Real nutrition talk

04/08/2020

I've been a little radio silent for awhile with having my beautiful baby girls, maternity leave and this COVID-19 all wrapped into a very interesting past 6 weeks.

How are your nutrition goals coming for the year? Is being quarantined making it more challenging to meet your goals or forcing you to stick with your ideals?

My little Ellie has been having difficulty since birth with different digestive issues. First we were told her over active pooping was related to high bilirubin levels but her diarrhea seemed to persist longer than it should have been and also included far too much straining (IMO). So here we are almost a week later after going on a no dairy kick (as advised by MY dietitian). For me, that doesnt mean that I am "giving up" anything but rather finding what alternatives I can make to the things I love that help meet my goals of not giving Ellie dairy and upsetting her stomach.

Our nutrition goals should never make us feel a sense of deprivation but could include making these accommodations to alternatives. We want to remember to keep a good relationship with food and understand everything has its place in our diet (way of eating).

Today I learned that Feta is actually a type of goat's cheese which is much more appealing than my small stick of "plain goat's cheese" my husband was kind to buy for me. I've also found that my flavored soy milk is very tasty to me and non dairy ice cream still tastes very good. We definitely live in a time where trying different food types for fun or necessity couldnt be too much easier.

What new foods or food types are you learning to try this year? And, how is your diet (way of eating) changing because of the COVID-19?

-19Dieting
-Deirdre Timm, RDN CD

01/10/2020

New year, new you. Many of us may have followed the common New Years trend of setting resolutions. I don't know about you, but I don't prefer the word resolution. If I'm making a New Years resolution, I feel that it seems to imply that I somehow didn't try to be my best or failed at something. Rather, I like saying that I'm setting goals for myself for the year.

My goals for 2020 are to take care of my physical self, be the best mommy I can be to my 3 littles, use my dietetic knowledge, and work on helping my family be more independent. What are your goals for 2020 and is there a way that Real Nutrition Talk and our Dietitian can help you meet some of YOUR goals?

We are currently offering 3-basic nutrition services for you, please see our "services" tab for more information. Additionally, we are happy to announce that we will be partnering with the WELS to help form a new health initiative and website highlighting ways to live healthier lives through the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of health. While this website will be tailored especially to those WELS members, it will be open and accessible to anyone. Upon launching the website, we will have a larger capability to add more nutritional services for you.

If you have any questions about our services or want your free 20 minute consultative session, please reach out to us. Additionally, we appreciate your feedback as we move forward here with the new year.

Thanks all!!!
-Deirdre Timm, RDN

01/07/2020

Real Nutrition Talk is getting a face lift in 2020 because our dietitian-to-be is officially a Registered Dietitian!!!! Because of all of the craziness in her life, she will not be offering a wide-array of nutrition services just yet. However, there are three starter services that she will be offering mostly to local folks but some could be adapted for those who are out of the area.

Check out the services page for more information regarding the services that will be provided along with pricing. For right now, we only accept cash and check; however, as business increases and we make progress this year, we hope to be able to accept some basic state insurance and credit cards. Thank you!!!
-Deirdre Timm, RDN

12/15/2019

I haven't posted in awhile because of the craziness of the past couple of months.

Let's be real--pregnancy is really hard work especially when you are eating for 3. For those of us who have ever been pregnant and especially those who have multiples, you may know or be able to relate to all of those increased nutrient needs; perhaps you can relate to that feeling of having an internal parasite/leech.

With my first pregnancy, once my morning sickness subsided I could remember starting to get quite an appetite back and being hungry all the time (especially for pretzels). However, as my pregnancy progressed, I was back to eating my normal size meals and not feeling a sense of any deprivation.

With my twins, I had a short time early on with my pregnancy and then immediately when the morning sickness subsided where I felt like I could eat the entire fridge. Now, at 28 weeks I've had a harder time motivating myself to eat because of being uncomfortable, feeding my one year old, having mild nausea, and trying to be as active as possible. Subsequently, my doctor has been telling me that I'm probably not eating enough (because I'm not gaining as much as she thinks I could be gaining), and I have slightly decreased Iron levels.

So, mommy needs to try to eat more!! :) (which with my eating disorder past, and personality I have always had a more difficult time choosing to eat more and an easier time eating less)

What kind of eating behaviors did any of you have during your pregnancies? Did you have continual "munchies" the entire time or did you find that eating wasn't as enjoyable for a number of different reasons besides just morning sickness?

Also, people talk about all of those crazy cravings women will have during pregnancy. So far, I wouldn't say I've had any "crazy" cravings but our Culver's single deluxe burger has made its way on my favorites list over the past 6 months. Sometimes our cravings are related to our body requiring more of certain nutrients especially during pregnancy like sodium, iron, folic acid, calcium, vitamin D, and choline. So, when we grab for those salty, or sugary snacks it could be our bodies way of saying, I NEED MORE.

What were some of your cravings (if you had any)?

/eatingbehaviorsandfoodcravings

-Deirdre Timm, freelance writer, aspiring dietitian, mommy of 3

10/24/2019

A hot topic for many is the idea of taking daily vitamin supplements vs. not.

There are many life stages, disease states, or medications that can make certain vitamins and minerals more necessary/important. Being currently pregnant, there are many nutrients like folate, choline, iron, and calcium that my body requires a little more of. A dietitian will tell you that food is medicine in that it can help act as a preventative, or play a key role in management for just about every disease state or health condition. We all know that the food we put in our bodies has different vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients (i.e. carbohydrates, fats, proteins). For many of us, eating a well-balanced diet of trying to eat in moderation and a variety will help us reach our daily needs for our nutrients. Some will require extra help if they are unable to eat certain foods or through their mouths. Even though supplements can be a great option, many nutrition professionals will advise food first.

How many of you feel that you give yourself/family/children a multivitamin daily?

/supplements
-Deirdre Timm, freelance writer, aspiring dietitian, mommy of 3

10/14/2019

Fall brings about lots of yummy vegetables for us to enjoy. For those who may be looking to lower or change up their carbohydrates, have you tried many of the pumpkin and squash alternatives like spaghetti, bread, mashed potatoes, and more? Squash and pumpkin are great alternatives to our regular non-whole grains by offering more fiber, more vitamins and minerals, and less grams of carbohydrates. Feel free to share your favorite recipe ideas below!!!

We have been enjoying plenty pumpkin products this week :)
/fallveggies
-deirdre Timm, freelance writer, aspiring dietitian, mommy of 3

09/29/2019

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to do a talk with a large senior's group about intuitive and mindful eating.

This is a concept I learned about while going through an eating disorders class for my undergrad. The idea is that as young children we have this innate ability to know what, how much, and how often to eat. As we get older, we lose this ability due to the lives we live and the choices we make with food. While this isn't our fault, it can be harmful to our relationship with food. Part of regaining our ability to be intuitive and mindful eaters comes from being able to "really" listen to our bodies and the signals it gives us (think of that
newborn baby and all of the different signals and cues they give for hunger and satisfaction). Listening to our bodies means using all of our senses--even hearing our foods, and slowing down in many cases. How many of us already practice this type of eating, and for those of us who don't, what kinds of eaters may we be? In working to be the intuitive eater there are 10 principles to keep in mind,
1. Reject the diet
2. Honor your hunger
3. Make peace with food
4. Challenge the food police.
5. Respect your fullness.
6. Discover the satisfaction factor.
7. Honor your feelings without using food.
8. Respect your body.
9. Exercise and feel the difference.
10. Honor your health.
/intuitiveeating
-Deirdre Timm, freelance writer, aspiring dietitian, mommy of 3

09/22/2019

Food insecurity is basically when someone doesn't have the security or opportunity of always knowing where their next meal will come from or where the resources for even the staple meal items will come from.

Many of us don't have to worry about affording all of our groceries or the basic food items. Have you or someone you know ever been in a position to require the help of public food assistance, participated in a government program like WIC and/or used community assistance programs like a food pantry?

Did you know that Dietitians are some of the personnel that help assist and run these programs? Dietitians in community settings teach those of low and very income about nutrition while also helping aid in learning how to make a smaller income spread.

I'm attaching a project I had the opportunity of working on while with my local community nutrition program.

/communitynutritionprograms
-Deirdre timm, freelance writer, aspiring dietitian, mommy of 3

09/18/2019

Have you ever wondered, how can I be part of nutrition research and participate in a nutrition study?

Worry no more!
Check out ClinicalTrials.gov for a complete listing of trials currently starting, underway, and finished from the U.S National Library of Medicine. :)

/ClinicalTrials.gov

-Deirdre timm, freelance writer, aspiring dietitian, mommy of 3

09/16/2019

Fruits and vegetables:
Is one form better than another, meaning are frozen, canned, or fresh better or worse for you than other forms?

This webinar put on by the "Have a plant" talks about the importance of fruits and vegetables, how many servings a day of each are recommended, and discusses the age old question of "Are certain types of fruits and vegetables better than others". I do not personally support or endorse any of the speakers or websites, but did find this webinar to be very on point with dietary recommendations currently out there.

https://fruitsandveggies.org/expert-professionals/webinars/plant-powerhouses-for-happier-healthier-lives/

For more information about Dr.Taylor Wallace, check out his website at DrTaylorWallace.com. Thanks!

/fruitsandvegetables

-Deirdre Timm, freelance writer, aspiring dietitian, mommy of 3

Fruits and vegetables – whether fresh, frozen, canned, dried or 100% juice – provide key nutrients, but just how important are these plant powerhouses for…

09/15/2019

We all want to do the best for our children. Found this article to be interesting, what do you think?

Many of those who want to shove their kids into a lead-lined, basement safe room when someone walks by with a can of Raid or diet soda, are unknowingly feeding them multiple, unknown chemicals by giving them dietary supplements. And virtually none of those are useful -- and some are actually dangero...

09/10/2019

Frank Yiannas is one of my favorite food safety person to follow. What a guy. Next weeks topic, all things food safety!

This is "Regulatory Update" by IAFP on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.