It's National Nutrition Month, a favorite of dietitians. This year the theme is "enjoy the taste of eating right."  I couldn't agree more with this theme and am very happy to see such a positive branding in a message.  I sometimes joke that social medial will "kill" my profession with all the misinformation and fads out there but I'm very glad to see such a great group of dietitians promoting a successful brand this month. I am very proud to be a dietitian.  It is not easy to become one.  I repeat, it is not easy to become one. I do not repeat this for you to think I'm on a high horse.  I repeat it so you can understand that there is a BIG difference between a dietitian, health coach, nutritionist, or TV persona.  To become a dietitian one must complete a didactic program that includes Anatomy and Physiology, Organic Chemistry, Microbiology, Biochemistry, and coinciding lab work and that's the tip of the iceberg.  To be honest not only do you h...

At Kindred Nutrition we're not too keen on putting all of our eggs in one basket as a New Years Resolution.  Our goal is to help people establish lifestyle changes that are realistic and achievable so that a New Years Resolution can be more along the lines of spending more time with friends or family or taking that dream vacation.   That being said we are still aware that one of the most famous New Years Resolutions is to try a new diet.  In many ways 2013 was the year of "emerging or re-emerging diets."  Were you just as confused as we were? Below is a summary with pros and cons. Enjoy! The  Paleo  Diet The Paleolithic ( Paleo ) Diet is centered  on  the premise that if we eat like our caveman ancestors, we will lose weight and ward off disease. The “hunter/gatherer” way of life encourages the consumption of those foods that existed during the caveman days, including all meat, fish, poultry, eggs, vegetables, and fruits.  The  Pale...

I’m often surprised when  clients tell me that they are   afraid of Avocado’s .  How in the world could a fruit so versatile have ever gotten such a “bad” reputation ?   Not only does an avocado provide  natural unsaturated fats but it also acts as a nutrition booster.  You see the fat provided in the avocado helps with absorption of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, all which are very important for your immune integrity, bone strength, eyesight, and blood clotting factors. Let’s go back to that bad reputation.  My client’s have admitted it’s really the fat that makes them nervous.  Every other fruit has little to no fat.  So let’s clear some things up.  It’s important to note that the fat in the avocado is mostly monounsaturated.  Instead of getting nervous about that I think it’s a bonus!  Remember monounsaturated fat in food has been proven to lower our “lousy” or LDL cholesterol and potentially increase your “h...

I’ve got two, how about you?   Ah, I love them with all my heart but at the same time they challenge me and have taught me what the word patience truly means.   For those of you who know me, I have a 3 ½ year old boy and a 2 year old girl.   You can imagine what it is like being a dietitian and a parent.   When my children were infants I was constantly calculating their nutrition to insure they were getting enough nutrients.   I remember being so worried my first was malnourished when looking back he actually looked like Jabba the Hut.   Why could I not have just assumed he was getting what he needed from my visual assessment?   Now that my children are older, I’m constantly thinking about appropriate habits and making sure my husband and I are setting good examples to prevent any ‘issues’ in the future. I am especially obsessed with this with my daughter as eating disorders are on the rise. My biggest nutritional concern at this point is the...

Kindred Nutrition is growing!  We are pleased to announce that Carmen Roberts has joined our team of nutrition professionals as the Director of Community Outreach. Carme n  received her undergraduate degree in dietetics from James Madison University  in Virginia  and her master ’s degree in health  education  and administration  from Towson University  in Maryland .  She has over 18  years of experience in nutritional counseling, education, and program management.  Carmen’s most recent position  at  Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore included directing all nutrition education and research programs within the medical center.   She has won several awards at the state and national level for her approach to nutrition education and public healt h promotion, including the  Maryland Outstanding Dietitian of the Year Award.  Carmen has been featured in multiple media publications, appeared on s...

Lately, I've been reflecting a lot on success. Particularly on how to measure it, how to predict it, and how to promote it.  I've realized I often assess this at the very first visit with my clients and sometimes redefine it throughout the weight loss, management, performance journey.  As I've worked with thousands of clients I  can usually predict success within the first 10 minutes of meeting a new client, individual, or friend who speaks to me about their nutrition and fitness goals.  Today, I'd like to share my opinion on what promotes success in my arena and potentially in life. 1) Breed Acceptance A lot of people come to me when they are at their wits end.  They've tried everything their friends, Dr. Oz, and the woman at the grocery store told them to try and they can't lose the weight, or increase their performance, or promote muscle definition.  They are frustrated and they just know something is wrong.  Once we assess the situation, we talk...

The interwebs are abuzz about the supposedly “miraculous” Raspberry Ketone supplements. Raspberry Ketone popularity started with Dr. Oz's show in February 2012, when he nicknamed it a “miracle weight loss drug.” Some even credit Raspberry Ketones with stimulating hair growth, but for our purposes here, let’s talk about weight loss. Raspberry Ketones are derived from red raspberries. Proponents claim that the supplement will stimulate your metabolism causing weight loss. However, there are no reliable studies to prove this.   Specifically there is no scientific evidence to show how it alters metabolism to promote weight loss. There is also no scientific evidence to determine a proper dosage. If you find a study that claims otherwise, check the funding source. Most likely, that study was funded by a company who produces or funds raspberry ketone products. As far as I know, no major pharmaceutical companies are investing in Raspberry Ketone research. And it is my opinion ...