaling (sometimes called the cytokine "storm") and increased metabolism (or catabolism).  This catabolic pha...

 I've been taking a multivitamin for years, probably starting around when I started studying nutrition in college. But, I started the search for a good quality multivitamin only about two years ago.  Before that, I bought my multivitamin & any other supplements (primarily calcium, vitamin D, & flax oil) at the grocery store or a mass retailer, like Target. I knew that multivitamins & supplements weren't well-regulated, but I didn't really care about it. I was satisfied with the products I'd been buying...until I bought a store-brand supplement that seemed to give me severe headaches in 2020.  Characteristics I Look For In a Multivitamin:  1. Quality Testing. This is now a must for me. Testing is important to ensure that the product I am buying contains what it says it contains & does  not contain unwanted contaminants. Sone of the brands available in stores do test their products. For example, many Nature Made products have the USP-verified seal ...

When I first decided to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), I thought the bulk of my job would be educating people on how to make healthier food choices. But, I learned that nutrition isn't just about reading food labels to make healthier choices at the grocery store. A large part of my current work is recommending supplements. Here are the 3 supplements I most often recommend to my current clients and why... #1: Multivitamin This probably is not a surprise. Most clients come to a dietitian because they aren't eating well. If they aren't eating well, they aren't getting enough vitamins & minerals. So, of course, I recommend a multivitamin-multimineral supplement. The particular multivitamin formula does vary. Clients who are menstruating often need more iron, for example. There are also specialty formulas for people for health conditions including kidney disease & macular degeneration. Some formulations, like the New Chapter Every Woman's One D...

  This is a hotly debated question in the health & wellness community.  Some people say that we can meet our nutrient needs through food & that taking vitamins just makes expensive urine, because we will pee out excess nutrients.  On the other hand, others say that most people probably don’t actually meet their nutrient needs because many people don’t actually eat a nutritious diet. Furthermore, our nutrient needs are affected by many factors, such as genetic mutations, disease, amount of exercise, age, pregnancy, breastfeeding, menstruation, gender, & even amount of sunlight exposure.  My Professional Opinion  Admittedly, my professional perspective may be warped. Most people don’t come see me because they’re already healthy.  In my opinion, most people are not meeting their nutrient needs through food.  Reasons Why People Don't Get Enough There are many reasons that people might not get enough of the vitamins & minerals they need....

One of my main goals as a dietitian isn't to get the client to lose weight. I never recommend someone make a New Year's resolution to lose 30 pounds. Instead, I encourage clients to set a goals to form  healthy habits. Healthier habits might result in weight loss, but it's more important to form healthy eating habits than to have quick weight loss.  As we head towards the New Year, here are two healthy habits to consider...

Have you ever noticed that the reported "superfoods" on the market are foods you've never even heard of? Who eats Sacha inchi seeds? What's maca? Where do you buy maqui berries? A lot of these "superfoods" are not foods that you grew up on, if you ate the Standard American Diet. That’s okay. We’ll explore them together. Today, I want to introduce you to the wolfberry, one of the main ingredients in Young Living Ningxia Red products. This post contains affiliate links, if you choose to buy from Young Living .  When I first heard of the wolfberry from a former colleague and Young Living distributor, I thought this was some exotic fruit I'd never heard of.

Welcome back to my series on nutrition basics. So far, I've talked about carbohydrates, protein, fat, and vitamins.  Finally, it's time to talk about Minerals. 

When we're social distancing, it can be really hard to get an appointment with a Registered Dietitian or take a nutrition class.  Everyone should have access to basic nutrition information to help them make informed decisions.  Photo by Louis Hansel In my Nutrition Basics blog series, I have a lready talked about the Macronutrients--carbohydrates, protein, and fat. I also singled out Omega-3s fats to discuss in more details.  Today, I start to tackle the Micronutrients or nutrients we need in small amounts. You probably know them as Vitamins and Minerals .  There is a lot to talk about, so I will focus on Vitamins for now...

Thanks to the global pandemic, many people are unable to attend outpatient nutrition classes and individual nutrition counseling. Although I always recommend seeing a Registered Dietitian or other credentialed expert for your specific health needs, I believe in sharing nutrition basics to help people get a general understanding. Today, I address "Macros..." Graphic by Charles Deluvio Sometimes health & fitness influencers talk about "Macros." What does this even mean? Macronutrients, or "Macros" for short, are the 3 types of nutrients we need in large amounts. I'll get into Micronutrients, or those that we need in small amounts, in an upcoming post. Macronutrients are the nutrients that provide Calories, which is a measure of energy we gain from food. The three macronutrients are carbohydrates (carbs), protein, and fatty acids (fats). Sometimes alcohol is also grouped as a macronutrient, because it provides calories; however, it ...

Question:  Hi Paula. Can foods help with yeast infections? If so, what foods? Would you be able to say why it is that these foods might help with yeast infections? Is there any research to suggest that they would prevent yeast infections?  ~Danielle P.  Yes, r esearch has shown a number of foods may help treat and prevent yeast infections.  For those who don't know what a yeast infection is, y east infections are a type of sickness caused by a fungus. People can get yeast infections that affect various parts the body, including the skin (dermatitis), mouth (thrush), esophagus, and genitals.  Foods that may help fight and prevent yeast infections include cayenne, clove, Chinese leek, garlic  grapes, wine,  Pau D'Arco tea, and  yogurt . Although I have had patients try to apply these foods to their infected body parts,  I'd recommend eating or drinking these foods instead.  I'm not sure how much in-depth science you w...