Fresh Focus

Beth Blair, a MOVE! Dietitian, dives into the first episode of our six part series on eating a healthy plate. She sets the stage and gives advice for keeping it simple.

Listen as Lauren Hocking, a Home Based Primary Care and PACT Dietitian, gives her top 10 tips on getting in those non-starchy colorful vegetables. Encouraging us to fill up our plate!

Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, Jackie Chisholm, gives an amazing description on starchy vegetables and grains. We know carbohydrates are not created equal and she helps us sort that out.

Listen in as Sieger Giroux, a MOVE! Dietitian, give much needed guidance on saturated and unsaturated fats. Helping us incorporate those into the healthy plate method.

Tori Stewart, a Home Based Cardiac Rehab Dietitian, dives into different types of protein, why they are important, and how much we should be aiming to eat each day.

Lindsey Purcell, a PACT Dietitian, walks through a set of tips for putting the Healthy Plate Method into action. Focusing on how small changes can make a big impact.

As you are thinking about starting a family and making that decision to try to get pregnant, the Fresh Focus Podcast wants to help you prepare for a healthy pregnancy. Whether you are planning for your first born, or an experienced mom wanting to expand your family, Dietitian Beth Blair reviews 10 tips for life leading up to pregnancy.

What happens if you’ve tried and tried and can’t get pregnant? What happens if you’ve done everything “right”, but it’s still not happening? Diet is a modifiable risk that can improve or even reverse infertility. This episode provides more in-depth information regarding nutrition for infertility and personal experiences from VA Dietitians who experienced infertility first hand.

Basic pregnancy nutrition is important to keep you and baby healthy. Right from the beginning, hormones can cause some unpleasant side effects. The most common being morning sickness. During this episode, Dietitian Loran Morris shares her pregnancy experiences. She dives into tips on morning sickness, weight gain, and assessing mealtime intake.

There are many contributors to your prenatal health and one very important part is physical activity and exercise. Regular physical activity during your pregnancy is incredibly important to support a healthy pregnancy and birthing experience. Listen in as Dietitian and Certified Personal Trainer Tori Stewart dives deeper into exercise and pregnancy.

Breastfeeding can be an awesome bonding experience with your baby. Although it provides baby with great nutrition, it can be overwhelming, frustrating, and brings up many questions for mamas and their support systems. Join Dietitian Lauren Hocking as she interviews Caitlin, a mom of two for her advice.

In this episode of Fresh Focus, Melaina Lane, Dietitian and youngest of five girls shares several different stories and struggles our Registered Dietitians have had when it came to feeding their babies. She discusses benefits of breastfeeding, history of formula, seeking help from a lactation counselor, and provides encouragement no matter what path you choose to feed your baby.

The holidays can be a magical time, but how often is the excitement met with fears about your health with the change in normal menu items? If you are a person with diabetes, you might also worry about controlling blood sugars. These are completely common thoughts, but holidays don’t have to be a time for throwing in the towel on all the hard work you’ve done the rest of the year. Series 3 of the Fresh Focus Podcast was created by Marion VA Healthcare System Diabetes Educators to help you tackle the unique challenges of the holidays in 2020.

Are you hosting a holiday meal this year? Don’t get overwhelmed! Our Marion VA Health Care System Diabetes Educators are able to assist in the meal planning if your guests include people with diabetes. Remember the holidays are meant to represent the spirit of giving, understanding, and compassion, and there’s nothing that better signifies these principles than being aware of all guests’ needs.

It has been a whirlwind of a year and whether you live alone or are continuing to practice social distancing, the holidays are going to look a little different this year. Whatever this year’s holiday season brings, our Marion VA Health Care System Diabetes Educators can certainly help you scale it down while still enjoying some of those traditional favorites in a smaller group.

What if we told you that smart grocery shopping actually starts before you leave the house? This year, you may not even need to leave the house. On-line shopping is a great option for anyone who has small children, is pressed for time, or has health concerns. Our Marion VA Health Care System Diabetes Educators provide suggestions about what to place in your cart and ways to have a more successful shopping experience around the holidays.

You’re back from the grocery store and your countertop is full! Now, what to do with all the food you just purchased? Marion VA Health Care System Diabetes Educators dive into meal prepping and give tips on how to be successful with this process during the upcoming holidays. They specifically highlight some holiday meal ideas and recipes that you could prepare with lower carbohydrate options on your holiday table this year.

The holidays can be a whirlwind, even if this year is with just a small household group. After the dust settles and the dishes are washed, it can feel like such a crash of adrenaline. After hours of cooking over the holidays, you probably don’t want to cook for the rest of the week. We’ve all found ourselves in that boat a time or two. Thankfully, the Marion VA Health Care System Diabetes Educators will talk you through getting back to the basics and utilizing holiday leftovers.

MOVE! Weight management program is a lifestyle intervention for weight management. In this episode, we are going to refer to it as our blueprint for success. MOVE isn’t just a “diet” or an exercise program its really 3 combined components of nutrition, behavior change, and physical activity. Listen in as Dietitians Lindsey and Beth discuss how we make the plan to come to life

Physical activity is a very popular topic, but oftentimes it is made to be overcomplicated and overwhelming for those trying to learn more about it. Being active is about so much more than just losing fat, gaining muscle, and looking good. It’s also important to focus on how it can improve overall health, function, and quality of life. This episode gets you active in reaching your goals with Dietitians Tori, Sieger and Lindsey.

In our MOVE to a healthier you series, we take a dive into the important tool we should be using multiple times a day, water. Listen as our Dietetic Intern gives tips for increasing fluid intake, and specifically ways to liven up water.

Unfortunately, most people don’t get enough fiber in their diet, even though it is a crucial part of our MOVE to a healthier you toolbelt. Wondering how to increase your intake? Listen in as Dietitian Tori shares tips and tricks to help you meet your daily fiber goals.

Knowledge is power when learning about our patterns and behaviors, especially in relation to food. This can be a powerful tool in your MOVE to a healthier you toolbelt. Take a listen as Dr. Kadela talks about dietary habits and the psychology behind eating.

MOVE’s core ideas are encouraging healthy eating, increasing physical activity, developing behavior change skills and promoting even small weight losses with an easy to follow evidenced based program. Take a listen as our husband and wife duo wrap up the lessons learned in episodes 19-23 and put some goals out on the table.

Description: The Fresh Focus team welcomes YaQutullah Ibraheem Muhammad MS, RDN, LD from the VA Arcadia Primary Care Clinic to talk about adding diversity to your plate. This involves looking at alternative protein options, exploring local farmers markets, visiting ethnic grocery stores, and “vibe with veggies” to make your plate unique.

The Fresh Focus team welcome Robin LaCroix, Dietitians from the Wayfort Junction VA in Vermont and Melanya Souza from the VA Medical Center in Gainesville, Florida to share their experiences with the Healthy Teaching Kitchen (HTK) program. HTK is dedicated to improving Veterans’ skills and confidence to prepare healthy meals. Increasing Veterans’ self-efficacy with regards to food selection and preparation in a home-like environment to develop life-long eating habits. Taking nutrition education that is traditionally taught in the clinic settings and helping Veteran’s put it in practice in their day to day meals.

Description: It’s common to hear that high sodium items should be avoided to promote heart health, but this episode dives into the “why” behind that recommendation, along with other heart healthy eating tips! Joining us is Lisa Conticello, cardiology dietitian at the Bay Pines VA is interviewed by Dietetic Intern, Megan Rivenburg.

Description: There can be so much information and misinformation out there when it comes to eating for weight loss, so we brought in Registered Dietitian and Certified Specialist in Obesity and Weight Management, PJ Pivec, to help clear up some common myths and give you some actionable items to take away.

When people think of seeing a Registered Dietitian, most often we think of eating healthier or losing weight, however for some of our veterans, gaining too much weight is not their problem it is actually quite the opposite. More often than you may think, we do see veterans who are dealing with malnutrition or unintended weight loss and are actually needing to find ways to increase food intake, and we are here to help with that too. Episode #29 provides our top 5 tips for what do when the one you love is losing weight unintentionally.

Have ever been sitting at the kitchen table with your veteran loved one and notice them having difficulty feeding themselves?  If you are nodding YES, then you will understand how hard it is to figure out your role as the caregiver when your Veteran needs some additional support with eating their favorite foods. Episode #30 gives tips and tricks for making meaningful modifications at the table to increase confidence and get them eating again.

Description: As a caregiver or someone in a veteran’s support system, you may notice your loved one having difficulty chewing or swallowing certain food items. Veterans with neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, and dementia are more likely to have difficulty swallowing, or what we call Dysphagia.  In episode #31, Michele Martin, Marion VA Community Living Center Dietitian interviews Nicole Ziarnek, Speech therapist. Nicole shares a wealth of knowledge making it easy to understand what exactly happens to food and drink once you start the eating or drinking process, and helpful techniques to optimize intake from our Veteran’s with feeding difficulties. Host Bio: The Dietitians at Fresh Focus welcome Nicole Ziarnek, a Speech Therapist from the Marion VA Health Care System. 

Description: If you have ever been distracted while eating you know how easy it can happen to any one of us, but when we are concerned when a loved one may not be eating enough, we want to focus on how to help them reduce distracted eating.  Listen to episode #32 for tips and tricks on keeping focused at the table.  Host Bio: The Fresh Focus Dietitians Beth Blair and Lindsey Purcell welcome Bethany Dawson, Home Based Primary Care Dietitian from Louis A Johnson VA in Clarksburg, WV.

Description: Families and caregivers are the Veteran’s support system and help to prevent or manage chronic illness with healthy eating. So whether you find yourself brand new in that caregiver role, or maybe have been considered a caregiver for years, we want to support you. Listen as Home Based Primary Care Dietitian, Amanda, goes through 5 tips for taking care of yourself while you are taking care of your veteran.Host Bio: The Dietitians at Fresh Focus welcome Amanda Settle Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist out of the Marion VA Health Care System. Amanda works with Home Based Primary Care. 

Description: During a nutrition assessment, your Registered Dietitian Nutritionist will ask a lot of questions to the Veteran, but also to their caregiver. Being a caregiver comes with a unique set of challenges. Sometimes, a referral to the Caregiver Support Program will be made from your Dietitian. Listen in to episode 34 of Fresh Focus, as we welcome Jonnah Coffel to shed light on what to do if you are experiencing some caregiver burden, and what resources are available for assistance.  Host Bio: Focus Dietitians Beth Blair and Lindsey Purcell welcome Jonnah Coffel, Licensed Clinical Social Worker from the Marion VA Health Care System. Jonnah works with the Caregiver Support Program. 

Do you ever seek out your family for advice? Although our Fresh Focus Dietitians are the specialists on planning your plate the healthy way, getting back to your own family roots can help show you how to begin before you even pick up your plate. What better way to kick off the season of warmer weather with being able to grab some fresh veggies to put on your plate from your very own back yard! Listen in to episode 35 while Dietitians at Fresh Focus talk with some of their own family members on tips and tricks of starting a garden.  As dietitians, we do tend to talk to veterans and their families on getting reconnected where their food comes from.  It is beneficial for all of us and a great time to get together with family members and share ideas about gardening and can be a fun time down memory lane. Gardening can be both a healthy way to add more nutritious foods and also a great way to add in more movement and physical activity into our day.   So what do you do when you are thinking about starting a garden.  It may seem strange at first but you actually want to plan ahead so be thinking of your garden ahead of time even a year in advance! Plan to start thinking of a garden for next year today! ·         Research your soil!   Research and come up with items that grow in your area.  You can look online to your local Extension Agency for assistance. Then research your back yard space. You will need to decide on an in ground garden or containers. You may even have space for a green house! ·         Start a list of items you actually need. We don't recommend just going out and buying items and seeds and plants without deciding how much you actually  need.  ·         Remember to start small! When you are first starting out, focus on 3 tomato plants and then the next year you can plant tomatoes and bell peppers or advance to 3 veggie varieties.  ·         Look at your budget. Do you want to start with seeds or plants?  Starting everything from seed, takes more time but can save you money in the long run.    Or if you want to start with plants, look at your local gardening store for options.   Remember to save seeds for next year and share in the community. If you have neighbors or family members keep your seeds store them for the next year or give away to your neighbor and vice versa.   Remember you do not have to be an expert gardener to start your very own garden!  Happy gardening! 

Ever tasted a dish and thought to yourself how flavorful it was? Herbs are often used to enhance a dish and raise the flavor profile to a new level. Herbs are sometimes an afterthought when it comes to meal planning and preparation. They have been used for thousands of years for their medicinal properties. Herbs add flavor to cooking without adding any fat or sodium. Not only do they add great flavor to your plate, but offer a wide array of health benefits as well.  Growing herbs at home doesn't have to be expensive, and because they can be hardy they are great for a beginner gardener. Some herbs are very affordable to buy fresh. The important thing to remember when buying fresh is to make sure to store them appropriately. Because herbs do not always keep for long periods of time, it's important to purchase herbs close to the time you are going to use them. Store dried herbs and spices in a cool, dry, dark place. Keep powdered herbs for no longer than one year.  The longer dried herbs sit the more flavor they lose. Add fresh as close to serving time as possible for the most flavorful results! You know the best thing you can do to get the most flavor out of your herbs? You can grow your own at home! You do not need to be an expert gardener to start your own herb garden. You also do not need a large yard or a ton of outdoor space. All you'll need to start growing is a repurposed container or a spot of ground, some soil, water, and some research of the right growing environment for the herbs you are wanting to cultivate.  Choose one or two herbs that you use frequently and give it a shot. You're not going to learn unless you try. Growing herbs and using them for cooking can add some extra flavor and color to your dishes that will leave the whole family asking for more. Some examples may be adding mint, cilantro, basil and parsley to your next salad or sprinkling some dill or parsley into your potatoes.  Listen in to Fresh Focus episode 36 where Marion VA Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Loran reviews growing your own herbs and make your own challenge for yourself today! Try a new herb this week and maybe even start up your own herb garden.  

How many plants are we eating on a routine basis? How many colorful varieties of fruits and vegetables are we consuming on a daily basis? Eating a diet rich in vegetables and whole fruits has countless health benefits. These plants are packed with vitamins and minerals that our bodies need on a daily basis.  The more color you eat, the better. Each color of vegetable represents a different phytonutrient. A phytonutrient is a broad term for compounds that are produced in plants that are beneficial for our health.  It is so beneficial to literally eat the rainbow of colors and in terms of gardening to grow a rainbow of produce. ·         Red: The red color of tomatoes, strawberries, and beets is called lycopene and lycopene protects your body against free radicals which can ultimately help prevent cancer, heart disease, and lung disease. ·         Blues and purples: Blueberries and blackberries contain anthocyanins which slow aging and help with heart health. ·         Green: Lutein which is found in greens can help prevent macular degeneration.·         Whites: Allicin which is found in white plants like onion and cauliflower has anti-tumor properties.  If you have ever considered whether gardening is something you could give a try. You might just find the more you grow, the healthier you eat.  Gardening can provide your family with healthful and cost saving food options. You don't not need to be an expert gardener or have any experience to start.  First, think about why you want to garden. Knowing the “WHY” you want to start, will help you stick with your plan in the long run. As you experiment with your first gardening season, don't be discouraged if you have some mishaps. Remember that gardening is a learning experience and will take time to master. The more experience you gain, the better gardener you will be.  Listen in to Fresh Focus episode 37 where Marion VA Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Loran shares her experience with growing colorful produce at home. 

When you enter the grocery store have you ever wondered how to choose the best produce? Our food environment today is one where we can pretty much get any food anytime we want it.  Listen to Episode 38 from the Fresh Focus team where Dietitian Zachari Breeding talks about how to choose produce to fit your needs.  The benefits of seasonal produce include being higher in nutrient and flavor content and the seasonality of foods is dependent on the climate and the land where it is grown. You can search crop harvest calendar for your area but the best tip is to use your senses!  So don't be afraid to sniff that pineapple! Zachari gives us his 4 tips in this episode.  1.       Avoid produce that is bruised or has notable damage such as holes or divots 2.      Give it a squeeze. No fruit except apples should be hard. Most ripe produce gives under a little pressure. 3.      Give it a whiff. A sweeter fragrance indicates ripeness of fruit. 4.      Go for vibrant colors. Produce with bright colors indicates freshness rather than being dark, dull, or off-color (such as green peaches).Remember all vegetables should be firm, even in color, with no visible damage or bruising. And you will want to store your fresh fruits and vegetables in the produce bin found in most refrigerators. The more open the humidity setting is (the open/close button that swipes left to right on the produce bin), the lower the humidity. Closed humidity settings mean higher humidity. Foods such as apples/pears, avocados, melons, and stone fruits should be stored under low-humidity (or the open setting). Foods such as cruciferous vegetables, root vegetables, greens, summer squashes, and cucumbers should all be stored under high-humidity (or the closed setting). Never refrigerate potatoes, sweet potatoes, or winter squash – cold temperatures convert the natural starchiness into sweetness which can offset the overall flavor.  Keep in mind there is nothing wrong with choosing canned or frozen produce – their appropriateness has more to do with functionality. Meaning, canned tomatoes are much better when making marinara sauce whereas frozen squash should never be grilled. Using a combination of fresh and pre-packed fruits and vegetables not only saves you time, but allows you to take advantage of the best of all the worlds to make your next cooking excursion easy, nutritious, and flavorful.  Listen to Fresh Focus episode 38 to find more ways to become more comfortable with choosing produce to meet your needs!

Now that the weather is starting to warm up, we can get excited about summer recipes! In general, when the weather gets warm, we tend to eat lighter foods unlike the heavy, hearty meals that we consume during the winter months.  This means we get to use all of those good veggies from the garden, seasonal fruit, and lighter protein options.   Here are some recipes that use garden (or any) vegetables:  ·         Zucchini or summer squash boats: Slice these in half lengthwise, hollow out the inside, removing the seeds, and fill with things like ground meat, quinoa (or any other grain), diced bell pepper or onion, seasoning or fresh herbs, and top with a little cheese.   ·         Tacos/Lettuce wraps:  These are an easy way to get a balanced meal if you're making them at home.  Use grilled chicken, fish, or ground beef or turkey, shredded lettuce or cabbage, fresh tomatoes, a little cheese and salsa.  Go the lettuce wrap route for a lower carb option and to get an extra serving of veggies! ·         Salads: you can really spruce up a salad and make it an amazing and filling meal.  This is a great way to get several servings of vegetables in and even use up some veggies from the fridge that need to be consumed.  Start with lettuce, spinach, or any leafy greens, add veggies like fresh tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, and avocado.  You can add protein like chicken, fish/shellfish, steak, or beans and legumes if you're going for a plant-based meal.   ·         Bowls: These are a popular new meal trend that is basically like a salad but instead of lettuce or greens, the base consists of a grain like rice or quinoa, and topped with sliced or diced veggies and some kind of protein.  One of my favorites is an Asian poke bowl with rice, tuna, avocado, cucumber, sliced radish, soybeans or edamame, and topped with a little spicy mayo and soy sauce.  You can also make one with a more southwest flavor with rice, grilled chicken, black beans, corn, bell peppers (grilled or raw), and salsa.   These are just a few ideas to get you going, but Dietitian Amanda shares more ideas on Fresh Focus Podcast episode 40.  The great thing about these recipes, is that there's no right or wrong way to prepare them! If you have access to fresh vegetables then that is ideal, but frozen and canned work great as well!  

When thinking of summer cooking, usually the first thing we all think of is the grill. However, remember that just because we use this king of summertime cooking every year, this doesn't mean we always have to use it the same way. For example, it isn't only for burgers and hot dogs!   When cooking on a grill, the first thing you need to be aware of is the use of direct or indirect heat. Direct heat is basically putting your food right on top of the heat source (which is typically more towards the center of the grill, over your flame or coals). Indirect heat will be more towards the edges of the grill or up on the top rack. Note that all grills will heat up and cook a bit differently, so you'll want to get used to yours! Some things will do better with a slow cook on the outside edge (especially if it's a bigger cut of meat), some things do better over direct heat, and sometimes it's good to use that direct heat for a bit to finish it off after a slow cook. The same goes for anything you are trying to grill (i.e. meat, vegetables, potatoes, corn, etc.). Don't be afraid to try different things, or look up grilling techniques for certain foods.   Keeping grilling accessories simple can make it easier on you this summer season. First, the most simple accessory is a grill basket. Select a pan/dish style basket as these can be great for veggies or smaller meats, such as shrimp or thin strips of chicken. You won't have to worry about losing your food through the grates, and they become easier to flip and stir as they are cooking!  Another great option can be the use of foil packs! Grab some foil and throw in your favorite summer foods (meat, veggies, potatoes, etc.) with some seasonings, and a little olive oil or butter, and let the magic happen!  Foil packs can be cooked indirectly, such as on the grate or slightly off to the side, or you can use direct heat and put them right in your campfire on your hot coals. A quick note, it's a good idea to double-wrap your food in foil if you are using direct heat (or if you just have to much food in the pack for one layer to handle without tearing). In episode 39 from the Fresh FocusPodcast, our grill master and Dietitian suggests wrapping everything in cabbage leaves before you wrap it in foil. This way, the cabbage takes the brunt of the heat, and the food inside gets a more even cook. It also does a better job at keeping things from sticking to your foil!   Don't be afraid to use a digital thermometer in order to maintain food safety. Remember, 165 degrees is your general target in order for your meat to be fully cooked. Listen in to episode 39 for more tips for your summer grilling season!   

Have you ever thought that what is on your plate could make a difference in your level of pain?  Healthy food choices can improve your overall health,  help with weight management, give you more energy and even help reduce pain. The Fresh Focus team thought it was a perfect time to start discussions on the pain and nutrition connection in episode 41 as they interview a VA nurse who is very involved in facilitating a Pain Workshop.    Understanding pain response is important. Successful pain management involves setting identified goals and a treatment plan that is agreed upon by patient and Provider. Physical pain is transmitted to the brain by stimulated nerves. When this happens the Pain Gate is open. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is multifaceted and can be modified and managed by using multifaceted approaches  such as physical, cognitive, and emotional interventions. For anyone experiencing pain this can be empowering to know and helpful in pain management.   Whole Health means thinking about and approaching your health in a new way.  Looking at what really matters to you can help you live life to the fullest.  The VA has numerous resources that can help assist with pain management such as Physical Therapy, Behavior Medicine, Chiropractic, Meditation, Acupuncture, Whole Health, Tai Chi, Mindfulness, Nutrition and the MOVE! Weight management program can all be a part of your pain management.    Nutrition and Food Services (NFS) develops and provides comprehensive evidenced based nutritional services for our Veterans and their families across VHA's health care facilities. Regisstered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) promote wellness and disease prevention by providing effective nutrition education and counseling.  RDN's also work with you to help you modify what you are eating and drinking to improve your health.  In this series we want to focus on and look for more ways to eat to reduce inflammation.   Please reach out to your primary care provider for information in your area for pain management resources.  And remember to contact your local VA Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and the VA Healthy Teaching Kitchen YouTube Channel for recipes and tips on planning your very own anti inflammatory plate to help reduce inflammation.  

Have you ever wondered if the food you are eating is causing you pain due to inflammation? If so, stick around and listen in on how nutrition and what we eat day to day can influence inflammation and could be causing an increase in your pain level. Inflammation is the body's protective response against injury, infection, stress, or foreign substances.  In episode 42 of Fresh Focus, Megan goes through some of the food items that could be causing an increase in inflammation. Food items that cause increase in inflammation include a diet full of highly processed foods, high sugary foods, or typical junk food, sometimes referred to as the Standard American Diet.  Top 9 types of foods that are the big contributors of inflammation.  1.       High-sugar foods2.      High-fat foods3.      Foods that promote bacterial overgrowth of the small bowel: This includes simple sugars and complex carbohydrates that are quickly digested.  Such as bakery items, juice, soda, and really any food item with added sugar. 4.      Low fiber intake: Not eating enough fiber, can also cause inflammation. One of the purposes of fiber is to pull and remove toxins from the gastrointestinal tract. For your reference, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, rec0mmends 25 grams of fiber for women and 38 grams of fiber for men each day. 5.      Insufficient phytonutrients: Not eating enough colorful fruits and vegetables. 6.      Vitamin and mineral deficiencies:  Women should consume at least 1 ½ cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables each day. Men should consume at least 2 cups of fruit and 3 ½ cups of vegetables each day. 7.      Fatty acid imbalances: Not enough Omega-3 fatty acids and Omega-6 fatty acids, along with too much saturated fat and trans-fats from processed foods. 8.     Insufficient exercise: Getting enough physical activity is effective in reducing adipose tissue and the amount of fat in your body.9.      Tobacco use and excessive alcohol use: Can damage the body's cells and trigger an immune response of inflammation.  Keep in mind that you do not need to try out all of these suggestions at once. By knowing what causing inflammation that can help us with making diet changes to help with pain and overall health and wellness. Remember, small steps are better than not trying at all.   Check out Fresh Focus episodes 1-6 for more meal planning information on creating your own healthy plate.  If you have questions regarding nutrition and inflammation, please contact your clinic Registered Dietitian Nutritionist to provide more guidance on anti-inflammatory meal planning.  

There are several lifestyle factors that can influence inflammation in our bodies and the great news is there is lot we can do to improve our health!  Listen in on episode 43 of Fresh Focus  while Registered Dietitians dive in on lifestyle factors that can affect inflammation. ·         Smoking --If you smoke we recommend quitting to reduce inflammation. This includes vaping as well. Contact your local VA for assistance with quitting smoking. Additionally try to reduce your exposure to second hand smoke. You can have a no smoking in your home or care rule to help with this. ·         Stress- impacts inflammation. Finding ways to manage stress such as mindfulness, tai chi, yoga, or meditation is a great place to start. Even just taking a few deep breaths when we are feeling overwhelmed can help. Reach out to your VA if you have trouble managing your stress.  ·         Changing what is on your plate- For people with chronic health conditions they may also need to be aware of their own specific dietary needs. For example chronic kidney disease requires additional dietary changes. Individuals with digestive conditions may have to make additional changes as well. Anyone with a chronic health condition should meet with a registered dietitian for specific guidelines.  ·         Being inactive or what is often referred to as sedentary is also a contributing factor to worsening inflammation. Physical activity activates our “helper cells” to rebuild muscle tissue, strengthen our bones, and improve our daily function. The biggest tip for being more active is making activity fun! We want to enjoy moving our bodies. This may be difficult for those with chronic inflammation but it is not impossible. VA clinics across the nation have recreation therapy programs to help! ·         Sleep -Poor sleep prevents our body from the restorative processes that are important for keeping inflammation under control. Simple things such as not watching TV or using your cellphone in bed can make a big difference for sleep. Keep your room cool and dark, try implanting a bedtime relaxation routine, and don't eat a big meal right before bed. If you struggle with insomnia the VA has programs that can help. Don't try to fix everything at once. Take one step at a time and reach out to your local VA for support, guidance, and assistance. Stay tuned to Fresh Focus for additional tips on reducing inflammation. 

Did you know that the human body is absolutely meant to move and that Movement, activity, and exercise, can all relate and to pain management? Let Fresh Focus get you started by having a discussion on ways to improve your functional independence and freedom. One way to begin is to identify ways to overcome any of your barriers and for most of us that includes reducing pain.     Exercise can be an effective treatment for chronic pain!Exercise and movement can help you to lose weight, which can lower inflammation and stress hormone release.  It can help decrease inflammation, increase mobility, improve joint health, slow arthritis progression, as well as decrease overall pain levels. It's important to note that pain tolerance varies from person to person. Two people with the same injuries will perceive them very differently. That all has to do with the complex interconnections within our central nervous system, as well as various other things. But regardless of our starting point, we can still use exercise to calm the brain, and what it might potentially perceive as a threat.  From what we know so far, cardiovascular activity and mobility exercise, such as Yoga and Tai Chi, seem to have the greatest effects, but any exercise you enjoy doing will be a great start and will provide a multitude of benefits.  Keep in mind  you should start any activity/exercise routine with the mindset of safe, slow, and easy. Pace yourself. But don't worry. You will be able to progress as you go.    Exercise helps to balance neurotransmitters in the brain-Anytime we talk about effectively treating chronic pain we always want to talk about brain rewiring. Our brain is our computer. Exercise increases the production of those feel-good chemicals, such as those endorphins we always hear about. Pacing is the gradual return of functioning one step at a time.  This method of gradually exposing yourself to activity that requires finding a safe, comfortable starting point. Incorporate breaks, stretch, and rest. It's all about time, effort, and persistence. You can pace for any activity, anywhere from activities of daily living like grocery shopping, favorite hobbies like hiking, cycling, dancing,  or something like soccer. Remember  you are not alone, research shows that 80% of adults feel chronic pain over their lifetime. By reducing and overcoming that barrier we can continue to live the life we want to live! Tune into Fresh Focus episode #44 to find out more ways help pain and inflammation in the body and what lifestyle choices  you can make starting today to reclaim your life and your brain.  

Have you ever wondered what food has to do with inflammation? Listen in on Fresh Focus Dietitians with fellow Dietitian and Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner Nancy White to find out answers surrounding fighting inflammation with food. Chronic inflammation causes our body to stop functioning in a healthy way. This can lead to the development of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Chronic inflammation can also worsen pain levels and have a negative impact on nearly every body system.  What we eat has the power to reduce that inflammation with antioxidants, vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, and other nutrients. Building an anti-inflammatory nutrition plan is simple when following the plate method.  ·         Fill up half of the plate with non-starchy vegetables such as leafy greens, Brussels sprouts and carrots, or red peppers.  Remember to include all the colors throughout the week in the vegetable category. You can add spinach and mushrooms to an omelet, grill peppers and onions on kabob sticks, or munch on carrots and celery as a snack.  Fruits are also anti-inflammatory foods. With fruit we want to keep our portions small at meals and snacks. Consider adding berries to oatmeal or yogurt, dipping apples in peanut butter for a snack, or enjoy frozen grapes after dinner. Be wary of fruit juice or smoothies with added sugars. ·         Fill up one-fourth of our plate with carbohydrate items such as sweet potatoes, quinoa or wild rice, or black beans will provide anti-inflammatory nutrients. Keep portion control in mind for your starchy foods but don't avoid them completely.   ·         Fill up the other one-fourth of our plate with protein. Fatty fish such as salmon or sardines or plant-based proteins such as lentils or edamame are the best anti-inflammatory options. You can include smaller amounts of lean animal protein throughout the week as well.  ·         Don't forget to include anti-inflammatory fats. Cooking with extra virgin olive oil is a great way to get started. Adding avocado to a variety of dishes such as sandwiches, burrito bowls, and soup is another way to increase healthy fats. Nuts and seeds make great snacks and toppings to salads or cereal.   Following these anti-inflammatory nutrition tips can help you feel better and obtain health improvements. You can consider adding one new anti-inflammatory food a week to get started. Remember its about progress not perfection when it comes to eating healthy. 

Did you know American Veterans experience higher prevalence of pain and more severe pain than non-Veterans?  The good news is that no matter where you are in your health journey: just starting out, managing several chronic conditions, or somewhere in-between by making these diet changes you can really make a difference!   The team at Fresh Focus, is highlighting the benefits of eating and following the anti-inflammatory nutrition plan in episode #46 that includes: ·         Managing and preventing chronic health conditionsFollowing an anti-inflammatory nutrition plan can help prevent and help improve symptoms of some of the most chronic health conditions such as Diabetes and Heart Disease! Nearly every chronic health condition has underlying inflammation.  ·         Managing chronic painWe know so much more now about chronic pain that we did 10-20 years ago and have a much better understanding of lifestyle factors that affect pain. People are often skeptical that their food choices affect their pain but often become believers when they start feeling different when following the anti-inflammatory nutrition plan. ·         Ending complicated dietingHealthy eating is not the same thing as dieting. Even though we are called “Dietitians” we don't want our patients to diet. Following an anti-inflammatory nutrition plan is not the same as going on a diet. Diets are restrictive, unsustainable, and frustrating! Eating an anti-inflammatory nutrition plan is based on balancing meals with all the food groups, eating plenty of vegetables and other plant-based foods, and finding a meal plan that works for you. All preferences and health needs can fit into an anti-inflammatory nutrition plan.  ·         Reconnecting with your body When we start to pay more attention to how we are feeling and how food is making us feel we can start to notice others things as well. We might realize that stress triggers cravings for junk food or that worrying causes us to eat more or less. Identifying how our mental and emotional well-being effect our food choices is just as important as learning how food effect how we feel. It's a two way street and one that we often ignore for far too long.  

Does searching for healthy food options feel like solving a puzzle to you? Ask a VA Dietitian! Our job is to help take the mystery out of good nutrition habits.   Here at Fresh Focus, we want to make it as simple as possible for you to make the healthy choices you need to reach your nutrition and lifestyle goals.  Concepts, ideas and recipes from any and all episodes can be modified and tailored to your individual needs.   If you're not sure where to start, take a listen to episodes 1-6 that will give you baseline on what should be filling up your plate and a strategy to focus on one healthy meal at time.  Whether you are feeding a family of 6 or just yourself, take a listen to Beth Blair as she rewinds the series on National Nutrition Month and the Healthy Teaching Kitchen (HTK) program here at the VA in a fun rewind episode 47. A few benefits of participating in a HTK:• Takes nutrition education and delivers it in a practical way.• Encourages veterans to reconnect with the enjoyment of eating • Builds confidence to cook and make it a normal process of your day  HTK program can jump start your journey of seeing how food can taste different when you pair with other foods and flavors and find fun ways to try something new that adds variety in a delicious way to your meal and snacks! You can also find recorded classes on YouTube, type in “VA Healthy Teaching Kitchen” and subscribe.Stay tuned for more episodes at Fresh Focus,  Please reach out to your local Registered Dietitian Nutritionist or Nutrition and Food Services Department to assist you in any nutrition needs or questions. 

Does searching for healthy food options feel like solving a puzzle to you? Ask a VA Dietitian! Our job is to help take the mystery out of good nutrition habits.   Here at Fresh Focus, we want to make it as simple as possible for you to make the healthy choices you need to reach your nutrition and lifestyle goals.  Concepts, ideas and recipes from any and all episodes can be modified and tailored to your individual needs.   If you're not sure where to start, take a listen to episodes 1-6 that will give you baseline on what should be filling up your plate and a strategy to focus on one healthy meal at time.  Because the Fresh Focus team couldn't pick just one episode to reflect on, we added rewind episode 48, highlighting episode 11 where Dietitian Lauren Hocking interviews Caitlin, a nursing mom of two for her advice. Breastfeeding can be an awesome bonding experience with your baby and provides baby with great nutrition. However, it is important to point out breastfeeding can also be overwhelming, frustrating, and bring up many questions for mamas and their support systems. Please don't hesitate to reach out to a lactation consultant and dietitian in your area.  Stay tuned for more episodes at Fresh Focus,  Please reach out to your local Registered Dietitian Nutritionist or Nutrition and Food Services Department to assist you in any nutrition needs or questions. 

Nutrition advice is anywhere and everywhere these days. The information can be overwhelming to sift through. Here at the Fresh Focus podcast we thought it would be a great time to review some common nutrition myths. We will be going through several nutrition topics and diving in more to help all of you out there listening. In our Myth Busters series, we invited Abbie Spiwak, RDN, to chat about a common myth she hears in her Healthy Teaching Cooking class, and a few strategies to help combat it when you have a similar feeling.   Myth:  Eating Healthy is just too Expensive.    We know everyone thinks this from time to time. That's why the VA Dietitians want to help sort things out, and come up with the best plan. In episode 49, we review three strategies to help make healthy eating changes and those can help us understand how to add some healthier food choices to our meals and snacks. 1.       Recipe Selection/Replacement: Look for recipes with similar ingredients to help build our weekly meal plan. Replace ingredients in recipes with alternative ingredients we already have available at home, instead of purchasing extra items you may end of wasting. 2.      Food Budgeting: Divide up our grocery store trips along with planning the food budget for the month. If grocery shopping twice a month, make sure we aren't buying all fresh items on the first trip as they wont last all month.    3.      Time Management: Look at the calendar. If we will not be home, don't plan for an evening meal that takes extra time to prepare. Try a slow cooker meal for that evening. Or if you have an early appointment the next day try preparing Crustless Quiche Muffins to have on hand for a delicious grab and go breakfast on your way out the door.  Check out HTK YouTube channel for more great recipe ideas! Contact your local VA Dietitian to help assist and guide to better prepare for success with reaching nutrition and lifestyle goals.     

Throughout this six-episode Myth Busters series on the Fresh Focus podcast, we are choosing a different popular nutrition myth each episode to break down. There's so much nutrition information (and misinformation) out there that we wanted to provide you this series so that you could have evidence-based answers to your burning nutrition questions in between visits with your registered dietitian. Listen along to this episode as Megan Rivenburg, MS, dietetic intern at the Bay Pines VA, sorts through the research on carbs. Are they bad for you? Are low-carb diets the way to go? Which carbs are the best carbs to be eating in order to support your health? The takeaway? Our bodies need carbs! They provide much needed energy that your body needs even when you're just sitting at home. They help out with regularity (fiber is a carb!), and on top of that, they make us happy. Not just because they're delicious, but because they help out with keeping serotonin levels regulated, and serotonin is involved with keeping moods stable. It's also no big secret that certain carbs are really easy to overeat. Think about white rice versus brown rice- one is much easier to eat a large amount of without getting full. This episode talks all about picking complex carb choices like brown rice, whole grain breads and pastas, and fruits and vegetables. These carbs provide that needed energy but also leave us feeling just a little bit better overall.  As always, nutrition needs vary from person to person. If you want more in-depth information about anything you hear on this podcast, don't hesitate to schedule an appointment with your registered dietitian. They are there to help you figure out the style of eating that works best for you, your health, and your lifestyle!            Enjoy listening to this episode! 

This episode is another episode in the Fresh Focus podcast's Myth Busters series, where we are breaking down common nutrition myths and topics that seem to get spun by the media. This series' hope is to give you an evidence-based place to go back to in between visits with your registered dietitian in order to get answers to your burning nutrition questions.  In this episode we talk all about metabolism. We talk about how our bodies need food each day to fuel activities that you don't even think about- such as organs functioning. We don't think about our kidneys or liver working, but they are always working, and require energy to do so!  The episode dives into foods that are considered “metabolism boosters,” and talks about which of these foods have a little bit of a more sound scientific backing and which of these foods just simply do not. However, even the foods that have a little bit more of a backing are not going to increase metabolism by a considerable amount.  The episode ends by talking about one tried and true way to actually increase the amount of energy you expend each day- and that is exercise. Not only does exercise in the moment burn energy, but it also helps you to build up lean muscle tissue. One pound of muscle requires more energy to maintain on a daily basis than one pound of fat does, which means that as your muscle mass increases, so does your resting metabolic rate. If you are looking to start up an exercise program and want to make sure you do so safely, make sure you consult your healthcare team first.  If exercise accountability is what you're looking for, you can always look into VA programs such as MOVE!, where you can meet individuals with similar health goals and keep each other accountable.  

It seems like in the healthcare setting we always hear “losing weight is healthy” and “gaining weight is unhealthy.” It seems like there is this thought that the best predictor of if someone is healthy is their weight and what number shows up on the scale.But the thing is, there are so many factors that come into play when it comes to the number on the scale. So many different things can impact it and make it change week to week or even day to day- whether it be fluid status, whether or not you've gone to the bathroom, or anything else.Throughout this episode of the Myth Busters series on the Fresh Focus podcast, we dive into the many myths surrounding the scale as well as things the scale can definitely be useful for, and things the scale is not really useful for at all.The scale can't tell you anything about body composition. In other words, the scale can't tell the difference between muscle, fat, water, bone, organs, etc. Since muscle weighs more than fat does, someone who is muscular is going to weigh more. Similarly, someone who has been going to the gym and feels and looks great may not even see a change on the scale.Additionally, a number that quantifies how much gravitational pull we have towards the earth can't tell us anything about our health. And this is why using the scale as a sole indicator of health can be a problem. The scale doesn't know anything about your labs, your blood pressure, your resting heart rate, your blood sugar levels, or anything else. There are so many ways that we can measure progress in health improvement without using a scale.If you find yourself wanting to weigh yourself, that's totally fine! This episode will give you some tangible tips for weighing yourself more accurately without some of the factors that contribute to fluctuations. But if you get anything out of this episode, walk away from it knowing that the scale will never be able to tell you the full picture, and will never be able to tell you anything about your worth as a human being.  

Gluten and dairy and grains, oh my! In this episode of the Fresh Focus podcast's Myth Busters series, our host Megan Rivenburg, MS, former dietetic intern at the Bay Pines VA talks all about the ever so prevalent myths about gluten, dairy, gluten-free, and dairy-free diets.            Have you ever heard someone say they are cutting out gluten for health reasons? This episode talks all about whether or not it really is healthier to eat gluten free. The short answer? It's not! It's not necessary to cut out gluten unless you are someone who has Celiac disease or otherwise has a sensitivity to gluten.             Cutting it out for someone who doesn't need to is not objectively any healthier. All it does is cut out a great source of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, and make the grocery bill a little bit steeper.            When it comes to dairy, listen in as we explore what it means to be lactose intolerant, whether or not it's okay to eat dairy when lactose intolerant, and more. This episode will leave you equipped with information regarding the myth that dairy is inflammatory, taken straight from the research.            The bottom line is that not only is dairy not shown to be inflammatory (unless you are allergic), but it actually may even have an anti-inflammatory effect.             There are so many fad diets out there that cut out food groups unnecessarily, when those food groups are really amazing sources of nutrition. This episode will leave you with the research-backed facts so that you can make your own informed decision regarding whether or not you choose to consume gluten and/ or dairy.            We hope you enjoy listening to this episode. Join us next time for one last myth busting episode where we will break down one more myth into bite-sized (pun intended!) pieces for you.  

We are back with the sixth and final episode of the Fresh Focus podcast's Myth Busters series. We've explored so many topics over the course of the past five episodes- from carbohydrates, to metabolism, to gluten, dairy, the scale, and protein in vegetarian diets. We are rounding out the series with a myth that is a big misconception when people come into the world of nutrition- and that is in order to be healthy, it is necessary to eat “perfectly” 100% of the time.You heard that right! The fact that you need to eat perfectly is entirely a myth. It's just not true. And on top of that, there isn't anybody who expects you to eat perfectly healthy all the time- not even dietitians or dietetic interns do. After all, we are all human and we all have foods that we absolutely love that may not be as nutrient dense.When you put pressure on yourself to eat absolutely perfectly and tell yourself you can never have, say, pizza, you are more likely than not setting yourself up to crave those foods that you deem off limits- even more often than you would otherwise. This concept is explained in psychology as the Ironic Process Theory, first theorized by Daniel Wegner in 1987. This episode will walk you through an exercise in Ironic Process Theory and talk more about how it applies to nutrition.While it is undeniable that food is an important part of health, it's also important to remember that our health is made up of many different dimensions- including mental health, emotional health, intellectual health, and more. Choosing foods that fuel your soul every so often may be just as important as choosing foods that fuel your body.If this episode strikes a chord with you, go ahead and ask your registered dietitian to talk to you about the concept of intuitive eating. It may be just right for you!  

March is National Nutrition Month® and is a chance to celebrate eating healthy. National Registered Dietitian Nutritionist day is also in March and is a chance to showcase dietitians as the food and nutrition experts. Each year we celebrate with a new theme and for 2022 the theme is “Celebrate a world of Flavors.” This means diversifying our food choices and being open to new flavors, cuisines and eating experiences.  It is possible to take what we like from different global dietary patterns and incorporate them into our lives in healthy, individualized ways. We can still have our own personal likes and dislikes while taking what we enjoy from different dietary perspectives. In episode #55, Dietitian Nutritionist Sara Peidle breaks down the benefits of choosing foods from all corners of the globe.

Have you ever seen a VA Dietitian? If not, you might be wondering what to ask once you are in the office. From what's the best way to lose weight, what to eat when away from our homes, to how much sodium is too much are daily conversations in our specialty. Bethany, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist from the Louis A Johnson VA , joins Fresh Focus on episode #56 where she answers the most common questions she gets asked by Veterans and their family members.    

It's common to see misinformation about nutrition. Science is complicated and scientific research can be difficult to critically evaluate. Especially for nutrition, many aspects of the wellness industry are unregulated such as supplements and supplement companies. With all the confusing nutrition information out there, how do we know which experts to trust or how to tell a credible source from a non-credible source?  VA Dietitian Nutritionist Erin Gobeille in Fresh Focus episode #57 reminds us that a good place to start is information written by experts in the field. Check for authors with the MD, PhD, or RD/RDN credentials. Look at the authors qualifications. Ideally they should be educated in the field of nutrition and dietetics and preferably hold a degree from accredited university, such as a registered dietitian. You can also check to see if they belong to a credible nutrition organization like the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

March is a whole month dedicated to promote the profession of Nutrition Services as well as delivering nutrition education to the public. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) can help you improve your overall health and wellness. This year, for National Nutrition Month®, the team at Fresh Focus Podcast, welcome back Yaqutullah Ibraheem Muhammad, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist from the Atlanta VAHCS, Arcadia Primary Care Women's Wellness Clinic to discuss tips on embracing cultural cuisines and ways you can diversify your healthy plate. Find out fun recipes to try and easy ways to experiment with new flavors. 

Listen in on this episode of Fresh Focus, where VA Dietitian, Dr. Joel Hamilton talks all about how to spice up your diet with using an ingredient that you already have on hand, a potato! Why potatoes? Potatoes are inexpensive and generally accessible. Learning several cooking tips using something simple as a potato can actually help build our confidence in the kitchen, and motivate us into trying our hand at all different kinds of recipes and unique items. They are also fairly neutral in taste and can allow you to practice multiple cooking techniques and seasoning combinations.     Be sure to visit the Healthy Teaching Kitchen YouTube Channel to watch video recipes.

Would you be interested in watching a cooking class demo while being able to be sit in your own kitchen and have the opportunity to cook along with the instructor? That is exactly what the VA Healthy Teaching Kitchen classes involve!    Healthy Teaching Kitchens aim to improve health by teaching Veterans and their families how to make healthy food choices by showing them how to prepare foods. Participating in a class or seeing your local VA Dietitian can help assist you in planning healthy meals. Check with your local VA for more details on available local classes.   This years theme “Celebrate a World of Flavors” encourages everyone to include healthy meals across all cultures and cuisines.  Listen in where RDNs on episode 60 of Fresh Focus provide several easy tips to help you in meal planning today.     

There is a crucial transitional time after being discharged from the hospital where making changes could prevent the need to go back into the hospital. As Dietitians, we understand how hard it can be to digest nutritional information when discharged home from the hospital. Sometimes, there's so much information at once, making it hard to find a starting place once you are back at home. In episode #61, Registered Dietitian, Ryan Santanna-Hart, offers strategies such as starting with scheduling an appointment with your local VA Dietitian. Topics include meal planning, limiting high sodium foods, and lifestyle changes can help reduce symptoms. This series aims to support our Nations Heroes with their heart health.

VA Dietitians want to help encourage Veterans, their family, and caretakers to maintain heart health. Keeping our hearts healthy is important and nutrition can play a big role. In episode #62, listen along as Kristine, VISN 15 MOVE Coordinator reviews her top three lifestyle changes that can help improve your heart health.  Starting off with selecting a variety of high fiber colorful fruits and vegetables and focusing on having a balanced healthy plate. In addition to our meals, working towards being physically active, and being mindful of your weight. MOVE! Is a great program to help with weight management. Finally, look for Whole Health options in your area for movement activities for a great way to increase physical activity.  

In a realistic world, heart healthy eating will have a different starting point for everyone. It might mean making a few smaller changes or bigger substitutions. If you are in the process of working toward eating healthier to reach your goals then listen in to episode #63, where Marion VA Dietitians review ways to limit processed foods that can be high in sugar and salt. Your local VA Dietitian can help assist you in meal planning to meet your own individual needs. This episode provides strategies to help find replacements for boxed items and provides many fun and delicious recipes with using cost effect ingredients.  

According to the American Heart Association, 1 in 4 heart failure patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge from the hospital, and approximately half within 6 months. It is suggested that around one-fourth of these readmissions may be preventable. For patients being treated for heart disease, poor diet and medication compliance are the most common reasons for readmission.In episode #64, the Home-based Cardiac Rehab Dietitian discusses ways to lower the chances for of going back into the hospital soon after discharge. She includes 10 ways to maintain heart health after receiving a heart related diagnosis and tips for making positive changes to improve heart health.   

Excessive sodium intake is a concern for 9 out of 10 Americans. Having less sodium in your diet may help you lower or avoid high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Dietary changes have a huge impact when we are away from the home. Whether its dining out or at the grocery store, the decision of what to eat can quickly become overwhelming. Listen in Episode #65 as Ashley, Marion Dietetic Intern as she clears the air on how to make a heart healthy selection.   

The body can do great things, but we need to give it time to do so. In fresh focus episode #66 we discuss exercise in relation to cardiac health. Dietitian Sieger provides signs to be mindful of when starting a physical activity routine, and strategies on how to include regular activity and exercise into our daily lives. Finding that individualized movement starting point is beneficial for our mind, body, and soul.  

March is National Nutrition Month® and is a chance to celebrate eating healthy. In episode #67, our VA Dietitians review tips for eating healthy on a budget. Specifically, whether you are buying groceries and cooking at home for yourself, including family members, or making the choice to enjoy food away from the home.

In the United States the USDA indicates that 13.8 million people are considered food insecure. Food security is a federal measure of a household's ability to provide enough food for every person in the household to have an active, healthy life. In this episode we take a closer look at food security, and explore a dietitians role in helping you reach your health goals.  

In episode #69 VA Dietitians discuss different meal planning strategies to better “fuel for the future” which is the 2023 theme of National Nutrition Month®. For most people, hearing the word meal planning or meal prepping may elicit images of extra time cooking, pre-portioning the same meal into containers to be eaten throughout the week. And while that is one approach to meal planning that works great for some people, this episode explores different approaches to find a system that fits best into our lifestyles. 

March is a whole month dedicated to promote the profession of Nutrition Services as well as delivering nutrition education to the public. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can help you improve your overall health and wellness. Episode #70 focuses on the topic of health-related marketing, and more importantly, how we perceive, and engage, with this information. VA Dietitians help to observe the context in which these methods thrive, and how to shift our perception in a way that helps to protect ourselves from poor quality, and misleading, information.

Description: You may or may not have heard of the MOVE! program at your VA before tuning into today's episode.  However, MOVE has actually been around since 2006. MOVE!is the nation-wide weight management program designed to help Veterans lose weight and keep it off.  Using weekly sessions to keep participants involved on a regular basis, MOVE! highlights making healthy behavior changes in the areas of nutrition, physical activity, emotional eating, stress management and other self-care areas. Listen in as our VISN 15 MOVE! Coordinator reviews how Veterans can get involved in this comprehensive lifestyle intervention program to help reach our health goals!Host Bio: Fresh Focus is a team of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists at the Marion VA collaborating with Dietitians nationwide.

Navigating recipes can be a challenge when you are cooking for one. Common recipes are created for 4-6+ people. It is important to include a variety of foods to help you get all of the nutrients that you need, but how do you do this? Tune in to find out more about how a VA dietitian can help assist you in creating anindividualized meal plan for yourself! If you are worried about being able to cook the meals due to lack of experience in the kitchen, we can work with you to modify your plan and increase your confidence while cooking!   Check out the MOVE!program here at the VA for meal planning tips and what to put on your plate to make meal time a success!     Host Bio: Fresh Focus is a team of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists at the Marion VA collaborating with Dietitians nationwide.

Exercise is such a great thing for our bodies and there are numerous ways to modify activities to avoid pain and to make them more comfortable. It is possible to increase activity throughout the day no matter what your circumstance is! Listen to this episode as Dr. Raine Bradshaw, a Physical Therapist for Truman VA in Columbia, MO, speaks with Amy and shares how Veterans can incorporate physical activity with the MOVE! Program. Find out how to increase your physical activity and exercise to help reach your health goals.  Host Bio: Fresh Focus is a team of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists at the Marion VA collaborating with Dietitians nationwide.

A weight plateau can be a challenge and barrier we face when we are trying to better manage our weight. Find out how to set yourself up for success when experiencing this issue. Tune in to this episode to find the best way continue moving forward with your goals. Aimee Wittmaier with the Kansas City VA Medical Center provides specific strategies to help you along your journey! Host Bio: Fresh Focus is a team of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists at the Marion VA collaborating with Dietitians nationwide.

Ever wonder about the connection between sleep and body weight? Tune in to this episode as Angie, Dietitian and MOVE! Facilitator at the St Louis VA Health Care System, talks about ways to improve your sleep hygiene and how the MOVE! Weight management program can help you reach your health goals. This episode will educate you on how sleep can influence weight and provides tips to increase sleep quality and quantity. Host Bio: Fresh Focus is a team of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists at the Marion VA collaborating with Dietitians nationwide.

All of the lifestyle changes that you have made in the last several weeks of this program have led to a healthier you! We want to help you maintain all of these healthy habits moving forward, which brings us to today's episode! The last episode of the series focuses on how to maintain the progress you have made while participating in MOVE!. We will talk about some things that will help you keep the progress moving forward and ways to maintain your motivation.  Staying motivated is essential for long-term weight management success. Here are 5 tips for staying motivated.1) Remember the benefits you've achieved and hope to achieve.2) Recognize your success.3) Keep visible signs or your progress.4) Keep track of your weight, eating, and activity.5) Develop your eating and activity routine. Host Bio: Fresh Focus is a team of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists at the Marion VA collaborating with Dietitians nationwide.

This year, for National Nutrition Month®, the team at Fresh Focus Podcast partnered with the Green Environmental Management System Committee, GEMS, to bring you information on getting started with being more sustainable by reducing food waste, eating more plant-based food items, and learning to cook and prepare more food in your kitchen. Jaime and Selena have great tips on how to start by looking Beyond the Table.  Sustainability and good nutrition are more than just what we cook, it's how we shop, buy and store foods.  

Working towards being more sustainable is much easier than you might think! Listen in as Jamie and Becca discuss easy steps to start with during your next grocery store trip. Try to purchase foods that are versatile, can be stored easily and foods that you can use in more than one way. Remember it is always a good practice to push older fruits and vegetables to the front to remind you to use those items first! 

If you are looking at incorporating more plant-based proteins in your meals and snacks, listen to this episode as Shelby and Selena talk about some of their favorite recipes.     Be sure to visit the Healthy Teaching Kitchen YouTube Channel to watch videos and find plant based food items to try at home. You can have easy, delicious food choices while being more mindful on how they affect the environment. Check out the new VA Nutrition and Food Services  Practical Plant-Based Cooking Cookbook to find simple easy-to-find ingredient plant based recipes. 

Eating a plant-based diet can provide both health and environmental benefits. Listen in as Jennifer and Becca talk about the benefits of gardening and composting.  Composting offers a way to turn food waste into something that can benefit the environment. Consider starting your own garden. Gardening not only brings more plant foods into your life, but can also be good for the environment and help your budget too.

Listen in as Yaqutullah and Hillary share practical tips to reduce food waste and help save you money and time with meal planning.  VA Healthy Teaching Kitchen provides numerous recipes and meal ideas to fit your taste preferences and nutrition needs.  Have a plan to use up items that you have on hand to make sure don't end up in the trash as food waste. 

Whether you're a parent with kids at home, or a grandparent, aunt, uncle, babysitter, or friend, this episode is for you! Lauren leads us through some practical tips and ideas to make your whole family's snacks healthier.The typical American child eats about triple the recommended amount of added sugars and about double the recommended amount of sodium per day. We can help reduce that amount by starting with snacks and learning how we can make them healthier. We may not have a win with every recipe, but we owe it to our families to find items that are enjoyable while still being good investments in our health!

In this episode, Sieger leads us down the rabbit hole in regards to the potential downfalls of snacking. Snacks, although enjoyable and sometimes appropriate, can sometimes be more of a hindrance than a help. How can we identify the difference? Sometimes we do things that aren't quite working in our favor. Sometimes we have bad habits. It's all about optimizing our intake and improving our relationship with food, snacks included. Join us as we discuss the issues with common snack choices, variables that can influence those choices, and how we can improve our intake structure in a way that works better for us!Contributors: The Fresh Focus is a team of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists out of the Marion VA Health Care System.. 

Kerri knocks this topic out of the park by getting into the ins-and-outs of concession eats! There are many options to consider at sporting events, and not often are they the most nourishing. There are so many other factors that come into play as well, including what meal of the day it may be, if we plan to eat something small to keep us tied over before a meal, if we are eating just to be eating, are we trying to lose weight, and so on.  Kerri takes us through the ringer of how we can plan ahead, listen to hunger cues, be mindful, and practice other strategies that can help keep your next sporting event outing a positive one! 

Snacking for people with diabetes!? Yes, of course!  As with anything else, proper knowledge and the appropriate incorporation of snacks can absolutely be an option for someone dealing with diabetes. In today's world, there are many advances to diabetes medication and insulin regimens, which allows for intake to be more individualized than ever before. Join Natalie as she shares her expertise on how to identify glucose patterns, understanding common diabetes medications, and determining when (and what) snacks are appropriate. 

Non-starchy vegetables can be a phenomenal go-to to when it comes to snacking. They are nutrient dense, provide a low calorie source of volume, and they are very affordable! Join Beth as she discusses the benefits of vegetables as snacks, and gives us five usable tips to incorporate more into our intake! #1 – Eat your vegetables first!#2 – Try convenient, and easy, options. #3 – Bring life to your sandwiches and wraps with vegetables!#4 – Go slow. #5 – Expand your palate. 

For those with cancer, eating can become a frustrating task. Some foods can aggravate symptoms, whereas some foods can help. Your taste buds can begin to deceive you. Your appetite can vary greatly. There are many appropriate questions and concerns to have during this process, even in regards to snacking. In this episode of Fresh Focus, Kathy attempts to answer some of these questions, and also talks about some great snack ideas for anyone that may be dealing with cancer.  

Dr. Joel Hamilton brings awareness of the Juneteenth flag with this bonus episode highlighting the arc, which represents a new horizon.

Fresh Focus Episode #89: Introduction to Intuitive EatingIntuitive Eating is a non-diet approach to eating that focuses on our internal cues such as hunger, fullness, and cravings to help guide our food choices.  Tune in as VA dietitians dive into how Intuitive Eating can teach us how to listen to what our bodies are telling us and give us the tools to respond in a way that honors our bodies and our health. Intuitive eating not only has a positive impact on our nutritional choices, but also our mental state.  

Fresh Focus Episode #90: Top 3 questions asked to an Intuitive Eating RDNIf you are asking whether intuitive eating means you can eat whatever you want, whenever you want, listen in as VA Dietitians discuss the top questions they get asked by Veterans each day.    Learn about how intuitive eating isn't a diet and doesn't include food restrictions. It doesn't mean just eating whatever you want whenever you want, either. Focusing on how foods make us feel often leads us to choose quality over quantity and can aid in fostering a healthy relationship with food.    

Fresh Focus Episode #91:  The Pursuit of Intuitive EatingIntuitive eating is a strategy to improve your relationship with food.  VA dietitians on this episode share the 10 principles of Intuitive Eating. Learn how intuitive eating can help you come back to yourself by relearning your own internal cues and signals while becoming better able to trust yourself, make peace with food, reject the diet mentality and to be able to respect your body.  Everyone is coming from different place with different experiences that influence your dieting history. Listen now to find out ways to slowly implement the 10 IE principles. 

Fresh Focus Episode #92: Intuitive Eating Myths There are a lot of myths surrounding Intuitive Eating.  VA Dietitians review one possible cause being that people can still be connected to a dieting mentality, which makes it difficult to change your thinking and reconnect with yourself.  Tune in to this episode to find out more information about how this journey may be for you.  Intuitive Eating involves giving yourself permission, focusing on self-care, and learning to be instinctual and more in tune with your body.

Fresh Focus Episode #93:  Application of Intuitive Eating Have you ever noticed any food restrictions that you follow but you are not sure where they came from or how they have impacted your relationship with food? Tune in to this episode where VA dietitian, Erin, provides 5 ways to start applying the principles of Intuitive Eating. Step one begins when you are able to notice strong emotions that come up during meal and snack times. Listen now to learn the additional steps to follow and how to incorporate Intuitive Eating into your health journey.