Operation Shoebox: Halloween!

No matter what location you are from whether it's Durango, CO or one of the Indianapolis, IN sites or from New Jersey we are all participating and would love to enlist in your help in Operation Shoebox for Halloween. We know that when it comes to meal planning its all about balance and moderation and this would extend to Halloween too! A treat is just that if we enjoy it sparingly. But, with candies aplenty-at work, at home, even at the bank-it may be difficult to treat ourselves mindfully.

Do your part to enlist your friends, family and co-workers for this great event to support our troops. In Durango, drop off your leftover candy between November 1-9, and in Indiana and New Jersey be sure to drop off yours between November 1-7 so that we can send our excess candy to Treat our Troops instead of Tricking our Waists!

Have a great weekend!

Do you know where your food comes from?

It's always smart to have some idea where our food comes from. Click here for a very informative article that was printed several years ago but includes great history and processing information. The article is on one of the easiest and healthiest "fast foods" around: baby carrots. If you eat 'em, you should read this , it will just take a moment (and thankfully there isn't any bad news in this health story).

Have a well week,

A Success Story Update

Shirley, who was featured as our 3rd Success Story here, has maintained her desired weight loss for 17 weeks now with in 2 pounds! Shirley thinks that it is easier to maintain than she had originally expected it to be. She continues to eat 1-2 meal replacements per day so that she has slack for her evening snacks that sometimes include popcorn, wine, and cheese and crackers.

The hardest part about maintaining is fighting the urge to binge at events. She just had her step-daughter's wedding reception at Maggiano's where they had family style service-which Shirley states, "is a killer for anyone". Other than those type of events she is usually satisfied sharing a meal with her husband, see the empty dishes, and be satisfied that she ate food she really wanted.

Shirley's advice for you is to "PLAN, PLAN, PLAN...COOK, COOK, COOK!" Both pieces of advice she claims should be done a week in advance. "Always have food made."

On a daily basis Shirley exercises, records all her foods, and thanks God for all the joys that she now has with her younger grandchildren now.

Since reaching her goal weight she has learned that she doesn't really need a lot of things that she ate before. Now, it's okay to be a little hungry and she mentions that she always had a 'swagger' in her walk and hips, but you just couldn't see it!! She is very excited about her health improvement: At nearly 63 years old, her body and organs are about 56-58 years old according to testing and opinions. Her muscles, strength, flexibility, and balance are all improving. She now has pride in her apperance!

Keep it up Shirley! You have been a pleasure to work with and you look Great!

Farmer's Market

Fall is in the air- crisp air, colorful leaves, and...squash at the Farmer's Market!

Have you "hung out with" a beautiful spaghetti squash in a while? It's not only delicious (and low-calorie), but also a great source of fiber, folic acid, potassium, and vitamin A! You can roast them in the oven, cut and microwave, or even boil your spaghetti squash. Top with tomato sauce, parsley, and Parmesan, or check out this delightful recipe!

Have a well week,

Sodium Intake

One of the overlooked but important facets of a healthy and balanced diet is sodium intake. With all the listings and labels, things can get pretty confusing.

Here's a very informative article from the Mayo Clinic that will help to set you straight on your sodium requirements, plus give you some tips on lowering your levels.

Have a well week,

National Conference

Sunday we are headed to the American Dietetic Associations Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Boston, MA. We are excited to learn about up and coming Food and Nutrition information so we can bring it home and pass it along to you! It's also a chance for us to sample and learn about tons and tons of new food products that will be marketed. Soy, omega-3's, and fiber have been popular in the past couple conferences, so we are excited to see what it's going to be this year.

Thanksgiving Special in Indiana

Wow, can you believe its already nearing the end of Ocotober? That means the Annual Thanksgiving Special is coming soon. Save the date and time for Tuesday, November 23rd at 6:30 pm. The Special event will be hosted in the cafeteria at Riverview Hospital in Noblesville, Indiana to accomodate everyone in the program. Ask your health educator for more information or if you have any questions.

Success Story #6

Bonnie's HNT Story

Bonnie was asked by her physician, Dr. Lisa Miller from Northside Family Care in Indianapolis, to write a paragraph regarding Bonnie's experience with HNT. Dr. Miller will be using Bonnie's write-up on her own blog. Here is what she wrote:

"My motivation for starting the HNT program at St. Vincent [Carmel Hospital] was I was tired of the way I looked and taking so many pills. I like the program because you set your own goal. There was never any guilt because you had a misstep; only positive encouragement. I liked the 'coach' and feel here encouragement and positive reinforcement kept me going. After the 20 weeks of 'Foundation' you start 'Practice.' The weekly meetings talking with others in the same boat and making friends that encourage you is definitely a positive feature. The first 20 weeks you learn how to handle stress, know when you are really hungry, count calories, and a new way of cooking that is healthier. I was never a vegetable eater but have learned how to incorporate them into the meals. The main item is the meal replacements. These can be made into shakes, bread, meals, desserts, and even noodles. You are introduced into 'grocery store food' when you reach your goal. I maintain with a combination of meal replacements and grocery store food. The reason it worked for me was the people involved. There are several coaches and among them you can find the one that works for you."

Our Dietetic Intern's Experience

Rachel Hadley is a dietetic intern who completed her 6 week Engagement Rotation at HNT while in the Purdue Coordinated Program in Dietetics. Below is a recap of some of her learning experiences and interesting moments while working at HNT!

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"Being a dietetic intern I know the importance of health and weight management not only for myself, but also for my future patients. That's why I was very excited to have been placed at Health and Nutrition Technology (HNT) site for my Engagement Rotation. Let's face it, before this rotation at HNT I did not have a whole lot of experience with weight management, let alone behavior modification. Earlier in the year while doing my clinical rotation in a hospital, patients would often tell me they would like to lose some weight. I would say, 'Great!', and then quickly move the conversation on because I did not feel comfortable addressing it at that time. I now feel very excited about opportunities to discuss health and weight loss with individuals that I often bring it up myself. I owe all my knowledge learned to HNT and their wonderful staff.

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The HNT program is really phenomenal when you think about it. The program has all the components that make it so successful: education, meal replacements, and professional and peer accountability. Each part of the program provides an aspect that enables the program and its' clients to be successful.

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While working at HNT I learned many things that will help me professionally, but also in my general life as well. I have listed some of my favorite quotes and experiences below:

1. Foundation Class: Someone asked if water and ice tea were the same thing. Sheila answered, "If you take a white shirt and wash it in water what color would it be? If you take a white shirt and wash it in ice tea or diet coke what color would it be? They are not the same thing. Your body needs water." I will forever remember this quote because it made it so clear how important water was. Even though both water and unsweetened ice tea have zero calories, nothing beats the cleaning power of water.

2. Painting the Office Walls: While this does not pertain specifically to dietetics, it is a huge life skill I know I will need at some point. Before this experience I have never really painted a room. As you can imagine I learned a lot, such as to paint in a V. (I was painting straight up and down). I also learned how to properly close the paint can lid when you're done. If you have not come out to the Plainfield office to see it, you should. It looks great!

3. "You're the only person that can change you" is one quote that I have heard Roxanne say many times during class. This one is very important because it puts the decision making responsibility where it should be, on the client. Your Health Educator can tell you everything you need to do, but in the end you are the one who makes the decisions.

4. My favorite quote I heard Christina say is taken right from your notes; "Knowing does not equal doing, but doing equals success!" I love this one because it is so simple but so true!

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As a closing note, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who helped make this experience as wonderful as it was. HNT is a great program because of everyone, the Health Educators, and especially the patients! A special thanks goes out to the Practice Class I taught on Wednesday. Thank you for helping to guide me; you're all great! Best life wishes to everyone I met and worked with while at HNT. Thanks for a great final rotation. I will miss you all!"

Look for us in July's Indy Metro...

We are in the business showcase for July in the Indy Metro magazine! The business showcase will tell all about our health and weight management program and include a couple snap shots from our in studio photo shoot. Look for it in July at your medical providers office! We had a blast.

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