Check our Facebook page every weekday for our RD of the Day, as we put a much-deserved spotlight on a dietitian who's either making headlines or writing them and delivering their expertise through the media. Here are this week's featured RDs.
| Jen Haugen, RD, LD |   |
In addition to working to reduce the number of preventable chronic diseases in America, Jen explains that the guidelines serve as a basis for future policies, school lunch menus, and more. "It's a good base to know how to eat for the best health you can have," she says.
One of the most discussed guidelines is cutting added sugar to no more than 10% of daily calories. Jen reminds readers that this number depends on the number of calories you eat per day and explains that the "key" to this guideline is determining the difference between added sugar vs natural sugar. She recommends reading nutrition labels and focusing on making small changes over time.
"It's not about a total change, it's making small changes, trying that out and then adding more small changes. You can have added sugar, but be mindful of how much you intake."
For helping decipher the take-away messages from these guidelines and explaining their importance in improving overall health and longevity, Jen was Monday's RD of the Day. Learn more about Jen at www.jenhaugen.com.
Read the article: New Dietary Guidelines Say Cut The Added Sugar
| Robin K. Doidge, RD, LD |
Robin recommends a diet that focuses on vegetables, fruits, and a variety of lean proteins. These foods contain the necessary nutrients your body needs for daily maintenance, to fuel your workouts, and to prevent disease. She suggests filling half your plate with vegetables, selecting whole fruit options for higher fiber, choosing lean animal proteins, and consuming fish at least twice per week.
To help us incorporate her dietary advice into our regular routines, Robin shares two simple recipes: an Energy Boosting Smoothie and Roasted Salmon with Vegetable Couscous. For these tasty recipes and for reminding us that exercise is only part of the process for successful weight management, Robin received Tuesday's RD of the Day recognition.
Read the article: Diet As Important As Exercise For Maintaining Healthy Weight
| Lara Metz, MS, RD, CDN | |
Lara provides detailed, science-based responses to myths such as "your body needs outside help detoxing," "detoxing is an easy fix for months of over-indulging," "you can slash certain macronutrients without a consequence," and "green juice is the nectar of the health gods."
In addition to her thorough explanation for why detoxing isn't a healthful solution to holiday weight gain, Lara provides simple long-term solutions to meeting health goals. She recommends setting attainable mini-goals instead of general benchmarks, cleaning out the kitchen and filling it with healthful options, meal prepping on weekends, making simple swaps for more healthful choices, and drinking more water.
For busting myths about this common fad fix and promoting simple and healthful solutions that will bring lasting results, Lara earned Wednesday's honor as RD of the Day. Learn more about Lara at larametznutrition.com.
Read the article: 4 Myths About Detoxing That Are Totally False
| Nina Crowley, PhD, RD, LD | |
"It's not a one-and-done procedure," explains Nina Crowley, PhD, RD, LD, a Bariatric Surgery Team Dietitian at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Patients spend months preparing for the surgery and then are seen at MUSC throughout the rest of their lives—not just immediately after surgery. For this reason, Nina considers the procedure less of a surgery and more of a program.
"It is not easy. The work they put in to lose the weight is much harder than if they were dieting or exercising on their own. In the beginning it looks effortless because the weight just melts off, but to keep it off requires so much dedication and daily work for life."
For helping break down the "easy way out" stereotype associated with bariatric weight loss surgery and for her work with MUSC to provide lifelong results for her patients, Nina was deserving of Thursday's recognition as RD of the Day.
Read the article: Getting To Your Healthy Weight
| Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN | |
Cutting carbohydrates can help you lose weight; however, Lauren explains that most of this weight is water weight, which is not sustainable weight loss. Instead of eating low-carb, she recommends choosing complex, nutrient-dense carbohydrates for approximately 50 to 60 percent of your daily intake.
Seven healthful carbohydrates she recommends include: fruits, oats, quinoa, air-popped popcorn, spaghetti squash, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Lauren provides a detailed explanation for how each of these carbs can help you meet your weight loss goals and includes recipes to help you incorporate these foods into your eating pattern.
For using a science-based approach to bust the myth that consuming carbohydrates will "pack on the pounds" and for explaining why our bodies need carbs to function properly, Lauren is Friday's RD of the Day. Learn more about Lauren at nutritionstarringyou.com.
Read the article: A Registered Dietitian Shares 7 Carbs That Can Help You Lose Weight
