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