One of my favorite segments on ESPN is the "C’Mon Man" spot.  In this part of the Monday Night Football Pregame show, they review happenings from the weekend games of the weird, unexplainable, laughable and plays or actions that make no sense. While reading the paper on Sunday, I had my own Nutrition "C’Mon Man!" experience.  The Parade Magazine for January 9th was headlining a question: "What is Your Health I.Q.?".  With an apple on the front cover, I thought there may be some helpful health news on the inside.  While the article did address some common health myths/questions such as does milk cause an increase in mucus production (No) or can honey help a burn heal (Yes) and where is the most dangerous place to gain weight (Belly), that was not the issue.  The problem I have with the publication are some of the other articles included.  In this "health" issue, the recipe spotlight, Chicken Fried Steak! Providing you with close to 700 calories, 47 g of fat and 1,100 mg of sodium, this recipe plays into our nations health problems.  C’MON Man!  You’re going to tell me that after putting health information together you want to spotlight a high calorie, high fat, high sodium dish!  At the same time, you’re also making it sound like eating an apple is not a smart way to go by stating “An apple a day is so yesterday”!  Poor editing!  You lose my respect!

Here’s my second nomination for the Nutrition C’MON Man!:  I received an email urging my support for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund.  How can you support this cause?  You can buy a booklet of coupons valued at $15 for just a small donation of  $5.  Sounds like a bargain, right?  But  wait, the coupons are redeemable at Bojangles.  Yep, that Bojangles where a PLAIN  biscuit will give you 240 calories, 12 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat and 663 mg of sodium!  So who is promoting this deal?  A hospital pediatrics unit!  They’re excited too.  They are offering a special deal: Buy their coupon book and you get to  replace the free tea when you buy a salad with a buy one sweet potato pie get one free bargain! C’MON MAN!! Your actions must support your cause!  While I support the cause, I will not support this program!

These types of programs and promotions are part of the reason why so many people are confused when it comes to health choices. We continue to support the actions that are part of the cause for poor health. I refuse to give donations for "Relay for Life"  teams selling barbeque plates and hot dog dinners.  I will not support youth sports programs by selling doughnuts.  We are not thinking outside the box.  I know times are tight and all noble causes need funding to survive and promote their programs but at what cost do we do this?  We are trying to take the easy way.  How can we on one hand talk about the poor health of our nation yet on the other encourage the visitation of a fast food restaurant?  There is a disconnect here that needs attention. 

My final nomination for Nutrition C’MON MAN!: While visiting a hospital recently, I noticed a sign in the cafeteria stating: "New Year’s Resolution: Indulge!"  Beneath the sign was a dessert and coffee table loaded with high calorie junk food.  What kind of message is this sending?  This promotion is occurring at the same time that the hospital is trying to encourage its teammates to sign a healthy living pledge to help reduce health care costs. C’MON MAN!!   Does it make sense to promote indulgence in junk food while raising insurance deductibles?  We must do better!  It is unacceptable for a hospital to send this message.

Once again, I encourage you to take your health into your own hands!  Exercise more, eat more meals at home, increase your intake of fruits and vegetables and don’t look for the easy button to better health.  Make the commitment to yourself. To healthcare workers, I say, it is your responsibility to make sure your actions support your cause. Be the change you want to see in your clients.  Make it happen!

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

~John

Подаръци

Happy 2011! The Holidays are now behind us and it’s time to get back to business. 2011 is going to be a great year. The economy has shown signs of improvement and more importantly, there is an increased awareness of personal health and wellness. Here is a lot of what is looking to be important in the world of food and nutrition for this year.

Childhood Obesity and Child Nutrition: This is one trend whose time has certainly come. We definitely have a problem here as one in three children born today will develop diabetes at some time in their life. Some researchers have even predicted a decline in life expectancy simply due to rising childhood obesity. The public is starting to realize that a consistent diet of hot dogs, nuggets and fries with soda or other sweetened drinks combined with lack of activity is creating problems with our children.

Locally Grown Food: This boosts the local economy and keeps the farmers in business. Additionally, local or home-grown fruits and vegetables are usually highest in nutrition.  They are freshly picked and have not been traveling long distance on a truck or sitting in a warehouse.  They do not have to travel far to their destination—your table!

Home canning: Get out the Mason jars! I have fond memories of helping my grandparents on canning day. This is a great way to extend those fresh fruits and vegetables well into the winter. This must be approached with utmost safety, however, to reduce the incidence of food borne illness. Here is a great resource from the NC Cooperative Extension program: www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/Preservation/index.html

Men cooking: Love this idea–put on the apron’s, guys! Don’t fear the kitchen. As Julia Child once said, “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.”  Make it work for you.

Simple foods/Back to Basics: The less processing that has been done to our food, the better it typically is for us. Food that is home-cooked from scratch tends to be much lower in saturated fat and sodium and much higher in nutrients.

Social media/food apps: Consumers are downloading food apps on their smart phones to find everything from grocery store coupons to seats at nearby restaurants. Restaurants are utilizing social media to connect with their customers. Plus, it looks like Facebook will have some competition this year. New social networks are in the works to be released early this year, including Google Me and Diaspora.

Meatless Meals: Great trend. John and I often try to get our clients to go meatless at least once a week to save on both money and saturated fat.

Energy Foods: Personally, I would be glad to see this trend quickly fade. These products are marketed as energy for those with hangovers, soccer mom’s, busy executives, college students, etc. Children are especially drawn to them (what child doesn’t want to be a Rockstar?). The problem is that they contain large amounts of both sugar and caffeine. They can increase heart rates and are especially risky for anyone with heart disease or hypertension. We prefer the natural route to increasing energy—exercising, getting adequate sleep and drinking plenty of water!

Things are looking good for Food and Nutrition in 2011. There appears to be an increased focus on fruits and vegetables, home cooking and the health of our children.

What are your personal health goals for this year? I plan to continue to train for and participate in my first triathlon. Please share your personal health goals and comments—we would love to hear them!

Here’s to a Healthy and Happy New Year!

It’s Your Life. It’s Your Health. Make That Change!

~ Angie

For more information on projected trends for 2011, check out these sites:

www.restaurant.org/pdfs/research/whats_hot_2011.pdf

www.foodchannel.com/articles/article/food-channel-predicts-top-ten-food-trends-2011/

www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2010/12/food-trend-predictions-for-2011.html

www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/acsms-top-fitness-trends-for-2011/corporate-fitness/

www.marketingtrenches.com/marketing-strategy/crystal-ball-2011-predictions-from-our-friends-and-colleagues/

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