Nutrition/Healthy Eating Articles

Should your clients take them, or shouldn’t they? Supplements, that is. One day the news media are report- ing that dietary supplements don’t pre- vent disease and may actually threaten our health; the next day another study says that supplements can help to thwart disease or can fill nutrient gaps in our diets. What should health and fitness professionals tell clients when asked about supplements?

The term orthorexia nervosa (ON), referring to an obsession with dietary virtue, has become increasingly common since it was coined just over 10 years ago. Steven Bratman, MD, initially introduced the term in an article in the October 1997 issue of Yoga Journal, as a somewhat “tongue in cheek” way of describing an unhealthy obsession with healthful eating (Bratman 1997; Mathieu 2005).

If you really are what you eat, would you qualify as a hydrophile? Translated from ancient Greek, the word literally means “loving water.” In terms of food and nutrition, it describes water-loving foods that can be very satisfying owing to their capacities for attracting and retaining water. In other words, they fill you up in a healthy way because they fill up first.

Data on more than 73,000 participants in the Adventist Health Study strongly suggest that consuming a plant-based diet results in a more sustainable environment and reduces greenhouse gas emissions while improving longevity.

Fickle produce marketers and shoppers in North America would do well to take a page from French supermarket chain Intermarché, which recently started a campaign to put farmers’ most “inglorious” produce in the spotlight—at a significant discount to shoppers.The plan highlights food waste by showing consumers that produce need not be perfectly shaped, symmetrical or unblemished to be delicious or nutritious.

If clients could meaningfully impact ingrained eating behavior by subtly fine-tuning their thinking patterns about exercise, would you try to help them do that? Consider these new findings from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab as an opportunity to move people in the right direction.

What if kids would eat more fruits and vegetables (FV) as sides on restaurant menus, but restaurants were simply failing to give them the option? A study that asked kids about it suggests this could well be the case.

Our intuition and our training as fitness professionals tell us that what our clients are eating is just as important as what they’re doing in the gym. Yet we may find that some clients have gaps in their knowledge about preparing healthy homemade meals. Organizing and hosting a cooking class can be a fun, engaging way to help clients overcome their apprehension in the kitchen and to inspire them to prepare more meals at home. Here are a few hints to get you started. Choose a Themenewsletter_teaser: Our intuition and our training as fitness professionals tell us that what our clients are eating is just as important as what they’re doing in the gym. Yet we may find that some clients have gaps in their knowledge about preparing healthy homemade meals. Organizing and hosting a cooking class can be a fun, engaging way to help clients overcome their apprehension in the kitchen and to inspire them to prepare more meals at home. Here are a few hints to get you started.

Registered dietitians have been sitting in supermarket corporate offices for years, creating nutrition programs and educational materials that promote wellness among their customers, coworkers and communities.newsletter_teaser: Registered dietitians have been sitting in supermarket corporate offices for years, creating nutrition programs and educational materials that promote wellness among their customers, coworkers and communities. While that primary role has not changed, over the past 5 years there’s been a change in where it is happening: We’ve seen a surge in the number of front-of-the-house supermarket dietitians who are visible to customers and available to improve people’s diets and health.

It’s an all-too-common scenario: Your clients boast they are eating well and exercising regularly, but they’re frustrated that the scale and pant size won’t budge.newsletter_teaser: It’s an all-too-common scenario: Your clients boast they are eating well and exercising regularly, but they’re frustrated that the scale and pant size won’t budge. What gives? Chances are that—without even knowing it— they are falling prey to one or more surprising acts of food sabotage.