Nutrition and Fitness Solutions-April Sorensen, Registered Dietitian

01/10/2025

Dairy foods' unique package of nutrients is difficult to duplicate with other food groups or plant-based alternatives. With the exception of calcium and vitamins A and D, non-dairy drinks typically don't come close to matching the nutrition found in dairy milk.

Milk intake recommendations through the ages:

Infants (0-12 months): Breast Milk or Formula. The protein content in milk is too high for infants.

Toddlers (1-3 years): 2-3 cups of WHOLE Milk/day. The higher fat content supports brain development. However, too much milk can lead to iron deficiency or reduce appetite for other nutrient-dense foods.

Children (4-8 years) 2.5-3 cups LOW FAT Milk/day. Supports growth and development.

Adolescents (9-18 years) 3 cups LOW FAT Milk/day. This is a critical age for achieving peak bone mass but many teens reduce milk intake and replace with low-quality beverages (soda, energy drinks). Encourage milk consumption in this age group.

Adults (19 - 50 years) 2-3 cups LOW FAT Milk/day. Maintains bone health, supports muscle function, and helps meet protein needs.

Older Adults (50+ years) 3 cups LOW FAT Milk/day. Prevents bone density loss, supports muscle mass, and aids digestion.

If you are intolerant or allergic to milk, a Registered Dietitian can help you identify other foods that can help you meet needs.

10/23/2024

In the nutrition world, GLP-1 is making headlines, but it’s not new. GLP-1 stands for Glucagon-Like Peptide 1, which is a hormone your body naturally produces in your gut in response to eating. It plays several key roles in the body, mostly in the area of blood sugar and appetite regulation. GLP-1 acts on the brain to reduce appetite and increase feeling of fullness. This makes it an important factor in weight regulation as higher levels of GLP-1 leads to reduced calorie intake. It also slows down the speed at which food leaves the stomach, which helps prevent rapid spikes in blood sugar after eating. Because of these effects, GLP-1 is a target for drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.

These medications mimic the effect of GLP-1 and are called GLP-1 Agonists. Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegoy) and liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda) are common names. These medications have been around for over 20 years but have recently become popular. They can be effective tools for weight loss, but they don’t come without side effects. The most concerning is lean tissue loss. Lean tissue includes muscle, bone, organs, and connective tissue. Individuals who use the GLP-1 Agonist can lose a significant amount of lean tissue which can lead to worse health outcomes. It prescribed a GLP-1 Agonist, it is recommended to visit with a Registered Dietitian, Nutritionist about how to retain lean tissue. The RDN can also explain how you can naturally boost your own GLP-1 levels and limit your reliance on medications for weight loss

05/09/2024

It’s tricky to estimate portion sizes.
Are you getting too much or not enough?

🍖What We're Eating Wednesday🍖⁠
⁠
Today's special edition of WWEW is all about protein. ⁠
⁠
Often, we talk about protein portions that we recommend at snacks and meals. Unless you have ever weighed cooked protein, it can be hard initially to “imagine” what 2 oz, 4 oz, 5 oz, or 6 oz looks like. ⁠
⁠
Generally, a 4-oz portion of ground or shredded meat will fill up a 1 cup Pyrex dish. When you have a chicken breast, steak, or pork tenderloin, a 6-oz portion will be about 2 decks of cards (it takes up more space after it is cut or shredded). The 5- and 6-oz portions are in a 2 cup Pyrex dish. ⁠
⁠
Quality protein is essential for a lot of our bodily functions: metabolism, energy, feel-good-moods, neurotransmitter production, tissue and muscle growth, just to name a few. Protein also stimulates metabolism by up to 30% for several hours, so it is key if you are trying to lose weight and fight off cravings.⁠
⁠
For women, we recommend 3-4 ounces of protein at each meal and 1-2 ounces at snacks. For men, we recommend 5-6 ounces of protein at each meal and 2-3 ounces at snacks. ⁠
⁠
⁠Do you need help figuring out how to add more protein to your diet? Our nutritionists are here to help create a customized meal plan for you! Join us for our next round of Nutrition 4 Weight Loss starting May 14. https://www.weightandwellness.com/classes/nutrition-4-weight-loss-program

04/29/2024

Cutting out added sugars help manage anxiety and reduce stress.

Stress-busting food swaps! 🍽️✨ ⁠April is Stress Awareness Month, and did you know that your food choices make a big difference in your mental health? 🌸🧘‍♀️ ⁠
⁠
Discover simple swaps to stress, anxiety and depression. From swapping out processed snacks for nutrient-rich alternatives to trading caffeine for sparkling water, small changes in your diet can make a big difference in managing stress. ⁠
⁠
Let's eat our way to a calmer, more balanced life! 💆‍♀️🌿 ⁠
⁠
Read more: https://www.weightandwellness.com/resources/articles-and-videos/sugar-making-you-stressed

03/07/2024

08/31/2023

FYI

The myth of IgG food sensitivity testing...these may be more familiar to you as a food sensitivity "panel" like Everlywell https://www.aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/conditions-library/allergies/igg-food-test

05/15/2023

SDSU Extension offers Fit & Strong, an evidence-based physical activity program developed by researchers at the University of Illinois. This 8 or 12 week pro...

05/04/2023

Save this post to reference later! Kids will hear a lot of crazy things about protein...so it's important for us to help them learn about it in a helpful way.

Here's how we recommend teaching kids over time how to understand food.

0-3: teach kids different foods do different things in their bodies

3-5: teach kids what protein foods are and more detailed info about protein

6-11: give them more information. Also, realize that your child is already being influenced by food marketing and misinformation. Around 8, they can start to really understand food companies are trying to persuade them*. Maybe you say something indirect like "Protein foods aren't more important than other foods" or "This company is saying more protein is better to get you to buy this, even though it's not true."

12+: teens get hit hard with food marketing from the grocery store to social media and TV. Also body image and social issues. Not only is it important to know the truth about protein foods - as in, they ARE really important for growth and feeling full and doing well during the school day - it's also important to counteract the misinformation out there. There is SO much misinformation about protein.

In a perfect world, there would be no need for nutrition education. We don't live in a perfect world though. We live in a world where food and beverage companies spend almost $2 billion dollars a year marketing food to children (and it's not strawberries and carrots they are marketing 😉).* We can let them learn about food from food companies, friends and the internet alone, or we can help them learn reliable facts and navigate the food culture we live in.

Stefanie Kain M.Ed., a child development specialist and educator, on the team helps us make sure they messages are age-appropriate for little ones. I always appreciate her reminders that preschoolers understand more than we give them credit for and are hungry for facts and information about their bodies and the world.


*Center for Science in the Public Interest. 2021. "Food Marketing to Children."https://www.foodmarketing.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/food_marketing_to_children_factsheet_2013.pdf

03/22/2023

Yes! Yes! Yes!

If someone complains of gut-related issues when they eat products containing gluten the first thing to do is NOT to suggest they go on a gluten-free diet...it's to rule out celiac disease (CD) with a blood test or biopsy. If someone goes gluten-free before having the blood test the antibodies may not be present and you may be overlooking other potential issues that can mimic CD ... IBD, infections, even taking certain medications may result in some of the same complaints. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5587842/ #:~:text=Irritable%20bowel%20syndrome%20(IBS)%20is,has%20features%20that%20mimic%20CD.&text=Symptoms%20include%20abdominal%20pain%20along,bowel%20form%20and%2For%20frequency.&text=IBS%20is%20often%20associated%20with%20other%20disorders%20including%20somatic%20comorbidities.
We recommend following Gluten Free Watchdog, LLC and Beyond Celiac for helpful information about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet and we also recommend Canadian dietitian Shelley Case's book: "Gluten Free: The Definitive Resource Guide" https://shelleycase.com/

03/16/2023

from Buildup friend Thinking Is Power ...anything you would add?