Breaking Down Nutrition for Medical Professionals

OK,  quick answer, yes or no? Does drinking alcohol raise cancer risk? If you answered no, you’re not alone. A national survey, by the American Society of Clinical Oncology, ASCO, revealed that most Americans, even we medical types, are unaware of alcohol and the link to cancer even when drinking small amounts. Let’s look at alcohol in terms of how much, what type, and risk for various types of cancer. Joining me on the podcast is registered dietitian nutritionist Wendy Kaplan who specializes in oncology nutrition. She served for several years as the Director of Nutrition for a Cancer Non-profit and currently consults for non-profit community organizations.  Her focus is how medical nutrition therapy makes a difference in response to cancer treatment,  post-treatment complications and how patients feel.  Listen now and let’s get right to the research and what you need to know about alcohol and the link to cancer. Also check out our other podcasts: Meat and Cancer: 3 Things to Tell Patients Sugar: The Cancer Connection Connect with Wendy Kaplan, MS, RDN Facebook Instagram  Twitter  Read blog posts and download recipes at https://food4healthrd.com  Resources: https://www.asco.org/advocacy-policy/asco-in-action/national-survey-reveals-most-americans-are-unaware-key-cancer-risk?et_cid=39746367&et_rid=1844891989&linkid=National+Cancer+Opinion+Survey http://blog.aicr.org/2017/11/10/major-oncology-group-underscores-aicr-research-linking-alcohol-and-cancer-risks/ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/01/180103132629.htm https://www.sciencenews.org/article/heavy-drinkers-get-extra-brain-fuel-alcohol http://blog.aicr.org/2019/02/11/mixed-messaging-on-red-wine-separating-myth-from-fact/ https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/alcohol-and-heart-health http://blog.aicr.org/2017/07/28/alcohol-and-diabetes-study-how-that-connects-to-cancer-risk/ https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov/How-much-is-too-much/What-counts-as-a-drink/Whats-A-Standard-Drink.

I just decided to Google celery juice and in .53 seconds there were 60,300,00 results.&nbsp; &nbsp; Most of the information on celery juice is pseudo science but the public for the most part doesn’t know this and believes and lives by what they read. This tells me as medical professionals, we need to be looking at this supposed cure-all complete with its bogus claims that are really celebrity crap… but I digress. It’s up to us as the experts to look at the data, meet our clients where they are and share what is positive. From a 12-pack of organic celery juice packs for $120…wow, that’s $10 a pop to $3-4 a bottle at stores like Walmart and Target, everyone is selling it. Who new the not-so-popular garnish and crudite’ would be touted to cure what ails many of your patients: ADHD, Lyme’s disease, the Epstein Barr virus, acid reflux, sinus issues, gas, bloating, acne, UTIs, inflammation, even cancer. Celery, the whole vegetable, has been recognized in Oriental countries as a medicinal vegetable to traditionally treat blood pressure, swelling, inflammation, even toothaches. From a medical nutrition therapy perspective, here are five ways that a typical 16-ounce celery juice can benefit your patients.  Listen now. Also check out Juicing vs. Smoothies. Resources if You Want a Deep Dive:   Health benefits and risks of celery &nbsp; https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270678.php Hypertension: Is It Time to Replace Drugs With Nutrition and Nutraceuticals?https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3989080/ Celery May Help Bring Your High Blood Pressure Down https://health.clevelandclinic.org/celery-may-help-bring-your-high-blood-pressure-down/ Celery Juice: Healthy or Hype? https://www.healthline.com/health-news/celery-juice-healthy-or-hype&nbsp; &nbsp; This Is What Drinking Celery Juice Really Does to Your Body https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/drinking-celery-juice-body/ Apigenin has anti-atrophic gastritis and anti-gastric cancer progression effects in Helicobacter pylori-infected Mongolian gerbils. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24374236&nbsp; Celery Juice &#8220;Benefits&#8221; Are Total B.S., According to Nutrition Sciencehttps://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a25919032/celery-juice-benefits/ The Neuroprotective Effect and Probable Mechanism of DL-3-n-Butylphthalide in Brain Diseases https://www.karger.com/article/FullText/362633&nbsp; <a class="a2a_button_twitter" href="htt...

As a clinician, what regular clinical testing or screening is appropriate for vegans and vegetarians? Are supplements needed? Are they healthful for patients of all ages? What about the pitfalls, say nutrient shortages? How should you evaluate patients&#8217; diets if they are vegan or vegetarian? Let’s talk to dietitian Sharon Palmer on the Breaking Down Nutrition for Medical Professionals podcast and find out the diet strategies you can use to ensure your patients are meeting their nutrient needs. &nbsp;We dietitians know Sharon as the plant powered RDN. Her Master’s Degree is in Sustainable Food Systems.&nbsp; She serves as the nutrition editor for Today’s Dietitian and judge for the James Beard Journalism Awards.&nbsp; Plus Sharon blogs every day for her online community (170K members strong) at The Plant-Powered Dietitian. &nbsp; How to connect with Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN: Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Youtube Website Books:&nbsp; Plant-Powered for Life  The Plant Powered Diet More strategies for vegan diets: https://sharonpalmer.com/2011-06-17-the-path-to-a-healthy-vegan-diet/ Popular Recipes/Blogs: Moroccan Chickpea Sorghum Bowl Stir-Fried Thai Sorghum Bowl Pomegranate Avocado Quinoa Salad Ginger Pear Date Oats 5 Tips for Eating a Plant-Based Diet <a class="a2a_button_pinterest" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/pinterest?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fbreakingdownnutrition.com%2Ftop-strategies-for-vegans-and-vegetarians-to-prevent-nutrition-pitfalls%2F&amp;linkname=Top%20Strategies%20for%20Vegans%20an...

Do patients really need probiotics to be healthy? In a confusing marketplace, which strain and dose do you recommend for which health condition?  I had the opportunity to hear Anthony Thomas, PhD, speak in Toronto about the efficacy of probiotic supplements. From his doctorate and post doc research in Nutritional Biology and now as the Director of Scientific Affairs for Jarrow Formulas, Dr. Thomas evaluates and manages research activities related to product formulations.  This research focuses on dosing and usage recommendations to reflect scientifically supported benefits for health and product use. I ask him the questions you want to know about the efficacy of probiotic supplements. Probiotic Resources The International Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) provides valuable educational resources: https://isappscience.org/infographics/ The International Probiotics Association (IPA) provides best practice guidelines:  http://internationalprobiotics.org/resources/guidelines/2017-best-practices-guidelines/ The Clinical Guide to Probiotic Products translates scientific evidence available for probiotic products to practical, clinically relevant information:   http://usprobioticguide.com/?utm_source=intro_pg&amp;utm_medium=civ&amp;utm_campaign=USA_CHART Website, Social Media and Contact Information https://jarrowprobiotics.com https://jarrowonline.com/collections/probiotics-prebiotics https://www.instagram.com/jarrowformulas/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/JarrowFormulas/ https://twitter.com/jarrowformulas Instagram and Facebook handle:  @JarrowFormulas Email: [email protected]   for Dr. Thomas Recipe courtesy Regina Ragone, MS, RDN and Le Creuset: Roasted Root Vegetables    <a class="a2a_button_print"...

In a world of social media influencers, nano influencers, and celebrities, who do your patients turn to for health and nutrition information? What do today’s health-focused patients seek? On the podcast let’s talk to social psychologist Dr. Shelley Balanko and gain interesting insight to better understand where our patients are today and what they are looking for in terms of health information. &nbsp; I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Shelley Balanko speak in Toronto about snacking, health and wellness trends. Her information was really insightful. I knew you’d want to hear it and better understand where your patients are seeking information.&nbsp; Dr. Balanko earned her PhD in applied social psychology from the University of Windsor.&nbsp;Currently, she is the Senior Vice President for The Hartman Group whose anthropologists, social scientists and business analysts have been immersed for years in the study of food and beverage culture. More info on The Hartman Group Website:&nbsp;www.hartman-group.com Twitter:&nbsp;@HartmanGroup&nbsp;https://twitter.com/HartmanGroup Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Hartman-Group-163866331716/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-hartman-group/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thehartmangroup0045/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hartmangroup/ Mentioned on Podcast:&nbsp; Le Creuset Dutch Oven in New Calm Colors that Regina uses for her soups. Shop Products We Love&nbsp; under Mentioned on the Podcasts Some people find cooking relaxing while others find it extremely stressful, which is why Le Creuset came out with a collection called The New Calm. The line&nbsp;includes four tranquil shades, Meringue, Sea Salt, Fig, and Coastal Blue all designed to sooth any stress you may feel about cooking dinner. Last weekend I took out my&nbsp;Fig Dutch oven&nbsp;&nbsp;to cook up a batch of&nbsp;Potato, Leek and Chickpea Soup.&nbsp; The soup was simple yet elegant and just the right speed for a cold winter’s day in front of the fireplace. If you want to cut the sodium try reduced sodium broth and cook beans from scratch. The combination of butter and oil give this soup it’s velvety texture and rich flavor but, using all olive oil would also work well. &nbsp;Regina Ragone, MS, RDN Potato, Leek and ChickPea Soup <a class="a2a_button_twitter" href="https://www.addtoany.com/add_to/twitter?linkurl=https%3A%2F%2Fbreakingdownnutrition.com%2Fguidance-they-can-trust-what-todays-health-focused-patie...

The other day at the grocery store I ran into an acquaintance who said &#8216;may I ask you a question&#8217;? This happens to you too right? All the time. She found out she was anemic, bought the first iron supplement on the shelf and took it. But her lab tests showed no improvement. Then she said that her stomach had started hurting so she just stopped taking it. Did she have the right form? Dose? Just ahead let’s talk about the many iron supplement forms available, absorption rates and cautions and concerns. When we hear the words iron supplements, we tend to think anemia in women and children but iron supplements have multiple uses such as for regular blood donors to recover their hemoglobin and ferritin levels, to reduce unexplained fatigue in women of child-bearing age, in some restless leg syndrome cases with low ferritin levels and to possibly help reduce the dry cough caused by drugs in the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor family or we know as ACE inhibitors. But which iron supplement is best? Consider these 4 points in deciding… #1. the supplement should provide the right dose of iron for the therapeutic use. The amount of elemental iron per milligram of iron compound really varies supplement to supplement so be sure the product contains the therapeutic dose you’re recommending. #2. the supplement should provide the right form of iron for good absorption but least likely to cause gastrointestinal side effects such as constipation or gastric irritation. #3. good quality: tested by companies like Consumer Labs or carries the USP seal #4 value…your patients can afford it. Ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate and ferrous gluconate are three very common supplement forms taken with water for greatest absorption and are inexpensive. However, many patients complain of stomach pain so an alternative is ferrous bis-glycinate which can be taken with food or within an hour of eating. This ferrous bis-glycinate form of iron has been shown to be absorbed two to four times better than ferrous sulfate when taken with food. Shop Products We Love (mentioned in the podcast) &amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt; Generally, taking iron with food will help reduce GI discomfort. Oh and for your patients who want vegetarian capsules, the ferrous bis-glycinate form is available. In fact, a Consumer Labs recent Top Pick among iron supplements is called NOW Iron, a vegetarian capsule in the ferrous bisglycinate form. Both Nature’s Bounty and Solgar also make bisglycinate formulas with some being vegetarian and kosher. What about a timed- release or slow release formula? While these may reduce gastric irritation, there’s concern that less iron may be available in the small intestine where iron is absorbed due to the slower release so may not be a wise choice for anemia but studies suggest could be a choice for unexplained fatigue in women who are not anemic but have low ferritin levels. Other supplement forms contain heme-iron polypeptide abbreviated HIP which may be better tolerated with less gastric irritation and constipation than iron salts like ferrous sulfate. Let’s look quickly at the flip side for iron supplements, cautions and concerns. First antacids and this includes proton pump inhibitors or PPIs.The dose and length of time taken may increase risk of iron deficiency. Antacids can also decrease iron absorption. Iron absorption can be reduced by high doses of other minerals such as calcium, zinc, manganese, magnesium or copper. A two hour period is suggested between consuming one of these high-dose mineral supplements and an iron supplement. Be aware that some multis for women who haven’t gone thru menopause and who may still be at risk for iron deficiency can contain 500 mg of calcium.

Is religion taboo in nutrition care? As health professionals sometimes we think we need to know everything about every religion before we can include it. The beauty of working with people is that we’re all people. You have feelings, experiences, beliefs…you have a story. While you’re the expert in nutrition, you’re not expected to be the expert in faith.  On the podcast let’s talk to dietitian Zach Cordell about religion in nutrition care and how it can be helpful to ask clients questions and then tailor your expertise to their needs to build trust and rapport.  Zach is a nutrition professor and host of The Latter-day Saint Nutritionist podcast. He focuses on addressing how our culture influences our behaviors by fusing food, faith, and science. Find out more about Zach. Book: The Creation Code The Latter-day Saint Nutritionist Podcast The Latter-day Saint Nutritionist on Instagram The Latter-day Saint Nutritionist on Facebook  

Happy new year! I’m looking forward to a good year with you and&nbsp; a lot of interesting nutrition questions and conversation.&nbsp; With the start of each new year comes a bevy of nutrition, diet and food trends. Some evidence-based, many just quackademic medicine or the creeping of pseudoscience into medical and nutrition science. But their presence will populate the Internet and conversations of many of your patients and clients. And they’ll you ask about them. So just ahead are 7 nutrition questions based on these trends that you’ll likely be asked. This way you have a head’s up on topics to pay attention to and read more thoroughly.&nbsp; &nbsp;Seven Nutrition Questions You&#8217;ll Likely Be Asked&nbsp; * &nbsp;I’m trying to eat more&nbsp; protein. What do you think about eating insects? Would you try crickets or which one?&nbsp; Science Direct has a good review article on insect protein as well as the macro and micro nutrients and possible contraindications from some bioactive compounds.&nbsp;See Show Note Resources below. * What is cheese tea? Is it as good for me? Basically it’s black or green tea sipped through a topping of cream cheese. The cream cheese might be blended with cream, mascarpone&nbsp;or condensed milk plus have added flavors like lemon.&nbsp;Reminds me of the coffee with butter trend. The New York Times has a very interesting article on food and flavor trends. See Show Note Resources below. * What’s oat milk? Oat milk is the latest introduction into the non-dairy category which has become popular because of&nbsp; interest in plant-based eating. If you compare it to cow&#8217;s milk and soy milk it has much less protein but relative to other plant-based beverages including almond, cashew, coconut, and rice, it contains more per serving. * Why are fermented foods like kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi and other picked things good for my stomach? Which ones should I eat? Maybe you will hear the words gut or microbiome instead of stomach as more people become familiar with these terms.&nbsp; This is a great opportunity to educate on pre and probiotics and the microbiome. * I want to lose weight. What about the pegan diet? Should I try it?Created by Dr. Mark Hyman, it’s a cross between a paleo and vegan diet. According to Pinterest, the search for this word has risen over 300% the last 6 months. US News and World Report had a team of experts review 41 eating plans. The pegan diet wasn’t on it. The happy dance goes to the Mediterranean diet. Their article goes on to break the diets out into categories such as best for weight-loss, best diets overall, best heart-healthy diets etc. * I want to exercise but don’t have time. Is HIIT training for me? Spelled HIIT, this interval training pushes your effort level up to 90-95 of your maximum heart rate usually with 20-second intervals. It’s become popular with the time crunched. Check out our podcast: #13 Interval Training to Boost Metabolism with registered physiotherapist Mark Barrett from Australia. You can find it on Beyond Bariatric Surgery&nbsp; * I’ve been told not to eat eggs for as long as I can remember. Is this still true? Eggs are popular because of the paleo diet but also their bad boy reputation is finally changing and the interest in protein has made them trendy once again.&nbsp; Expect questions on eggs and protein as well eye health, particularly lutein for prevention of macular degeneration. Thank you for listening.&nbsp; Remember the show notes have links to a lot of resources for you to dig deeper on these questions.&nbsp; Also we have the link to dietitian Dana Angelo White’s The Healthy Instant Pot Cookbook. You find it here on the website under Shop Products We Love and ...

Have you noticed how the marketing of food has changed? Whoever thought fear mongering would be a part of it?&nbsp; I’m not talking about cibophobia or the fear of food that’s a complicated phobia rather fear-based marketing and how it affects food choices. Choose food, not fear. Let’s say one of your patients or clients picks up a can of some vegetable at the store and sees words and symbols on the label that might include all-natural, no msg, gluten-free, antibiotic-free, made in the USA, non-bpa liner or non-GMO ingredients. Some of these terms are vague or have no legal meaning. What really bugs me is a label that states a product is non-GMO or gluten-free when it never would contain those things to begin with. So does a label like this suggest that the competitor next to it on the shelf&nbsp; may contain all those ingredients so you better not choose it? Is this fear-based marketing when the potential lack of consumer knowledge along with fear of certain ingredients and a label of symbols and words leads someone to grab one product over another? Joining me on the podcast is registered dietitian nutritionist Neva Cochran. Neva serves as a nutrition communications consultant to various organizations and is passionate about promoting fact-based food and nutrition information to help your patients and clients eat beyond the headlines.&nbsp; Ways to find Neva: Twitter:&nbsp;@NevaRDLD&nbsp; Website Facebook <a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save addtoany_share" href="https://www.addtoany.com/share#url=https%3A%2F%2Fbreakingdownnutrition.

Do you want to bring your medical nutrition therapy to life? You teach evidence-based nutrition and you’re good at it right? But do your clients and patients need more? Are they struggling to make the connection between the science in the clinic and the kitchen?&nbsp;Consider culinary nutrition from the clinic to the kitchen.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Did you hear that students at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Dentistry are in the kitchen? They’re learning how to prep nutritious and tasty meals that benefit oral and systemic health. This is an example of culinary nutrition at its best where they teach disease specifics, do case students and then design food around what the patients need. &nbsp; The class is collaborative with dietetic interns co-teaching. Makes for great interdisciplinary learning.&nbsp; On the podcast let’s talk to culinary dietitian Regina Ragone who has vast experience to share on taking nutrition from the clinic to the kitchen whether you teach medical professionals or patients. But before we jump in and talk culinary nutrition, we have a special giveaway just for you. Regina works with Le Creuset cookware and want to give away her favorite nonstick pan which is Le Creuset’s toughened nonstick 10-inch fry pan. Aside from being so easy to cooking with—I mean you don’t have to use any fat and nothing sticks—it’s also free of PFOAs which is the trade name teflon so you don’t have to worry about potentially harmful compounds and it will never chip or flake. We&#8217;ll draw a winner in two weeks so sign up now.&nbsp;&nbsp; Also the knife that Regina mentions is available under the Shop Products We Love tab. You&#8217;ll see it in the culinary area. <a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save addtoany_share" hr...