The Junk Food Nutritionist

 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...

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 ...

Every day it seems that there are new diet products on the market. Are the chemicals used in them safe? Artificial and natural no and low calorie sweeteners which are often added to these products are considered safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).   Similar agencies have also approved these sweeteners for use in other countries.  That said, there are still possible side effects, just like medications recognized as safe may result in side effects. Let’s explore these sweeteners and their potential health risks, starting with the oldest first.

On blogs and social media, you run into a lot of different acronyms. I get a lot of questions about the letters after people's names, such as RDN, CNS, CNSC,  and CDE. You might be wondering, "What do these mean? Which professional is the right one for me? Can I trust them?" I'll help you sort through these questions... But first, you want to know the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian, visit my previous post on that topic. What do these acronyms mean?

The term "junk food" was not something I remember defining in school and it wasn’t on the CDR exam to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.  So, I asked other dietitians how they define it.  Most of them said they didn’t like the term “junk food” and didn’t even use it. Julie Seale, RD , explains, “ This places moral qualities on foods, which can then lead to feelings of deprivation, guilt and potentially binge eating. Instead, I think of those less nutritious foods as ‘sometimes’ foods.”   Jenny Jackson, RD , also referred to them as “less nutritious foods.” She added, “ These foods can be different for different people [due to medical conditions]. There are also foods that are made in manners which are more ethical which makes them more acceptable and desirable for some people, and that is a decision for each person to make based on their own values.” Jenny brings up two good points. First off, without going deep into medical nutriti...

It's National Nutrition Month! At work, I'm celebrating it with a series on MyPlate . However, I'm going to focus on junk food here because, of course, I am the Junk Food Nutritionist and love to eat. So, for the next few weeks, we'll be looking at items that might be healthy foods in some ways and might be junk foods in other ways. First up is Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt can be a healthy food. It has protein and calcium, which we need to be healthy. But there are many Greek yogurt products on the market. They're not all the same and they're not all equally healthy. One major difference is the ingredient list. Some Greek yogurts are thick due to straining or removing the liquid portion; others are thickened with added ingredients. Today, I will breakdown the ingredients of one flavored Greek yogurt product with raspberry chocolate and toasted coconut mix-ins.   In case you can't see the picture, here are the ingredients again...

There are a lot of people today trying to sell their services as “nutrition professionals” but what do all the different terms mean? Nutritionist The term is not regulated. Many people, including myself, call themselves a nutritionist because they have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Nutrition. But, I've also asked nutritionists and been told they took only 1 nutrition class. Feel free to ask a nutritionist about her education and decide for yourself if she has enough education. Nutrition Coach The term is not regulated. Many people using it have only taken a few nutrition classes. They may have a certificate from an online program, such as Precision Nutrition or Integrative Nutrition . This person often does not have a degree in nutrition. Nutrition Consultant This term is not regulated. Anyone may call himself/herself this.  Nutritional Therapist This term may be used by someone who took in-person or online classes through the Institute for Optim...