Author Archive

By: Shelley Alspaugh, RD

Vitamin and mineral deficiency has always been an interest and level of curiosity for me.  So, I have been so grateful to now offer Micronutrient Testing through Spectracell Laboratories!  All that is required is a blood draw and your levels of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, metabolites and antioxidants are evaluated for status.  The Spectracell test provides a comprehensive reflection of your intracellular nutrition status.  SpectraCell measures the presence of a nutrient within a patient’s white blood cell, we are able to reveal a person’s functional nutrient status over a much longer period of time than standard blood serum testing.  This is a very important piece of your wellness program.  Nutrition deficiencies are often under overlooked because most nutrition deficiencies are not affecting your daily life.  However, once you begin treating your nutrition deficiencies along with a healthy eating and exercise plan, most people feel so much better.  On a personal note, I found that I am deficient in Vit B12, zinc, calcium (all of which I predicted), along with deficiency in choline and oleic acid.  The oleic acid was a shocker because I eat a lot of healthy fats and take a high quality omega 3 supplement.  I have now learned that due to the choline deficiency I was not breaking down all of the fat.  I have felt so much better since 7/11 when I first I had my spectracell analysis and began treating my deficiencies through high quality supplementation.  I encourage all of my clients to do this testing because it helps guide us in our food planning and supplementation.

Our next blood draw will be on Tues. May 16 between 4-6.  Call our office to sign up or talk to your RD!

Interviewed and written by Elizabeth Haaser

One of my favorite parts about this job is working at the front desk and greeting every patient. New faces become familiar ones, conversations pick up where they left off, and I feel more and more connected to this RBA family. Sometimes though, I make connections with people I don’t even see in person; every now and then, a perspective client on the phone really reaches me, and our next successful client was such a woman.

She called looking for some direction, and I asked to hear a bit of her story. She gave me a glimpse into her emotionally-driven eating past, and I knew immediately that Bobbi was the RD she should meet with. I included a note on her folder for Bobbi, simply saying that I really liked this patient, but from there, I was unsure if I would hear from her again. She now shares more of that story with me, and describes that pairing with Bobbi as being the answer to her prayers.

Every story has a start…

“As a young girl, I ate three balanced meals a day with the largest meal at lunch.  My special reward was either chocolate cake with maple sugar icing or homemade tapioca pudding. These treats are still my favorites. The summer before the 7th grade, following a family crisis, we moved from the Midwest to the west coast.  During the long drive, alone in the back seat of the car, I was filled with sadness about leaving my home and I was anxious about where we were going. I found comfort in eating cookies the entire trip.  No one said a word since it seemed to make me happy. This led to binges and the pounds began to accumulate. After six months, my mother took me to a doctor whom I loved; he put me on a diet and I was back on track eating normally and participating in physical activities.”

…some complications…

“This continued until my early 40’s when I returned to the old pattern of binge eating to alter my emotions. It allows me to escape rather than deal with pain, discomfort, loneliness, boredom, frustration or difficulty in figuring something out. I have believed for many years that sweets are my addiction just as smoking was. In the past 20 years, I would overeat to the point that I was so full and would become nauseous, and throwing up was my only means of relief. The eating helped to cover up the same emotions I had experienced earlier in life, but now I was also eating to fill vacant time. I felt disgusted because the weight kept me from enjoying activities with my children and grandchildren. I avoided having my picture taken because of the shame I felt about looking like someone who wasn’t me. I want my grandchildren to know me as my children did, 60 or 70 pounds lighter.”

… and a time of change.

“I knew that I needed to take more responsibility for my health.  I remembered a note from my primary care doctor recommending Rebecca Bitzer. I made the phone call and through divine providence and Elizabeth, Bobbi was recommended. I didn’t know what to expect from meeting Bobbi, but I hoped that she would not simply hand me a diet and tell me to follow it. During my first and subsequent meetings with Bobbi, she has guided but never pushed or judged, suggested never mandated, listened and then reconstructed our plans, challenged me with new ideas, recommended books which helped my mind understand what I was going through and allowed me to identify and eliminate my triggers, all of which meant that I didn’t have to fit into a specific box.

I spent many years in therapy, hoping it would fix me and I would stop having these eating issues. I have discovered in my experience with Bobbi that my eating and emotional issues cannot be separated. I still have a hard time turning to another activity to replace my desire for food. There are many days that make me fear returning to old habits. I have learned that each of my senses is extremely sensitive and directly tied to my emotions.”

But if we take a moment to really listen…

“I’ve found that writing in a journal helps to calm me.  I write about thoughts, feelings, what I have eaten, what I did, where I went, and how I felt.  Some days I write a lot, others not much. I have learned to let go, stop worrying, and turn it over to God. I want to feel emotion, accept it, and then make eating something separate.

I have learned to love silence, since it allows me to think creatively and explore many good things I have not thought about for years. The TV or radio has become a distraction for me, and turning them off has opened up a whole new world.

Being honest with myself and others gives me the courage to move forward and know I can do it.”

…you might just like what you hear.

“Six months ago, I would never have believed that I could find someone that knew what I was experiencing and actually had answers that felt logical.  I always have known what and how to eat; I just couldn’t seem to do it. I have a long journey ahead, but I believe in Bobbi and she helps me believe in myself.”

Note From Elizabeth: I want to thank this brave woman who shared her story with me. I believe in fate, I believe that changes can come at any stage in your story, and I believe in you. Congratulations on all your progress!

By: Christie St. Pierre

Food allergies and dietary restrictions can make meal planning difficult, whether you’re cooking for yourself or for an entire family.  The process of sifting through recipes to make sure they are safe or trying to find substitutes for ingredients that may cause an adverse reaction can be overwhelming and exhausting.  The folks at TheAllergyMenu.com understand the risk of harm for those living with food allergies and intolerances, and they provide the resources to prepare tasty, healthy meals that adhere to dietary restrictions.  Their searchable database allows you to select the type of dish you would like to prepare (e.g. breakfast, salad, main dish, etc), followed by a list of allergy types where you can select multiple allergies at once.   One of my favorite features was that the number of servings is provided for each recipe, and you can double or halve the recipe with one click.  You can also add recipes that catch your eye to My Recipes and then use the list of recipes to plan for the week using the Menu Planner.

The recipes are varied, creative, and nutritious.  I personally do not have any food allergies or intolerances, but there are nonetheless several recipes from this site that will be coming out of my kitchen in the near future!  From Moroccan Eggplant Pizza (dairy free and gluten free) to No Potato Potato Cakes (they have a secret ingredient!), I am eager to try many of these recipes.

In addition to the recipes, the site includes articles, videos, and links to other helpful resources for living and cooking with food restrictions.  TheFoodAllergyMenu.com can save a tremendous amount of time and angst and help make food preparation enjoyable once again.

BY Rebecca Bitzer

If you are in the Maryland Area and looking for a new lunch place, Bon Fresco is a must try! The food is inexpensive, healthy, and delicious and is a great alternative to fast food. All of their breads and baked goods are made from scratch and their flour is never bleached.  These make a delicious vehicle for an array of sandwiches, such as turkey, grilled vegetable, corned beef, chicken breast, and much more. They also have a great selection of salads made from mostly grains, legumes, cheese, herbs, and of course vegetables. The important thing is that every food item has no chemical or artificial additives, and everything is slow-cooked to bring out natural flavors.

Just the other day I enjoyed a turkey sandwich and lentil salad, it was a great mid-day treat.

What new lunch places have you found recently?

By: Amy Bortnick

Client: Cynthia S.

Registered Dietitian: Kait Fortunato

This is the story of a client on her journey to a healthier lifestyle.

Cynthia has changed her outlook on life and significantly improved her health through meeting with Registered Dietitian, Kait Fortunato. The health, nutrition, and lifestyle changes Cynthia has made since coming to see Kait have empowered her to lead a healthier lifestyle and we would love to share her story of success to help motivate others to have the same energy to live healthier and happier lives.

Cynthia made her initial appointment to see a dietitian because she was trying to learn to eat healthy. Before coming to see Kait, Cynthia said trying to eat healthy added pressure to her life and always seemed like a chore. She really wanted to learn the basics about healthy food choices and how to make eating healthy fit into her specific schedule.

To stay strong Cynthia works out 2 times a week for an hour and a half. She focuses on both cardio workouts and strength training. Cynthia does intense workouts using resistance bands and medicine balls!

When we asked Cynthia what information she received from Kait that really “hit home” with her she said: “Hands down learning to monitor carbohydrate intake has been my favorite tool”. She said learning to eat three meals a day and snacks with controlled carbohydrates and increasing protein and vegetables has been like a cheat sheet to eating healthy. Cynthia really feels like she has found balance in her meal times and eating healthy is just part of life now. One of the biggest changes she’s made since working with us is learning to grocery shop with a purpose. Instead of wasting time and buying extra items, Cynthia goes to the store with her weekly meal plan in mind and chooses items that she can incorporate into meals for the week.

Overall, since making healthy changes and working with Kait, Cynthia feels better about herself inside and out, she saves money grocery shopping, and she has more energy to enjoy life.

Finally, we asked Cynthia what advice she has for people on their health journey and she left us with this wisdom:

• Don’t put pressure on yourself
• Take gradual steps towards eating and living better so you do not overwhelm yourself
• Enjoy the process of learning to eat healthy

Thanks to Cynthia for sharing her story with us!

BY: Chelsea Davidson

I have to start by saying I love eggs. They are completely delicious, can be eaten tons of different ways, and are extremely nutritious. One egg has only 75 calories and contains 7 grams of protein to keep you feeling full, 5 grams of fat, and 1.5 grams of saturated fat. Eggs are loaded with lots of vitamins and minerals too. They pack a ton of iron, carotenoids that fight aging, and choline that enhances brain development and memory just to name a few.

These days, egg manufacturers are adding other nutrients to eggs by feeding it to the chickens and free-range organic eggs have become much more popular in the past few years. But those added nutrients and labels come at a price. An alternative solution?- Raise your own chickens and the eggs are free! Plus, homegrown eggs tend to have more nutrients and actually taste better than store-bought eggs. This is simply because factory farmed chickens are fed an unnatural, unvaried diet and the eggs have to be shipped all the way to your grocery store so they lose flavor by the time they get to your plate.

When my mom told me that we were going to start raising chickens I laughed. Coming from rural Carroll County, where the farms are plentiful, I thought she was trying to make some joke about our family becoming the stereotypical farmers in the area. But it turns out she was serious. She and her boyfriend took a class at the local community college on how to raise chickens and before I knew it we were building a chicken coop in our back yard.

And then… we got the chicks! We decided to get 6 because it is recommended that you have 2 for each person in the house, but since my sister and I are both away at college and only come home a few times a month I guess we count as just one. They were just a few days old when we got them back in the beginning of March, but boy do they grow fast! They had to stay in an incubator for the first few weeks and we actually just moved them outside to the coop recently. Here are a few pictures of how the little chicks grown over the past month.

Our dogs were a little confused at the little winged creatures that invaded their home and stole all the attention, but now it seems like everyone is friends.

We won’t have eggs until midsummer so for now we will just have 6 growing chickens in our back yard to look at and play with. I have to admit that I’m really excited to see these chicks grow and I absolutely cannot wait for the first egg, jam packed with tons of nutrients and plenty of flavor! I’ll cook it sunny side up (or “dippy” style as I have called it since childhood) and a piece of whole grain toast. Yum!

At Rebecca Bitzer and Associates we truly value our nutrition students. Full of energy, passion for the field, and a wealth of new ideas our students contribute to much to our success. Each month we are going to feature one our interns, starting with a senior at the University of Maryland, Dana Magee. We want to thank Dana for all she has contributed to our office and congratulate her on getting her first choice for a dietetic internship next year.

It is a job well done if the student does not faint during the first surgery they observe.  I passed the test as I stood next to the surgeon while he skillfully removed the patient’s gall bladder during a three hour surgery.  As a high school senior in the Allied Health program I was exposed to countless unforgettable experiences like this as I rotated throughout the hospital. Although I was attracted to the medical environment, the specific rotations I observed did not seem to be the perfect fit for me. I enrolled in the University of Maryland as an undecided major up until I learned about dietetics. Dietetics continues to combine my love of science and health while also working with people. The opportunity to play a key role in patient recovery and improving their lifestyle draws me to the field of dietetics.

As an undergraduate student I have gained a lot of experience in dietetics. I joined the Food and Nutrition Club and have served as the Community Outreach Officer.  In this position, I planned monthly trips for our members to volunteer within our community. I am also a Student Nutritionist for UMD Dining Services where I work closely with marketing, inspect concessions at football games, create daily “Smart Choice” menus, and use the program FoodPro to mark food items as dairy/gluten/peanut free, vegan, or vegetarian. I am also a dietetic student volunteer working under the campus dietitian where I analyze food records of students, faculty, and staff, explain their dietary reports, and establish goals for improvement. Conversing with my clients taught me how to interpret and communicate the knowledge I have learned in my coursework.

I am also one of the seven students working here at Rebecca Bitzer & Associates where I have had the opportunity to work with a successful business owner, interact with six Registered Dietitians, and engage in nutrition counseling. I have had the chance to let my imagination soar as I lead our marketing efforts by creating brochures, fliers, and blogs.  I also work as an assistant for Shelley, our Certified Diabetes Educator. I help her by creating meal plans, doing diet analysis, and participating in supplemental training.  I love planning and helping run our monthly grocery store tours. I thoroughly enjoy bringing nutrition education out of the office and into real world settings. Working at RBA has been a great experience and has taught me more during the past year than I could have imagined.  Our dietitians love what they do, believe in their clients, and are constantly updating their knowledge of nutrition and counseling.

Next September I will be starting my dietetic internship with Aramark Distance Internship and on my way to becoming a Registered Dietitian. My goal is to work in the hospital setting and gain the knowledge and skills to eventually start my own private practice or work in the outpatient setting. I am particularly interested in working with obesity and binge eating disorder to give people the tools to succeed and help them get energized about creating a plan to change their lives.

We are excited to announce the launch of Kathy Kendall, MS, RD, LD’s Digestive Wellness programs designed for those seeking to heal their digestive system and experience freedom from chronic symptoms like gas, pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and reflux, as well as other symptoms connected to digestive health such as fatigue, migraines, and joint pain.

People are often surprised to learn how intricately their digestive system is woven into their overall well-being. If you are chronically stressed, have a poor diet and/or take a variety of medications, you are probably not enjoying optimal digestion.  As you can see in the chart, many factors can influence the health of our gut and thus our overall health.  The good news is that there are just as many ways you can cultivate a healthy digestive system.  Making better food choices, supporting digestion with enzymes or other supplements, and practicing a relaxation technique such as yoga or meditation are just some of the ways you can help heal your gut and your body.

Helping people heal from their digestive issues is Kathy’s passion in part due to her personal story.  In her own words:  “My own struggles with IBS started when I was in my twenties.  Since I was a dietitian, I thought I should know what to eat or not eat to stop the symptoms, yet I could not sort it out. I lost 10 pounds in the process and felt I was losing my sanity and my health.  If someone had told me one day I would be free of my IBS symptoms, I never would have believed them.  My symptoms were part of my life for so long, but here I am, IBS-free.”

Kathy uses the “5 R” approach to improving digestion and health:  1. Remove triggers (foods and chemicals) that are bringing about ill effects in the digestive tract and body, 2.  Replace components needed for digestion such as digestive enzymes, 3.  Repair the gut lining with healing herbs, 4.  Restore proper balance of bacteria, and 5. Rebalance body’s coping mechanisms such as exercise, emotions, and beliefs.  This systematic approach to gut health is one that can bring about profound improvements in overall health and well being.  Don’t hesitate; get started on your path to better health and improved digestive wellness!

For free recipes and other gut healing ideas you can visit Kathy’s blog, the Happy, Healthy Gut.

To learn more about the program please call our office (301-474-2499) to schedule a meeting with Kathy.

By: Amy Bortnick

I LOVE oats, hot, cold, in my yogurt, in my muffins, in bread, I mean the possibilities are endless. Lately I have been searching blogs and the web for perfect “overnight oats”! Basically, overnight oats are just oats you let soak in some combination of liquid, yogurt, and spices (optional) overnight and then enjoy in the morning! I couldn’t find the perfect combination of ingredients for myself online so I decided to experiment and here is my first trial:

Overnight Cinnamon Raspberry Peach Oats

Ingredients:

• · ½ cup plain non-fat Dannon yogurt
• · ½ cup vanilla unsweetened almond milk
• · ½ cup old fashion oats
• · 1 tsp cinnamon
• · 3 slices frozen peaches
• · handful of raspberries
• · ½ oz of almonds

The night before I combined to oats, yogurt, almond milk, some peaches, and cinnamon in a bowl:

Next I mixed the ingredients together:

Then I covered them with foil and placed them in the fridge to soak overnight!

In the morning I added the almonds and raspberries and Taaadaaa:

Often people add more liquid in the morning but I didn’t need to because I was happy with the consistency! Overall I was very pleased with my first attempt at over night oats! The texture is unqiue and the toppings are endless. For more protein you could add peanut butter or protein powder instead of the fruit.

BY: Amy Bortnick

Ever feel lost in the grocery store? Do you wish your kids would eat healthier but you’re not quite sure where the intervention should happen? Do you want to be a better role model for your children but struggle with your own stressful day and nutrition habits?

We understand that creating a healthy life for your family and yourself can be stressful and we are here to help!

Registered Dietitian Kait Fortunato has created an all-inclusive 24/7 Family Nutrition Program to give you and your family the tools, knowledge, skills, and ongoing support to create a healthier lifestyle. This 4 month program will provide you with:

• Personalized Nutrition information
• Multiple weeks worth of quick kid friendly meals
• Save you time and money at the grocery store
• Help your children try new foods

There is a parent’s only session for tips on talking to your children about weight and how to allow for a peaceful kitchen environment. Children can also enjoy a taste testing session and learn to try new foods. The program ends with a personalized grocery store tour allowing you to quickly acquire all the ingredients you need for a kid-friendly, easy week of meals. Not to mention, unlimited text and email support along the way.

Kait works with children on a regular basis at Annapolis Pediatrics and families at Rebecca Bitzer and Associate’s and she truly understands that creating a nutritious life for your family can be difficult.  However, with the right tools and support you can make health your priority and improve the quality of your life for yourself and your family. Call today for more information (301) 474-2499 or email Kait, kait@rbitzer.com.