When to Seek the Help of a Registered Dietitian

According to the American Dietetic Association, there are nearly 70,000 registered dietitians in the United States. But chances are, even if you have been diagnosed with a medical condition that requires attention to your diet, your doctor may not have referred you to a dietitian.

Unfortunately, many doctors either don't understand the critical role that diet plays in preventing and treating disease or simply choose to ignore this critical need. Consequently, you have to take things into your own hands and ask for a nutrition referral. This is particularly true if the doctor says, "Diet."

When it comes to your health, what you eat as well as what you don't eat is critical. So, get that referral. And ask your insurance company about paying for the consult. After all, with proper diet and lifestyle changes, you could improve your health and save the insurance company bundles of money.

Here are a few conditions for which you will need a referral to a registered dietitian, the food and nutrition expert:

• Diabetes. If you have diabetes, a registered dietitian can help you adjust your food intake to prevent dangerous spikes and lows in your blood sugar. Obesity is often a problem for people with diabetes, so you would certainly want to lose some weight if you are overweight. And with the help of your dietitian, you can succeed.
• Heart disease. Heart disease may worsen if you are overweight, have dangerously high cholesterol or triglyceride levels, or if you have high blood pressure. A registered dietitian will walk you through the steps you can take to correct the underlying problems so that you can get back to living an active and fulfilled life.
• High cholesterol. Cholesterol is essential for a number of important living processes. But high levels have been associated with heart disease and stroke. By consulting with a registered dietitian, you will be able to choose foods wisely so as to keep your cholesterol down.
• High triglycerides. Like cholesterol, high triglycerides can cause plaque to build up in your arteries and damage your heart and blood vessels. A registered dietitian can help you find ways to manipulate your diet to prevent the damage caused by high triglycerides.
• High blood pressure. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack or stroke. Making changes to your diet, consuming more fiber, choosing healthy fats, reducing your salt intake if you are salt-sensitive, and losing weight if you are obese can help to lower your blood pressure. Stress can also cause your blood pressure to increase. Working with a registered dietitian, you will be able to identify strategies for controlling your blood pressure. 

These are just a few reasons why you should ask your doctor for a referral. To find a registered dietitian, visit the American Dietetic Association website, www.eatright.org and click on "Find a Dietitian."

Health Benefits of Resveratrol

Overview

Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that helps to prevent heart disease and may provide a number of other health benefits, as well. Red wine has a high concentration of resveratrol from grapes.

Health Benefits of Resveratrol

Studies show that resveratrol promotes health by protecting cells in your body from oxidative damage. The effects of resveratrol in protecting the heart and blood vessels is clear. On the other hand, the effect on cancer. obesity and other diseases is not so clear. 

• Heart disease. Resveratrol in red wine promotes heart health by reducing “LDL or ‘bad” cholesterol and increasing HDL or “good” cholesterol. Studies show that resveratrol may also work by reducing inflammation in the cells. Inflammation is a major cause of a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
• Cancer. Laboratory studies show that resveratrol can prevent the growth of cancer in cell culture and in some laboratory animals by interfering with the ability of cancer cells to multiply and grow. However, further investigations will be needed to determine if the same effects can be achieved with humans.
• Obesity. Resveratrol might help to prevent or treat obesity, based on studies in rats in which  resveratrol prevented fat cells from maturing. Resveratrol also appears to change the size and function of fat cells. However, researchers caution that more studies would be needed to determine the long-term effects of such treatment on humans.

Food Sources of Resveratrol

The most common food sources of resveratrol are red wine, grapes and purple grape juice. Other sources include berries, such as blueberries and cranberries.

A Word About Drinking

Red wine is a good source of resveratrol and offers real health benefits to people who drink responsibly. It is also an alcoholic beverage, which means it has the potential for abuse. Excessive drinking could lead to alcoholism, liver damage and other serious health problems. Recognizing these potential dangers, the American Heart Association and others caution against drinking too much. The recommended limit for those who drink is one drink (12 ounces of wine) per day for women and 2 drinks (24 ounces of wine) per day for men.

Resources

Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003 - PubMed result

The Endocrine Society

Lose Weight to Lower Your Cholesterol

Overview

If you are overweight or obese, chances are, you may have high levels of total cholesterol and LDL or 'bad' cholesterol. If so, you are not alone. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, about 50 million Americans are prescribed cholesterol-lowering medications each year. Unfortunately, these medications often have serious side effects. This has many people asking if there is another way to lower their cholesterol.

Obesity and High Cholesterol

If you are overweight or obese and diagnosed with high cholesterol, your doctor might suggest that you lose weight as a first attempt to lower your cholesterol. On the other hand, depending on your unique medical situation, he may put you on medication to lower your cholesterol while you take steps to lose the weight.

Cholesterol Dangers

High cholesterol, particularly high levels of LDL or 'bad' cholesterol, can cause plaque to buildup in your arteries, reduce blood flow to your heart and ultimately lead to a heart attack or stroke. To avoid this potentially fatal outcome, it is important to lower your cholesterol. In some cases, diet and exercise to lose weight may be sufficient. Others may require prescription drugs or a combination of weight loss and medication.

Losing Weight to Lower Your Cholesterol
Studies show that many people are able to lower their cholesterol and reduce their medication dosage or completely discontinue their medication after losing as little as 7 to 10 percent of their body weight. This is certainly encouraging if you want to avoid the side effects often associated with cholesterol-lowering medications and save money on prescription drugs at the same time. (Note of caution: Do not discontinue prescription drugs without first talking with your doctor.)

Getting Started

If you are overweight or obese, you can start to lose weight and lower your cholesterol by following a few basic strategies promoted by the NIH National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive And Kidney Diseases:

• Choose foods that are lower in calories 
• Choose foods that are lower in fat 
• Eat smaller portions 
• Drink water instead of sugary drinks 
• Stay active 

Resources
Weight Control: MedlinePlus

Give Your Diet a Makeover in 8 Simple Steps

Overview

Are you due for a diet makeover? You would most likely answer yes if your diet is like that of most Americans – full of highly processed foods that fill you up with excess calories and little in the way of vital nutrients. This way of eating has contributed to an unprecedented increase in obesity and chronic diseases in this country. But you don’t have to be a statistic. There are some simple steps that you can take to improve your diet and enjoy better health. One place to start is with a diet makeover, based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans are designed to improve the nutritional quality of the American diet. The Dietary Guidelines encourage increased intake of foods that are rich in essential nutrients and decreased intake of foods that are high in calories but provide little or no meaningful nutritional value.

Below are the basic recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Give yourself a diet makeover by following these 8 simple steps:

1.    Eat more nutrient-dense foods and less highly processed or refined foods

2.    Choose foods from among the basic food groups based on the Food Guide Pyramid (MyPyramid)

3.    Avoid foods that are high in saturated fats

4.    Avoid trans fats

5.    Limit your intake of foods are high in cholesterol

6.    Avoid foods prepared with added sugar

7.    Limit your intake of foods that are high in salt

8.    Limit your intake of alcoholic beverages

Please note: The information provided on this site is for education and general information purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please see your appropriate medical authority for personalized medical attention.

Also, please note that the appearance of any product or service on this site does not constitute an endorsement, unless specifically indicated.

About Dr. Dorene E. Carter

Dr. Dorene E. Carter is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant with over 25 years of experience in nutrition education, counseling, training, consulting and writing. She is founder and CEO of CHANA Project, the Child Health and Nutrition Access Project, a nonprofit organization serving children and families. Dr. Carter received her PhD in Nutrition from the University of California, Berkeley.

Is Obesity Ruining Your Health?

Overview

You may be at risk for a number of chronic diseases if you are overweight or obese, according to the U.S. Centers for disease Control and Prevention. Despite this dire warning, two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese. And each day, millions attempt to lose weight. Some succeed. But many lose a few pounds, or even a lot, only to regain it.

According to the statistics on losing weight, only about five percent of those who lose weight are able to keep it off for more than five years. That leaves millions of people at risk for chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and other lifelong health problems.

Obesity and Diabetes

Although not everyone who is obese will develop diabetes the chances are, if you are obese, you are at increased risk for diabetes. Obesity is marked by an unusually high number of fat cells and large deposits in those cells. As a result, your body develops a resistance to insulin, which is needed to metabolize sugar for energy. Instead of using this sugar for energy, your body creates a resistance to insulin. That is why type 2 diabetes, the type associated with obesity, is called insulin resistance diabetes. When this happens, your blood sugar becomes elevated and remains elevated for a while. Then you might experiences a sudden drop in your blood sugar. These highs and lows can be dangerous to your health.

High Blood Pressure and Obesity

The extra work that your body has to do to carry around the excess weight when you are obese can cause high blood pressure and take a toll on your health. You are more likely to deposit fat in the lining of your blood vessels if you are obese. This fat then causes the blood vessels to become narrow. The arteries may become thick and hard also, which complicates the problem. As a result of these changes, it becomes difficult for blood to flow through the blood vessels and get to vital organs. When this happens, your blood pressure builds up, leading to a diagnosis of hypertension or high blood pressure.

Heart Disease and Obesity

Obesity is a major contributing factor in the development of heart disease in the United States. The work of your heart is critical in pumping oxygen-rich blood to the lungs and other vital organs. This is generally not a problem if you are not overweight or obese. But the more weight you gain, the harder your heart has to work to get the blood-and oxygen-to the lungs and other vital organs. The muscles of your heart could actually become damaged, less efficient and finally stop working, resulting in a heart attack.

High Cholesterol and Obesity

You might have heard a lot of bad things about cholesterol and think that nothing good could come from cholesterol in your body. Actually, cholesterol is not all bad. It plays a vital role in making vitamin D from the sun; it is used for synthesizing hormones, such as testosterone, estrogen and progesterone; . However, too much cholesterol can result in clogged arteries, which can ultimately lead to a heart attack or stroke. 

The more fat there is in your body, as in the case of obesity, the more likely you are to have dangerously high levels of cholesterol. This can happen because you consume too much cholesterol or your body produces too much and at the same time, loses the ability to get rid of the excess. Cholesterol then builds up in the arteries (blood vessels), causing them to become narrow and making it hard for blood to get to the heart, lungs, brain and other organs. 

In some cases, cholesterol-rich plaque may build up in the arteries. Ultimately, a piece of this plaque may break off, travel in the blood, and end up causing a blockage in one of the blood vessels, If this blockage prevents the blood from reaching your heart or brain you can have a stroke.

Prevention

One of the most important things that you can do to prevent chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and high cholesterol is to lose weight. Numerous studies show that losing as little as 7 to 10 percent of your body weight can improve symptoms of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and may reduce cholesterol levels.

Simple steps like eating smaller portions, cutting back on foods that are high in calories from sugar and fat, and reducing salt intake can help you to lose the weight and improve your health. The evidence for the health benefits of losing weight is so powerful that there is growing emphasis on losing weight to prevent or control obesity-related chronic diseases. In some instances, you might even be able to reverse the condition.

About Dr. Dorene E. Carter

Dr. Dorene E. Carter is a registered dietitian and nutrition consultant with over 25 years of experience in nutrition education, counseling, training, consulting and writing. She is founder and CEO of CHANA Project, the Child Health and Nutrition Access Project, a nonprofit organization serving children and families. Dr. Carter received her PhD in Nutrition from the University of California, Berkeley.

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