The Many Benefits of Breastfeeding

In case you've forgotten or simply didn't know, breastfeeding is one of the most beneficial (and natural) things that a mom can do for her baby. Despite the social stigma that sometimes surrounds the act of public breastfeeding, it's imperative that we foster an environment that promotes breastfeeding, regardless of the theater in which the act occurs. No educated person could look me in the eye and convince me that this should not be the case. As backed by stacks of research, the benefits of breastfeeding reveal to us that we should be bending over backwards to make every accomodation necessary to facilitate breastfeeding. Take a gander at THIS webpage for some great information regarding the benefits of breastfeeding.

Allen Anderson, LRD

Posted by: Allen Registered Dietitian on 1/20/2010 at 10:51 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

A Nice Video to Kick Off the New Year

I stumbled across this video on msnbc.com featuring Registered Dietitian, Joy Bauer. She offers some great advice and information regarding healthy habits in the new year. Enjoy!

Posted by: Allen Registered Dietitian on 1/04/2010 at 9:54 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Quick Tips to Manage Your Weight and be More Healthy

For those looking to be more healthy and shed a few pounds in the process. Here are some tips:

1. Eat breakfast daily. Research has shown that breakfast eaters have an easier time managing their weight than those that skip breakfast.
2. Exercise! This may be the no-brainer statement of the year, but exercise is an essential piece to being healthy and managing your weight. Aim to get a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity on most days of the week.
3. Eat a minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Research indicates that fruit and veggie eaters are more effective at weight loss. Also, the health benefits of fruits and veggies are vast.
4. Know your numbers and read labels. In order to lose weight, you must understand what your calorie requirements are and how that translates into weight loss. MyPyramid offers some really great tools for this process. Note: It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound of body fat. It's generally considered safe to lose 1-2 pounds weekly.

Posted by: Allen Registered Dietitian on 6/12/2009 at 8:44 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

The HCG Myth

It has recently come to my attention that there are people still falling for THIS diet myth. Apparently, people adhering to this weight loss plan are to inject themselves (that's right, with a needle) with Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin or HCG. HCG is found in the urine of pregnant women. As if the idea of injecting your self with components of urine isn't wild enough, here's the kicker. While acting as a pin cushion throughtout this program, you also need to adhere to a 500 calorie per day diet. Keep in mind the fact that most credible nutrition professionals will never recommend a diet plan under 1200 calories a day for weight loss in most healthy people. Regardless, it's apparent to me that people who experience weight loss while following this regimen do so by severe calorie restriction. It really has nothing to do with the use of HCG. Oh, and did I mention the cost? A 50 day program costs a mere $1,538.90!! What a bargain!!(note my sarcasm). Honestly, for that amount of money you could see a Registered Dietitian weekly for at least 10 weeks where you'll receive credible weight loss coaching that will lead you to long term success. Also, don't worry, no Dietitian is going to recommend that you inject yourself with components of urine.

Posted by: Allen Registered Dietitian on 6/03/2009 at 9:02 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tags: hcg, weight loss

Debunking Detox

I'm sure you've either seen the advertisements everywhere or possibly heard some celebrity talking about a detox diet. They've probably mentioned how detoxing their colon caused them to lose some incredible amount of weight in a short period of time. Chances are that even went to a "nutritionist" to get this information. Are detox diets safe and effective? In a word, no.

Rather than re-state everything that's already out there on this topic, I would like to redirect you to this article found at quackwatch.com. I think you'll find it an interesting read.

Proponents of detox-based diets seem to want to ignore the facts that human organs such as the liver and kidneys serve a major role in natural detoxification in the body, and they do it quite well I might add. To assume that toxins build up in the body is to assume that body organs do not function correctly. If that were the case, many of us should see our doctors as soon as possible! Don't worry, it's not the case.

The simply truth is that most of the American population is overweight and unhealthy is because we don't exercise enough and eat too much. Not because we have too many "toxins" in our colons. My advice? Stick to the recommendations for healthy eating found on the MyPyramid site, and let the human body do its work.

Also, don't let the word "nutritionist" fool you. Unless they are a Registered Dietitian, they are not nutrition experts.

Posted by: Allen Registered Dietitian on 4/23/2009 at 1:13 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink