nutrition home >>

Nutrition with an Attitude

by Mary Choate, M.S., R.D.
this article was first published January, 1999

I am so pleased to be the newest member of the Co-op's Education Department. Allow me to introduce myself: I am the Food and Nutrition Educator, and I'm very excited to be at the Co-op. I'm a registered dietitian with a Master's degree in Food and Nutrition from Framingham State College in Massachusetts. Until recently, I was a clinical dietitian at Lakes Region General Hospital in Laconia, NH.

At the Co-op, I will be writing nutrition-related articles and brochures as well as developing and presenting classes. I am available to answer your nutrition and diet questions, and am developing a referral list of local nutritionists for your more detailed nutrition consultations. Are you interested in store tours or classes for certain conditions such as diabetes, cancer prevention, high blood pressure, or another subject? What nutrition related questions may I help you with? Please let me know via email: Nutrition@coopfoodstore.com, through the Co-op suggestion boxes, or call or write me at the Co-op. In the three months I have been at the Co-op, I have received excellent suggestions and questions. Your feedback helps me to plan classes and writing around the nutrition issues you feel are most important.

Open-minded Yankee Sensibility
The attitude I speak of in the title is an attitude of excitement, curiosity, and critical thinking about food and nutrition information. It's easy to become overwhelmed with nutrition messages. I hope to add a little clarity to the mountain of information regarding what we should eat.

The field of nutrition is a very dynamic one. Research in this field, as in any field of inquiry, usually builds upon previous work. For example, data revealing that a high fat diet was associated with higher rates of heart disease have been built upon by studying how much and what type of fat seems to be most harmful. In this case, we have found out that not all fats are the same and that some are actually beneficial, such as Omega-3 polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated oils like canola and olive. Others seem to be especially harmful, such as saturated fats and trans fats.

As with life in general, perspective makes it all manageable. I ask questions about a reported study or nutrition article to help put the information into context. The bottom line answers I look for when I am researching a nutrition subject (or any subject for that matter) are: is it safe, is it effective, what is validating this information? To be valid, information needs to consist of more than one opinion or study. I look for this information from a variety of sources: research, textbooks, safety information from reputable organizations, historical usage, medical, pharmaceutical, botanical, and other Internet sites. Utilizing a variety of sources is a way of seeing where the consensus and where the controversy lie. In this way, even if a piece of information is new, there is the best chance of integrating it into what is already known and to balance known and unknown benefits against known and unknown effects.

Open-mindedness plus Yankee skepticism makes for a combination that serves to shake out the ideas that need more confirming research from those which would likely bring health benefits.

Bringing It All Home
"How does all this apply to me?" is the question each of us has to ask ourselves. Your personal and family health history can help to focus your attention on that information that will be most helpful to you. Do your parents or other family members have diabetes? This would be an excellent reason for you to read up on what you can do to limit your risk through proper diet and exercise. Has heart disease or cancer been prevalent in your family? Your risk of developing these diseases may also be decreased by including certain foods in your diet and limiting others.

Your lifestyle is an important consideration. Most of us are very over-scheduled. No time to eat the recommended minimum of five fruits and vegetables each day? Planning snacks such as an apple, banana, or pear, or a handful of baby carrots, or sweet pepper slices can add important servings of fruits and vegetables to your day without taking a lot of time. Are three servings of high calcium foods an unrealistic goal for you? A calcium and vitamin D supplement may fill in the gap.

Who has time to think about nutrition? You may not have the time to read books and studies about nutrition. It is important to give some thought to what you eat to fuel your body, but it does not have to take a lot of effort. My articles and brochures will help to give you concise, dependable, realistic, and current nutrition information.