Nutrition Health Info March 2017

Nutrition Month 2017 Take the fight out of food! Note to Facilitators: The notes provided in this presentation are suggestions. Choose what works best for you and your audience. Use Dietitians of Canada’s Nutrition Month member resources, available at www.NutritionMonth2017.ca, to enhance your presentation further:   Resource Manual: for background information Fact sheets: for distribution Ad and Tweets: to promote your presentation Blog Posts: for ongoing education Feature Recipes: for inspiration Pledge: for motivation (this will go live February 22, 2017 at www.NutritionMonth2017.ca along with the ability to sign up for a weeky e-news) .

Do you sometimes have trouble making healthy food choices or you’re unsure which foods suit you best? These situations involve “food fights” – times when it’s tough to make informed decisions about your food. The objective of the Nutrition Month campaign of the Dietitians of Canada is to help people take the fight out of food and improve their relationship with this important part of their lives. Ask the audience: Do you ever get frustrated by food and nutrition? Explain that: They may struggle to make healthy choices, or may be unsure about which foods are best for particular health conditions. These are the “food fights” we’re talking about -- times when you struggle to make informed decisions about what to eat. Dietitians educate people to work through these food fights! March is Nutrition Month, and this year dietitians are on a mission to help Canadians take the fight out of food and form a healthy relationship with food and eating. Interesting facts to add: There were nearly 30,000 research studies in 2015 that mentioned the word “nutrition.” Canadians need help navigating through the overload of information so they can find the right advice for their specific needs. Dietitians are experts at finding nutrition facts and giving tailor-made advice. With accurate information and a good support system, Canadians will be better equipped to make decisions about food and work out their nutrition-related struggles. For credibility: add info about who dietitians are and what you do. http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Find-A-Dietitian/Difference-Between-Dietitian-and-Nutritionist.aspx

Spot the problem. Get the facts. Seek support. Three-step approach Spot the problem. Get the facts. Seek support. Nutrition Month 2017’s campaign guides people through a three-step approach to improve their relationship with food, no matter what the struggle

Spot the problem. Determine what’s causing your “food fights.” Explain that the three-step approach starts with identifying your specific problem. Give some examples of problems that someone may have: “I am often gassy and bloated but I’m not sure why” “I have a hard time making meals for my picky eaters” “I have diabetes and am not sure what to eat when I’m at a restaurant.” Or… add ideas of your own. If you commonly hear certain issues in your practice, use those as the examples!

Get the facts. Use reliable and credible sources of information to determine how to solve your problem and answer your questions. It’s important to find credible sources that are trustworthy (more on this in slide 8) Important facts to add: Almost half (49%) of Canadians get their food and nutrition information from the Internet, social media or blogs, but not all advice is accurate. There is a decrease in the number of Canadians who ask health professionals, such as physicians or registered dietitians, for advice. This may be adding to the fights around food that Canadians are experiencing especially when they receive conflicting information  Give examples of sources that may not be credible (in a lighthearted way): Celebrities Your friends and family Bloggers or media personalities with no nutritional background Other health care providers that overstep their boundaries and talk about nutrition (when they have no training in that area)

Seek support. Put your plan into action with support from a dietitian and your family and friends. Support can come from regulated health professionals such as physicians and dietitians. Support from family and friends is important to put the plan into action- for example, batch cooking meals together or working with family to provide a consistent environment around meal times to help with picky eaters. Depending on the specific problem that’s spotted, there may also be support available from non-profit organizations, support groups, etc. Canadian Celiac Association Canadian Diabetes Association Hospital programs Public or community health programs Etc.

Example: Nutrition information Spot the problem: “There’s so much nutrition information out there. I don’t know what to think!” Get the facts: Evaluate whether nutrition information is true. Check who the author is and whether it’s based on reliable and credible data. Seek support: Don’t believe just anyone with an opinion on nutrition. Ask a dietitian. Ask these questions when evaluating a website: Is the website promising a quick fix or a miracle cure? Do I have reasons to mistrust the person, organization or company that runs the website? Are they trying to sell me something instead of educate me on how to make better food choices? Are the website writers unqualified to be giving me nutrition information? Do they have facts that sound too good to be true? Does the information come from personal opinions rather than scientific evidence? Is the content missing, reviews or verification by medical experts? Are the website claims based on a single study that may draw the wrong conclusion? If you answer “yes” to most of these questions, it means some of the facts you read are not reliable. Resource: Fact sheet - Food Fads: Ugh! How do I know which information to trust? at www.NutritionMonth2017.ca Helpful info: DC handout: How to find food and nutrition info you can trust: www.dietitians.ca/getattachment/83f59c94-8e5a-4415-ae65-8aa3f13a970d/FACTSHEET-Credible-information-ENG.pdf.aspx

Resources Nutrition Month resources at: http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-Month/Nutrition-Month.aspx “Take the Pledge” certificate Nutrition Month e-newsletter 5 fact sheets 12 featured recipes Find a dietitian at: http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Find-A-Dietitian/Find-a-Dietitian.aspx Cookspiration at: http://www.cookspiration.com/home.aspx Always work with a dietitian before eliminating foods, since they can help you plan a balanced diet and ensure you meet nutrient needs Explain that gas, bloating and burping are common and normal and may be caused by: Swallowed air Certain food or drinks Medicines Supplements They may also be the sign of a condition, such as lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome or celiac disease – but you can’t guess which it may be! Self-diagnosing, without the care and support of a dietitian, can lead to unnecessary food and nutrient restriction. Explain that no one should miss out on nutritious foods if they don't have to!  Cutting out gluten isn’t the answer if you suspect celiac disease. If you take gluten out of the diet, you could get a “false negative” result. Resource: fact sheet - Digestive Woes: Eek! What’s causing all this gas? at www.NutritionMonth2017.ca Helpful info: DC handout: Got gas? http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Healthy-Eating/got-gas.aspx Canadian Celiac Association: www.celiac.ca