Again I am prompted to comment on the information spread by people who have no education or background in nutrition science. Apparently an actress just shared on her new TV show that grapes are fattening and that if you scoop out the inside from a bagel that you get rid of the ‘bad’ calories.

Interesting. I’d LOVE to hear your comments about this!

Then here are my questions:
1. Do you believe either of these statements?

2. What would lead you to believe (or not believe) either of these statements?

We’ll go from there after I get feedback. Just curious.

Margie

Time and time again, I hear from emerging entrepreneurs who want to start their own businesses in health or fitness. And more often than I’d like, I also hear the comments, “I should…”

This was a recent discussion on one of my listservs, in fact: The person was saying she should offer this and offer that because that’s what the physicians would want.

Oh my. BIG mistake taking this route! Why? Because if you do what you THINK you should do, two things are likely to happen: First, you won’t see the success you envision, and second, it won’t be too long before you dread what you do. So, instead of living your dream with your own business, you’ve just traded a job that bored you to a business that drags you down.

What is the answer? Here are three keys to success that you can’t go wrong with.

#1 – Focus on your passion! Stop thinking about what you SHOULD be doing. What excites you? What motivates you to get up in the morning? What leaves you energized by the end of the day? For me, I LOVE empowering people and when they leave a coaching call energized and motivated and with ACTIONS for moving forward, I have achieved my life passion. When I hear from clients who are literally living their dreams, my work has been complete.

#2 – Focus on your vision. What do you want to ultimately create? One big area that gets new entrepreneurs bogged down is when they start to see opportunities at every turn. Then they want to do EVERYTHING! But, before you do anything else, get very clear what it is you want to create and then continue to ask yourself, ‘does this help me achieve that goal right now?’ If the answer is yes, great, go for it! If the answer is no, add it to your ‘opportunity list’ and leave it for later. As an example, one goal I just achieved was completing my MBA degree. At the same time I started school, I started to increase presentations. Something QUICKLY became apparent. Something had to go. So, I put aside growing my speaking career for after I completed school. NOW I am focused on my public speaking gigs.

#3 – Learn to say no! Oh yea, this is a biggie for most of my clients. In fact, we often will end up with EXERCISES on how to say no. And, the great thing is how free-ing it is for them! If this is an issue for you, practice it! An example would be to practice saying “no” at least 5 times in the upcoming week. Remember #2? If it doesn’t help you achieve your goal right now, it’s ok to say no! Now, HOW to say no without totally closing the door: You can say this doesn’t fit with my plans right now, but do please consider me the next time (or in the future, or I’ll get back to you when…). Although fear may lead you think you HAVE to say yes to everything, it ends up filling your time with things you are NOT currently passionate about acheiving, and prevents you from doing what you love.

What happens when you aren’t doing what you love? It shows! But, when you are doing what brings out your passion, that shows to, and people gravitate to you. And, when it comes down to it, you want to have your own business for success, fulfillment and enjoyment. Dragging through the day isn’t going to make that happen.

Margie

Come check out how I can help you move forward: http://www.meg-enterprises.com

Due to some recent national TV appearances by people who call themselves nutritionists, which have included inaccurate, and down-right wrong information, a colleague went to work to collect videos from registered dietitians around the country who have done TV interviews. Since this was my last topic, I though I’d go ahead and share those interviews on my blog! But as I watched them, I also realized how educational they will be for those of you who watch them! As a consequence, I then did a little more research on my own, in order to add to the list.

So, do spend time watching the particular topics that interest you, to not only learn something new (which we all try to do, right?), but to also take away tips to help improve your life, and also get a better sense of the role dietitians play in helping people learn how to apply the science of nutrition to your own life.

Now, I again want to point out that although there is no standard for someone calling themselves a nutritionist, before either accepting what they say OR ruling them out, do a little checking of your own. Did they graduate from an accredited university with a degree in nutrition, or did they just find a certification program? We are talking about your health, here, so don’t fall prey to someone who says you have to avoid this or that, because of their own mis-information and lack of education.

Curious about gluten-free? Check out http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/food_coach&id=6358243.

What about information on pregnancy? Check out http://www.abc15.com/content/living/yourhealth/story/Pregnant-5-health-nutrition-myths-busted/Wz8Sqx1qCUued8bTH6h3hw.cspx.

With the holidays just around the corner, check this one out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CybyhlV1OR4.

Have young children or picky kids? Watch this; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjcu4nOXR5M.

Curious about fish oil supplements? Then you need to watch this one; http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/food_coach&id=6698760.

Curious about nutrition needs for teens? Watch this; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sGoUk5E7c8.

Starting to wonder about Halloween candy? Here is a segment from last year to help; http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6118955

Good segment on eating to prevent cancer http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5620219.

Happy watching!

Margie

Do you know the difference between a registered dietitian and a nutritionist? Chances are, unless you ARE one of either, you do not. But as a professional, you really should, especially if you decide you want the HELP from one!

I like to describe it this way: First, anyone can call themselves a ‘nutritionist’. It really has no meaning. Granted, people who call themselves nutritionists often claim that they focus on the physiology of nutrition where a registered dietitian just focuses on food or providing patients meals in a hospital.

Well, that makes me laugh, because before you can even QUALIFY to become an RD, one of the requirements is at least a bachelor’s degree.  So, would it even be possible that if someone were to get a bachelor’s degree in nutrition that the physiology of nutrition would NOT be covered? Quite often, in fact, a person who calls themselves a nutritionist may not have ANY education beyond a certification.  A certification can come from any type of program, from an online course to something more intense. But a certification cannot be accepted at face value without researching what is required.  However, saying you have a certification as a nutritionist would be like a physical therapist or a nurse or even a doctor practicing with just a certification, but people don’t really think in those terms, because we all eat!

So, I like to say that a registered dietitian is a nutritionist with the education and experience to help people learn how to apply information to their own lives. The difference, then, is further education.

This does not go to say that if a person did get their degree in nutrition and chose to NOT go the extra mile to become an RD isn’t as qualified! The difference between the two is the RD has much more experience, due to the 1,200 hours of practical internship, than the person who didn’t take it to the next level. And, if a person chose to teach, they would be just as qualified with their PhD in nutrition as the RD. This may also be the case if the person chooses to be involved in research.

So, when you read information about nutrition, ask yourself what qualifies that person to write. If you watch someone who calls themselves a ‘nutritionist’ on TV, ask yourself what really is the background of this person. Don’t take it at face value when someone tells you not to eat fruit for dessert or avoid all soy products. Do your research and find out just what the knowledge and education level is of that person who says such things. Just as you would do your research if you were looking for a surgeon, you should also do your research when listening to people telling you what to put into your body.

Jeff Bland says that we are a generation of human gineau pigs; we believe everything we say without questioning it. I feel that’s the case when someone tells me, “OH, I heard the lady on TV say we shouldn’t drink milk because it will kill us!”

Sigh. And the next experiment is on!

Margie

Many professionals are incredible at what they do! But some struggle with maintaining a healthy weight, which can lead them to feel less successful than they actually are.

Green Mountain at Fox Run is an incredible facility to help women learn how to live in peace with their bodies, and learn how to improve their health in a supportive, healthy way, rather than drastic dieting or guilt trips.

Green Mountain falls into the category of “adult weight loss camps”, but it’s much, much more. Here is the link to learn more about it: http://www.fitwoman.com/

So, I could write more, but I think my colleague Monika Woolsey does a much better job. To read what she has to say, click here

Even if you really don’t have a lot of weight to lose, but are looking for an experience of caring and self-discovery, Green Mountain is the place for you!

Margie

There has been a lot of discussion among nutrition professionals, lately about the wealth of inaccurate nutrition information being spread by the media. The problem is the media doesn’t know any better than the public!

Why would the media do such a thing? Do they do this when looking for someone to discuss medical issues? Nope; they contact an MD. Do they do this when discussing teeth? Nope; they contact a DDS or other dental professional.

But when it comes to nutrition, it seems that if someone reads a lot of books or takes some certification program (as many people do to list their qualifications to call themselves a ‘nutritionist’), or just decides to call themselves a ‘nutritionist’, or even today a ‘nutrition coach’, then they are suddenly the person asked to speak to an audience that could be in the millions!

YIKES!

I have shared links of dietitians who have shown up on national shows on Twitter, but not everyone is on Twitter, so I’ll share a couple of them, here:

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8295838

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=8278705

As a result of the discussions I mentioned above, another colleague finally had enough and felt compelled to write a blog on the issue, which is here: http://tinyurl.com/p27obu.

What is the point to all of this? My point is that as a business professional, you may not know what is really accurate nutrition information and what isn’t. When a ‘nutritionist’ comes onto a national show and gives advice, some of the advice may be just a bit off. Will it harm you? Probably not. But it also may cause you to change your eating habits that COULD actually put your health at risk!

If someone tells you to eat avocado every day for lunch, instead of a balanced meal, I again cringe. I LOVE avocados, but unless you’re working to GAIN weight, I would NOT suggest you eat a whole one every day. Yes, it’s a healthy fat, but it IS all fat! A fat serving is 1/8th of an avocado, which is 45 calories. This means you will eat an extra 360 calories a day if you ate a whole one each day. At that rate, you could gain a pound of weight in 9 days!

And I’ll use another one of of these issues as an example: Fruit. Does it matter WHEN you eat fruit? NO! What’s most important is you EAT it! Now, maybe YOU can’t eat fruit at certain times, like after a meal, but rather than promoting that eating fruit after a meal will slow down digestion (which is mis-information), you need to determine if eating fruit for YOU causes you problems after a meal.

Now, before I get tons of complaints about disparaging the term ‘nutritionist’, let me end by saying that there IS such a thing as a ‘qualified’ nutritionist. Do your homework. Someone who has taken a certification program is NOT anyone I would want providing nutrition information to any family member or friend of mine. But, not everyone decides to take the next steps and become a registered dietitian after getting a degree in nutrition from a QUALIFIED educational program, which is fine. More important is, what do I mean by qualified? A correspondence school is NOT a qualified educational program. A bachelor’s degree or above in nutrition would be a qualified program.

How do you know if a person is someone you should listen to? Look at where they went to school and what their experience is. If they said they attended a particular school, check out the school! It should be an accredited school in the educational system, not some little hole-in-the-wall that provided a diploma.

I’ve love to hear your comments!

Margie

Recently there has been a lot of discussion about the acai berry. It is showing up in a lot of MLM products and has become the next ‘miracle’ product, that will provide cures for whatever you can imagine.

I don’t always have the time to really research such thing when they come up. And most, honestly, eventually die out a natural death (remember the Atkins diet??), but colleague and registered dietitian Lisa Harkins shared the results of her own research in an article she wrote.

It was so good that I asked her if I could post it! So, enjoy reading the REAL scoop on acai berry.

The amazing (?) acai berry…

By Lisa Harkins, RD

Wondering what the fuss is about the itty bitty acai berry? Does your neighbor order Mona Vie by the case load? What IS it about this puny purple fruit?

No question about it, the acai berry (or Euterpe oleraceae Mart for you botanists) DOES have powerful antioxidant properties, that is, the phytochemicals in its pulp scavenge free-radicals, molecules known to damage cells and cause mutations. But what makes it better than a glass of red wine? Or a half a cup of berries in your smoothie? That my friends, is up for debate.

In a 2007 study by Schauss et al, researchers found that the acai berry had “the highest antioxidant activity of any food reported to date”, as well as significant anti-inflammatory and immunity benefits, and concluded it could have serious potential in disease prevention. Jensen et al reported scientifically significant results in a 2008 study regarding antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in the acai berry blend juice Mona Vie. Note though, Mona Vie supplied the product used, and the study only included a mere 12 (healthy) human subjects.

Now the flip side. In a study published in 2005, researchers lead by Lichtenthaler compared the total oxidant scavenging capabilities of 11 different acai pulp varieties and found that although the berry scored high on certain tests, it failed to perform on others, leading the team to believe that there was something else in the pulp not yet identified that was responsible for the free-radical foiling. Seeram et al published their study in 2008 that bluntly stated the acai berry wasn’t quite the antioxidant wunderkind it was cracked up to be. In fact, plain old Concord grape juice beat the berry when run through four standardized antioxidant potency tests.

So what’s the deal? To drink or not to drink? Acai berries have potent potential as a powerful preventive. But so do a lot of other foods that are widely available and far less costly. Mona Vie can cost consumers up to $40 per week per individual based on suggested consumption (two ounces in the morning, two ounces in the evening). You could put two tablespoons of blueberries on your cereal for seven mornings for about $3.00.

As a registered dietitian, I am all for people increasing their intake of foods that contain antioxidants due to the overwhelming amount of evidence supporting their health benefits. But I believe (along with many other respected health professionals), that eating the whole food itself (versus in juice or supplement form) is the best way to take advantage of these benefits. Although certain compounds have been identified and isolated as antioxidants, the other substances within the whole food itself may also play a part in the prevention of disease. So enjoy your Mona Vie, but drink it with a big salad, some lentil soup, a slice of whole grain bread, and cup of fresh fruit!

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So, what is the bottom line? All things in moderation and make sure you understand where you are spending your money!

Margie

You’re busy. Business is going well. And you’re running all the time! But, we all know you have to eat!

What happens with so many people is they rush from here to there, seldom taking time to focus on their health.

But, with farmers markets springing up everywhere, spring is a great time to take a break, refresh your spirit, refresh your mind… and refresh your dietary habits!

How many fruits and veggies do YOU eat each day?? Did you realize that you should AT LEAST be eating 5 servings per day? Now, I still hear people say, “Oh, I’ll gain weight if I do that!”, but this is totally the opposite. Try it and see!

My challenge for you today is to start increasing your fruit and veggie intake, today! It’s spring; you have no more excuses that there isn’t any produce available. Take a break and hit one of the local farmers markets. And, to introduce you to what it would be like to visit one, along with tips on how to keep that produce fresh once you take it home, check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkTS5CrA34U.

Let’s hear what YOU had to eat, now! I’m off to make my salad for lunch…

Margie