John and I just returned from the SCAN Conference held in Boston, Massachusetts. SCAN (Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists) is a specialty practice for RD’s who members of the American Dietetic Association.

Boston is a very hospitable town and John and I met lots of friendly Bostonites like Tom and Carla Scotto. Tom Scotto (a Certified USA Cycling Coach) and his wife, Carla (an RD!) are owners of Stage 5 Cycling www.stage5cycling.com and have a very unique business. They teach core cycling skills, techniques and training concepts through sound fitness and nutrition programs. John and are both cycling enthusiasts but John was especially interested in them as he is starting his training regimen to do the Tour DaVita 240 mile ride again this September.

I think our best memory will be our morning runs alongside the Charles River past MIT, Harvard and Boston University in Cambridge. Running together with the university rowing teams next to us was an awesome experience.

Some of the important educational highlights of the conference were:

• The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet study: This four year feeding study was completed 10 years ago but the word is still getting out about the amazing findings from this research. Studies were done in four sites across the US. We had the pleasure of meeting and listening to researchers from the Boston, Durham and Baltimore sites. The DASH diet study showed that:

o Diets rich in lowfat dairy products, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes,
nuts and seeds will significantly lower blood pressure.
o Following the DASH diet AND reducing sodium intake will lower blood pressure even
further.

• Vitamin D: Dr. Michael Holick had an entertaining lecture and spoke of “The Vitamin D Pandemic”. You can check out his website at www.vitamindhealth.org. Per Dr. Holick, most of us are not getting enough Vit D through our food or our sunlight exposure. In fact, he recommends checking 25 (OH) D levels to ensure that they are above 30 ng/ml.

Our suggestions:
o Have your MD check your 25 (OH) D level to see if you need supplementation.
o Get in the sunlight (without sunscreen) at least 10-15 minutes a day. Use sunscreen
if you will be in the sunlight any longer than 15 minutes.
o Eat foods rich in Vit D: the best sources are salmon, tuna, mackerel and Vit D
fortified lowfat milk.

• Women and Heart Disease:
o Heart Disease is the leading killer of men and women.
o Women are twice as likely to die from heart disease than from all cancers combined.
o 39% of women do not survive their first heart attack.
o 80% of all disease is preventable by how we live.

Overall, it was a great conference! We met many new people, enjoyed the scenery and received lots of great information that we can pass on to our clients.

It’s Your Health. It’s Your Life. Make that change!

~ Angie