Organic fruits and veggies have recently gained more popularity in grocery stores and American diets, but do we know why to buy organic? If you think that organic produce is more nutritious, stop right there. There is no research that says organic produce contains any more nutrition than conventional produce. (organic and conventional oranges have the same calories and vitamin C) However, organic is healthier. The difference is that organic produce contains minimal pesticide residue, while other produce has been raised under biochemical treatments. As the world becomes more scientifically advanced we find more economical ways to produce food. I realize this is a very controversial topic, so allow me to highlight the key points and you can decide what is right for you.

Pesticides allow farmers to raise crops that have more predictable harvest and higher yields. This means consumers have access to more fruits and vegetables throughout the year, and at a reasonable cost. They’re regulated by government agencies: EPA, FDA, and USDA, who have determined what is a “safe limit” for pesticide exposure. What consumers should know is that there has been research linking pesticides to developmental challenges in infants and children. Therefore women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should eat organic whenever possible, as should children. There has also been research linking certain cancers to high levels of pesticides injested over a lifetime. So although it may not be realistic to consume organic 100% of the time, minimizing exposure does have its health benefits.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

• Vary your fruits and veggies. Good for well-balanced nutrition and lowering pesticide exposure.
• Rinse thoroughly before eating. Even pre-washed produce.
• Choose organic for produce typically high in pesticides: apples, grapes, peaches, pears, green beans, spinach, bell peppers,  squash
• Buy local produce. Grocery stores carry produce from outside the U.S., but we have no way of regulating their use of pesticides.

By: Laura Hunter, Guest Blogger

As I mentioned in part I of my “Play on Hockey and Nutrition Series: The Blackhawks’ Great D-Fender”, I credit a nutritious super D-Fender, Vitamin D, as being a possible contribution to the Chicago Blackhawk’s 2010 Stanley success. But let’s get back to MY favorite hockey team, The Washington Capitals. Do I blame the Capitals’ loss in the first round of playoffs to the Montreal Canadiens on nutritional deficiencies?

Well…as one person brilliantly tweeted, the Capitals may have suffered from Halaktose Intolerance.

Not to be alarmed; only hockey players can suffer from this extremely rare dairy allergy. It spontaneously occurs when the opposing team’s net has difficulty digesting goals and is exclusively associated with exposure to the the sometimes STELLAR goaltending skills of Montreal’s (now former) goalie, Jaroslav Halak.

Being so, getting enough Vitamin D levels from fortified milk was CERTAINLY out of the question. Considering that the other source of Vitamin D is from sun exposure, I might propose take some necessary recovery time this summer by sun bathing on the National Mall. But really, I don’t have any business explaining why the Capitals lost this season (I’ll leave that to the experts) and nor am I disappointed in their performance. These things just happen. Additionally, the Caps seem to keep their refrigerators and pantries as impeccable as their physiques (please refer to Brooks Laich’s edition of “The Caps Cribs” …my good gosh, only “kinda a healthy guy”…right…as if you’re only KINDA attractive.)

The Caps' #21 Center & Healthy Guy Brooks Laich

I’m fully aware that they don’t need any advice from an aspiring dietitian, but I rarely keep my opinions so myself to here is my “twenty cents” worth of advice. Since the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup this year, as well as beating the caps to the more prestigious title of the “The First Vitamin D team in Modern Sports History”…I’m going to carve the Caps their own nutritional niche and propose that they become:

“The first Antioxidant Team in Hockey History.” I think it has a nice ring to it…

Vitamin D isn’t the only health all-star a hockey team wants on their bench to improve overall health and performance. Antioxidants are naturally occurring compounds in whole foods that aid the cells of the body in fighting free radical damage, also known as the process of oxidation. Oxidative damage in the body occurs due to free radicals. Free radicals are formed when a cell or molecule loses electrons, causing it to have an odd unpaired number of electrons. This “reactive oxygen species” seeks stability and will steal electrons from the nearest stable molecules to become “whole” or stable. Once electrons have been “stolen,” a domino effect is then underway, wreaking havoc on other cells in the body (in chemical terms causing the loss of a cells’ electron balance). This can cause nasty things in the body, such as certain types of cancer caused from DNA damage, inflammation & arthritis, loss of eyesight, and decreased cognitive function.

It is proposed that athletes eat a diet rich in antioxidants because prolonged exercise accelerates free radical damage. But on the opposing front, the effects of oxidation itself certainly have a metaphorical function in the game of hockey. The Capitals are by far the best team in the league at applying this principle because they’ve got ELEMENT 8. In the real world, I’m referring to Capital’s Captain number 8, Alexander Ovechkin. In my world he’s called “ALEXANDER OXVECHYGEN.” I’m also positive there’s been a radical shift in periodic tables across the globe & some international community of mad scientists have added a few letters to element 8 (formerly known as Oxygen) in order to honor “The Greight One (but again, that COULD just be me…).

Number 8-The Most ESSENTIAL Element;)

Sure, Oxvechygen’s “free radical” style targets both goal cells & deteriorates the game of other teams pretty nicely. I can even use the Blackhawks as an example; they suffered from electron imbalance after Ovechkin’s epic (& painful to watch) blow to defenseman Brian Campbell on March 14^th, ending his play in the regular season. As we saw, however, Campbell’s own experience with “oxvechkination” didn’t keep him out of the game for long and he was able to return to the Blackhawks in game four of the Stanley Cup Finals. (hmm did super d-fender vitamin D play a role in firing up his game & his health again?…maybe!).

What I’m trying to imply is that the Capitals might be relying to heavily on “Oxvechygen” and may want to bring to bring some antioxidants on the bench to fulfill my proposed goal for next season. I didn’t even need look too far outside of the Capitals themselves to come up with some punny nutritious power players…

1. Rock the Red (Foods). The capitals wear red, and they indeed rock it well. Lucky for them, many RED foods are brimming with antioxidants that help boost hockey health and athletic performance.

Yum! Cherry Smoothie from Choose Cherries!

• Cherry Juice: The Capitals could have flipped on DC Dietitian Rebecca Scritchfield’s segment on MYFOXDC to learn that Cherry Juice contains powerful antioxidants called anthocyanins that aid muscles in improving recovery time and endurance.

• Red HOT Chile Peppers: Red peppers are packed with the antioxidant CAPSaicin. According to Kerri Glassman, author of The O₂ Diet, Capsaicin can be used topically to reduce pain from injury (Glassman, 18). Additionally, capsaicin has been found to improve joint mobility, which is especially necessary for creating a red brick wall out of a goalie. According to bloggers’ extraordinaire The Caps Lock, this is one “situation” where the team could stand to make a few improvements.

Eating a Ghost Pepper (the hottest & most CAPS packed red pepper)

1.Needs More Broccoli. Everybody knows that the Caps “needs more Bradley” (I’m referring to the frequent outpourings of love for WAY under-used cult-hero, Matt Bradley ) …but the Caps can also gain a lot from employing another B-liner, due to broccoli’s superior antioxidant composition.

You need more of Bradley AND Broccoli!

• Indole-3-Carbinol: The name of this phytochemical itself even sounds scary…and the bonuses of having this disease fighting moniker on your side is even scarier. According to Men’s Health, the compound helps reduce estrogen levels in males. Synergizing my own thoughts with the Washington Examiner’s Capital’s Reporter Michael Hoffman , the Capitals could take some pointers from the Blackhawks & The Philadelphia Flyers by upping the aggression & fear factor of the team’s defense. Another point is that players should be more belligerent in terms of charging the net to boost scoring. Indole-3-Carbinol ladies and gentlemen…it even comes with a number.

2. Leafy Greens. The last, (but certainly not least) spot on this nutritious hat trick goes to leafy Greens. Not only synonymous with the name of my first favorite Capital’s defenseman, but also with some of my favorite vegetables (spinach & kale) as well as some potent benefits to hockey health and well being due to their antioxidant composition.

• Lutein : A member of the carotenoid family, Lutein has been found to promote eye health and protection. It mainly helps to prevent cataracts and macular degeneration, but I am being punny here and my favorite Caps star could have used a little bit of extra protection in the orbital area this season (I’m SO sorry Brooks). Only in my wildest dreams can I Imagine that Brooks Laich was pounding back bowls of spinach after his own near-vision loss experience of receiving a puck to the face during practice (good g-d why is it always the pretty ones??). This incident put Mr. Laich on the bench for two games. Fortunately, this “kinda” healthy guy made he return debut just in time for my first Capitals game (and I of course welcomed him back with that Glitter-bombed sign I mentioned earlier…like a boss).

The Iced Out Sign

Do I expect the Washington Capitals to take my advice and become the “First Antioxidant Team in Hockey History?” Doubtful. Will I bet absurd amounts of money and my stockpile of organic produce that I will be celebrating the Caps victorious beer “refueling” after winning the 2011 Stanley Cup? ABSOLUTELY!

But first things first—we’ve got the Winter Classic against the Pittsburgh Penguins on New Years Day. So eat up your antioxidants Caps! Hopefully I’ll be there with an iced-out sign, cheering for the “Oxvechkination” of number 8’s antagonist, Sid-the-Kid Crosby.

This post follows “A Play on Hockey and Nutrition Part I: The Blackhawks’ Great D-Fender ,” originally posted on Green Grapes Blog.

I would like to extend my gratitude to RD Corinne Dobbas for her  insights on the post!

Thanks to Kevin for his ideas, insider’s knowledge, and helping hockey make sense to me (a continual challenge)!

A special thanks must be given to Lester Averman for his help & supreme Capitals’ expertise.

And  of course my favorite members of the capstwackle & blogosphere!

Questions and  comments are always appreciated! You can leave them on the site or email Laura directly at lauraelizabeth.huner@gmail.com

Laura Hunter, Guest Blogger

A version of this blog was originally posted on Green Grapes Blog: special thanks to Corinne for her amazing inspiration & insights as well as the opportunity to guest post on one of my favorite nutrition blogs! This is my “expanded narrative” version (would it be like me to NOT have one?)) & segue to Part II: A Loyal Fan’s Nutritious Suggestions for the Washington Capitals , so stay tuned for more health & hockey goodness!

Any die-hard sports fan knows you cannot predict your team’s future.

If you’re a rookie in that arena, unfortunately, it takes time to catch on to the potential paradox of upset victories and choking defeats.

Even the most heavily favored team can fall victim to David and his slingshot… just ask Tom Brady.

As you know, I have an aspiring career in the fields of public health and nutrition. You might have also picked up on the fact that I have (what has been described as) a “vivacious enthusiasm” for the National Hockey League’s (NHL) finest team, The Washington Capitals. I’m a pretty big fan of the sport of hockey in general and I first started to love and “rock the red” during my undergrad years at American University, which is located in the heart of “The Capital’s Land.”

I certainly wouldn’t have predicted that I would be praising any team BUT the Caps for victoriously exhibiting the art of nutritious “refueling” by drinking carb-packed beer out of the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately, dreams of that post died with the Cap’s gut-wrenching 1^st round Stanley Cup play-offs elimination to the Montreal Canadiens. This one goes to the Chicago Blackhawks.

I would be remiss if I failed to tell you that I hadn’t heard the prediction of the Blackhawks’ victory before playoffs began. While discussing possible cup contenders with my friend Kevin, a veteran of the ice since the age of 7 & an NHL fan career to match, Kevin implied that my predication of an unquestionable Capitals’ victory was shot too high above the net and assertively forecasted the Blackhawks’ glory.

There’s narcissistic and then there is “capcissictic,” and I can be described by both terms. There was no way I was siding with him on this one.

Looking at the facts, the Caps were going into the playoffs with the NHL’s President’s Trophy under their belt, which is awarded to the team who scores the most points during the regular season. The acquisition of the President’s Trophy was no doubt supported by a slightly surpassing “puck bunny status” fan who showed up with a glitter & puff-paint masterpiece of a sign at her first Capital’s game (automatic karma boost). I found the Capital’s (MAJOR—in my mind) 9-point lead over the 3^rdranked Hawks to be indicative of an EASY victory over the Blackhawks if it came down to the opposing conference teams during finals.

After the Capitals’ aforementioned defeat, I switched my playoffs hockey allegiance from the Capitals’ Eastern Conference to the Blackhawks’ Western Conference. I put my money down on the San Jose Sharks & didn’t think the Blackhawks would make it out of the Shark Tank alive.

Who didn’t think that the Blackhawk’s sight line for goal scoring wouldn’t have been obstructed residual fog from San Jose’s majestic fog-spewing Shark Head entrance? I didn’t.

In the end, one of us made the better call. The NHL’s top honors this season went to the Blackhawks after a 4:3 Victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in game 6 of the final series of the play-offs. I eventually jumped on the Blackhawks’ bandwagon. I even lauded the teeth-shattering defense of Duncan Keith, as well as Patrick Kane’s (mullet propelled? maybe?) series winning goal. Despite the fact that Blackhawks’ goal-scoring theme song Chelsea Dagger now holds the top spot on my “gym jamz” playlist, my thoughts on the Blackhawk’s victory are best described as bittersweet. Fortunately, I found some “Comfort Food for the Capital’s Soul” in my own line of study.

Blackhawks Victorious!

The Blackhawk’s had super D-fender on their side. Of course I’m referring to an all ready well known all star in the game of nutrition; Vitamin D.

Recently, I came across a statement put out by the executive director of the the Vitamin D Council , Dr. John Jacob Cannell, citing the Chicago Blackhawks as “The First Vitamin D team in Modern Professional Sports History”, which was released slightly before the Blackhawk’s won the Stanley Cup. Linked to the article was a review of research by Cannell explaining the relationship between having adequate Vitamin D levels and enhanced athletic performance. Apparently, the Blackhawks’ team doctors exhibited stellar use of nutrition detective work and diagnostics after supplementing players with 5,000 IU (International Units) of Vitamin D per day after blood tests revealed that the entire team was deficient in the crucial micronutrient. Whether or not an individual is deficient in the blood is determined by the amount of 25-dihydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), the major circulating form of vitamin D. Symptoms of deficiency are now thought by some researchers to manifest at blood levels below 50 ng/dL , while  sufficient blood levels were once thought to be between 10-40 ng/dL. According to Harvard’s School of Public Health, “The Institute of Medicine’s recommended intake of vitamin D is 200 IU up to age 50, 400 IU between the ages of 51 and 70, and 600 IU after age 70. [This] recommendation is under review and will likely increase, since strong evidence shows optimal intakes are much higher, at least 1,000-2,000 IU for those over age 2.” For the Blackhawks, 5,000 IU was chosen as the appropriate amount of supplementation because they were deficient and research suggests that consuming up to this level is optimal for promoting health and increasing athletic performance.

Vitamin D Metabolism

Great work, Blackhawks, for being on the cutting edge of nutrition and scientific research!

Vitamin D levels are determined by food intake (good sources include: fortified milk, eggs, & mushrooms; oily fish) and sun exposure. Cannell cites that athletes are at particular risk for deficiency due to prolonged amounts of time spent indoor arenas. It doesn’t take a genius to come to the conclusion that ice and sunlight don’t mix, thus making Vitamin D deficiency particularly a concern for hockey players (just think of Capitals’ star defenseman Mike Green and & that Geico commercial …he was on the ice the WHOLE TIME).

Vitamins D has been traditionally viewed as calcium’s tag-team partner in the process of bone mineralization. It is now seen as being a power player in promoting health beyond the bones. New lines of evidence that suggest that vitamin D plays a role as an anti-carcinogen, aids the body in fighting infections, stimulates wound healing, bolsters the immune system, hinders cognitive degeneration, and promotes cardiovascular health. These are all things you want to run smoothly, especially when your job description includes hooking, slashing, body-checking, penalty kills, and (my personal favorite) dropping the gloves & fisticuffs (hey, it’s in the name…).

I find Irony in my Peace Signs

But let’s get further into the why the Blackhawk’s newly acquired man on D-fense was possibly so critical to this season’s victory.

Cannell has reviewed much of the new lines of evidence suggesting that maintenance of the suggested vitamin D levels is crucial for enhancing athletic performance and keeping players on top of their game. In short, this is due to Vitamin D’s apparent ability to:

-Increase speed

-Improve balance

-Improved reaction time

-Increase both muscle mass & strength

-Promote  healing & prevent neuromuscular injuries

I myself have never hit the ice in a hockey game (the results would be terrifying), but my panel of hockey expertise agreed with me that these were all crucial to the sport that requires incredible amounts of endurance, precision, power, and agility. Cannell credits Vitamin D’s role in athletic performance due to the fact that it acts as a natural steroid hormone (no, not THOSE steroids) in the body, known as a secosteroid, which functions similarly to the sex hormone testosterone in the body in terms of promoting wrought muscle mass, raging manliness, and the bane of feminine existence (but I have give +’s & –‘s to both “steroid hormones.”)

In conclusion, I am impressed by the Chicago Blackhawks’ supposed use of an unconventional approach to improving athletic performance based on evidence that the team was deficient in a vitamin that is both critical to health as well as athletic performance. Do I think it’s the only reason the Blackhawk’s success this season? Absolutely not; but I study public health and nutrition, so this is the only one I can actually understand. Cannell stakes himself that athletic performance is depends on “innate ability, training, and dedication,” and I’m pretty sure both players and coaches of the NHL more or less have that covered. But the discussed benefits of having vitamin D levels might just give a hockey team that extra boost in regard to charging the net, turning a goalie into a brick wall, improving the efficiency of shots on goal, boosting bone crunching & blood spillage, amping up the power-play, and OF COURSE STRIKING FEAR IN THE HEART OF THE OPPONENT!

Did I forget to mention riotous playoff beards & mullet growth?…oh that too;)

***Please note that even though the Blackhawks supposedly took 5,000 IU of Vitamin D, I am not implying that you should lace up your skates and do the same. We have safety issues to consider here! In extremely high doses, hundreds of thousands of IUs or more, Vitamin D can be toxic. You must talk with your doctor before increasing consumption of Vitamin D.” For the average adult, new research suggests that optimal intake is much higher than the DRIs. Acccording to Harvard’s School of Public Health, “taking up to 2,000 IU per day as a supplement is safe. Some people may need 3,000 or 4,000 IU per day for adequate blood levels, particularly if they have darker skin, spend winters at higher latitudes (such as the northern U.S.), or have little exposure to direct sunlight. If you fall into one of these groups, ask your doctor to order a vitamin D blood test.”***

If you would like more info on vitamin D and vitamin D deficiency, please refer to the The Vitamin D Council ’s website and Harvard’s Nutrition Source ’s article on “Vitamin D and Health.”

ps: special thanks to my panel of hockey  & and sports-writing experts!

Continue to Part II: “Healthy Suggestions for the Washington Capitals“

In this video, Cheryl shares one of her recipes from the book, a Grilled Shrimp Salad with an Avocado Aioli The avocado aioli has over 20 vitamins and minerals and the “good” fats - heart healthy, unsaturated fats. With help from avocados and greek yogurt, the luscious and creamy quality of the aioli gives you a nutrient dense alternative to the typical bottled creamy dressing high in saturated fat.

The Avocado Aioli can even be used in several ways:

• as a creamy sandwich spread — It would be delicious with a few slices of turkey, tomatoes, and cucumber. Yum!
• a thick veggie dip — chomp on red pepper, celery, and zucchini strips
• thinned out with water for an amazing salad dressing — try it with Cheryl’s recipe or your favorite salad

If you love BL or are just looking for a quality nutrition plan that focuses on good foods that do good for your body, Six Weeks to a Healthier You is a great pick up!

Watch Cheryl’s video demonstrating the avocado aioli.

Want to see Cheryl’s recipe? Visit www.theamazingavocado.com/recipes/recipes-from-cheryl/

Want to learn more about Cheryl? Visit her website: www.cherylforberg.com

Small Changes, Lifelong Result
With Shelly’s wellness makeover, it was about making small changes that she would be sure to keep instead of a huge change at the start. Consistency and moderation were also very important during this time to make sure to stay on the ‘wellness wagon’.

Patience is a Virtue
Shelly was beginning to become impatient at month two, but the first six months are bound to feel awkward when you make a change. With her weight loss at twenty pounds in two months, she was right on track, exercising two times per week and attending Zumba three times per week.

“Small Change” Ideas
One suggestion for a small healthy change was to decrease the intake of added sugars in beverages by adding a small amount of 100% fruit juice to water, or drinking Fruit2O. Some great snack ideas, 200 calories or less, included a palm full of walnuts or a cup of Greek yogurt with a quarter cup of berries. Shelly is doing a great job!

Watch the Video

Ever wonder how Italians stay so slim? Do you imagine them sauntering over luxurious 5 course meals of fresh pasta, cured meats, cheeses, and wine? Well that’s what I envision when I think of Italy, that and beautiful Tuscan landscapes dotted with sunflower fields.  The mediterranean diet seems like one where you can eat all of the above and still lose weight. I often wonder if Italian women even own scales, have gym memberships, or ever fret about their wasteline.

After spending two fabulous weeks in Italy, and experiencing food culture at it’s finest, I learned something new: Italian women don’t eat heaping plates of pasta every day! They do own scales and gym memberships, and they are always watching their weight. Wow! Sounds a lot like Americans.

One evening at dinner, our table full of men ordered never-ending antipasti. It was phenominal and it just kept coming; smoked mushrooms, deep fried cheeseballs, bean purées, proscutto, salami, creamy mozarella, I could go on and on. On top of that we each ordered an entrée (in Italy this is either meat or pasta. There is no Weight Watchers menu). There was food galore, and all of it was to die for. However, the Italian woman dining with us skipped the antipasti, and for an entrée she had a simple broiled steak and a glass of wine. For the first time it occurred to me, as I indulged in all the fabulousness, that Italian women do make a conscious effort to maintain their figures.

While in Bologna I had a one-on-one cooking class with a very sweet and interesting woman, Maribel. I learned how to make traditional Bolognese tortellini starting with just flour and eggs. We hand-rolled all the pasta, made the filling from scratch, and while enjoying the fruits of our labor, and a bottle of sparking wine, we visited for several hours. She and I enjoyed lots of conversation about cooking, nutrition, and our different cultures. It truly was one of the best days of my vacation. One of the things she taught me was that Italian women have to balance wellness just like anybody else. She cooks traditional Italian in the home, but is also constantly looking to cook healthier dishes. She prepares lots of vegetable entrées in order to limit the family’s meat intake and incorporate more soy or legume protein, and she works out regularly. In addition to riding a bike everywhere, which is the primary means of transportation in Bologna, she runs. Physical activity is prevalent in Itlay. It’s just a way of life.

One thing that has always attracted me to Italian cooking is the simplicity. Dishes are traditional, passed down from each generation, mother to daughter, and for centuries were never recorded. They cook regional foods, using only fresh ingredients that are available throughout the year. In Bologna food is commonly seasoned with sage and parsley. The Emiglia-Romagna region is famous for their egg noodles and tortellini, as well as being home to parmasan cheese, proscutto and mortadella cured meats, balsamic vinegar, and ragù. Meals are very much about taking time to enjoy food and enjoy companionship, be it family or friends. I think having an active lifestyle and really savoring a fabulous meal is key to the Mediterranean diet and what makes the Italian food relationship work so well.

If I learned anything from Italians it was this: Don’t waste your time eating something mediocre, and no matter how hungry you are slow down to appreciate the moment. Have you enjoyed a meal lately?

I spent a lot of time in high school doing broadcast journalism. I loved writing scripts and being on air—but I always had a teleprompter or time to prepare. My rainy Monday started off joining Rebecca and Shelly as they checked in on “Let’s Talk Live” to update the show’s viewer’s on the third week of Shelly’s Wellness Makeover. Over the last week, Rebecca and Shelly had been working on eating out—a real challenge for clients who are trying to lose weight. The show is in talk show format, meaning the anchor drives the interview, and Rebecca was to follow her lead.

When I learned about the programming, my mind was racing. How were Rebecca and Shelly to communicate a week’s worth of counseling and work in 6 minutes? What were the most important things to tell listeners? And what if the anchor asked questions Rebecca wasn’t ready for?

Their spot on “Let’s Talk Live” went flawlessly, of course! Rebecca has been fortunate enough to have had media training—but for the rest of us who haven’t, where do we find guidance? How would we prepare for interviews with the media? I racked my brain, then reverted back to my Community Nutrition textbook to refresh my memory on some of the general guidelines for working with the media:

1. Determine your goals and objectives: Rebecca outlined her main points and mailed them in to the anchor’s scheduler ahead of time. This not only allowed her to prepare, but also allowed the media to understand the priority information that needed to be communicated.
2. Determine your target audience: in order to determine the message, timing, placement, structure and organization of the media spot, it’s important to know who you’re trying to reach and what type of media is appropriate. The show was at noon during the week, meaning those who would tune in would be adults who don’t work, those on their lunch break, and others who are retired. An older population may be reached best through print media, while adolescents and teens may respond better to Twitter or Facebook outlets.
3. Develop your key message points: Rebecca made note cards Monday morning identifying the main points for people to remember when eating out at restaurants. By going over these key points, Rebecca was able to identify key phrases and wording she could use on air to help people identify ways to eat healthier when eating out.
4. Plan to use your channels of persuasion: presenting your credentials and company information allow the audience to identify you as an expert in the field and a credible source of information. When pitching the Wellness Makeover to “Let’s Talk Live,” Rebecca identified herself as a Registered Dietitian. Her experience as a professor, business owner, public speaker and credentialed expert in the field of nutrition gave her the credibility required for the show to invite her on. When pitching your ideas, be sure to sell yourself and not just the concept!
5. Prepare and rehearse: Louis Pasteur said, “Chance favors the prepared mind.” This couldn’t be truer! While being an expert in the field means she’s been preparing since she started studying nutrition, Rebecca outlined her ideas and made note cards to reference throughout the morning before the show to ensure she didn’t miss an important message she wanted to deliver. You never know which way the person interviewing you is going to lead you, so it’s important to be able to answer any question, and more importantly, to circle that question around to the message you want to convey.

Media skills and media training can be important, but the first place to start is with pitching your ideas. There are many resources for pitching ideas—a simple Google search will get you started and a trip to a bookstore will provide even better guidance. Another option is to find a mentor and shadow them through the experience—working with Rebecca gave me a brief look at preparing for and completing an on-air interview, but by following the process from pitch to programming I can learn even more, and I hope to in the near future.

If you’re a dietitian looking to get involved with the media, it’s important to know the process and find a mentor. The best advice Rebecca gave me was to “never turn down a media opportunity, because they’ll never call you back to ask again.”  Even though the opportunities may be early morning or weekend afternoons, if you want to break into media, be available, be willing, and be accurate. Providing reliable and accurate information benefits everyone involved. The media benefits by providing valuable information to their audience, the public benefits by receiving accurate information, and you benefit by enhancing their image, visibility, and reputation as a reliable professional.

Wow—so much learned and only day 1 down with Rebecca. Can’t wait to see what’s in store the rest of the week!

Here’s the spot on healthy dining at restaurants

Laura Hunter, Guest Blogger

Paris, c’est magnifique; perhaps the most steadfast truth I gathered from my 7 years of studying, living, and loving all things French. The art, culture, food, fashion, and wine–and of course the perfectly executed nonchalant attitude of the French people. If you walk into my room, one might be mistaken that they’ve been transported into a Parisian bordello (if that particular Bordello’s floor was covered in orbit gum wrappers and color-coded chemistry flashcards…). Bordeaux walls flowing with Degas’ and Chagall’s; Miss Dior Cheri and Givenchy Hot Couture on the nightstand; there’s even homage to Louis XVI in here. Le Français, c’est mois…almost. In my own world (and oh, what a world it is…), I strive to exude the killer combo of Euro chic and l’essential dash of American sass.

Luckily, my adoration of Le-vive-Français and the glamorous world of health and nutrition gracefully collide with France’s not-so-paradoxical diet. From what I gathered, the French expertly blend healthy staples like fresh produce, tangy yogurts, seafood, and grains with those seemingly forbidden pleasures of croissants and crepes smothered in Nutella. And to think, I forgot to mention France’s dynamic dairy duo, Misseur Fromage et Mademoiselle Beurre. It’s been cited that the French have been able to maintain their physiques even with fewer indulgences as a result of better portion control and well as overall mindfulness.

Up until recently, I haven’t questioned just HOW controlled those portions are. Brought to my attention by a Diets in Review write-up and a blog post by Leonora Epstein for The Frisky, the most en vogue trend for us eager Americans to follow is “L’Air Fooding.” Yup, The Air Diet. According the The Frisky, L’Air Fooding is championed  by Madonna and Dolce&Gabbana in a campaign that depicts Madonna and other celebrities showing French portion control at its extremes. The ads, shown in the French magazine Grazia, show celebrities dangling food in front of their faces and not eating it. Having read about or tinkered with every diet trick known to mankind, some of these crazy celebrity diets can get complicated to follow. To its credit, the air diet has none of these complications: just don’t eat. Easy to follow, right? While it might not be the most complicated, I would certainly advocate for its superlative as the most absurd thing to come out of both France and the world of celebrity diets since Marie Antoinette’s blasphemous “Let Them Eat Cake” fiasco.

While L’air diet might seem like a seamless way to the hautest celebrity body, Frisky puts it best with her statement “we already know this much-used diet of Hollywood’s thinnest and it’s called anorexia.”

True confessions of a former L’air Foodie: there is nothing glamorous, chic, or uncomplicated about anorexia or battling any other eating disorder. As I have discussed in previous posts, I hit rock-bottom with my eating disorder while studying abroad in 2008. My own experience with the Air Diet when visiting Paris for spring break two years ago was one of the pivotal moments in my struggle that signified that I needed to get help in order to regain control of my life–and not the kind of skewed “control” it took for me to be surrounded by food and being terrified to eat it.

My first trip to Paris was certainly not the glamorous adventure that I had always envisioned it would be.  Attempting to blend into the Parisian seen, I  swept up dresses from Parisian shops and tried to rock the infamous beret. Unfortunately, Paris was très froid. L’operation très chic became my entire suitcase layered on top of me. A blazing red, white, and blue American University sweatshirt and Northface jacket ended up on the surface–I certainly made a statement to Parisians as the exemplary model of American fashion.

The American Sweatshirt at the Louvre

I had always imagined that I would sip wine in cafes, indulge in crêpes and Crème brûlée, leisurely gallivat through Paris’s art galleries, and strut my way down the Champs-Élysées. The constrictions of my air food diet saw that I got rigorous exercise to maintain my former artistically sculpted “masterpiece” of a stomach before I got to enjoy any of that. I had dreamed of seeing Claude Monet’s Water Lilies in the flesh ever since I my grandfather had shown me the paintings in books when I was a little girl. I have lettered dialogues between my grandfather and I ranging 15 years in which we would analyze the vibrant brushstrokes of Monet and marvel at his proven mastery of style through the Water Lilies series. They are much of the reason why I studied Art History and a huge part of who I am today. When I finally had the opportunity to see them in Paris a L’Orangerie, they were only trivial in the confines of my eating disorder.

The Eiffel tower called to me from a higher power than the stairclimber at the gym and my only request would have been that they  provided me a complimentary calorimeter before I began my ascent. Additionally, I signed up for rigorous bike tours to make sure that anything I might happen to indulge in would turn to air.

Don’t get me wrong, the bike tours are some of my fondest memories from Paris. I cannot think of a better or more efficient entry point to take get a firm grasp on Paris’s landmarks and history– and still be in the midst of all the action of the streets.

But as mentioned, Paris was FREEZING and my excessive layering wouldn’t be condoned by Lance Armstrong or get me any endorsement deals for my own Tour de France. While stopping for lunch on the tour, I cheated on my air plan (gasp!!) and had a bit of crepe and café au lait. The café decided that my bladder would enjoy the rest of Paris more if I went to the bathroom before the second half.

You’re probably saying to yourself right now: “Is it really necessary Laura just told me about one time she went pee? Absolutely Gross.”

Trust me, I’m going to make a point.

The air diet forgets to mention a few unpleasant side effects in the fine print. My body fat was so low that it had to prioritize its hot spots, and unfortunately my extremities often lost feeling on cold days. This was one of those days. After making several attempts to pull and button all 3 pairs of pants up after going to the bathroom, I came to the conclusion that I might as well have been wearing boxing gloves. The group was ready to hit the trail again so gave up on my endeavor and hiked and rolled all three layers into a hot mess and pulled my sweatshirt over the fashion faux-pas.

I was fortunate enough to get through round one of the bike tour without being caught with my pants down, but the success didn’t last. When I eventually made the trek across the Place de la Concorde to L’Orangerie, my air plan had rendered me without any capability of being coherent and I was running on empty. In what I can only compare to a drunken stupor, I stopped and asked a man for directions:

Me: Excuse-moi Monsieur, Où est L’Orangerie??

Monsieur: #@@$%^ (Voulez-vous coucher avec moi????…maybe??) @!#$$$% $#%%^^&* (…and more french I couldn’t understand..).

Me: Repetez s’il vous plait, Je suis americaine, je parle un peu de français…

Monsieur: [Imagine French Accent] I’m sorry Madame, you didn’t seem American- ehhh just drunk. It’s right in front of you.

Was I successful enough with my air dieting to actually convince someone I was French? Doubtful. He probably assumed that no American would have the audacity to sport a ragingly Team-America sweatshirt such as my own and that I was only obliterating the season’s layering trend. But there I was in the middle of Paris: with my pants unzipped and assumed drunk. Certainly not the embodiment of chic I was going for or anything I would ever be caught dead in again.

Layering at L'Orangerie (I finally zipped my pants here).

While I was as light as air, my health and sanity had evaporated with my body weight. Additional external side effects of my l’air plan left my hair in patchy chunks on my head and my skin a putrid orange color. My most important losses had nothing to do with my appearance. I was only a fragment of the person that I once was and lost any sense of direction to my life. When I eventually made it to my beloved Water Lilies, I was too fatigued and delirious to  appreciate what I once epitomized as the most beautiful creation in the world.

I haven’t gotten this personal about the negative health outcomes of my eating disorder thus far with my blogging and I hope you can see point through this long and convoluted story. I’m now at a place where I can only tell this through humor, but eating disorders are not a joke and shouldn’t be played or advocated as it is in L’Air Dieting ads. They have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness and poses considerable damages to all aspects of an inflicted individual’s well-being. I see the ads as the diet industry’s equivalent to tobacco advertisement: a well known and highly potent killer. Take it from me, The Air Diet’s claims are as vapid and senseless as the name implies. Consider this my warning label.

To Do

• Check out the nutrition information before you go if you can - how else could you know that the pork chops have 3 times the calories and salt than the beef? Confused? Watch the TV appearance
  
• Re-think the wine or cocktail most of the time
  
• Skip the bread, chips, or pre-dinner food, they’ll bring enough food with your entree and if you are still hungry after a 40 minute meal, the kitchen can make you more.
  
• Modify the menu (baked, steamed, no butter, sauce on the side!)
• Split an entrée or take half home

Not To Do

• Avoid a meal out because you’re “afraid” it will ruin your progress.
• Deny yourself what you want
• Appetizers, wine AND dessert
• Add salt at the table
• Join the “Clean Plate Club”

Check out the chocolate almond cherry clusters we featured in our t.v. appearance this week! You’ll also love the chicken mushroom quesadilla Shelley made from Ellie’s So Easy.

After watching the clip, leave a comment about your favorite way of making over recipes for a chance to win a copy of Ellie Krieger’s So Easy cookbook. (contest goes until April 1, 2010.)