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