Check this. It might be useful for you
by Amanda
By: Kait Fortunato
I am about to begin my final rotation of the internship and I must say it could not have been better timing. I will be working at the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, headquarters of the Dietary Guidelines and the brains behind what was formerly known as MyPyramid. As I’m sure many people know, a new symbol has replaced the pyramid, MyPlate. Health professionals and consumers all over the country have been tweeting, blogging, and talking about this new symbol and I thought I would provide my two cents on what I love about MyPlate:
1) Easier, consumer-friendly and relatable. We do eat off of a plate, not a pyramid.
My only feedback would be that actual serving sizes and examples of the best choices in each group are not easily identified by just looking at the symbol. Protein foods for example can include an array of options and certain vegetables should really be categorized as a grain. However, this is just a symbol and the simpler, the better. This is where Registered Dietitians can step in and help consumers adapt MyPlate to be your plate. For more information, check out these Ten Tips Nutrition Education Series from fellow interns Ala and Chrissy who worked on this campaign earlier in the year!
Written By: Angela Boadu
I recently had the pleasure of working with the Food Supplemental Nutrition Education (FSNE) program for a total of three weeks during the internship. In these three weeks I had the opportunity to visit a variety of locations of varying distances; speak with audiences of different backgrounds and ages; work with different activities and lesson plans; and witness several approaches to teaching. My partner and I were fortunate enough to rotate through FSNE in the spring which allowed us to participate in many fun outdoor events in the community. During our three weeks with FSNE we worked with eight educators in 5 different counties:
We have certainly been around and we were NEVER bored! One never knows what to expect in community nutrition and I do not think the educators would have it any other way. The unpredictability of this type of nutrition is what keeps them on there toes, and what makes it exciting (and delightfully hectic). When working in the community no one can be sure what a participant will say or do, so educators must be willing to learn from their participants and answer the most unique question even if it is with a, “that’s an interesting thought” comment. I truly enjoyed my time with this program and value all of the work the educators put into teaching their audiences. I commend them for simply wheeling all of their supplies across the county to adapting lessons to better suite their audiences and everything in between. It is hard to believe that these educators make all of this happen without help from interns, but they do everyday with much passion and poise touching so many lives in the process.
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by Mary Rooks After spending five weeks at the Food and Nutrition Information Center (FNIC) at the National Agricultural Library (NAL) a part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), I discovered a few new things. First of all government agencies love an acronym. I also learned that there are so many resources available and accessible for health care professionals on the internet and are ready-to-use. While working at FNIC, I was assigned to the SNAP-Ed Connection Team which provides links to information and resources for SNAP-Ed providers. I had a couple of projects that required me to use my finest internet searching skills. My first task was to search the internet for resources for SNAP-Ed providers to use when they teach classes. I updated the Vegetarian Nutrition Click n’ Go section of the SNAP-Ed Connection web site. Honestly, finding resources that are from trusted sources and provide reliable information that is devoid of excessive advertising on the internet is sometimes difficult, but I persevered. I also wish I had known about this resource when I was a student. I also worked on updating the Hot Topics section of the SNAP-Ed Connection web site. Hot Topics are also targeted towards SNAP-Ed providers, but provides more in-depth background information on nutrition topics than the Click n’Go provides. However, this is such a useful source of information that students, interns and RDs will find this resource extremely informative and educational. I updated the Sugars Hot Topic, created a new Hot Topic on Artificial Sweeteners and created the Hot Topic about Farmers Markets/Local Foods. Lesson learned: When you need information for a project, class or educational opportunity – don’t reinvent the wheel when you don't need to. Visit the web sites at FNIC to find many of your educational needs and resources. And learn to love the acronym – see how many you can use in one sentence!
By: Kellie Faughander
May is National Celiac Awareness Month, but did you know that even though Celiac Disease is predicted to affect approximately 1 in every 133 people, over 95% of suffers are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed?
So let’s review, what is Celiac Disease again? Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and thus interferes with the proper absorption of nutrients.
But how do the villi get damaged in the first place? In those individuals with Celiac Disease, the villi are damaged when the offending protein gluten is ingested. Consequently the villi, which normally allow for nutrient absorption through the walls of the small intestine into the bloodstream, become stagnant and no matter how much food the individual consumes they become malnourished.
What role does the dietitian play in all of this? Following a strict gluten free diet is the only treatment for Celiac Disease. This means those with Celiac Disease must avoid all foods created with or from wheat, barely, and rye, as well as those foods that come in contact with gluten containing foods or products through cross contamination.
In general what foods should you enjoy and what foods should you avoid on a gluten free diet?
| Foods to Avoid | Foods to Enjoy |
| Wheat | Rice |
| Barley | Amaranth |
| Rye | Arrowroot |
| Triticale (a cross between wheat and rye) | Buckwheat |
| Splet | Legumes |
| Kamut | Millet |
| Wheat bran | Nuts |
| Wheat germ | Potatoes |
| Cracked wheat | Quinoa |
| Hydrolyzed wheat protein | Seeds |
| Flour (white, wheat, self-rising, enriched, and durum) | Soy |
| Farina | Tapioca |
| Semolina | Yucca |
The key to success with a Celiac Disease diagnosis is education, education, and education! With the proper diet education patients can be very successful in managing their symptoms and with practice can even enjoy their diet as well :). So join the celebration and embrace a gluten free diet for May and experience firsthand what your patients and clients are living!
Written By: Angela Boadu
A year ago I knew this internship was going to take me all around the DC Metropolitan Area, Baltimore city and beyond. A year ago I knew I would be driving quite a bit to get to a variety of sites. I also knew I would be traveling all sorts of distances while fighting all sorts of traffic. What I didn’t know a year ago was that I would be paying $4.09 per gallon at the pump. My current rotation takes me to Alexandria, Virginia about 25 miles away. The chance to work at the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion has definitely made the commute worth it, but like many others filling up the gas tank can be a painful experience. On my way to the Center every morning I get to be reminded of the rising gas prices as I walk pass a gas station. In just two weeks I saw the mid-grade rate, the grade I use, increase from $3.85 to $4.15. I knew from what I had seen on the news that the national average was going up pretty much every day the but when I saw the prices change in front of my eyes it was even more startling. That made me want to investigate how much gas has actually gone up and what I am paying for exactly.
Since last May (the red line) regular gasoline in the US has increased by an entire $1.03 and $1.04 in this area. Since February of this year the increase in gas prices has been the most rapid. The slope is awfully steep!
By now some of you may have already figured out the best ways to save at the pump, but if you haven’t or if you need some more tips here are a few good ones I found on the Department of Energy and Federal Trade Commission websites.
I’m truly hoping things get better or we may have to consider telecommuting for some of our rotation days. All we can do for now is drive as intelligently as we can saving as much money as possible, and stay optimistic for a brighter, less expensive future.
Images courtesy of the U.S. Energy Information Administration |
