Would an in-store nutritionist help you shop healthier at the grocery store?

I was reading this article the other day and it really got me thinking. The article discusses a study in which a nutritionist was available in the store for a 10 minute in-store counseling sessions with a nutrition educator to understand labels better. It was found that those who had received the counseling had carts with a greater number of fruits and veggies, particularly fruit, green and yellow vegetables.

I think that many people have the intention of eating well, but often times are unsure of what a healthy diet really consist of and the labeling used on a lot of food packaging make it even more confusing to eat healthy. During a trip to the supermarket we are bombarded with claims and labels that elude to items being healthier than they often are (often obscuring what's really in the foods). A few examples of these misleading food labels are as follows:

• "All Natural" - FDA and USDA have very lenient rules on these claims (although they are working to make them more strict). It may claim "all natural" but still be loaded with high fructose corn syrup, additives, and other not so natural products. Many juices claim natural fruit flavors, but that's nothing more than concentrated fruit extracts that have little to no nutrition benefit.
• "0 grams of trans fat" - While it's great there is no trans fat, it doesn't mean that it doesn't contain other harmful things such as high levels of saturated fats, high sodium, total fat and so on.
• "Whole grains" - Being made with whole grains is great, but don't forget to check the sugar content too. Lots of cereals and breads are made with whole grains, however are loaded with sugars and sodium (breads are guilty of having high sodium levels so keep an eye out).
• "Fat free" - A lot of foods with high sugar contents will label it as fat free to elude to being healthier than they are. While it's great that it's fat free, the sugar content is usually much higher than is recommended and that can lead to adverse health effects.

The above are only a few examples of some labels that can misleading. For those that are trying to eat healthier and lose weight they may believe that they are eating "healthy" based on the foods they buy due to misleading labeling. I think that having a nutrition educator or nutritionist would be a great opportunity for some people to address their food concerns. Not only could they have a better understanding of what these labels mean, but also have a greater understanding of what a healthy diet consist of and what these labels may also be covering up. 

Earlier this year, I planned a program during my internship called Know Your Nutrition. This program was set up on campus to allow students an opportunity for a mini-assessment with a registered dietitian (Kati Mora from Around the Plate). During the evaluation we found that many students found this to be an enlightening and educational experience in which they were able to gain much knowledge and answer many questions that they had and something that they wished would be available more often (or even on a regular basis). Incorporating something like this in a large scale setting, such as grocery stores, could have a great effect in creating awareness and educating consumers on the importance of a healthy diet to their and their families long term health. 

Do you think that you would utilize a program such as in-store nutritionist/dietitian sessions? 

Park the Phone

Did you know that over 5000 people were killed and nearly 1/2 million were injured in 2009 from distracted driving accidents? 

To me that’s a staggering and scary statistic.  Just think about how many people you see on the roads multitasking, whether it be texting, talking on the phone, scarfing down a burger or touching up their makeup.  Think about how often you do it.  The problem is that everyone thinks that they are great at it and that it would never be them that causes the accident and gets hurt or injures/kills another.  No one wants to believe that it could be them, or their family or friends.  No one wants to think that they are susceptible.



You are probably wondering why I’m even talking about this.  Normally my blog is filled with recipes, life musings, photos and fitness stuff, but this all began with a project for a class.  For the past month, I’ve been engrossed in a project for my public health class.  I’ve researched, heard stories and even conducted my own survey in our area to see how prevalent of an issue this is.  In our area of Mid Michigan, over 98% of driver’s admitted to distracted driving.  The biggest culprits: texting, eating, talking on the phone and passengers.  Using a cell phone alone affects your reaction time as much as though you were legally drunk (0.08 blood alcohol content).  In fact, you’re four times more likely to get in an accident while using a hand-held device, such as a cell phone. 

As much as there is a taboo upon drinking and driving, often texting while driving is accepted.  If everyone were to actually think about the consequences of their inattentiveness maybe it would not be such an accepted behavior.  I guess, it just comes down to being aware of how your driving is affected by these distractions.  Have you ever really thought about it?  All it takes is one second to look away and your life (and other’s) could be changed forever. The norm needs to change.



The good news, this is becoming a more prevalent issue in our society that is being brought to attention.  It’s insane to see how many campaigns are out there to tackle this problem and how many different ways its been approached.  I’m excited to say that we are actively working on a campaign on our campus and seeking funding right now.  It’s excited to see our hard work turn into something real.  A simple class project is now becoming a real life campaign that could possible and hopefully have an influence on others. 

Working on this project has really made me think about how I’m so grateful and happy that I’ve changed my career focus.  I’m excited to be involved in campaigns that bring awareness and change.  I love submerging myself in these projects and hoping to inspire change and healthier habits in others.  I know it’s often going to be a long, trying journey, but I’m excited for the challenge. 

Bring it on.