News

By: Sara Emden and Laura Drenkow

Last week, I had the opportunity to assist and observe our Chief Dietitian, Shelley Alspaugh, give a presentation on Cancer and Nutrition at Howard Community College. It was very informative and it opened my eyes to the large correlation between nutrition and cancer.

I learned the importance of eating organic fruits and vegetables in particular, the “big 12”: celery, pears, peaches, apples, cherries, strawberries, grapes, spinach, potatoes, bell peppers and raspberries. These fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that can help to destroy free radicals which may cause cancer.  She also spoke about a fruit/veggie wash you can buy at stores that helps remove some of the outer layer of pesticides.

Shelley spoke about the correlation of having a high BMI, and excess weight gain increasing your risk of developing some types of cancers. She also spoke about prevention, including: exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, eating more of a plant-based diet and lowering calorie dense foods.

Another interesting point she spoke about, was the correlation of grilling meats and cancer because the charring of grilling meats can produce carcinogens. She talked about various ways of cooking meat to lower the carcinogens, such as cooking the meat inside the house and then finishing it on the grill to still have the smoky flavor without the harm. Also, grilling plant -based foods on the grill, such as grilling vegetables or veggie burgers, does not produce carcinogens. I found this to be very interesting.

Shelley gave a juicing demonstration. She told a personal story of a close friend who had cancer and used juicing to improve her nutritional status to help beat cancer.  Her friend is now cancer free. She brought in her own juicer and made a delicious juice containing apples, celery, carrots and ginger. Everyone in the audience got a sample of the juice and people were raving about it!  One member of the audience came up to us afterward and said that she never liked veggies, but she loved this juice and would definitely want to make this on her own.

I was very impressed with her presentation and I thought she did an outstanding job! Her presentation was very informative and covered many aspects of cancer and nutrition. Shelley’s warm and down-to-earth personality made it easy for audience members to ask questions.

Cancer has become such a prominent topic in the United States as it is one of the top reasons for death, but now we have learned some ways to try to prevent cancer!

By: Christine St Pierre

At Rebecca Bitzer & Associates, we love to celebrate the success of our clients!  Denise came to see Registered Dietitian Kathy Kendall for help identifying foods that were triggering the health problems she had been living with for years.  After doing LEAP food sensitivity testing and working with Kathy to implement dietary changes based on the results, Denise is feeling great!  Read more about her story below:

What health or nutrition goals brought you in to see a dietitian?
I had health problems for years and I knew food was the main issue. I tried many different eating plans to help identify the problems, found some of the offending foods, but still did not feel well a lot of the time.

What changes have you implemented in your diet and lifestyle since beginning nutrition counseling?

I have worked to avoid the red and yellow line foods identified through the LEAP testing and have noticed quite a change. Some foods on the red and yellow list were foods I ate frequently so it was no surprise why I rarely felt well. I have found I don’t need a lot of supplements that I was taking trying to feel well that were supposed to be good for my blood type. I now just take a multivitamin every day and I feel great.

What changes and/or health benefits have you seen as a result?

I have almost eliminated the need for daily sinus medicine and Advil multiple times per day and I only need it when I can’t resist a food on my ‘no’ list!  I am enjoying feel well most of the time now- which is wonderful. I have more energy and am more fun to be around

What has been most helpful in your success?

Having a list of foods that my body was reacting too is so helpful. It makes it easier to shop and eat out as well as make food at home.

Is there any specific information that you were taught from your dietitian that “hit home” or aided you in your journey?

I didn’t know that a family of foods could cause reactions and how they all were related.

Any additional comments you would like to share

I am so glad that this test is available and I was able to find out about it. I wish I had done it years ago-it would have saved me a lot of time feeling unwell.

Thanks, Denise, for sharing your story and we are so glad that you are feeling great!

If you are struggling with health problems related to food sensitivities, contact us to set up an appointment with Kathy and get on the road to feeling better!

By: Kait Fortunato

My very first half-marathon helped me realize a huge mistake. The last 2 miles of the run, I was hit with fatigue and nausea—common “bonking” symptoms. Even though I trained adequately and ate properly leading up to the big event, Race Day was a different story and it was then I realized the importance of fueling during a long run. Even with a substantial pre-run meal, my body was still not lacking energy and key nutrients. Ever since then I have perfected my fueling and therefore enabled myself a solid finish. I did some research and tested different fueling methods. Here are my tips for fueling during a run:

• Create a fueling plan. Practice new tactics during training runs and avoid trying anything new on race day. Map out where water stations will be on the trail and know what food and drinks you will need to carry with you.
• Drink every 20 minutes. Remember if you feel thirsty you are past the point of dehydration.
• Beware of Commercial Sports Foods: Sports Gels, Sport Beans, Gu. Personally, I am unable to tolerate these forms of fuel. They are known to cause diarrhea and be uneasy on a runner’s stomach. That being said they do offer quick, efficient energy and nutrients and are easy to carry during race days. Make sure you try one ahead of time.
• Alternative methods of fuel. Things I have found to work for me are Fig Newtons, Swedish Fish or Gummy Candies, Pretzels, and Protein Bars. The candies can provide an immediate sugar rush and help prevent the light-headedness. Protein bars are better for long term fuel and can last much longer. Pretzels are great if you have a high sweat rate and therefore losing sodium.
• Drinking you calories. High sugar sports drinks such as Gatorade can act in a similar fashion to gummy candies- enabling a quick burst of glucose in liquid form. Drinks such as these should be used in addition to solid calories for a long-term affect. However, if you are planning on only drinking calories you would likely want to try something with more protein or added buffers, such as Perpetuem, which is meant to sustain you for a longer period of time.
• Timing. If Exercise lasts 1-2.5 hours, rule of thumb is to consume 30 to 60 grams carbs/hour. This totals to about 120 to 240 calories of carbohydrates . If Exercise lasts longer than 2.5 hours, consume 60 to 90 grams carbs/hour

Stayed tuned for more information about pre and post workout meals, and ideas leading up to the big day.

Source: Nancy Clark’s Food Guide for Marathoners

By : Chelsea Davidosn

Recently I had the privilege to sit in on a nutrition workshop for women with PCOS, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, led by RBA’s PCOS and fertility related nutrition expert, Annie Thorp. Annie was asked by Sasha Ottey, founder of the PCOS challenge, to host an informational workshop for a local support group of women diagnosed with PCOS. I certainly learned a lot about the subject and would like to highlight a few of the most important topics Annie spoke about at the meeting.

Nutrition, as well as other forms of treatment, can truly help women with the symptoms and frustrations of PCOS. It was thought years ago that PCOS was a reproductive disorder but in fact it is an endocrine disorder. Endocrine disorders are any that deal with hormones secreted by the endocrine glands. PCOS deals specifically with the hormone insulin. Normally after a good meal blood sugar rises, the pancreas secretes insulin and insulin acts as a key that unlocks cells to get the blood sugars inside to be used as fuel. In those diagnosed with PCOS, insulin is resistant so sugars don’t get into the cell as efficiently and the body produces more and more insulin. It is this excess insulin that causes weight gain in many women with PCOS.

Annie touched on 4 main topics during her PCOS workshop:
-Practice mindfulness
-Carb care
-PrOtein
-CaliSthenics

Practice Mindfulness
Because many of us struggle with an unhealthy relationship with our food, it is crucial to begin learning the art of “conscious” or “mindful” eating, a lifelong learning process with incredible results. During the workshop, Annie shared one of her favorite books “Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat” whose message is to say that if you are enjoying what you eat you will eat better foods in smaller portions. Being in tune with your body and learning to recognize hunger, satisfaction, and fullness are key to eating mindfully. Check in with yourself before, during, and after a meal and rate your hunger on a scale from 1-10, 1 being ravenous and 10 being stuffed to the point of discomfort.  We should aim to stop eating around 5, where we are satisfied and not “full” but not still hungry. The goal is to eat mindfully and slowly so that we can recognize when our body is satisfied.

Some tips to practice mindfulness:
-Don’t let food act as a band-aid. Addressing the underlying issue that is causing you to overeat, 
whether it be stress, anger, sadness, or boredom, will lead you to eat mindfully
-Never get to a 1 on the hunger scale (ravenous). Keep pre- portioned snacks handy at work, school, and meetings to hold you over until dinner time
-Eat breakfast! Your metabolism slows over night and eating something first thing in the morning will jumpstart your metabolism. Starting the day mindfully will carry throughout the day and you will be more energized
-Use smaller plates during meals. We have been trained since childhood to “clear our plates”. Now it is time to re-train our brains to practice mindful eating

Carb Care
Our bodies need a variety of foods to get the nutrients we need each day. Some women with PCOS believe that they should completely cut out all carbohydrates from their daily diet. “Cutting out carbs will decrease the amount of sugar in my blood, which will decrease the amount of insulin released from my pancreas, and I’ll lose weight, right?” The answer is no. Cutting out an entire food group will cause you to be deficient in tons of nutrients your body needs to function each day. The key with PCOS, and all of us really, is to regulate the amount and type of carbohydrate we eat at each meal.

Some tips for carb care:
-At each meal a carb serving should be no larger than one cup or should take up only about ¼ of your plate (and remember, use a smaller plate for mindful eating and portion control!) 
-Choose carbs like fruits, whole grain breads and pastas, dairy, potatoes with skin, corn, peas and beans instead of sugary, processed cakes and sweets. The fiber in fruits, starchy vegetables, whole grains, and beans as well as the fat and protein in dairy help to slow down digestion of the carbohydrates and improve insulin levels, which helps to regulate blood sugar levels
-Keep processed sugar, which is a carb, to a minimum

Protein
Add a source of protein to every meal to slow down the digestion of carbohydrates and to keep you fuller longer. A portion of protein should also take up no more than ¼ of your plate and be no larger than about the size of your palm.

Calisthenics
Exercise is an important part of PCOS treatment. Exercising for at least 30 minutes a day is shown to improve the functioning of many organs in the body and can help to stave off carb cravings that many women with PCOS suffer from. Exercise may also aid in healthier eating habits.

Women with PCOS understand and struggle with the side effects of the condition on a daily basis, but incorporating these 4 simple concepts into your daily life can really have a huge impact in lessening some of those frustrating effects. Nutrition really is key to managing PCOS. If you have been diagnosed with PCOS or think you may have PCOS please call our office to set up an appointment with Annie Thorp to start your PCOS treatment plan.

By: Amy Bortnick

At Rebecca Bitzer and Associates (RBA) we believe that reaching your health and nutrition goals is about balance, health, and wellness, the pieces to your happiness puzzle. To live healthy it is important to enjoy your food, enjoy body, and enjoy your life.

However, we also know that it can be tricky to figure out what foods will help keep you energized and strong throughout your day. One power food that always floats around our office at RBA is thinkThin Bars. Our student interns and dietitians enjoy fueling on the high protein bars because they have 0 grams of sugar, 20 g of protein, and “oh yea” they taste awesome! With flavors like creamy peanut butter, cookies and cream, and brownie crunch they keep our taste buds happy!

At RBA, not only do we love thinkThin for making delicious protein bars that we truly enjoy ourselves but we are right on board with their view of health and wellness!

Check it out:

“thinkThin® promotes weight wellness. What we feel this means is that this is the optimal weight range at which our bodies feel happy and healthy. This is not dictated by aesthetic, shape, weight or tape measure – it is the physical outcome of feeling energized, confident, and living a life that is vibrant, varied and fulfilling. thinkThin® products contain uncompromised quality ingredients that provide an excellent source of energy without the punishing side effects of gluten and refined sugar.”

Right on thinkthin!

RBA is happy to announce we are teaming up with thinkThin® to spread their message of “weight wellness”

Wellness can be easily achieved with simple ingredients and great taste. And now you can see for yourself!

To enter this giveaway, leave a comment telling us how you create “wellness” in your life.  Please share, we all have some thing to learn from each other!

Do you start your day with breakfast? Get at least 7 hours of sleep? Let us know what makes you feel better and improves your wellbeing. Please comment and share your wellness goals with us for a chance to win!!

In addition, you MUST also like Think Products on Facebook and follow @thinkproducts on twitter to win!

We will randomly choose 10 winners on 03/15/2012 to receive a Weight Wellness Sampler – 2 thinkThin® Protein Bars & 2 thinkThin® Crunch Bars (limited to US residents only).

Good luck !

Thank you to the kind woman who let us share her story with us, after working with RD, Bobbi Boteler.

“More importantly, I am writing to thank you. The reason it took me so long to write is that every time I wanted to I could not come up with the words to say. In the past few months, I have been intuitively eating, which, for me, is a tremendous joy! After years of deprivation and a lot of personal struggle, I enjoy the occasional cupcake, daily treats, cookies, and Michael and I live for pizza night each week. On my birthday, we went to one of my favorite pizza restaurants and I feasted on pizza and even a birthday cupcake. I eat until I am full and I am maintaining a weight of 115 pounds. After gaining the weight and now maintaining I feel better than I have in YEARS. For Michael’s birthday I made him a wonderful carrot cake and we enjoyed blowing the candles out together. These are just bits and pieces but, after months of cooking and eating enchiladas, lasagna, stir-fries, chocolate chip cookies, and everything and anything else my body wants, and enjoys, I am brought to tears just writing this message. I don’t even know how many calories I eat every day (and I don’t want to). I don’t measure food, other than the occasional measuring for cooking or baking. That feels great.

There are days I don’t eat enough veggies or fruits; there are days when I eat so many veggies I feel like a rabbit. All of those days I am happy, because I listen to my body and let it guide me along. I have no trouble maintaining the weight now. I do yoga two times a week and Michael and I go for walks after dinner. Staying active has changed my life.

I wanted to tell you how wonderful I feel before I get to the part that is hard to write, because it is very hard to put into words what you mean to me.

When I first came to your office, I thought being thin was the biggest accomplishment any woman could achieve. I thought being a size zero made me better than anyone who couldn’t starve themselves down to that weight. I thought I was beautiful because I was so freaking thin. Looking at those pictures of me now scares me, literally. Seeing you, a strong, beautiful woman, living a healthy and happy life was a true inspiration. Your advice and guidance and your support despite my numerous e-mails, questions, and freak-outs helped me through what was easily one of the roughest periods of my life. After my IBS diagnosis (which has improved after the thyroid medication) I cut down a lot on whole grains, and if it were not for all my time with you I would have freaked out. I ate what my body wanted and what made me feel better. I tried to supplement with veggies and fruits for fiber. It worked. My body guided me perfectly; now I put in a few whole grains here and there whenever it makes me feel good. I listened thanks to you, and that is just one example. On the nights we bake cookies and enjoy them together I think of you, and I smile. Not one time at a restaurant goes by without me thinking of my first tentative times eating out, and your reassuring words when I came to see you.

I try to help women around me realize the ills of negative body talk and a negative body image and I hope one day to be able to write a book or start a support group because I want to help someone the way you helped me.

I could never tell you what you did for me in words. That would be impossible. I want you to know you saved my life, and my sessions with you made it possible for me to enjoy a chocolate chip cookie again and even enjoy a veggie every once in a while

I eat to fuel my body and my spirit and I am happy.

The midnight snacks, the feeling strong and beautiful, the chocolate chip cookies, the restaurants, the ordering pizza, the inspiring others, the distaste for starved models and negative role model images, and the realization of the nutrition of food, and the need for protein, fats, carbohydrates, and taste-all of that happened in no small part thanks to you.

My parents moved here in the spring and I made a stand with my mother. I don’t compromise intuitive eating to the best of my ability and that feels good, and I can work with any food that is put before me to satisfy my body. “

By: Chelsea Davidson

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of sitting in on a group discussion on Functional Medicine lead by one of our own dietitians, Kathy Kendall. Kathy’s passion for and knowledge of functional medicine came about simply by reading up on the topic, and she wanted to educate as well as learn from other RDs in the area interested in the same subject. Up until last weekend, I had only heard briefly of the concept of functional medicine, so I was excited when I was given the opportunity to sit in on the meeting and definitely learned a lot about the topic!

Kathy Kendall (center) and two guests at the meeting

So what is functional medicine anyway?! Functional medicine (FM), also called functional nutrition or integrated medicine, is a science-based field of healthcare that builds on the body’s natural capacity to heal. Functional medicine looks at the whole person and focuses on key areas that may contribute to disease if they are out of balance. Western medical practices typically focus on treating the symptoms of medical conditions, but functional medicine addresses the underlying cause of the condition, be it nutrient deficiencies, metabolic pathways that may not be functioning properly, digestive issues, detoxification capacity, lifestyle, psychological factors, genetics, etc. The powerful nutrients in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains along with other foods play a key role in healing our bodies and even reversing chronic disease using the functional medicine approach.

Kathy sees many clients at Rebecca Bitzer and Associates with migraines, IBS, fibromyalgia, and other health concerns who later find that they have food sensitivities or intolerances. After eliminating these foods from their diet, and sometimes adding other supplements and herbs, their symptoms disappear. No medicine required, just delicious nurturing food to heal your health issues!

Want to read more about functional medicine? Kathy recommends Clinical Nutrition: A Functional Approach by Jeffery Bland and Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion by Elizabeth Lipski. To set up an appointment with Kathy click here.

By: Amy Bortnick

“Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch.”- Ivern Ball

Maintaining or achieving a healthy weight is product of balance between your diet and exercise routine.  Our bodies’ function on an energy balance; if you burn more calories than eat you than you will lose weight and if you eat more calories than you burn than you gain weight. However, everyone is built differently and the amount of calories one burns in a day is impacted by genetics and body composition in addition to exercise.

One way to find out just how many calories your body burns  in one day  is to measure your resting metabolic rate (RMR) or the amount of calories your body burns on basic survival functions like your breathing and blinking your eyes .  The RMR can be measured through a breathing test by sensing and calculating the ratio between oxygen consumed and CO2 released in about 10 minutes!

Registered Dietitian, Kait Fortunato and I are traveling to gyms and health centers in the Washington D.C. area measuring RMR’s to provide people with knowledge needed to help them achieve their target weight goals.  I believe that providing people with more knowledge about how their body functions will help motivate people to strive for the proper balance between diet and exercise and eliminate frustration and confusion when it come to weight loss.

Call or Email Kait to set up a deal at your gym’s location. We are currently running a deal for a RMR and Meal Plan for only $50 for gym members (normally priced at $175).  We truly value combined nutrition and fitness information.
Kait@rbitzer.com
301-474-2499

With so many choices at the grocery store shopping can become overwhelming and confusing!

Join us for our February Grocery Store Tour

February 25^th 12-1pm

Cost $30

Contact us at admin@rbitzer.com or call (301)474-2499 to sign up!