What do these two things have in common?? Stay with me and I’ll explain.

The Corn Refiners Association has launched an advertising campaign promoting high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). On their home page, there is a statement that reads, in part:

High fructose corn syrup provides many important characteristics, such as texture, flavor and freshness, to your favorite foods and beverages. It is nutritionally the same as table sugar and has the same number of calories, too. As many dietitians agree, sweeteners should be enjoyed in moderation.

Let’s take a moment to look at this. HFCS definitely has the same calories as sugar, and the nutrition would be roughly the same, too. And, as a dietitian,I do agree with all foods in moderation. And for some people, HFCS may not pose any problems at all.

However, I do not promote the use of HFCS. In fact, there ARE people who are highly reactive to HFCS. And, if you are trying to determine what foods might cause a delayed food sensitivity through an elimination diet (because you don’t want to do the MRT testing with LEAP), this will be one additive you will eliminate from your diet.

Which brings up the whole issue of ‘moderation’. Start looking at the labels of foods you buy and then tell me about moderation! I was amazed, myself, when years ago (before MRT testing) I went on an elimination diet to find the cause of my migraines. I had to remove HFCS from my diet and found it in TONS of the ‘healthy’ foods I was eating!

What does all of this have to do with business, you are asking? I again come down to health and a healthy business. Are you trying to improve your health? Would you have more energy if your diet were healthier? If you had more energy, you could work more efficiently, increasing your success.

What IS a ‘healthier’ diet? Well, read the post below this one, on sustainable foods.

HFCS will not be found naturally in foods. It’s a preservative. It is made from corn. Did I mention that much of the corn in this country is genetically modified? And, unless I missed it, I haven’t seen any ‘organic HFCS’ on the market, yet.

So this week’s challenge to you is to look at your diet and determine how you can start eating more ‘natural’ foods. I don’t mean buy packaged foods that SAY ‘natural’ on it! Heck, cocaine is NATURAL, but you won’t see any claims that it’s GOOD for you! Make a meal from scratch…

Margie

Are you aware of the sustainable food movement? Did you hear that First Lady Michelle Obama started the first White House garden since World War II? This is great news to those trying to spread the message that we need to get back to locally-grown, organic foods if we want to improve health, which could include food safety, allergies/food intolerances, and even obesity.

Many people still aren’t aware that much of our corn and soybeans in the US are genetically modified. And many people aren’t aware that eating these foods may be what is causing the increase in allergies, not to mention other health conditions. What else people may not be aware of is that what makes beef a less-desirable food, today, is the change in how these animals are fed. Feeding cows grain and corn changes the amino acid profile of their proteins, leading to a more saturated, less-healthy protein for humans, thus leading to increased risk for heart disease and stroke. And this isn’t even addressing the antibiotics and other additives we feed these animals to produce more meat, faster.

You can’t run a healthy and thriving business if you aren’t healthy and thriving, yourself. So, consider how you can help the local food trend.

This is where ‘sustainable food’ comes in; growing and eating locally. Although organic food sales have decreased, farmer’s markets are booming. Have you been to one, lately? If not, why not check one out in the next month! That’s my challenge to you.

Margie

I returned to school for my undergraduate degree when my daughter started kindergarten. Originally it was for a degree in an exercise field, since that’s what I was involved in, as a group fitness instructor and manager of a small, local health club. However, I ended up graduating with a degree in nutrition, instead.

When I decided to get a nutrition degree, it also made sense to go the full route and also become a Registered Dietitian (RD), because I realized that doing any less would provide fewer opportunities to make a difference for the people I wanted to help. Granted, this also meant committing to more time and effort, but it was worth it.

In order to become an RD, a person must first get a degree in nutrition from an approved college. Then the person must complete a 1,200 hour internship. Only after successfully completing both may the person qualify to take the national registration exam. It is then the person’s responsibility to complete continuing professional educational requirements in order to maintain registration.

Why am I talking about this? Well, today is National RD Day, and in celebration, many of us who are RDs are taking part in a ‘blogfest’ in order to educate readers on what RDs are and what they do. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post and click some of the links of other RDs through the US.

Anyone can call themselves a ‘nutritionist’. I’ll always remember the lady I had lunch with at a functional nutrition conference one day. She said she was a nutritionist who earned her living giving out nutrition information. I asked her what qualified her for this role, and she said it was because she had been ‘reading books on nutrition for years.’ Oh great! I’d love to see an MD who has become an MD because he read a lot of books… People often feel that just because we ALL eat, anyone can be an expert on nutrition..

So what’s the big fuss all about? Why shouldn’t someone see a ‘nutritionist’, or pay their personal trainer for nutrition services, or hire a ‘nutrition’ or ‘diet’ coach who doesn’t have any education in nutrition?

There’s one simple reason, really, and that is because people without the education in nutrition can’t personalize the support and education to the clients they see. Often these people are fine for general nutrition information, but what if you are reactive to soy, but the person you are seeing has just read some great articles on soy in the last week and now believes that everyone should eat it? What if you have diabetes? In most states, unqualified people cannot give out what is known as MNT, or Medical Nutrition Therapy, but unless there is a complaint about them, if they’re not caught, nothing is done. But someone not qualified to practice nutrition in this way is just as dangerous as an MD practicing medicine who really isn’t an MD.

But what does an RD do? Many people are totally confused around this whole issue. If you have ever been in a hospital, that may be your only exposure to an RD, when they come in and give you an instruction on following a particular diet. However, dietitians work in any number of locations! Why choose an RD over a ‘nutritionist’? What if you were just diagnosed with cancer or diabetes? Who would you go to? What if you had just suffered a heart attack and would like to improve your eating habits so you don’t have another one? Who would you see? Where would you go if you just had gastric bypass? All of these are just a few examples of what you would want to see an RD for. Without a specialized education in such areas, a person can’t really address your issues and help you resolve them. In fact, these are perfect examples of how people FAIL at their attempts to take control of their lives.

When I started my first business, MEG Fitness, I provided in-home personal training and sports nutrition counseling. What made me unique was that I WAS an expert on both. As a result, I could personalize my services to meet my clients’ needs, rather than put everyone on the diet that I was following, assuming it was the best for all.

But today I no longer take fitness or nutrition clients. This is the beauty of being a dietitian! For those reading this who are considering going into dietetics, never feel you have to be ‘traditional’. In fact, my mission today is to help educate dietitians on all aspects of business, so they can more effectively compete in the market. As I am about to complete my MBA degree, my mission today is to help other health and fitness professionals make their mark on the world and enjoy entrepreneurial success. I help the public understand the value of using an RD when they need help with a nutrition-related issue, and I help trainers understand how using an RD can help enhance their businesses.

In conclusion, no matter who you are, check out the links below, and learn how you can use the services, and expertise, of an RD!

Margie

Beyond Prenatals – Food vs. Supplements and Real Advice vs. Fake Advice

Annette Colby - No More Diets! A Registered Dietitian Shares 9 Secrets to Real and Lasting Weight Loss

Ashley Colpaart – Dietitians working in food policy, a new frontier

Diana Dyer – There and Back Again: Celebration of National Dietitian Day 2009

Cheryl Harris – Me, a Gluten Free RD!

Marilyn Jess – National Registered Dietitian Day–RD Blogfest

Julie Lanford – Antioxidants for Cancer Prevention

Renata Mangrum – What I’m doing as I grow up…

Liz Marr – Fruits and Veggies for Registered Dietian Day: Two Poems

Meal Makeover Moms’ Kitchen – Family Nutrition … It’s our “Beat”

Jill Nussinow – The Registered Dietitian Lens I Look Through

Wendy Jo Petersen – March 11 is our day to shine!

Diane Preves – Registered Dietitians and the White House Forum on Health Reform

Andy Sarjahani – Dr. Seuss Tribute continued: Green Eggs and Ham and a Sustainable Food System

Rebecca Scritchfield – Big Tips from a “Big Loser”

Anthony Sepe – RD Showcase: Registered Dietitian Day, March 11, 2009

Kathy Shattler – RD Showcase for Nutri-Care Consultation

UNL-Extension, Douglas/Sarpy County – Nutrition Know How – Making Your Life Easier

Monika Woolsey – Dietitians–Can’t Do PCOS Without Them!

Monika Woolsey – In Honor of National Registered Dietitian Day

Jen Zingaro – My life as a Registered Dietitian

Sharon Salomon – http://diaryofadietingdietitian.blogspot.com/2009/03/celebrating-national-registered_10.html