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January 2021 Connect with us Facebook Twitter Sign up  |  Archive  |  Advertise
Editor's e-Note
Managing Weight in the New Year

As RDs know, clients and patients often make New Year’s resolutions to eat more healthfully and begin exercising more regularly to lose the weight they might have gained before and during the holidays. And since the pandemic may have hindered their healthful eating and physical activity goals, clients may be putting even more pressure on themselves to shed unwanted pounds.

To alleviate their stress, dietitians can help reframe their thinking by using a few different counseling strategies. In this month’s E-News Exclusive, Today’s Dietitian (TD) provides some stress-relieving tips to help clients prepare healthful foods and snacks and manage their weight without guilt and added pressure.

After reading the article, visit TD’s website at www.TodaysDietitian.com to read the digital edition of the January issue, which includes articles on climate-friendly eating, nutrition counseling amid COVID-19, social media’s latest platforms, and shaping better nutrition messages.

Don’t forget to check out RDLounge.com where you can read and comment on blogs written by RDs for RDs. We’re welcoming new guest bloggers, so if you’re interested in writing, please contact me at the e-mail listed below.

Please enjoy the E-Newsletter and give us your feedback at TDeditor@gvpub.com, and don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

— Judith Riddle, editor
e-News Exclusive
Help Clients Avoid Diet Pitfalls in the New Year
By Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN

Each January, the new year brings a barrage of diet ads and promotions targeting those who want to take control of their weight and repent of their overindulgence over the holiday season. This year, consumers are more vulnerable than usual to these diet ads due to the emotional, physical, and financial stressors of the pandemic that have led to additional weight gain because of overeating and little to no physical activity.

Nutrition professionals are aware that diet programs have limited long-term success, as enthusiasm for dieting usually withers after a few weeks. Only 10% of Americans with obesity seek medical treatment, making them more vulnerable to fad diets and unlicensed influencers on social media promising quick weight loss. RDs need to be equipped to meet clients where they are, find individualized approaches to weight management, and improve health outcomes while taking the entire person into account.

Research has shown that obesity is up to 70% heritable. The advice to just eat less and move more, along with weight stigma and judgment from doctors and other health care professionals, prevent people from seeking effective obesity treatment and achieving positive outcomes. There are multiple factors contributing to a person’s weight, so success often is elusive when clients don’t receive the proper treatment.

Because of these factors, dietitians are seeing a growing trend toward nondiet approaches to weight and health. What follows are strategies RDs can employ to help clients improve their health and manage their weight without necessarily focusing on the numbers on the scale.

Full story »
Continuing Education
Learn the health benefits of seeds in this month’s issue of Today’s Dietitian. Read the CPE Monthly article, take the 10-question online test at CE.TodaysDietitian.com, and earn two CEUs!

Upcoming Live Webinars

An In-Depth Look at the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Friday, January 22, 2021, 2–3 PM EST
Presented by Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND | 1 CEU FREE | Sponsored by Fresh Avocados - Love One Today | Register Now »

The Top 10 Benefits of Pulses: From Lentils and Chickpeas to Dry Peas and Beans
Wednesday, January 27, 2021, 2–3 PM EST
Presented by Amy Myrdal Miller, MS, RDN, FAND
1 CEU FREE
| Sponsored by USA Pulses | Register Now »

PART 1: Navigating the 2021 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes: Lifestyle Modification for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes
Thursday, February 4, 2021, 2–3 PM EST
Presented by Kathy Warwick, RDN, CDCES | 1 CEU | Register Now »

PART 2: Navigating the 2021 Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes: Strategies for Prevention or Delay of Type 2 for Adults with Prediabetes
Thursday, February 18, 2021, 2–3 PM EST
Presented by Kathy Warwick, RDN, CDCES | 1 CEU | Register Now »



Recorded Webinars

Ethics of Practice
Presented by Mindy Nelkin, D. Bioethics, RD, HEC-C | 1 Ethics CEU | Access the Recording »

Putting Plant-Based Menus into Practice in Healthcare Settings
Presented by Sarah Anderson, Anna Herby, RD, CDE, Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, Jennifer Paul, MPH, RD, Lauren Pitts, Becky Ramsing, MPH, RDN, and John Stoddard, MS
1.5 CEUs for only $9.99 | Access the Recording »

Managing Sleep, Stress, and Mood
Presented by Chris Mohr, PhD, RD
1 CEU FREE | Sponsored by Nature Made | Access the Recording »

Strategies for Better Sleep
Presented by Chris Mohr, PhD, RD, and Kara Mohr, PhD
1 CEU FREE | Access the Recording »

COVID Can't Stop Us: How to Deliver Live Virtual Cooking Classes and Demos on Zoom
Presented by Liz Weiss, MS, RDN
1 CEU FREE | Sponsored by North American Meat Institute | Access the Recording »

Insulin Delivery Devices Today and Beyond: What RDs Need to Know
Presented by Hope Warshaw, MMSc, RD, CDCES, BC-ADM
1 CEU FREE | Supported by Medtronic and Hormel Health Labs | Access the Recording »

Bites of Insight: RDNs' Perspectives on Navigating Nutrition Now
Presented by Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN
1 CEU FREE | Sponsored by California Prunes | Access the Recording »

Discovering Adaptogens: Stress-Reducing Herbs
Presented by Vicki Shanta Retelny, RDN
1 CEU | Access the Recording »



Recently Added Self-Study Courses

Eating to Combat Lyme Disease: Traditional and Alternative Interventions
Nutrition Interventions to Manage Hyperlipidemia
Nutrition Interventions to Support the Menopausal Woman
Vitamin D in Diabetes



2021 Spring Symposium

As you plan your 2021 CPEU program, reserve your spot for our 2021 Spring Symposium May 16–19! Take advantage of currently reduced rates.

Register Now
Ask the Expert
Have a dietetics-related question that you'd like our expert Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN, FAND, to answer? Email TDeditor@gvpub.com or send a tweet to @tobyamidor, and we may feature your query!
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AlliedHealthCareers.com is the premier online resource to recruit nutrition professionals. Post your open positions, view résumés, and showcase your facility's offerings all at AlliedHealthCareers.com!
 
In this e-Newsletter
Field Notes
Study Suggests Link Between Food Insecurity, CVD

Food insecurity is one of the nation’s leading health and nutrition issues—about 13.7 million (10.5%) households in the United States were food insecure at some time during 2019, a trend that has increased exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to preliminary research conducted by researchers at Penn Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, growing rates of food insecurity in counties across the United States are independently associated with an increase in cardiovascular death rates among adults between the ages of 20 and 64.

The large-scale, national study, presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2020, provides evidence of the link between food insecurity and increased risk of cardiovascular death. This is one of the first national analyses to evaluate changes in both food security and cardiovascular mortality over time, and to see whether changes in food insecurity impact cardiovascular health. The findings are published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

“This research gives us a better understanding of the connection between economic distress and cardiovascular disease,” says Sameed Khatana, MD, MPH, senior author of the study and instructor of cardiovascular medicine in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. “What’s going on outside the clinic has significant impact on patients’ health. There are many factors beyond the medications we may be prescribing that can influence their well-being, food insecurity being one of them.”

Read more »
RD Lounge Blog
The Pandemic’s Impact on IDDSI
Sue Linja, RDN, LD

According to the Cleveland Clinic, more than 15 million Americans across the age spectrum have swallowing disorders such as dysphagia. Often, these individuals require foods and beverages to be modified—liquids thickened or foods puréed, for example—to prevent accidental choking or aspiration of liquids. Despite the prevalence of swallowing disorders and need for specialized nutrition, no consensus standards existed for the consistency of foods and beverages until 2019, when the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) was released.

Part of IDDSI (often pronounced “itsy”) is the categorization of foods and drinks; there are eight levels of consistency, from 0 (thin liquids, such as plain, unthickened water) to 7 (regular foods, not modified to be easier to chew). IDDSI provides standardization and guidance for treating individuals with dysphagia and other swallowing disorders and is meant to be appropriate for all age groups and care settings.

Read more »
Other News
Federal Office of Nutrition Research to Span NIH
In a recent statement, Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced the transfer of the Office of Nutrition Research to a division that will upgrade the office to a “trans-NIH effort.”

Experiences of School Nutrition Professionals Amid Pandemic
A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior details the perspectives and experiences of school nutrition staff, revealing safety concerns and symptoms of burnout among personnel, according to EurekAlert!.
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In the February Issue

Heart Health and COVID-19

Breakfast Bowls

Cultural Humility in Food & Nutrition

Update on Osteoporosis

Nutrition Support in Lyme Disease Treatment
Find solutions on our ToolKit Page
New Resources Now Available!
WHOLLY® GUACAMOLE RD Resources
Tech & Tools
Stability Trainer With On-Demand Fitness
StrongBoard Balance is a spring board stability trainer that can be used for exercise, physical therapy, balance training, full-body muscle training, and more. It’s designed for use by individuals of all fitness levels. The brand offers Exercise on Demand, a channel featuring five- to 20-minute workout videos using the StrongBoard Balance led by certified group fitness instructors. Learn more »

Fitness Tracker With Vital Sign Monitoring
The OxyStrap is a fitness tracker worn as a headband that delivers real-time audio feedback of fitness data and vital signs including oxygen saturation, body temperature, and heart rate. The device also can alert the user via audio to abnormalities that could arise due to altitude sickness, heat stroke, or heart malfunction during work and exercise. Learn more »
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