Eating Healthfully on a Budget

A Low-Cost Bill Of Health

Dietitians Dish Out Advice On Filling Your Plate Without Emptying Your Pockets

By THERESA SULLIVAN BARGER
Special to The Courant

March 19 2009

If you're looking to stretch your grocery dollars, the freezer is your friend. So are store brands, sales, grocery-store circulars, unit prices and shopping lists.

The complete article can be viewed at:http://www.courant.com/features/food/hc-nutrition-budget.artmar19,0,2356253.story

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10 Reasons to see a Registered Dietitian

American Dietetic Association’s Top Ten Reasons Why Consulting with a Registered Dietitian Can Benefit You

You have diabetes, cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure. An RD serves as an integral part of your health-care team by helping you safely change your eating plan without compromising taste or nutrition.

You are thinking of having or have had gastric bypass surgery. Since your stomach can only manage small servings, it’s a challenge to get the right amount of nutrients in your body. An RD will work with you and your physician to develop an eating plan for your new needs.

You have digestive problems. A registered dietitian will work with your physician to help fine-tune your diet so you are not aggravating your condition with fried foods, too much caffeine or carbonation.

You’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant. A registered dietitian can help make sure you get nutrients like folate, especially during the first three months of pregnancy, lowering your newborn’s risk for neural tube or spinal cord defects.

You need guidance and confidence for breastfeeding your baby. A registered dietitian can help make sure you’re getting enough iron, vitamin D, fluoride and B vitamins for you and your little one.

Your teenager has issues with food and eating healthfully. A registered dietitian can assist with eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia and overweight issues.

You need to gain or lose weight. A registered dietitian can suggest additional calorie sources for healthy weight gain or a restricted-calorie eating plan plus regular physical activity for weight loss while still eating all your favorite foods.

You’re caring for an aging parent. A registered dietitian can help with food or drug interaction, proper hydration, special diets for hypertension and changing taste buds as you age.

You want to eat smarter. A registered dietitian can help you sort through misinformation; learn how to read labels at the supermarket; discover that healthy cooking is inexpensive, learn how to eat out without ruining your eating plan and how to resist workplace temptations.

You want to improve your performance in sports. A registered dietitian can help you set goals to achieve results — whether you’re running a marathon, skiing or jogging with your dog.

To locate a registered dietitian in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association at www.eatright.org/.

Doing Dietetics Right

Writing. Editing. Counseling. Teaching. Speaking. Managing. Volunteering.

Just a brief list of some of the wonderful opportunities afforded me as a Registered Dietitian (RD)!

Many people think, "Dietitians work in hospitals." And yes, that's true. But we also work in all aspects of public health, including health promotion, wellness, research, and service. Furthermore, we have private nutrition counseling practices (view mine at http://www.onesourcenutrition.net/); write freelance articles for magazines, such as Men's Health, Cooking Light, and Prevention; edit culinary nutrition textbooks, like The Art of Nutritional Cooking (3rd edition, Pearson/Prentice Hall 2008); and serve as media spokespeople for profit and non-profit groups.

These things I have done, and more!

In nearly 10 years I've enjoyed a career comprising wonderful experiences. Whether helping a patient improve her weight and cholesterol, writing an article for a consumer magazine, teaching a nutrition class to graduate school students, or educating and training under-served populations at health fairs, it's all fulfilling. Few careers allow so much flexibility and variety. I owe it all to obtaining my RD credential.

If you'd like to learn more about RDs and "doing dietetics right," visit http://www.eatright.org/ and email me at info@onesourcenutrition.net. From high school student to career changer, I'm happy to field your questions about nutrition and dietetics.