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E-Newsletter • September 2025 |
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Editor's E-Note
It’s Not Too Late
Often, dietitians encounter patients and clients who may feel it is “too late” in life for them to see a positive change in their health. “I’m sure I’m beyond help,” one 53-year-old client said to me years ago, slumping in her chair and exhausted by years of what she described as “failed attempts” at finding a dietary approach that would help her feel better and avoid the chronic illnesses like CVD and type 2 diabetes that colored her family tree. It was her first time working with an RD, and I was eager to reassure her that there were many tools we could try that she hadn’t tried before and that the nutrition choices she made now would help decide her quality of life in the years to come. The changes she went on to make not only relieved some of her most persistent fatigue symptoms and reversed her stubborn prediabetes lab results but also gave her confidence to believe that it wasn’t too late and the momentum to make that belief a reality. In this month’s E-News Exclusive, we share recent research that continues to affirm the power of midlife nutrition choices in shaping our quality of life as we age.
After reading the article, visit TD’s website at www.TodaysDietitian.com to read the digital edition of our August/September issue, featuring our dining guide for conference-goers planning their trip to Nashville this fall. You can also reminisce with TD’s 12th annual Spring Symposium recap, enjoying photo collages and quotes from attendees about their time in San Antonio this past May. Also in the issue, you’ll find intriguing feature stories on human trafficking and managing diabetes in shift work settings.
Please enjoy the E-Newsletter and give us your feedback at TDeditor@gvpub.com. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter.
— Heather Davis, MS, RDN, LDN, editor |
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| In This E-Newsletter
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The Midlife Turning Point
By Heather Davis, MS, RDN, LDN
The wear and tear delivered by time’s passing seems inevitable. Although none are wholly immune, dietitians know that the difference between a patient’s aging gracefully and suffering needlessly from preventable degenerative chronic disease during the second half of life may largely be attributed to lifestyle factors like nutrition. Diet is the first leading behavioral risk factor for noncommunicable diseases and mortality burden globally, and the second after tobacco use in US older adults.1
What does it really mean to “age gracefully”? The World Health Organization (WHO) defines healthy aging as “the process of developing and maintaining the functional ability that enables well-being in older age.” The WHO says that functional ability is about having the capabilities that enable all people to be and do what they have reason to value. This capacity comprises all the mental and physical capacities that a person can draw on and includes their ability to walk, think, see, hear, and remember.2 Behind each of these important capacities is a biochemical engine, churning day after day and relying on quality nutrition input.
Much emphasis is rightly placed on the importance of early life nutrition in guiding lifelong health outcomes. However, choices and circumstances throughout life continue to inform and direct those outcomes, and new research encourages us to focus on midlife as a key time for setting the stage for healthy aging.
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Misinformation in Maternal Health: Flawed Drug Advice May Discourage Breastfeeding
The evidence supporting the health benefits of breastfeeding is overwhelming, yet many women taking medicines are being advised to stop, often unnecessarily, according to a new study from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom.
The research, led by scientists in the Department of Life Sciences at Bath, reveals that concerns about drug safety during breastfeeding are a significant factor in the decision to stop, yet many medications prompting women to stop breastfeeding have either been found to cause no harm in limited studies, or the potential risks to the infant are considered minimal and outweighed by the benefits to the mother.
The new study, published recently in the International Breastfeeding Journal, found that up to 18% of women who need a medication stopped breastfeeding due to that medication, increasing to 58% among those with chronic illnesses.
Positive Childhood Experiences Protect Against Disordered Eating
A University of Houston research team says that various childhood experiences, both good and bad, may shape college students’ eating behaviors. The study integrates earlier findings that show adverse childhood experiences negatively affect college students’ eating behaviors, while positive childhood experiences do the opposite.
Positive behaviors include having supportive relationships, a regular household routine, comforting beliefs, and strong community connection. Negative behaviors include experiencing abuse, neglect, illness, or divorce.
During college, as young adults develop their own eating habits, many engage in disordered eating behaviors like overeating, binge eating, and unhealthy weight control. These behaviors are surprisingly common—affecting nearly 80% of college students—a rate much higher than in other age groups or stages of life, according to researchers.
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CPE Monthly
Better understand food insecurity in older adults, including the risk factors and health effects, as well as food assistance programs and their impact, in this month’s issue of Today’s Dietitian. Read the CPE Monthly article, take the 10-question online test at CE.TodaysDietitian.com/CPEmonthly, and earn two CPEUs!
Upcoming Webinars
We’re excited to offer 10+ webinars this coming fall and winter! Check out the latest live presentations, including sessions that focus on team collaboration, metabolic surgery for T2D, CKD, cultural foods, and oncology nutrition!
2026 Spring Symposium
Make plans to join us May 17–20, in Orlando, Florida. Earn at least 15 CEUs with interactive educational sessions, workshops, and presentations led by some of the foremost experts in dietetics and nutrition. Register now to take advantage of Advance Registration savings!
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Once again, we're asking you to let us know about dietitians you believe exemplify the profession and are making a difference in their clients' and patients' lives, in their communities, and in the field of dietetics. Each year, our March issue shines a spotlight on 10 dedicated and deserving dietitians for their work and service within dietetics. Nominate a deserving colleague now.
Deadline: November 1, 2025.
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Nutrition Fact Check
With so much conflicting information about food and nutrition, it can be difficult to separate fact from fiction. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ newly launched Nutrition Fact Check provides clear, credible nutrition research and resources to help consumers make confident, informed decisions about what they eat. Learn more »
Safe Eating Made Simple
SmartBites™ app delivers inclusive recipe solutions for anyone managing dietary restrictions—whether due to a food allergy, sensitivity, or lifestyle choice. With SmartBites™, users can choose and tailor any recipe to create customized safe meals, from breakfast to dessert. Meanwhile, AllergyAwareMenu.com bridges the gap between diners and restaurants by providing verified allergen details and menu accommodations, making eating out easier and safer. Bringing everything together in one intuitive platform, the SmartBites™ app empowers users to eat smarter, live better—all from the palm of their hand. Learn more » |
In the October Issue
• Life After Antiobesity Medications
• Preventing and Treating Diabetic Retinopathy
• Popular Herbal Supplements for Athletes
• The Impact of Regenerative Agriculture |
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COVER STORY
Dining Out in Nashville
Get ready for a flavorful trip to Nashville! This guide spotlights can’t-miss dishes, music-filled restaurants, and local dietitian favorites.
FEATURE
Today’s Dietitian’s 12th Annual Spring Symposium
From cutting-edge science to vibrant networking, Today’s Dietitian’s 12th Annual Spring Symposium offered an intimate setting where nutrition pros connected, learned, and left inspired for the year ahead.
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