A Newly Published Researcher

Yesterday, I received news I had been waiting to hear since 2012 - our research was published!

We had been rejected twice, had an abstract published once, and were asked to present our research poster at the Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in 2014. Now, the entirety of our research on College Student's Food Insecurity is published in the Winter edition of the Nutrition and Dietetic Educators and Preceptors newsletter.

This research started when I recognized a pattern in my fellow classmates. The joking about college kids eating ramen was actually true. Either they couldn't afford food or they had no way to get it. Meal plans are expensive and home cooked meals are few and far between.

It's the first time most of these students are living away from home, and thanks to the elimination of Home Economics classes in most schools and lack of cooking facilities in college housing, three square meals a day are almost unheard of.

I was not the first person to recognize this, or to want to quantify it. Research from other states and countries supports that food insecurity in college students is much, much higher compared to their local averages.

In our study, we found that food insecurity was significantly higher than our local average. While this original research was not published in a peer reviewed journal, our "Call to Action" was well received by the NDEP newsletter.

This piece highlighted two research tools that could help standardize future research in students' food insecurity levels - a welcome finding, as standardized research tools area always appreciated for generating quality evidence.

These findings and progress in the field would not have been possible without the help and determination of Dr. Carrie King. As my research advisor, she taught me about SPSS statistical software, proper study design, and all about publication and presentation.

Through nearly three years of grant proposal drafts, study implementation, statistical analysis, poster presentation, manuscript writing and editing, and finally article submission, Dr. King stuck by me. She sat patiently with me, meeting after meeting, proposing next steps and encouraging the research along.

At the end of it all, we have a product that I am very happy with - and something that I looked for from the very beginning: A Call to Action in Higher Education. An important cause with real, tangible research to support it. Thank you, Dr. King. I am so proud of what we accomplished!



Kate Fossman, RDN, LD
December 11, 2015

Holidays

I've now been practicing as a small town dietitian for five months. In September, many people left Haines for warmer climates. The snow birds flew to Palm Springs, Lake Havasu, or even Hawaii. Fewer people around plus colder weather leads to slower business, as expected.

However, it is also expected that New Year's Resolutions are right around the corner. With the New Year comes fresh goals and fresh motivation. 

In preparation, I'm working on a free class to the public at the Haines Borough Public Library on simple switches to target heart health. I've prepared one of my presentations (there will be 4 - January 7, 14, 21, and February 4 from 6:30-7:30 pm) and moving on to the other three.

I've also been on a supreme knitting kick. It started with a mermaid tail blanket, then a sweater, then another sweater, a Christmas stocking for Kyle, and a balaclava for Kyle's birthday. I'm now diligently working on Christmas presents, which have impending deadlines!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving without food guilt. Try the plate method this holiday season and still enjoy bits of favorite traditional foods.

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

December 2, 2015

Preparing for the Feast

This Thanksgiving, my mom and her girlfriend decided to spend the holiday in Haines - which makes me very happy. I'll be spoiled to have two extra chefs in the kitchen for the major foodie holiday of the year.

We'll also be celebrating with Kyle's mom and dad, as well as his sister, Penny, and her family. Originally, I thought we'd be doing two separate dinners - I would eat with my mom and Cherie at their house, and Kyle would eat with his family in town.

When my mom and Cherie arrived, they stated they were under a different impression - that we would all be eating at Kyle and my house. This seemed to appease everyone, so it was decided; at 3 pm on Thursday, we will all convene and feast together.

Our house is awesome - and cozy. It's two stories with a loft on a modest footprint. The first floor has a couple of bedrooms (that are currently relegated to storage) and a bathroom. The main floor is a kitchen, dining room, and living room in an open-concept format with a bathroom off to the side. A ladder sits in the middle of the kitchen to climb up to the loft.

The kitchen/dining room/living room setup is perfect for just me and Kyle. For our living room, we have two recliners and a desk. The dining room runs into the kitchen. We'll be able to seat 10 people around the table, no problem. Cooking and cleaning up might pose a problem, but all families seem to be dividing up cooking duties very nicely at their own houses. Very little cooking will happen in our kitchen.

Ann, Kyle's mom, will cook the ham. My mom and Cherie will cook the turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. Kyle and I will cook macaroni and cheese (unless that's Ann's job... I am already a little mixed up), green beans, sweet potatoes, and salad. And Penny will provide the pies.

I can't wait for Thanksgiving. I get excited each year for the food and fun with family. Our cozy house will be warm with good food and love. Bon appetit, everyone!

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

November 23, 2015

Chilly Weather, CEUs, and a Stand-Up Laptop Stand

Most of us are familiar with Fahrenheit and Celsius as our units of temperature. But did you know there is a third measure of temperature? Kelvin - it's used primarily in chemistry and physics, and when it hits zero degrees Kelvin, it is absolute zero (there are no negative temperatures in the Kelvin scale).

At absolute zero, there is no movement in atoms. Everything ceases. Life is impossible. Zero degrees Kelvin is -459 degrees Fahrenheit or -273 degrees Celsius, for frame of reference.

I wanted to bring this up for perspective. In Haines, it's currently 12 degrees Fahrenheit, but with the wind chill, the "real feel" is -7 degrees Fahrenheit. It's definitely not absolute zero, even if it feels like it could be. When the wind hits my face, it knocks the air out of my lungs. But it is completely worth it for views like this:

Cold and clear days at Chilkoot Lake

The other thing that makes it feel like absolute zero is how everything seems to be slowing down. People are turning in for the winter (or flying south) and stay inside more. Outdoor activities involve shoveling and playing in the snow, but for limited amounts of time. 

Inside, I've been working on continuing education units through watching webinars and reading journal articles. I get to do all of this from my brand new, fancy-pants stand-up laptop stand.

Nancy Feakes, wife of the shop teacher at Haines High (Darwin Feakes), made stand-up computer stands for both Jen (our office manager) and myself. My lower back and hip problems are subsiding and I am feeling less guilty about having an office job, instead of a more active one.

Although I don't stand at it all the time, it gives me the option. I can stand, lean, prop my knee up on a stool, or push the stand back and sit down. 

The best thing about this new stand? It was a very cheap alternative to the $2000+ stands on the market today. Nancy custom built the height to fit our frames which also helps with alignment (Jen is a bit taller than me, so required a taller keyboard height). 

Thank you, Nancy! Your helpfulness makes being inside on these cold days much more enjoyable. Jen and I are very grateful.

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

November 19, 2015

Gratitude

It's Veteran's Day - a day to pay true gratitude to those who have served our country.

When my mother, Michelle LaBrosse, became an Air Force Officer in 1984

Thank you, veterans and families of veterans. Thank you current and former military members. Your service is greatly appreciated.

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

November 11, 2015

Community Outreach

Community outreach came together in a big way this week.

Saturday (Halloween) was the first meeting of the Nutrition Support Group (AKA Don't Go It Alone). We met at Mr. Davis' math classroom, but are in the process of finding a more permanent location. It's Saturdays from 10-11 am.

This upcoming weekend is the Drama, Debate, and Forensics competition in Haines, so we're meeting at Holly Davis' house (Saturday, November 7th at 10 am). She was so kind to offer to host. If you'd like directions, just email me. The weekend after that will be hosted in a public location, but I don't have absolute confirmation on where that will be. I'll post another blog once that gets confirmed.

Poster for Nutrition Support Group

On Monday, I heard back from the Haines Borough Public Library about hosting a 4-part nutrition class about heart health. I'll be teaching that on Thursdays in January (January 7, 14, 21, and February 4 at 6:30 pm). This will even be broadcasted to other libraries around the state if they would like to join in.

Poster for Haines Borough Public Library Heart Healthy nutrition/lifestyle class

Also, another "To Your Health" column should be published in the Chilkat Valley News in the next few weeks. All very exciting for community outreach!

This is also the first full week with the food tags in Olerud's Market. It's fun to go around and see the aisles lit up with blue, orange, and yellow tags.



Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

November 4, 2015

Click-Bait and Pop-Nutrition

I have a confession to make: I click on click-bait nutrition articles. Am I reading them to decide what to tell clients? Absolutely not. But my clients may be reading them for genuine nutrition advice, so I need to be aware of the crazy, crazy things being spewed in pop-nutrition.

The click-bait article I read this morning was from Refinery29 (via Yahoo "News"). It is titled "What’s in Halloween Candy? You Probably Don’t Want to Know". What made me click? In the lead, it said "a primary ingredient in candy corn is dextrose, which is an additive that gives tobacco a longer shelf life".

Having been through basic chemistry, I know that most molecules have more than one name. Their chemical name and their "street" name. Sugar has 3 names - sugar, glucose, and dextrose. 

Please note that it says "the predominant naturally occurring form"

You know what else has multiple names? All of our vitamins. Ascorbic acid gets the finger pointed at it as an antioxidant and preservative - but it's little old vitamin C. Why wouldn't I want to know that that's in my candy? The Refinery29 article points out all of the industrial uses for these typical food additives, trying to instill the fear in us. 

This method is completely bonkers. If you want to instill the fear in us, tell us about how added sugars are increasing our nation's waistlines and type 2 diabetes diagnoses. At least that statement isn't misleading. Is it too scary, even for Halloween season? Maybe.

Fear-mongering is nothing new. One of my favorite pranks was posting this website on my Facebook a few years ago: Facts about Dihydrogen Monoxide. I got comments from a few people legitimately concerned about this conspiracy theory. 

If something is not in your wheelhouse and it's freaking you out, ask an expert in the field. If they're scared, you can be, too. Until then, keep your wits about you and lead a normal life. 

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

October 29, 2015

Tags, tags, and more tags

This is my third day of tagging Olerud's Market. I've made it through the first two floors. I've learned about foods I didn't know existed. I've looked at what feels like thousands of nutrition facts labels.

And it has been AWESOME.

Typically, when Kyle and I go grocery shopping, I love perusing the different options. I like finding new food options and comparing brands and options. He hates doing that - so this activity has been awesome for me.

A Healthiest! tag in its native habitat

I found popcorn with 16 grams of carbohydrate (and 3 grams of fiber!) per 4 cups. I found a huge selection of canned seafood. I found 3 versions of healthier mayonnaise.

Tomorrow and Friday I finish up with the baking section and any other miscellaneous areas. I will continue to check on the tags every few weeks to replace any ones that have gone missing and to make sure they haven't been shifted.

If you're interested in chatting with me anytime, you can find me either in the Klondike Chiropractic office or at Olerud's - and I'm happy to answer any nutrition questions you have.



Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

October 28, 2015

Healthy, Healthier, Healthiest! - A Consumer's Guide

Come one, come all, to Olerud's (orAlaska Meat and Grocery, or Sport Shop Grocery, or whatever else you'd like to call it)! It's across Main Street from the new Aspen Hotel - and right down the street from my office.

Today, I am starting to place Healthy, Healthier, Healthiest! designations on shelved food items. I'll look at saturated fat content, sodium verses potassium, refined or added sugars, and fiber to make my choices.

Foods that strike a balance between all of these will earn one of the three labels I've designed:

Foods that can earn the "Healthy" label will be foods that, although they aren't the best, are fine choices. Still to be enjoyed in moderation, these foods are to be considered a satisfactory option for satisfying a snack craving. Examples include dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, or high fiber snacks like a Fiber One bar. 

"Healthier" foods might be snack foods that, although low in saturated fat and sodium, don't contribute much to nutrition in general (i.e. low fiber, vitamins, minerals, protein). Or they had a higher fiber content than their Healthy counterparts, but lower than the Healthiest! options. 

The items with the bright yellow "Healthiest!" tags make me very excited - these will be used sparingly and for foods that not only have low saturated fat and sodium, but also high nutrition content. Bonus points if they're reasonably priced for the portion size!

As always, fresh fruits and vegetables get the "Healthiest!!!" designation. I plan on placing a large placard in the produce section to let consumers know that these are always great choices. Keep an eye out over the next few weeks for all of these tags as they pop up around the store.

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

October 26, 2015

The Philosophy of Kaiseki

The past few nights, I have been watching Chef's Table - a documentary mini series on Netflix following some of the best chefs out there right now. One of the episodes follows Niki Nakayama of N/Naka in Los Angeles. 

N/Naka servies kaiseki Japanese cuisine - a progression of dishes that feels more like a concert than a meal. Nakayama learned about kaiseki when she moved to Japan and worked at a family member's inn in the countryside. What she had to say about the philosophy of kaiseki struck a chord with me.

"The philosophy of kaiseki is that we're supposed to represent the area in which we're living in. When I was working in the countryside, we took from what was close to us, making the best use of what the season has to offer. I was so in love with the idea that I put a farm like garden in the back of my house.

One of the first things I learned about kaiseki is the integrity of the ingredients should never get lost. In Japanese it's called 'saiseiya' which means to protect the ingredients.

After having this garden from seed and watching it grow little by little to watch the process, to see it struggle, to see it survive, there's this level of appreciation that everything takes time.

Everything takes the right amount of nurturing. Everything deserves effort because it's making an effort. This little tomato took 3 months to grow. And to just toss it or waste it or treat it so lightly, we're not doing our best to appreciate what nature is truly offering, what lessons of life all around us are trying to teach us." 

- Niki Nakayama

Kaiseki philosophy can apply everywhere. Cooking, gardening, starting a new healthy lifestyle - if it's making an effort, it deserves the effort. All of us have that "little tomato" within us, ready to grow. 

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

October 23, 2015

A Lesson From Being a Coxswain - Coming to Terms With Being Assertive

When I was a freshman in high school in Connecticut, I was really small. I stood at 4'8" and weighed 80 pounds. One of my good friends was on our school's crew team and convinced me to be a coxswain.

A coxswain is the small person who sits at the stern of the boat, looks forward, and directs the rowers while they race. Their demeanor is different depending on the team, but for the most part, they are aggressive motivators. They scream "GIVE ME A POWER 10!" - 10 hard rows counted down, and encourage the rowers to row hard through a stretch of the course.

I did not know anything about being a coxswain going into the sport. I was meek but kind, and wanted to make friends. I barely knew what the stern and bow of the boat were - I definitely had difficulty distinguishing between port and starboard.

During the first mock race, I was a coxswain for a boat of 8 junior and senior guys. I used words of encouragement - "you're doing great!", "keep going!", "I know you can do it, just row, row, row!".

These didn't work - the rower closest to me yelled and cursed at me for being too nice. They needed more powerful encouragement. We almost hit a bridge piling during the race and came in dead last. When a boat wins a race, they tip the boat and coxswain into the water in celebration. I stayed bone dry that day.

I stuck it out for the rest of the season, but I was by far the worst coxswain the team had ever seen.

How does this relate to dietetics? This morning I read an article in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics related to health outcomes with people who undergo interventions for diabetes (Franz et al, 2015). If the participants didn't lose more than 5% of their body weight, they didn't see significant health improvements for their cholesterol or blood sugar.

Losing 5% of one's body weight requires intensive instruction, dedication, and perseverance. Its instruction cannot be taken lightly and proper nutrition counseling is a major factor in success. Being meek and kind may not result in better health outcomes; assertion and dealing with difficult topics are necessary for success of the patient.

Moving forward, I will keep my kindness, but I'll be less meek. If a patient expresses that they are disappointed in their progress, I will not shy away from this statement. Rather, I'll explore why they are disappointed and ask them what they think they can do better in the future. I'll focus on their big-picture goals and how health outcomes play a role in their quality of life.

I'll avoid scare tactics (like what kidney disease is like due to diabetes, or what cholesterol can do to blood vessel health) - rather, I will support clients in their health goals and inform them of what they need to know and how to achieve that.

With a fresh perspective, I can help each of my clients row the boat that crosses the finish line in first place.


Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

October 21, 2015

Contradicting Recommendations With New Research

17 years.

That's how long it takes primary source research to become standard recommended practice. Those 17 years are filled with supporting research, translational research, and development of public health campaigns - bringing the initial findings into focus for the public's use.

Why does it take so long? What about the health behaviors occurring within those 17 years? Do those have an impact on health?

Research is a lengthy process - from initiation of the scientific process, to grant application, to study implementation, to manuscript development, to publication. Before, during, and after publication, the research is subject to intense scrutiny from the scientific community.

Why? Because primary source research drives decisions that determine life outcomes. Prescription drug A or B? What about confounding factors and preexisting conditions? These aspects can be very important when a medical provider is making a decision on a course of care.

But where does (seemingly) less high-risk research come in - like recommending increased antioxidant supplement intake for a patient who may be at higher risk of developing cancers?

At one point in the antioxidant research, the evidence seemed conclusive enough to make an overreaching recommendation: supplement smokers with vitamin C to help prevent lung cancer. Check out this article in The Atlantic for a run-down of what was going on with Linus Pauling behind the scenes and how his grandiose statements altered our American psyche.

In 1999, research stated that there was not enough research to recommend antioxidant supplementation, but rather non-smoking and fruit and vegetable intake was the best course of action.

Where does this leave the public? We have a double Nobel-prize winning scientist telling the world that Vitamin C is the cure-all... but the research overwhelmingly disagrees with him. How confusing - especially when you're hungry and you just want to eat normal food.

Unfortunately, antioxidants are not the only nutrient subject to such promotion followed by scrutiny. The jury is often out on meat, then dairy, now gluten, and potentially in the near future: the "free-from" diet, free-from the 8 major allergen foods. 

Bringing nutrition science from primary source articles to pop-nutrtion and media blitzes can be great for health. When the media highlights a well-rounded diet and ways to incorporate more whole grains, fruits, or vegetables, the public benefits.

But when the media focuses on pop-nutrition (nutrition fads that stray from a well-rounded diet), the public can suffer. Primary source articles can be costly, and if found for free, are often difficult to navigate without prior training. Scientific jargon is off-putting, so the public relies on the media and health experts for accurate health recommendations.

Waiting 17 years for accurate health recommendations can seem highly aggravating. What to do in the meantime? Base decisions off of primary source articles with very large sample sizes, over a long period of time (think years rather than weeks), and those that are supported by other well-designed primary source articles.

An example of well designed research: The EPIC studies. The researchers did not jump to conclusions; they took their time and came up with reliable conclusions. Their sample size is the largest in the world

Although good research takes a long time, the best recommendations come out of it. It can be frustrating, but bear with it. Your health is not worth the risk from unsupported research.



Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

October 19, 2015

Weekend Update: Bone Broth and Men's City League

After I finished charting on my last client yesterday, it finally dawned on me - it's the weekend!

We have a laundry list of goals to do - including laundry. But I knew I needed to start with the whole chicken in my fridge.

I have never roasted a whole chicken by myself. I do have a probe meat thermometer (that connects via cable to a hand-held screen with alarm), so the temperature of the inside of the chicken tells me when it's done. Otherwise, I'd rely on guesswork and that never works out for me.

I had no idea how long an entire chicken took to cook - for me, 2 hours. I was late to the first Haines Men's City League game, but I got to watch (and keep score for!) the second one.

This chicken needed to be cooked for two reasons: it was thawed in our fridge and I wanted to make a good chicken stock for soups (another thing I've never done before).

So, today I'm making bone broth for the first time. I had this grand intention of not wasting any of the chicken.

There has been great media attention around food waste for the past few weeks - new estimates how many pounds of food is wasted per person per year and tips to avoid wasting food. So, I followed Ghandi's advice:

I know that my type A personality could easily get the best of me and I could go overboard with this "no food waste" goal. In an effort to make this pattern last as long as possible, I will go with moderation - starting with using the chicken bones for broth.

Thinking about this Ghandi quote also got me thinking about how important personal small changes are. Although it's just me making this bone broth, it makes a difference.

 

 

 

It's also easy for me to think "my actions don't matter - I am but one person, and this small pile of chicken bones won't impact anyone". But then Emma Watson's quote from her UN speech came into my mind.

So, consider this a call to action. Changes don't need to occur everyday or with every opportunity. Small, consistent adjustments lead to monumental changes. This applies to all levels of life - our own personal health, our community's health, or our environment's health.

For example, Kyle has been working diligently with three other men in the community to get the Men's City League started - their first games last night were exciting for everyone involved.

These guys made the change. They acted locally. They took action and made strides in elevating the community. And it came together to create an energizing atmosphere of fun, competitive basketball.

What difference do you want to see in the world? What small changes have you been making (or want to start making)? Can you start locally? How can I help you?


Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

October 17, 2015

I Had a Superpower, Once

I felt pretty high and mighty there for awhile. I could rule the kitchen in certain circumstances. My eyes were completely under my control - not at the whim of a root vegetable.

But all good things must come to an end.

Now, I cry uncontrollably when I cut onions. What changed, you ask? I started wearing glasses.

It all started when I found this really cheap website for prescription glasses, and I was running out of contacts, so I started wearing glasses.

I made it this far into cutting an onion for a soup base before I had to stop (my tears were nearly dripping onto the cutting board, and I thought that couldn't be food-safe):

I had to step away, towel-off my face, and then get back to business

I knew I wasn't the only one with this superpower, so I looked to The Naked Scientists for more information. They place the blame on the alium compounds in the onion for getting airborne and irritating the cornea.

This gets me really excited - because it's the alium compounds I'm after. These compounds are antimicrobial and antioxidant. They're the whole reason I'm making this soup base in the first place.

It's the time of year when illnesses are getting spread around and my office doesn't have great circulation. Even if I Lysol every surface after every patient, there are still good odds I could contract a bug.

I'm hoping that working with disinfecting my environment and giving my insides good antibacterial and antiviral compounds, I can prevent getting sick (and spreading illness to my other patients).


Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

October 13, 2015

A Post Pertaining to Pumpkin Perks

I know that it's only October 11th, and that Halloween is 20 days away - but that's two weekends of pumpkin carving (and pumpkin baking) ahead of us!

In Haines, large carving pumpkins range from $10-$20. From what I can remember growing up in Connecticut, this isn't too much different from other places in the country. Because we're spending $20-$40 on pumpkins (from the produce section, mind you), wouldn't it make sense to use them for more than decoration?

My pumpkin and Kyle's pumpkin - TBC (to be carved)

Toasting pumpkin seeds with sea salt has been a staple in my family since I can remember. They're delicious - and often gone before Halloween hits.

A couple of years ago, my husband, my best friend, and I decided to try a go at using what we could from the inside of the pumpkin.

After scraping away at the stringy bits that held the seeds in (and discarding it), we scraped further into the flesh of the pumpkin and put it to the side for cooking. We left about 1/2 inch of the pumpkin wall intact.

While scraping out much of the inside made the pumpkins easier to carve, the thinner walls did make for a more fragile decorating surface. Once we tasted the from-scratch pumpkin bars, it was completely worth it.

Most online recipes say that you need to actually cut the entire pumpkin into slices, cook them, and then scoop the flesh out. Why would we do that? We wanted to carve the pumpkin. So we scraped and scraped and scraped out the innards, and then baked what we had. After baking, it had to be pureed and then patted dry (to remove excessive water).

Pumpkin pastries (pies, cookies, bars, candy) are not the only option. Pureed pumpkin also makes a great soup base. If enough water is extracted from the pulp, it can even make a fun side dish in place of mashed potatoes. This post from One Green Planet outlines 10 ways to use pureed pumpkin.

Why am I so interested in eating the inside of these carving pumpkins, anyways? Aren't there baking pumpkins better for eating? Yes - there are. But I hear so many people in the clean plate club say "waste not, want not" - why waste when you can preserve for later use?

"True foodies" will gawk here - but to me, the satisfaction of using perfectly good food makes up for the (unnoticeable) difference in taste.

I have found that when extracted, cooked, pureed, and patted dry, two pumpkins will yield enough pumpkin puree to use for multiple purposes. If you don't feel like using the pumpkin that night (because carving pumpkins can actually be exhausting), freeze or jar the processed goodies for a surprise later.

Check out the nutrition behind pureed pumpkin (courtesy of SELF Nutrition Data)

Per 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (canned):

Protein - 1.4 g

Fiber - 3.5 g (recommended for men=38 grams/day, for women=25 grams/day)

Vitamin A - 19000 IU (recommended daily allowance for men=3000 IU, for women=2300 IU)

Vitamin K - 20 IU (recommended daily allowance for men=80 IU, for women=65 IU)

Iron - 1.7 mcg (recommended daily allowance for men=8 mcg, for women=18 mcg)

Pumpkins can pack a powerful eye-health punch with that huge amount of vitamin A, but these little ones are best left for decoration

UPDATE:

End thickness of the pumpkin wall - still strong enough to support carving

Baking the pumpkin innards to soften them up for pureeing

 

Pureed pumpkin (after it was cooked) and raw pumpkin seeds

 

Final results - 2.5 mason jars full of pumpkin puree (in the fridge, because we didn't bother with a proper canning procedure)

Happy Halloween!

8 Personality Traits of Nutrition-Savvy People

Inspired by the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People", this post addresses a handful of characteristics found in nutrition-savvy individuals around us. This list is not all inclusive or exclusive.  If you don't identify with anything on this list, it doesn't mean you aren't nutrition-savvy. It might just mean that you have a multitude of characteristics I haven't thought of yet - post your attributes in the comments!

Nutrition-savvy traits:

8) Not cutting out nutrients/food groups
They understand that moderation is key, and everything can be enjoyed in balance. Eliminating ALL sugar, ALL cholesterol, ALL root vegetables, or other nutrients or food groups entirely might not be sustainable - especially if they were a big part of your life to begin with.

If cutting out sugar is a goal, try to keep fruit in the picture. If cutting out all cholesterol is a goal, understand that this means any and all animal products (and that decreasing saturated fat might be a better target to attack elevated blood cholesterol levels).

Conversely, they understand that there isn't one nutrient that is the end-all-be-all of nutrients. Whatever nutrient or food it may be, people with well-rounded nutrition knowledge understand their limits, and work with what is reasonable in moderation.

7) Not identifying themselves by their food practices
For example: Roberto is an ancient-grain/vegan/macrobiotic/low-gluten beekeeper who raises organic eggplants on the side.

While this beekeeper sounds like a really awesome person to get to know, they may find it difficult to change an aspect of their diet because it has become their identity. What if Roberto decided that being vegan was no longer working for him?

Therefore, it may be more nutrition-savvy to recognize that sticking on a single dietary behavior might not work in the long run. If it was incorporated it into identity, changing it would mean having to deal with their friends and family asking endlessly about it. Who wants their diet changes to be the topic of family reunions? Not Roberto.

6) Thinking in portions AND proportions
Many people have found weight loss success in portion control. Using smaller plates, smaller utensils, smaller measuring cups, etc. These people are also likely using proportion control - balancing the ratio of fruits and non-starchy vegetables with lean meats and their whole-grain starches to achieve a balance.

5) Feeling safe and confident that they have enough food
This is also known as food security, and it can help prevent over-eating episodes. For example - have you ever had food FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)? Where you say "I'm not sure when I'll get to have this again" or "someone in my household might eat all of this before I get a chance to have some" and then you eat it, whereas otherwise you may not have?

Instead, some nutrition-savvy people think "I know that I can have that later if I want it, now that I know exactly where and when to find it!"

4) Trusting gut instincts about food
New nutrition research finds its way into publications all the time. Does this mean that it is immediately trustworthy? No! Not all research is created equal. If a research article says that eating five apples per day is guaranteed to prevent cancer, does that sound too good to be true? It probably is.

3) Not following fad diets and understanding why they don't stick
This goes back to moderation - and nutrition-savvy people understand it. They've seen what fad diets have done to their friends and family, and understand why they don't choose them for themselves. Short-lived weight loss (followed by increased weight gain) is typically the result. They don't want to waste their time with what they know won't work for the long-term.

2) Open-mindedness about new nutrition research (well designed research, that is - see #4)
Sometimes, people get frustrated with nutrition research. They say, "but wait, I thought earlier you told me that extra virgin olive oil was a good choice? Now you're telling me that canola oil is also a good choice? How can they both be a good choice?".

New research sometimes means additional information; not necessarily that what was said previously was wrong. But, sometimes that does happen (i.e. dietary cholesterol verses saturated fat and how they affect blood cholesterol levels).

Instead of getting frustrated, roll with the punches, and understand that just because the research changed doesn't the human body changed. Moderation is still in play.

1) Respecting of others' nutrition practices
Because they are secure in their own nutrition patterns, why would a nutrition-savvy person need to judge others on theirs? This goes for supporting #7 and Roberto (the ancient-grain/vegan/macrobiotic/low-gluten beekeeper who raises organic eggplants on the side).

Roberto can eat whatever and however he wants, and change his habits whenever he so desires, because he knows that nutrition-savvy people are respectful of his choices.

How many people do you know that identify with one or more of these personality traits? What personality traits make you nutrition-savvy?

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

October 8, 2015

Settling in...

Winter is coming for us - the air has a chill in it, and I have started wearing my puffy coat. It is my second week of walking to work and I am wearing a qiviut headband and some felted mittens I made a couple years ago.

Muskox - their undercoat is washed, carded, and spun into qiviut
They are found in northern Alaska - I saw some in the wild when I was in Nome last fall
They're also hunted for their meat

A qiviut headband - mine is similar colors, but a different pattern

Wool socks are a must to keep my toes warm, and tea is my first step when I get to the office.

Slower business also typically associates with winter, according to Dr. Thorgesen and Jen. In the past, there has been fewer appointments and more cancellations. I'm curious to see how this will effect me.

More referrals are coming in, which is particularly exciting. Providers are sending clients with labs which helps a lot with education and recommendations.

Labs also help personalization of diet plans - total cholesterol is good to know, but what about HDL verses LDL? Triglycerides and fasting blood glucose? Labs can help paint a full picture, especially when they're provided over a long period of time (showing change, increase, or decrease).

Along with changing seasons comes changing food availability and appetites. Fewer vegetables are in reach as the barge carrying fresh food only comes on Tuesday. Local farms and gardens are bundling up against the first frost. When it gets colder, my appetite gets voracious (others echo this sentiment).

People aren't the only ones with large, seasonal appetites. The bald eagles are EVERYWHERE. On my morning walks, I see at least one soaring. The other morning while driving home from the gym, there were five of them circling my house (luckily I knew the cat was locked inside).

I've heard that where the river tributaries are a meter wide or less (meaning the fish are stacking up on top of each other), it's an eagle buffet. November is the American Bald Eagle Festival held here at the American Bald Eagle Preserve - at this time, eagles greatly outnumber the residents of Haines.

Because it's been a few years since I've spent fall and winter in Haines, I'll try to keep the blog current on changes as they occur. Sometimes winter sneaks up so smoothly that all of a sudden it snows, and I can't find my snow boots.

By keeping track of these changes in a cognizant manner, maybe I can stay ahead of the weather and be prepared for the long chill ahead.

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

October 7, 2015

How to Get Away With Grocery Shopping

When I first started working at the Chiropractic office, I joked with Jen (the office manager) that I was worried people would judge what I had in my shopping cart. Later that day, I actually saw her at the store and jokingly hid my cart from her (it did have some delicious cookies in it).

Because Haines is a small town, there are good odds you'll see someone you know in the grocery store. Most trips take longer than the typical "5 minute run" because you get to say hi to your neighbor.

I thought that this meant that I would have to suffer through people looking in my cart and evaluating what I had. Like, "I heard she tells people to eat cookies on an infrequent basis - why is she buying cookies?"- or "Why is she buying non-organic fruits?"

Essentially, I was concerned that people would judge me for not practicing what I preach. I thought I'd have to send a proxy to do our shopping (Kyle, my husband).

My fears were unfounded. I don't need a proxy. I don't end up buying too many cookies or non-organic produce to begin with, but if I want to (or if the budget works out that way), I have nothing to worry about. No one has come up to me and mocked my cart (for the record, I don't judge anyone else's grocery shopping).

Every once in awhile, when I tell a client that it's okay to eat some of the newly media-demonized foods (wheat, dairy, cereal, etc.), they'll look at me and say "well, if you're skinny and you eat that, it can't be that bad".

I really don't know how to address that. It's not a particular food that's "good" or "bad". It's more about typical eating patterns, or how food choices change when life stressors happen, or what happens when you aren't thinking about what you're eating (typically what happens with emotional eating).

What it isn't about is how healthy someone is based on how they look. My mother has been blogging for two weeks about this concept on Weight Weight Just Love Me. She addresses stereotyping, self-love, snap judgements, and making choices that work for her.

I comment on this blog to talk about health verses appearance, healthy and unhealthy lab values, fat bias, and much more. Through this process, I've gained a deeper understanding of how dangerous judging is. Fear of judgement made me worried to go to the grocery store - but how do other people feel?

Are they concerned about being judged for so many other visible facets of themselves? How do we let people know that we aren't judging them, if public judgement is the norm? How do I assure my patients that I don't harbor fat bias?


Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

October 5, 2015

A Mix of a Week

This week has been very productive - in both my personal and professional life.

In my personal life, Kyle (my husband) went to Seward for a firefighter's conference. When he's gone, I find different ways to occupy my time. This week, I got very much into designing house layouts.

I'm stuck on a 2-story design with a loft. Now I'm working on the layout and finding ideas that work with the house size I chose.

In professional news, I had quite a few clients this week - one day with 4 of them! It was exciting and I learned a lot. Because October 1st was on Thursday, we converted to ICD-10 (and a new charting system as well, because our office is ambitious).

I found a great article about... interesting ICD-10 diagnoses from the Washington Post. It's definitely worth the read.

Also - Coca-Cola stopped sponsoring the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics! Big news to boost the credibility of the organization.

To cap off this very exciting week, I went on my first hike up Mt. Riley. The summit rewards the approximate 90 minute hike with panoramic views of the Lynn Canal.

#nofilterneeded

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

October 3, 2015

Word-of-mouth Referrals - the Best Complimentary Feedback a Provider Can Receive

It has been nearly three months since I started working in Haines, and over two months since I had my first client.

A quick recap of the current promotional projects I've been working on:

• Chilkat Valley News column To Your Health (bimonthly)

• Radio spot on the Monday Morning Health Report
• High school health class lecture
• Blogging

• Social media (Google Plus, Twitter)

• Public policy outreach to expand Medicare coverage (to include prediabetes as a covered diagnosis)
• Featured in Michelle LaBrosse's Everyday PM blog series Weight Weight Just Love Me

However, I have to admit that the promotional project that makes me happiest is one that I have no direct part in: word-of-mouth referrals. 

These feel great for two reasons:

1. The client trusts me enough to tell a friend that they can trust me.
2. The client feels that they are successful in what we are discussing.

I hope to continue fostering these types of productive relationships moving forward. I love to see clients happy and fulfilled. 

Moving forward, I hope to work with more outreach within the community - potentially the Wellness Committee at the school cafeteria, with the seniors at the Senior Center, and maybe with the Headstart program. 

I had a great time on the KHNS radio Monday Morning Health Report (the fastest 15 minutes of my life), and hope to have another opportunity like that in the future. 

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

September 30, 2015

Spontaneity and a New Recipe

Yesterday, we woke up in Whitehorse intending to spend another night in Canada. An hour later and multiple plan changes, we decided to head to Skagway and head back to Haines via a ferry today.

To those of you who want to understand the route in reference to the rest of the continent a bit better, here's a Google Map screenshot:

29-hour vacation route

However, once we got to Skagway, we realized that most shops had closed for the season. It was a ghost town. Skagway has a more dramatic population drop than Haines. Both are affected seasonally by the tourism industry, but Skagway's population swells and drops a bit more dramatically.

Haines has around 2,500 residents in the summer and 1,500 in the winter. Skagway's summer population is 2,000 while it has around 800 residents in the winter (according to the Skagway Chamber of Commerce - but Trip Advisor estimates winter numbers at 450 residents).

Therefore, we decided to change plans once again and get on the 3 pm ferry back to Haines. This way, I got to see Kyle before he left for a fire conference in Seward and my mom and I got to test out my first attempt at salmon chowder.

You see, we encountered colder weather up in the Yukon. We got slushed on in Whitehorse and had very cold rain blown at us on the way to Skagway. It chilled our bones and gave us a good appetite for warm soup.

I've been wanting to try different preparations of canned salmon - I tend to get sick of salmon burgers after a few times eating them in one month. Canned salmon is some of the healthiest preparation. Kyle's dad catches it, his mom helps us jar it safely, and then it lasts for years. The canning process gelatinizes the bones, so no need to dig out pin bones before canning. This also makes them an excellent source of calcium.

My mom has had a lot of experience in cooking. First, personal experience starting young, and then over the past few years, she has been attending international culinary schools to fine tune her art. She has a strong preference towards French cooking. She'll imitate Julia Child for you if you're lucky.

She guided me through my first experience making any kind of soup. I know, soup is typically an easy dish, but I have cooking self-efficacy issues. Once I can do it successfully, there is nothing stopping me. BUT I do have a lot of fear keeping me back from trying a new recipe.

I'm not alone with first-timers fear. Check out this Kickstarter page to fund a guy's first go at potato salad.

Here's what I remember from our recipe. The good news is that I learned that soup is hard to mess up, so if you change the amounts of ingredients, it'll probably still be great.

This tupperware photo is proof positive that hindsight is 20/20

First set of ingredients:
1 onion, diced
1 shallot, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp canola oil

Second set of ingredients:
4 cups water
6 small potatoes, cut into child-bite-sized pieces, so they cook faster

Third set of ingredients:
2 half-pints canned salmon
2 cups whole milk
1 tsp dried dill
1 tbsp sea salt, to taste

Steps:
1) Put all ingredients from first set into a medium-sized stock pot. Sautee the onion, shallot, and garlic until the onion is golden brown. I found it important to not rush this step - it will take time, but it will be very much worth it.

2) Add the second set of ingredients. This step is done when the potatoes are cooked.

3) Once the potatoes are cooked, add the third set of ingredients. Once the soup is back up to the earliest stage of boiling (not even barely a boil), it's ready to serve.

Feel free to post your own picture of this chowder when you give it a shot. It should be a milky white color with dill floating on top, and small salmon flakes coming to the top when you stir it.

Pros of this recipe:

• garlic, onion, and shallots all contribute allium compounds which have been shown in peer-reviewed literature to have antiviral, antibiotic, and overall antimicrobial effects.
• canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids which help decrease inflammation and promote a healthy lipid panel balance
• whole-skinned small potatoes have good balance of vitamins, minerals, and fiber with less carbohydrate than giant, skinned potatoes (ala mashed potatoes)
• salmon is a lean protein with excellent omega-3 fatty acids (see second point), beta-carotene, high calcium, and low sodium

Things that could be more nutritious, but I wouldn't change based on the premise of taste and quality:

• whole milk was used rather than skim - adds saturated fat, but this was deemed to be worth it. There's not much milk used, and it still has great vitamins, minerals, protein, and calcium. You try to tell a French woman to use reduced-fat dairy.

Eat up!

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD
September 27, 2015

Small Town Perks Part 1 - Access to Awesome

Haines is a border town - it is just over 30 miles to the USA-Canada border. And, this weekend is turning into a great one for fall foliage. Perhaps the last great weekend before the leaves totally fall off the trees.

At our first stretching break

AND my mom is in town, so we headed out on a long weekend road trip to Whitehorse. A city in Yukon Territory about 5 hours outside of Haines, it's a smart place for shopping right now because of the strength of the American dollar compared to the Canadian dollar.

Heading into Haines Junction

Gourmet sandwiches on the way - fresh made, whole grain rye with sourdough topped with sandwich meats and veggies.

But we came for adventure, and here we are. We found this awesome place to stay called Muktuk Adventures, home to 125 sled dogs, all of which are friendly and love being petted. This leads me to believe that there is heaven on earth.

View from our room

Tomorrow we plan on taking a tour with the dogs. When there's no snow, they train using an ATV. We got confirmation that we don't have to run the 10 km alongside them - we get to sit on the ATV through the tour.

Some of the Siberian huskies at Muktuk Adventures

Within a five hour drive, we ended up at a Canadian dog mushing B&B. Over the course of the weekend, we plan to find more wildlife, some studded snow tires for the upcoming winter, and maybe our way back to Haines via Skagway.

A small ground squirrel in British Columbia

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

September 25, 2015

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar - Recap From Haines High Health Class

This Wednesday morning, I had the privilege to guest speak at Mrs. Hutton's health class in the Haines High School. Prior to my talk, Mrs. Hutton had taught them about the 6 nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, water), major digestive system organs (pancreas, liver, gall bladder), and the importance of fiber.

All in all, extremely impressive background information for a month into the school year. I expected to do a bit of review with the students and then introduce them to simple and complex carbohydrates.

I brought homemade granola bars (source, but with walnuts instead of almonds and flaxseed instead of chia seeds, based on what I had in my kitchen) and started the review. Imagine my surprise when all 9 students remembered each nutrient, the organs previously discussed, and had examples of simple and complex carbohydrates without much prompting.

Within 5 minutes, we had run through everything I had planned on talking about. We moved onto a Q&A style for the rest of the hour, and I was incredibly impressed.

What would the future health of our country look like if everyone graduated high school with this knowledge?

For example, one student asked about the health effects of coffee - so I responded with, "what do you typically add to your coffee?" Their response "half and half, sometimes sugar". When asked if any of those contained simple carbohydrates, they were very confident that sugar would contribute simple carbohydrates and that half and half would contribute extra calories.

We talked about Hot Pockets, the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and Mountain Dew. We touched a bit on best places to find fiber, the discovery of the first vitamin (B1, thiamin, in pellagra-stricken China), and a cautionary tale of inadequate fiber intake over the whole lifetime.

Other questions revolved around some health systems they hadn't addressed yet (does coffee actually help people sober up, like they say it does in the movies? What does the "H" and "N" stand for in virus names? Why does drinking water prevent headaches?).

These students are heading towards a healthy adulthood, thanks to honestly and scientifically learning about anatomy and physiology in their health class. I likely won't be seeing them in my office in the future, except for a friendly chat - that sounds great to me.


Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

September 25, 2015

Community Outreach - Allies and Partnerships

Small town life serves as the stark comparison to city living. In cities, your life is your own. There's a circle of friends here, a regular restaurant there, and the daily commute. In a small town, we have a similar routine, except that in each instance, every face is a familiar one. Lives are connected and interwoven. It's like a supercharged 6-degrees-of-separation game.

As a friend's new husband remarked at their wedding "this town is great - I see the same people multiple times a day, and they seem happy to see me each time!". He wasn't exaggerating, either. We must have run into them four to five times on the fourth of July alone. 

When you couple small-town charm with rough Alaskan weather, the result is camaraderie. Part necessity, part neighborly-love, Haines residents support each other. This has not been more apparent than my entry into this town as a dietitian.

Once my signing on with Klondike Chiropractic LLC was made official, small talk in the grocery store or post office revolved around how people were looking forward to a nutrition professional working in the community. 

Other healthcare providers have asked for business cards, referred patients, and supported this new offering. Today, the high school is letting me speak to their health class about added sugars. Over the school year, I hope to work with the wellness team for the school cafeteria. I also plan to reach out to teach our seniors about healthy and easy meals. 

This post is my thank-you note to Haines. Thank you for welcoming me back, inviting me into your health circles, and helping improve lifestyle choices of this town one focus area at a time. I look forward to a future of partnering with the entire community and spreading nutrition joy!

Intentional Eating #1 - Enjoy Your Food!

Intentional Eating graduation day! Everything we've learned up to this point culminates with enjoying your food.

Enjoy your food!

Take your time eating it, save the leftovers, and make sure it's only the best. Choose only foods that are worth it. Everyone will have different foods that are worth the bother.

For example, I don't care too much for oatmeal raisin cookies. They're masquerading as chocolate chip cookies, but then when I bite into them, they're very deceiving. They're still packed full of saturated fats, sugars, and empty calories - so why would I bother eating them? They simply are not worth it.

Choose foods that give back to you. The ones that fulfill every aspect of you - they satiate your appetite, but also your soul. This philosophy is why I don't advocate unseasoned chicken breasts with a side of broccoli for each dinner - how boring.

This last bit of Intentional Eating advice should fuel your desire to get creative in the kitchen. Try different spices, herbs, and preparations. There are plenty of healthy cooking ideas out there that are also gourmet AND simple.

Enjoying your food also means avoiding deprivation. There is a balance between living life to the fullest and ensuring that one is healthy, as health helps quality of life. This is why most dietitians fully admit to eating all foods (always with the caveat: in moderation).

I'll leave this post with two of my favorite food-quotes:

-Michael Pollan

-Socrates, Julia Child, Oscar Wilde, Horace Porter, or Petronius (Google can't make up its mind - take your pick)

Kate Fossman, RDN, LD

September 21, 2015