October has always meant the start of the Holidays for me.  Stores are already loaded with candy for Halloween, decorations for Thanksgiving and the new Christmas ornaments have been hanging in Hallmark Stores since July! As people begin to stress over avoiding the Holiday weight gains & finding the perfect gifts to be bought, we’re trying something new.  October is International Walk to School Month.  The walk to school program in the USA was started in 1997 as a way to increase awareness of the need for communities to be more walkable.  The program has expanded to raise awareness of not only healthier lifestyles options but also to promote safer bicycling & walking routes and cleaner air.  We have been trying to get our son’s school to help sponsor a local event but the process is slow.  Instead, Angie & I will promote the Walk to School ourselves by walking to school with Jonathan on designated days during the month of October.  Our first planned walk is October 8th, which is also Walk to School Day.  Hopefully, we will be able to generate interest and the program will grow into a larger event in the future.  I urge you to visit the Walk to School web site for more information and ideas on making it work in your community.  Walking to school would be a great way to get exercise as a family and give you more time to spend with your child.  We’ll let you know how things work out in Elizabeth City!

Take advantage of the October weather by getting outside and being more active!  Cooler temperatures, lower humidity & less grass cutting!! Enjoy October!

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

~ John

Nutrition Pair participated in the first annual Health and Wellness Fair this past Wednesday April 23rd at the Elizabeth City Coast Guard Base. We were one of 50 exhibitors at the fair which was organized by the MWR (Morale, Well-Being and Recreation) segment at the Coast Guard Support Center. Per Tony Buero, Director of MWR, the goal was to provide education on the six wellness dimensions of the MWR Program:

• Physical
• Emotional
• Intellectual
• Spiritual
• Interpersonal/Social
• Environmental/Planetary Wellness

Our goal as Registered Dietitians was to educate attendees about how making good food choices can prevent or control chronic diseases, such as diabetes or hypertension. John and I enjoyed meeting and speaking with many the active duty, civilian and contract employees that visited us. We answered many questions about ways in which they can improve their diets or lose weight. However, much of the advice which we provided was related to sports nutrition (we met lots of runners!) or feeding children a healthy diet.

Overall, it was a great experience. We plan to participate in the Health and Wellness Fair again next year.

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

~ Angie

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

It’s September and September is National Cholesterol Education Month. Controlling cholesterol levels is a key component to reducing heart disease risk. When is the last time you had your cholesterol level checked? Although it is important to know your total cholesterol level, it is even more important to know your entire lipid profile. A lipid profile will give you the amount of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol & triglyceride levels in your blood. LDL cholesterol is known as the BAD cholesterol because it is responsible for sticking to artery walls & causing blockages. HDL is known as the GOOD cholesterol because it helps to remove LDL cholesterol. Triglycerides are a storage form of fat that usually comes from excess calorie intake or lack of exercise. For better health, you want to increase levels of HDL while decreasing levels of LDL & Triglycerides.

Current recommendations for lipid levels are for total cholesterol to be less than 200, LDL less than 100 (less than 80 if you have diabetes), HDL greater than 45, & triglycerides less than 150.

If you are unsure of your lipid levels, speak to your doctor about ordering a lipid profile for you. Your doctor may also have more specific cholesterol goals than those just mentioned.

In the meantime, eat more fruits, vegetables and monounsaturated fats and less trans and saturated fats. It’s also important to exercise daily. These changes can help you better control cholesterol levels & reach your health goals.

It’s your Health, It’s your Life. Make that Change!

~ Angieикони