2/28/25: CGM's: What's the Point?; NNM & RDday Gifts; 25+years as a Dietitian; Current Events & Trauma; Science Story Speak; & more
"Nutrition News You Can Use"
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🎁Gifts: Natl Nutrition Month & RDday
Looking for gifts for your RD, RD2Be friends for National Nutrition Month or RD Day (March 12th)? Check out Donut Season (owned by dietitian Miranda Regan) Use promo code NNMBUD25 or go directly to the Build Up Dietitians affiliate link: https://donutseason.com/?ref=BuildUpDietitians for a 15% discount on all regularly priced items (minus gift cards, clearance, and bundles). (Note: Build Up Dietitians receives a small commission (2%) on items sold and we use these funds for events like our Build Up Meet Ups and Mini Meet Ups and biannual honorariums for moderators for our groups.)
💡Spotlight: RD for 25+ years
Q#1: What types of positions have you held as a dietitian?
”My first job was a WIC dietitian in Bellefonte PA. It was at a family health clinic, and I remember “cross training” in case staff were out, so, if necessary, I’d poke fingers for Hct, make appointments, as well as work with the clients to try to certify/recertify them. I actually taught for the first time as well, an introductory Nutrition class….I’ve also worked at an in-patient eating disorder program and then as at outpatient dietitian for an HMO. I’ve been primarily teaching for the last 20+ years, with occasional consulting gigs.”
Q#2: Have you had a favorite job/role and why was it a favorite?
”I love teaching and public speaking the most. Primarily because I love, as my husband likes to call it, “stand up nutrition”. It’s challenging, especially when you don’t know what folks are going to ask, and it’s the fastest way to directly get the information to folks. I love busting myths. And I suppose, with teaching…they have to listen to me.”
Q#3: What one piece of advice would you give a newbie RD who is just starting out?
”If you are counseling, find out what kind of changes your client is willing to make and meet them there. If you teach-play to your strengths.”
🗣️Science Story Speak
Transform your ability to communicate science!
Check out this opportunity…
Join the FIRST interactive online Science Story Speak Master Cohort, beginning March 12. Michele Payn and Amy Hays will walk you through tools and techniques to connect with your target audiences on a deeper level, from understanding their motivations and biases to speaking their language and addressing their concerns. The cohort is scheduled every Wednesday at 12 p.m. Eastern, March 12-April 16.
We are looking for up to 10 people who will invest $336 in idea sharing with peers and learning from Amy & Michele. We'll meet at 12 p.m. Eastern/11 a.m. Central on Wednesdays, starting March 12, for 6 weeks, on Zoom.
Please see https://causematters.com/sciencestoryspeak/master-cohort/ Look for a special Build Up Dietitians option in the checkout for a 10% discount.
👩🏽🔬RESEARCH
Thanks Carrie Ruxton, PhD for this summary about the efficacy and accuracy of individuals without T2 diabetes using CGM’s for to establish glycemic effect to foods.
“…using CGMs to track blood sugar levels in non-diabetic adults can give misleading results and create unnecessary stress. The CGM overestimated the glycemic index (GI) of a smoothie by 30% compared with the gold standard finger prick method and even misclassified whole fruit as medium or high GI when it was actually low GI…”
From the study: “…Caution should be applied when inferring absolute or relative glycemic responses to foods using CGM, and capillary sampling should be prioritized for accurate quantification of glycemic response…”
🐘Substack: Nutrition Tea
The elephant in the room - by Shana Minei Spence
“…I think it’s time for another reminder of how we can’t just eat or exercise our way to health. Eating all the kale isn’t going to make our health better if we can’t access food, shelter, healthcare, clean water… my colleagues and I are constantly thinking of various ways to discuss heart health and provide resources. However, I can’t help but notice that most of the focus is on health behaviors in terms of nutrition and exercise, with the implication that if people put in effort, they could improve their health with a simple snap of their fingers….We cannot talk about health as if we all have equal and equitable access to it because we don’t. We also can’t discuss health with the implication that we all have the same experiences within society because we don’t. And this isn’t new information or something that hasn’t been discussed before. It has been confirmed that our zip codes determine our health more than our genetics….”
🪓Removal of Probationary Employees
In case you may not be aware, a “probationary” employee has not done anything wrong. It just means they may be new in a position. Some employees may be considered probationary for 1-3 years, and they can therefore be fired “without cause” (without reason or justification. Once civil service or federal employee has passed the probationary period they have certain protections. Recently, DOGE has been doing wholesale firing of federal employees, including dietitians, who were probationary employees, regardless of their performance.
😱Substack: Dr. Shante Mental Wellness
Recognizing Signs of Trauma in our Current Climate
For many people the past few weeks have been tough, full of uncertainty and stress. Let’s please acknowledge this and have sympathy and empathy for those who have been impacted by firings, random, confusing and contradictory emails, budget cuts and more.
This post by Dr. Shante may be a helpful read:
“…Broadly speaking, people react to danger, stress, or perceived threats in one of four ways: fight, flight, fawn or freeze.
1. Fight: Confront a threat head-on, often with anger or aggression
2. Flight: Escape from a dangerous or stressful situation by leaving or avoiding confrontation to protect themselves
3. Freeze: Feeling "stuck" or paralyzed, avoiding detection or making yourself less noticeable
4. Fawn: People-pleasing or trying to appease others by conforming, cooperating, or being agreeable in order to avoid conflict.”
What stage are you in? How can we move forward? What can we do to make a difference?
