I’m so excited to introduce you to my friend Calli. She was actually an intern for me last semester (in my public health profession) as she was wrapping up her Registered Dietician Nutrition program. Calli also interned with me a few years back in a general health promotion position, so we have been able to get to know each other over the course of that time period… and it’s been so fun ? Calli is totally a wild-heart. She is hilarious, vibrant, smart, beautiful and ever-so-helpful. She’s completely organized and entirely passionate about her field of work. I’ve picked her brain SO many times because nutrition is near and dear to my heart, so I thought it was only fair that I ask her to share a little with all of you. First, I’ll let her tell you a little more about who she is and what she’s all about:
C: Hey everyone, I’m Calli! I currently work for the City of West Allis as a Community Health Dietitian doing nutrition counseling with WIC (Women, Infants and Children), creating community presentations and education materials as well as working on worksite wellness programs. My academic background includes a bachelor’s degree in Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences from University of Wisconsin- Green Bay and I went on to Lenoir Rhyne University to complete a dietetic internship to become a RDN. In a few short weeks I will be taking the national RDN exam and will be credentialed as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. ?
When I’m not studying and working, I like to be outdoors as much as possible to garden, fish, snowmobile, ATV, hike, and play yard games. Another passion of mine is taking recipes that would normally be seen as unhealthy and transforming it by substituting or adding ingredients to make the recipe a more nutritious option! Some of my favorites I’ve done include: mac n’ cheese, eggplant and black bean burgers, muffins, banana bread, pancakes and oatmeal cookies.
L: See what I mean? She’s a great resource to have around, and definitely a good, fun friend to have. Calli, what is a fun fact about yourself?
C: I have strong curiosity and passion for Marine Biology. One day I hope to cage dive/swim with Dolphins and Sharks. L: That is so cool, and so scary!
L: I have specifically asked Calli to contribute a Wild-Hearted Wisdom feature in the area of health and specifically the topic of nutrition. I wanted to put her expert advice that she has graciously given me in writing so that I may pay it forward. And, I truly wanted to know what her thoughts are on my healthy living principles! It can’t hurt to have a RDN review how you view your personal health and nutrition, right?! So, here it goes, Calli’s feedback on the principles which I live by:
Principle #1: Eat vegetables and lots of them!
C: An important principle that can apply to the prevention and treatment of many chronic disease and cancer. The vitamins and minerals in vegetables alone are extremely important to the daily bodily functions such as protein, fat, and carbohydrate metabolism, helps to form blood cells, helps the growth of all cells, increases iron absorption, helps the immune system fight bacteria, viruses and aid in wound healing, keeps bones and teeth strong and much more. Vegetables are low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and calories and are high in fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants (cancer and free-radical quenching chemicals) and flavor. This means you have nothing to lose in adding more to your daily consumption.
Principle #2: Balance a day’s food consumption to meet your specific nutrient needs.
C: Knowing what your specific nutrient needs are for a day is extremely helpful for preparing your day’s worth of meals and snacks. Knowing your specific calorie allowance allows you to split your calories evenly (or accordingly) between meals and snacks and healthfully balance your days worth of food and nutrients. It will help you to stay on track with whatever your nutrition goals are. My personal goals are to consume 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day and 60g of protein. To do this I need to split my fruits and vegetables into my 3 meals and in a snack. Sometimes I know I won’t get enough protein at breakfast, so I pack accordingly to ensure I get enough at my snack, lunch, and dinner.
Another great tip to balance your food consumption is keeping your plans to eat out in mind. Evidence from a Today’s Dietitian Magazine article The Facts on Snacks, showed that middle aged women who balanced their daily intake of meals and snacks and snacked on food groups they were missing from meals had more healthy BMI’s( BMI of 18.5-24.9) than those who didn’t. So, if you know you are going out to dinner one night (or even just planning a larger “unhealthy” meal), you will want to plan ahead! Most restaurants have healthier options now, but it nice to have a treat when out with friends or family, plus portion sizes are usually a quite bit larger at a restaurant. On days you will be going out to dinner, consider eating smaller portions for breakfast and lunch and make sure to get those fruits and veggies in!
Principle #3: M-o-d-e-r-a-t-i-o-n.
C: Moderation really is the key. Eating one healthy meal doesn’t make you a healthy person and eating one not-so-nutritious meal doesn’t make you an unhealthy person. It is better to let yourself indulge and have a bite of what your craving for and to eat that one cookie, for example. If you don’t let yourself enjoy a craving every once and while, binging can happen and then you would be consuming excessive amounts calories, fat or sugar than you originally would if you gave yourself a small treat in the first place.
Principle #4: Stay hydrated.
C: The recommendation to keep an average healthy body hydrated is 48-64oz of non-caffeinated or alcoholic fluids per day. That would be 6-8 cups of water, flavored water, milk or juice. This can vary day to day based on your daily functions. If you do moderately active work outside, or your body is in stress, it is advised to drink more of those fluids. Water is preferred. Since the amount day to day may fluctuate, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states if your urine is pale in color, you are properly hydrated.
Principle #6: Get moving!
C: Engaging in 150 minutes per week of moderate activity is the recommendation for physical activity for adults by the American Heart Association. That would mean 30 minutes 5 days per week for heart healthy benefits. Doing more than the recommendation can provide more benefits such as weight loss and weight maintenance, prevent some cancers, diabetes and hypertension and increase confidence and self-esteem. It can also promote better sleep and overall daily energy. Doing something that you enjoy will make physical activity more fun.
L: It’s nice to have some confirmation that I’m on the right track with my healthy living principles, and it’s so nice to have someone with this great expertise to help keep me going in the right direction or point me in a new one if necessary. As I mentioned, I’ve asked Calli more than my fair share of questions (like a bazillion!), but she has a lot of frequently asked questions, too. I think you will all love to hear her take on some of these FAQ’s:
What is your opinion on the gluten-free diet fad?
The gluten-free trend came about in 2011 when a doctor and researcher from Australia claimed that adults who do not have celiac disease can lose weight from going gluten-free or partially gluten-free. A couple of doctors in the United States also wrote best-selling books based on going gluten-free. A couple years later after many health care professionals analyzed these books and research, some doctors took back the claim stating research was inconclusive and people lost weight thinking they were following a gluten-free diet but actually weren’t. There was a placebo effect due to thinking they were eating gluten-free or were just eating less simple carbohydrates.
There really is not much concrete evidence on what the gluten-free diet can do for weight and health and therefore it is more of a fad than fact. The only time a gluten-free diet is warranted is if you have been diagnosed with Celiac’s Disease or have an intolerance to gluten. It is not an easy diet to follow.
What about the sugar-free diet?
Consuming less added-sugars (sugars that aren’t naturally found in food) is a positive health change. But, going sugar-free – as in low-carb – can be dangerous. Everyone needs a certain amount of carbohydrates each day for energy (current recommendation is 50-65% of your calories based on your specific daily needs). Also, fruit and dairy products have naturally containing sugar called fructose and lactose. Excluding or extremely limiting grains, fruit and dairy products because of the naturally containing sugars isn’t a diet change I would recommend.
What do you think about elimination diets in general?
If you are a generally healthy adult that doesn’t have any chronic diseases or special medical conditions, you should not eliminate whole food groups from your diet. Every food group adds different nutrients that are beneficial and can be balanced into a healthy lifestyle. Going grain free is popular right now. If that is a food group you would like to eat less of, I encourage measuring and portioning out your grains (1 slice of bread, 1/2 cup pasta or rice) and stick to those portions.
Should parents be giving kids juice and canned or packaged fruit?
My personal observation working with kids every day is that they are given way too much juice. Juice has some of the vitamins and minerals that fruit does but lacks all of the phytonutrients and fiber. Juice is concentrated from the fruit, so there is more sugar in a glass of apple juice than an actual apple, for example. Canned or packaged fruit that is in water is just fine for kids (my personal recommendation). The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says, canned fruit should be in 100% juice or water for kids.
How do you feel about low fat vs. full fat dairy products?
New evidence has come out now that the saturated fat in dairy products may not contribute to heart disease and be as bad as everybody once thought. If you are already diagnosed with heart disease, still watch saturated fats. If you are trying to cut calories, you can always go with a low fat dairy alternative. If you are choosing a low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese, be sure to read the nutrient facts because sometimes there is added sugar and sodium in place of the fat you are trying to limit.
What are your go-to snacks?
I tend to snack on food groups that I normally don’t receive in my meals. Example: I am a vegetarian, so my go-to snacks are usually protein based to ensure I get enough protein and all of my essential amino acids throughout the day. Some of my snacks include: nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts, seeds), string cheese, yogurt w/granola, a Kind bar, glass of milk, 1 serving of popcorn, fruit or veggies and hummus.
What can individuals do if they would like to boost their metabolism and promote weight loss: (*Calli’s most frequently asked question!)
- Start tracking what you eat and drink every day with either a hand written food journal or a phone/computer app. This strategy helps you really see what you are putting into your body and what changes you can or should make. My Fitness Pal is the phone app I personally use. Other options include the IPhone Health App, Lose It, or Fitbit trackers.
- Try not to go more than 4-5 hours without eating. After 5 hours your body starts to go into starvation mode and will store whatever it is that you eat next because it thinks that it is dying and doesn’t know when you will eat again. Would you rather store that donut full of added sugars that looked so tempting at your afternoon work meeting or an apple that has fiber and fructose?
- Eat protein! When trying to lose weight it is so important to maintain or build on your current muscle mass and instead lose that unwanted fat. So, how can you do that? Eat enough protein. Everyone’s body is different, but an easy calculation is your body weight in kg multiplied by .8-1.0g of protein per kg of body weight. This determines how much protein you need each day. My range would be 54-68g of protein per day. As I mentioned earlier, I aim for 60g. If you are into activity such as weightlifting regularly, aim for the higher end of the range to build more muscle.
- Plan out your physical activity. You are more likely to do it if the activity is pre-planned into your schedule! Plan activity you know you will actually achieve as well so you don’t set yourself up for failure. Once you have a schedule set then you can amp up your activity and try something new and exciting.
- Eat breakfast! Think about what you are doing prior to breakfast: sleeping, which means you are not eating. Eating 1-2 hours after waking up will boost your energy and metabolism, and it’s a great time to consume some important nutrients. Many people actually skip breakfast due to “not being hungry”. If this is you, start off small with a granola bar, piece of fruit or one piece of toast. Eventually, your metabolism will improve and as a result, you will be hungry around the same time every morning. This works, I promise. I never used to eat breakfast and now I am hungry around 7am every day.
L: YES! Thank you! I love consuming this information. Any final words for us?
C: Making lifestyle changes to eating and exercise habits are hard. Remember to start off with a small goal and work your way to lifelong success. Even the smallest goal is a big accomplishment. Once you complete one goal then you can continue setting goals that may be more challenging. Think of it this way: if you drink 3 sodas a day (nations average), it’s going to be hard to stop drinking soda cold turkey. Instead, reduce consumption to 2 per day and then eventually 1 per day and then maybe .5 cans per day until you feel like you can stop. That may seem like a tedious, lengthy process, but you will be more successful long-term and feel more confident about completing your goals as a result.
L: Hearing from Calli and talking to her about nutrition and healthy living invigorates me. I truly appreciate her time, knowledge and sharing in this feature and hope you are able to take some of her helpful information, tips and tricks and put them into practice.
Here’s to being even just a little bit healthier thanks to Calli! ?
More Wild-Hearted Wisdom: