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By: Amy Bortnick

As Dietetic student I am always lobbying for healthier food at home. My family eats pretty healthy and not to point any fingers BUT my dad is definitely a junk food snacker!  Ever since I started studying nutrition he loves to try and impress me with slightly healthier versions of junk food, for example, when he buys reduced fat vanilla wafers or low sodium Pringles . I encourage his desire to be healthier but I don’t always advocate for the products.  However, when he came to me with the Zone Bar, an energy bar meal replacement I had to agree, delicious and nutritious! The Zone bar has 210 calories, 14 grams of protein, 3 grams of dietary fiber and is packed with many vitamins including 50% of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin C. My dad enjoys the flavor (chocolate raspberry is his favorite) and the 14 grams of protein keep him satisfied on long cars rides. I remind him to stop at one because they have 15 grams of sugar but the little bit of sugar keeps him satisfied with the flavor! I even sneak some of his zone bars to take to school with me on busy days when I don’t have time to prepare meals between classes! My favorite flavor is chocolate peanut butter, there so good, it’s no wonder my dad likes them.

Have you tried Zone Bars? What is your favorite protein bar?

Kait Fortunato is a Nutrition Intern at RBA.  She began working part time while earning her BS in Nutrition & Food Science at The University of Maryland.  Kait is now in the process of completing her Dietetic Internship accredited by the American Dietetics Association and working as a Nutrition Intern here at RBA. Kait blogs, runs our TSFL group, does mini counseling sessions, and provides nutrition analysis services.  She specializes in sports, family, and pediatric nutrition.  Kait also plans to guide supermarket tours and pantry makeovers.

Debi Zvi had the pleasure of interviewing Kait and got the inside scoop about her views on how she can best help our lovely RBA clients.

What do you like most about blogging?
I really like reviewing new, healthy products for our clients to try. I also love to blog about new promotions going on in our office. Blog writing is wonderful because it allows for conversation with our clients whom I don’t get to see everyday. My favorite blogs to write are about our successful clients.

Why do you think TSFL is so successful for our clients as opposed  to other weight loss methods?
TSFL is the best weight loss program because it is a convenient, structured, healthy method of weight loss complete with all essential vitamins and minerals. It is also extremely easy to follow, especially for people who have full time jobs or travel often. Medifast can also be individualized to a particular client, serving nursing moms, seniors, teens, and people with diabetes or gout. Medifast also teaches changes for life, focusing on eating portion-controlled meals throughout the day and eventually initiating a transition program to help clients maintain success.  We use it as a tool to give people structure and simplicity to get them started on lifestyle changes while being closely followed and coached with face to face appointments and/or telephone coaching.

What kind of clients do you think mini sessions work best with?
Mini sessions are a great chance to come meet us and see what our office is all about.  It is ideal if you are unsure whether nutrition counseling is right for you. We can give you a general idea on how to manage diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or initiate weight loss. We provide a quick overview, handouts, and specific goals to help you stay on track.  When you are ready to delve more deeply into lifestyle changes, these clients are referred to one of our Registered Dietitians for medical nutrition therapy.

What is the value of a mini session if you are not sure you are ready to make a lifestyle change?
Mini sessions are great for these people because they can hear a short hand version of the information and get a feel for how a nutritionist can help them without spending a lot of time and money. They can receive handouts and necessary information to move forward when they are ready to make a change.

What are your top 3 tips for grocery shoppers?
1) Shop the perimeter of the store. Processed foods are located in the center aisles and your fresh ingredients are on the outsides.  Rather than always looking at the nutrition label,  check the ingredients list. The fewer ingredients the better and for breads and grains make sure the first ingredient is whole wheat.
2) Try frozen and canned fruits and vegetables if your favorite items are not in season. These items have the same nutritional value and they last longer. Make sure canned items are packed in their own juices rather than heavy syrup.
3) Plan ahead. Plan your meals, take inventory of what you have and make a list. It is easy to get distracted in the store with new items or unhealthy options.

What is a tip you would give families to apply during meal times?
Make meal times a positive atmosphere. Don’t punish children with no dinner or reward them with dessert. Introduce one new item each week and have your kids help you make it. They will be more likely to try something if they are involved in the cooking and preparation.

Please explain diet analysis for clients.
This would require a 3-day food record (2 week days and 1 weekend day) which I would analyze using diet analysis plus software to see what food groups/nutrients they are lacking or overeating.

What are some easy to follow sports nutrition tips for the low active to moderately active client?

• Stay Hydrated: Dehydration is counterproductive to enhancing athletic performance. Minor dehydration impairs concentration, coordination, and reaction time.  Additionally, it reduces stamina and compromises the body’s ability to resist disease. You need to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water per day.  For example, if you weigh 150 pounds – you must drink at LEAST 75 oz of water per day.  1 L = 33 oz
• Do not waste your workout: Have a pre-workout snack and a carbohydrate or protein for recovery after intense workouts for optimal nutrition. The best pre-workout meal is one that works best for the individual and is not digested too rapidly, such as trail mix, a banana with peanut butter, oatmeal, or a fruit smoothie.
• Everything Counts: It’s not just what you eat right before a workout or performance, or even the day before. Your body depends on energy stores to help power you through a workout. Everything you put in your body is used in some way. I can help you determine what to eat on a daily basis, the day before a workout, the morning before a workout, and after a workout.
• Eat Real Food. To date, no sports medicine organization has recommended the use of creatine in individuals under the age of 18. Some studies also have shown that fewer that 20% of people respond to creatine supplementation. Inappropriate use is common, and may result in: decreased appetite, stomach discomfort, nausea and higher rate of injuries. Nutrients found in real food will give you all the energy and fuel you need to excel as an athlete, its just making sure to eat the right kinds!

How will your services help the client?
Once your health is under control you can have the power to succeed in other areas of your life. Eating smart and healthy will give you the confidence to excel as a mother, businessman, athlete, college student, or wherever your dreams may take you. I can give you the tools you need to be successful for life, not just temporarily. Good nutrition can allow for better sleep, work efforts, energy in your social life, and the ability to enjoy a long, powerful life. There is no “one plan fits all;” so I can individualize your nutrition counseling based on your goals, lifestyle, and time constraints. Feel strong, positive, and healthy with the help of RBA!

“He who has health, has hope. And he who has hope, has everything.”
-Arabian Proverb

Thanks Kait for sharing all this great information with us!

Contributed by Debi Zvi a nutrition student at RBA

Happy Fourth of July from all of us at Rebecca Bitzer & Associates.

We hope you all have a fun, safe and healthy holiday.

For those who do not know Shelley (pictured above),  she is our Chief Registered Dietitian.  Shelley was recently sailing our boat during our office staff party and I thought that this photo illustrated her positive, fearless attitude and her never-ending smile.  We are fortunate to have Shelley on our team.

I also like the way that the photo includes the American flag, symbolic of our freedom and independence which we celebrate this weekend.  As Washington said about our American Flag: “We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing Liberty.”

Happy Birthday America!

Cameron and Kait answer nutrition questions at the Annapolis Athletic  Club Open House.  Cameron will be seeing clients at the club every Monday, starting the first week in May! Club members can see her for a discounted rate.

Cameron will be offering cooking classes, meal planning, diet coaching, nutrition/personal training packages with personal trainers at the club.

Cameron can measure your metabolic rate and do food sensitivity testing. She can analyze your diet to help you bring your nutrition up to the next level!  Look for Cameron if you live or work in Annapolis.  You can probably find her in a group Groove Class!

Crisp, cool and breezy at the the Riva Road farmer’s market in Annapolis this morning.  A few more farmers this week, two more of my favorites, a man who only sells savory jellies and the little Greek ladies who usually bake and have beautiful flowers.  New papa, Chris, had already sold the bread he was able to make this week by the time I got there at 8:30!  He consoled me, that her really didn’t get to bake much this week, and so innocently explained new baby took precedence this week.  I empathized while making a note to self, get up earlier next week so you can get some bread, it may be a while before Chris and Lucy are up to full production. …read more on Annapolis Farmer’s Market Bounty

Bobbi, Shelley, Rebecca, Kathy, Annie and Cameron on a Monday after our staff meeting. We are planning lots of fun, new programs for the rest of 2010!

See details about each of us on the Meet our Registered Dietitians page of our website

http://www.rbitzer.com/about/meet-our-dietitians/.

Thanks to Ron Wilkinson for taking this photo of us,  PhotoByRon@gmail.com.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  I used to have this drawing hanging on the wall of my office, it has since aged quite a bit, but the drawing sticks in my mind and I hope it sticks in your mind also.  This was drawn by one of my clients when she was a young teenager struggling with anorexia nervosa.

If you know of someone struggling with an eating disorder, please encourage them to make an appointment with a Registered Dietitian who specializes in the treatment of eating disorders.  Rebecca, Shelley and Bobbi have all had advanced training in coaching clients with eating disorders, work closely with psychotherapists, and we all feel passionate about helping our clients recover from all kinds of eating disorders.

If you are unsure if you have an eating disorder, visit this website to find out more information http://www.something-fishy.org/.  We will be adding a page to our website on eating disorders soon.

We grow up loving food. Food is a natural earthly pleasure. What happens to many of us as we grow up, is unfortunate, many of us start to distrust our bodies and our appetites and start to have unhealthy relationships with food. Some of us, overeat, way past our feelings of pleasure and find ourselves uncomfortable after eating and after years of overeating, find ourselves at war with the body that has grown out of control with the accompanying health issues. Others of us, are at the other extreme, furiously counting calories, fat grams and stressing out if the gym is closed due to the blizzard conditions. Neither of these extremes are obviously healthy, however, there are many people who are not at either of these extremes, but have forgotten how to enjoy, truly enjoy food. …read more on For the love of food