What is Lifestyle Medicine?

We live in a world where we want a quick fix to a long term problem.  We wake up one day and find that we gained 20 (or 50 pounds) - and we want it gone tomorrow.  Except, we did not gain that weight literally over night, so we do we think we should lose it over night?  Because commercials and magazine covers tell us that we should.

We have no problem trying the latest fad diet - until we get tired of cabbage, or miss pasta, or have a stressful day at work.  Ask someone to eat less, actively reduce stress, or find some time to exercise - well, that's just crazy talk.  We have known for over 20 years that poor choices in eating, exercise and smoking lead to the leading causes of death in the US.  If we were to make better choices when it came to food, exercise, tobacco, stress, sleeping and socializing (that is, actually being social, not just pseudo-social through social media), we could prevent 80% of premature death.  

It should be easy enough, right?  Most of us enjoy spending time with people that we like.  No one wants to not be healthy.  Unfortunately, sometimes we need help making and sticking with healthy choices.  Evidence has shown us that intensive diet and exercise counseling can help improve health outcomes in people with risk factors for chronic disease.  Intensive.   Not a single trip to the doctor.  Not reading articles on the internet, especially ones written by people with questionable qualifications.  Instead, people need regular support and encouragement, coupled with good quality information.  This kind of support comes from frequent, regular visits with a health care professional, or from participation in something like one of my wellness groups.

What Can a Dietitian Do For You?

Sometimes I forget that I live in a world where people do not understand what dietitians can do.  Sure, I've seen the pictures on Facebook and laughed that laugh that goes along with the sad truth.  

However, in my mind, I still think that people have a general concept of dietitians - until I start talking to non-dietitians.  Yesterday, I was having a conversation with a fellow public health employee, and he had no idea that dietitians could bill (and be reimbursed by most insurance companies) for nutrition counseling.

As dietitians, we often complain that salaries and reimbursement are poor, but how could it not be when fellow health professionals do not even realize that we are not only valuable providers, but also legitimate providers in the healthcare arena?  But I digress...

Dietitians can do many things.  Sure, some are still trying to be the food police, telling you what you can and cannot eat.  Others (like me) understand that not everyone is in quite the same place in life, and we need a little grace and understanding as we struggle to balance all the demands of life.

Dietitians cannot fix all of your problems.  However, we have the tools to help and support people as we strive toward healthier decisions and actions!

My Crazy Story of How I Got Where I Am Today

If you would like to learn more about my health, fitness and nutrition support groups, visit here: http://goo.gl/forms/dawBNSa9tU
If you would like more information about becoming a health coach, visit here: http://goo.gl/forms/VL4cpvBTP4

I was raised in a middle class, two-income family.  My parents got married two days after my mom graduated high school.  My mom always regretted working to put my dad through college and not getting to go to college herself (and therefore never making/ having as much money as she would like to have).  There was never any question about whether or not I would go to college.  The problem, however, was that at 17, I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up.

When I was about 19, someone - who did not know me at all - told me that I should be a teacher, because "teaching is good pay for a lady."  If I had had any thoughts about being a teacher, that definitely got rid of them!

Around the same time, I learned about a major in nutrition and food science.  It included two things that were fun for me - food and science.  I did not know at the time that it was placing me on a career path with the same "great" pay as teaching.

I love teaching, as a matter of fact.  I love helping people who want to learn the facts about nutrition and health, and guiding people on the path to better health.  One problem with our current medical model, though, is that we don't help "healthy" people stay healthy - we put a band aid on people after they get really sick.  The Western medical field is shifting somewhat to prevention, but we still have a long way to go until that becomes the first line of defense and dietitians are well used to help people achieve their healthiest potential. 

Because I wasn't happy in the current medical model, I spent some time floundering, trying to find where I belonged.  This lead to some choices that put me in excessively stressful situations.  I did not always handle that stress well.  I was overworked and I ate my stress.  Despite "knowing better," I ended up at the most I had ever weighed in my life.  I was still overworked, overwhelmed, and felt like I had no time to take care of myself.

Then one day I met Jessica Baumgartner.  She, along with my naturopath, motivated me to take control of my life and my health.  If I cannot make time to care for myself, I am not going to be very good at taking care of other people - including my family - for very long.  I had a hard time committing to exercise, because it required 30 minutes, an hour or more.  Then I starte doing 10 Minute Trainer - even on my most hectic days I can squeeze in ten minutes to exercise (and it is so short that my daughter is not usually demanding my attention before I am done).

I love that I have found a way to help people eat better and move more, reducing risks of chronic disease and poor health.  I have an outlet to help people who already have health conditions, as well as those who want to keep themselves healthy and active for years to come!

If you can relate to anything that I have said, I encourage you to reach out to me.  If you are interested in losing weight and feeling healthy, or if you would like to learn more about being a health coach, please use the links below to reach out to me.  If this is not a good fit for you or the opportunity for you, I am just glad that we got to connect.  I love meeting new people and I would still like to keep in touch!  I hope that you enjoyed this video and that something that I said inspires you.  I hope to talk to you really soon!  Bye!

If you would like to learn more about my health, fitness and nutrition support groups, visit here: http://goo.gl/forms/dawBNSa9tU
If you would like more information about becoming a health coach, visit here: http://goo.gl/forms/VL4cpvBTP4

Wellness Groups

One of my major nutritional philosophies is that diets don't work.  People go on diets with the mindset that one day they will go "off" the diet.  There is a better way - just not an easier way.  Real weight loss requires lifestyle modifications.  It is not the easy road, but it can lead to long-term success.  Read what my friend, Jess, has to say:

No more quick fixes or yo-yo diets!

Let’s get HEALTHY for LIFE together!

Do you feel like you’ve tried every single diet out there, every pill, formula, & all for the weight to just pile back on? You’re not alone. I know what it’s like to struggle with feeling defeated, like there’s no hope for you, depressed, & uncomfortable in your own skin. That was me half of my life. I am here to tell you that you don’t have to feel that way anymore. Just take my hand & we will start this journey to a brand new you together!

Here are are my results – there’s NO reason they can’t be yours, too!!! I was in HORRENDOUS shape when I started & my main food groups were fried foods, alcohol, & sweets. If I was able to change, so can YOU!

Jess

I don't want you to just start some other program - I want to finish it together!  That's what my groups are all about!  I will give you the tools that have helped me, Jess, and many others reach their goals.  We will meet in a private group with so much support that we will not fail!

What do you have to lose?  I'll tell you what you will gain - confidence, strength and the ability to live a healthy, sustainable life.

Watch and listen as Jess explains the impact of these challenge groups on her life:

All of my wellness challenge groups include:

• A full fitness program specific to your goals
• Recipe guide including meals and snacks
• Private Facebook group for accountability and support
• One-on-one access to me as your coach
• Results!

If you are ready to leave the excuses behind, set goals, and make a real healthy change, head over here to fill out a quick questionnaire and I will help you get started on a healthier you!

Check out these additional transformations:

Ana

Deon

Stephanie

Ashley

Ric

You May Not Agree, But I Formed a Partnership

I have formed a partnership.  It might be controversial to some.  It was not a hasty decision, or one that I took lightly.

As a Registered Dietitian, I was taught in school that everyone should be able to get all the nutrients that they need from a well-planned, healthy diet.  There is really no need for supplements.  And then I entered real life.  The kind of real life where people do not always follow a well-planned, healthy diet.

Then I made calorie level, dietitian-planned diets.  We were taught in school that a diet providing less than 1200 Calories generally did not supply all of the day's needs for vitamins and minerals (with the assumption that a diet with more calories than that would be adequate).  When I made well-balanced calorie level meal plans and analyzed them, the 1600 Calorie diet did not provide adequate vitamins and minerals.  Hmmm, maybe some people do need supplements.  But that was just vitamins and minerals!

Other experiences in my life have shown me the importance of other supplements for some people - including me!  I struggle with chronic headaches, and when I run out of certain supplements my headaches are worse.  Fatigue becomes a problem as well.  Medical skepticism of herbal supplements stems from two things: 1) research is lacking on many supplements because there is not financial incentive to doing research on them, and 2) regulations on supplements are not as tight, so supplements can vary greatly from brand to brand.  So, instead of recognizing that there is a place for many of them, the Western medical community (including many dietitian training programs) ignores supplements.

So, after literally a year of contemplating the decision, I partnered with Beachbody.  There are a few things that went into this decision:

I believe in their products.  There are a variety of exercise programs, and literally something for everyone.  Even if you have not been exercising and are completely "out of shape," there is a program that you can do.
When I first started using Shakeology, I took the package to my doctor and had her tell me what she thought.  As a naturopathic physician, she is more educated than I am about supplements (remember, education about supplements is greatly lacking in traditional dietetics programs).  She had very favorable things to say about the ingredients.  For me personally, drinking Shakeology for breakfast helps to control my hunger through the day.  I also have avoided some illnesses that my daughter and husband have had recently (and if you know me at all, you will know that is amazing - I catch everything that comes within 15 feet of me).

Insurance reimbursement for dietitians is getting better, but it is still not where it "should" be.  I did some private practice nutrition counseling a few years ago, and I never received payment from the insurance companies, even though I was contracted with them.  By partnering with Beachbody, I can get paid for doing what I enjoy doing - helping people make healthier choices.

Some people may think that I am compromising myself by joining with an organization like this.  One thing that really held me back for some time was the nutritional information that I received in Beachbody emails.  Beachbody seems to really like the Paleo diet.  I don't.  However, when one of my online students was promoting Paleo, I decided to do a nutritional analysis of the typical day diet on Paleo to show how "bad" this diet was.  Do you know what I found out?  It was not as inadequate in vitamins and minerals as I thought.  It really wasn't that bad.  I still don't think that it is the "best" or "right" way to eat, but I also do not think it is the worst.

Another criticism that people may have about Beachbody is that they have people who are not nutrition professionals spouting out nutrition information.  However, if that were the only criteria for avoiding things, then people should not go to gyms, GNC and other vitamin stores, or Facebook and other social media.  At least I know that what I am teaching is sound nutrition information.  And if I do grow a team of people, I can help teach them to do the same.

Because I am a registered dietitian, I can still do "traditional" nutritional counseling - at traditional billing rates.  So, I am just expanding the ways that I can help people!

Post-Exercise Recovery

Need to justify that burger and fries?  A recent study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism indicated that a small serving ("the right amounts") of fast food were just as good for post-workout recovery as typical sports supplements.  Of course, two things these have in common include carbohydrates and sodium - both important for exercise recovery.

A few things are important to note.  First, these were highly trained cyclists who completed a "glycogen depletion" ride.  This was not a leisurely ride through the park.  Second, the study was made up of 11 males.  With this small of a study, we need to retest to see if we can create similar results.  Finally, they were choosing small portions, not the deluxe burgers and extra large fries!

Junk Food Addiction

Everyone knows that junk food is "bad," right?  So why does it seem so good?  Why do we want it so much?  It turns out that high fat, high sugar diets activate the opioid-dopamine reward system - much like addictive drugs.  It seems that we can build a tolerance; like drug abusers need increased intakes of drugs to get the same "high," some people need increased fat and sugar intake to get the similar "high" from junk foods.  Of course, this has major implications for waistlines!

Some new research is showing that there may be two major periods of the life cycle that impact our preferences for junk food - pregnancy and adolescence.

A high junk food diet by mom, especially in late pregnancy, may "program" the brain's preferences for high fat and high sugar foods.  We may even be able to reverse those preferences by following a healthy diet during late pregnancy.

In this particular study, eating a healthy diet during adolescence helped reduce the preference for junk foods in makes but not females.  That's not to say that all is lost - there is always a benefit to making healthful choices, no matter your age or gender.