October 2015 Favorites

Thank you for all of the love this month! October has been a busy month in the very best way. I finished some projects and got to travel. I'll be posting more on that soon. 
If you missed any of the posts this month, here are the top five favorite posts you visited this month. Enjoy!

RD School: How Can I Become a Registered Dietitian?

Tips for Trick-or-Treating

Using Technology as a Health Tool

3 Steps to Healthier Eating

Let me know if there are any nutrition-related topics you would like me to write about. You can comment below. 
For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

If you liked this post, you may enjoy:

September 2015 Favorites

August 2015 Favorites

RD School: What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

RD school is a segment that I have periodically on the blog to explain things about being a RD (registered dietitian) or dietitian-related medical nutrition therapy (MNT) topics. If you are in school or have children in school, you know it's time for midterm exams. So, I thought this would be a perfect time to feature RD school. Today, we are focusing on Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a tool I use every day as a RD.

BMI, or body mass index, is the ratio of your weight to your height. Health care professionals, like dietitians, use the BMI percentiles to help classify one's BMI into categories. The categories are underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese. These categories provide information about health, mobility, mortality, and risk of developing chronic diseases.

BMI sometimes gets a bad wrap. However, it is a useful tool to health care professionals for the assessment of the health of their patient. The key is that it is one of many tools that can be used to assess health.

For example, most NFL (National Football League) players will have a BMI percentile that would classify them as overweight or obese. However, this BMI percentile may be skewed by the higher percent of muscle mass present in professional athletes. Dietitians may use mid-arm circumference (MAC) or body fat testing to better investigate and determine the health of a professional athlete.

BMI is still a helpful tool to assess overall health when used in conjunction with other screening tools. Some other helpful health screening tools include but are not limited to: serum lab values (blood tests including cholesterol, blood sugar, vitamin or mineral levels, etc.), muscle mass or body fat percentages, and diet history.

image via medicalnewstoday.com

You can calculate your BMI; however, know that you are not just a number. If you have questions about your health, please contact your PCP (primary care physician) and ask to speak with a dietitian. Or, you can find a dietitian near you. 

I hope you enjoyed this feature on RD school. I hope you learned something new or that I was able debunked any false information about BMI. Comment below if there are any health-related topics you would like featured in a segment of RD school.

For more tips and tricks for healthy eating, follow RDtipoftheday on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

If you enjoyed this post, you might be interested in:

Tips for Heart Heath

Take the Healthy RD Challenge to Improve your Health One Day at a Time

Myths about Registered Dietitians

My 2015 Goals

Becoming a Registered Dietitian: How to Succeed in Your Dietetic Internship

Registered Dietitians (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) are the nutrition experts. We go through many years of school, a dietetic internship, and new RDs will be required to have a Master's degree by 2024. This week we are walking through all the steps to become a Registered Dietitian. We discussed ACEND accredited dietetic undergraduate programs, and today we are discussing dietetic internships.

So, you've completed your undergraduate degree, taken the GRE, and applied for the internship. You wait on your "match." And, now you've been accepted into your Dietetic Internship! You are a big step closer to becoming a RD!

Your Dietetic Internship (DI) is a time of observing and hands-on learning in various nutrition fields. It is a time to confirm that you want to be a dietitian and decide what field of nutrition you are truly passionate about. So here are a few of my tips to succeeding in your dietetic internship.

Internship = Job Interview
Make sure you also treat the internship as a job-interview. Remember to show up on time, be prepared, and dress according to the dress code. Even if you do not plan to work at that facility or you are not interested in that particular specialty in nutrition, treat your preceptor with respect; it takes effort to be a preceptor. You are representing your internship and yourself. You never know what job opening will be available at the end of the internship, so treat each rotation like a job interview. You have a great opportunity to network with RDs, learn, and check out perspective places for future employment.

Take Notes
Your DI is a time to learn, so write it down. I learn best through repetition and listening. So, I took notes about things I liked, new information, and I kept a list of acronyms and terms to look up later. I learned a ton by listening, identifying my areas of weakness, and looking up terms. I became more familiar with medical terminology and acronyms, which greatly helped me in my clinical job and helped improve my communicate with doctors.

Review MNT and Take "Cheat Sheets"
In my senior medical nutrition therapy class (MNT), we had to create a pocket book of MNT for each disease. It was a ton of work, but it was so helpful to have in the internship. You can't remember everything, so it's helpful to have resources handy. So, review the MNT and information about your next internship rotation before starting the rotation. Make cheat sheets to take with you to jog your memory.
My internship had homework that coordinated with each rotation. I tried my best to finish the homework before the internship. Then if I had questions, I could ask the preceptor or internship director questions I had about MNT from the homework. This was a great way to prepare. By preparing before the rotation, I could better assess what I did know and what information I did not know or needed to learn more about.

Make a "Cheat Sheet"
My internship had fantastic opportunities to shadow and practice. So, I took notes on what my preceptor was asking the patient. Each preceptor has a different way of assessing a patient, so there are many 'right" ways to assess your client's nutritional needs. Also, each disease process requires different MNT. You learn a ton from school (aka "book smarts"), but I would argue that there is nothing that can compare to hands-on learning from an expert in the field (aka your preceptor). 

Did I leave out any of your ideas of how to be a successful intern? If so, leave a comment below and share with your colleagues and future dietetic interns.


Follow me, RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter, for more information about healthy eating, encouragement, recipes, and nutrition facts. You can also subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin, so you never miss a post.

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy:

5 Steps to Become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

5 Things You Should Know About Being a Registered Dietitian (RD)

Becoming a Registered Dietitian: Applying for Your Dietetic Internship

Registered Dietitians (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) are the nutrition experts. We go through many years of school, a dietetic internship, and new RDs will be required to have a Master's degree by 2024. This week we are walking through all the steps to become a Registered Dietitian. We discussed dietetic undergraduate programs, and today we are discussing dietetic internships.

Applying for the Dietetic Internship
There are several parts to the Dietetic Internship Application: undergraduate grade point average (GPA) in core curriculum, GRE score, and volunteer and nutrition-related experience. To apply for a Dietetic Intern, you must complete your undergraduate degree with the necessary prerequisite courses.

You will also need to take the GRE for programs that have a Master's component. Plan to take the GRE at least 6 months before internship application, so you have all the necessary components to apply for the internships.

Aside from your GPA and GRE score, personal experience is important. Volunteer in different areas of nutrition to get a better idea of what are you would like to work in, gain nutrition-related experience, and build your resume.

When you have all of these components, you can complete most dietetic internships through the Dietetic Internship Centralized Application Service (DICAS) and D & D Digital, which is the site where you pay the computer matching fee and rank the dietetic internship. 

Now you are ready to apply to dietetic internships? But what internship will you choose?

Types of Dietetic Internships: Coordinated Programs or Didactic + Dietetic Internship
There are two paths of entry into dietetic internships: coordinated programs or a didactic program with a dietetic internship. After you finish your undergraduate or didactic program in dietetics, you are eligible to apply for to a 'traditional' dietetic internship. After you apply to a 'traditional' dietetic internship you are matched using a national computer match process. This match process involves you ranking dietetic internships and the internships ranking all of their applicants. You are only matched with one program. 

Or, you could enroll in a coordinated program in dietetics which combines undergraduate (bachelor's coursework), graduate coursework, and a supervised practice or internship for RD eligibility. The coordinated programs is also called a combined program. The coordinate programs usually have students complete their freshman and sophomore year. Then, students may apply for entry into the coordinated program at the end of their sophomore year. Students complete their supervised practice as an intern while completing their undergraduate degree. 

Specialized Dietetic Internships
All dietetic internships must provide at least 1,200 supervised hours of practice. But internships has some differences. Internships can range in length from 8-24 months. The longer internships usually include a part-time internship schedule with some graduate credit.  Some dietetic internships have a specific focus including pediatrics, geriatrics, clinical, etc. If you have an interest in this areas, you might consider looking for an internship with a specialization. All internships have a variety of shadowing experiences within the field of dietetics to help prepare you for the RD exam.

Find a Dietetic Internship
Check out Dietetic Internships in your state and find one that fits your needs by visiting the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' (AND) Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) website.

My Dietetic Internship
I completed my undergraduate course work at Louisiana State University (LSU). I had the opportunity to work for a RD in private practice and for LSU's RD during my undergraduate career. I visited to several internships the summer before my junior year. I met with the program director, toured the facilities, and had a chance to talk with some of the current interns. I also researched the internship I applied and matched to the internship program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences/Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare Systems. 

Do you have questions about dietetic internships?
For more information about dietetic internships, ask your undergraduate program director or contact the dietetic internship coordinator. Also, check out ACEND's FAQ page to find information about computer matching, program daintiness, and career options in dietetics.

Follow me, RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter, for more information about healthy eating, nutrition facts, and being a registered dietitian. You can also subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.
If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy:

5 Steps to Become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

5 Things You Should Know About Being a Registered Dietitian (RD)

Becoming a Registered Dietitian: Undergraduate Education

Are you interested in becoming a dietitian? You may be finishing high school, in college, or considering a second career. I believe we all have a little interest in nutrition because we have to eat to survive. Why not fuel your body in a healthy way?

Registered Dietitians (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) are the nutrition experts. We go through school, a dietetic internship, and all new RDs will be required to have a Master's degree by 2024. The first step in becoming a registered dietitian is to attend an ACEND-credited undergraduate program.

The Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) is the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics'  (AND) accreditation program for dietetic undergraduate programs that prepare students for careers as RD/RDNs or dietetic technicians registered (DTR). ACEND was previously known as the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) if you are more familiar with that terminology. ACEND makes sure that undergraduate programs and dietetic internships are adequately preparing dietetic and nutrition majors for their dietetic internship and providing a solid base for their future career as a dietitian. Their are objectives for each undergraduate course that have to be met for the program to be ASCEND accredited.

The dietetics curriculum is heavily science based. So if you enjoy science, this could be the right career for you. Many dietetics programs will overlap with some nursing, speech therapy, and medicine programs because of these degrees are medical and science-based. I enjoyed my undergraduate core classes and felt that I was well-prepared for my dietetic internship and Master's degree. Click here to search for an ACEND-accredited undergraduate program, didactic program, or dietetic internship.

Follow me, RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter, for more information about healthy eating, encouragement, recipes, and nutrition facts. You can also subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy:

5 Steps to Become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)

5 Things You Should Know About Being a Registered Dietitian (RD)

How do I become a Registered Dietitian?

Are you interested in becoming a dietitian? You may be finishing high school, in college, or considering a second career. I believe we all have a little interest in nutrition because we have to eat to survive. Why not fuel your body in a healthy way?

Registered Dietitians (RD) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) are the nutrition experts. We go through school, an undergraduate degree and a dietetic internship. All students that complete their dietetic interns will be required to have a Master's degree by 2024 in order to sit for the RD exam. Stay tuned this week as I take you through all the steps to become a Registered Dietitian.

Follow me, RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter, for more information about healthy eating, encouragement, recipes, and nutrition facts. You can also subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

If you enjoyed this post, you might be interested in:

Becoming a Registered Dietitian

Undergraduate Education in Dietetics or Nutrition

5 Things You Should Know About Being a Registered Dietitian (RD)

Where Can Dietitians Work?

Kitchen School: 3 Tips for Better Baking . . . . Measuring

Baking is a science. You need the right ingredients in the right proportions for the recipe to work. So, measuring accurately is key. Here are three tips for accurate measuring for better baking.

1) Use the right tools
Dry ingredients require different measuring cups than liquid ingredients.

2) Measure accurately
Most professional bakers prefer weighing ingredients to ensure accuracy. If you don't have a kitchen scale, here are some tips for measuring accurately. For dry ingredients, fluff ingredients, like flour, with a spoon before measuring. Then, use measuring cups to collect ingredients. Level with the back of a knife or straight edge. This helps get rid of extra flour without packing it down. You don't want to pack dry ingredients unless the recipe specifically calls for it.
For wet ingredients, place cup on a level surface. Pour liquid into cup and try to get eye level with the cup to ensure accuracy.

3) Measuring sticky ingredients
Spray your measuring cup with non-stick spray before measuring a sticky ingredient. This will help sticky ingredients, like honey and molasses, come out of the cups easily.

Hope these three tips help you bake better! If you liked these tips, here are some recipes to practice measuring: Banana Pecan Bread, Ginger Cookies, and Double Chocolate Brownies. 

For even more recipes and tips for better baking, follow me, RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

A Tale of Two Spices: Banana Bread and Mace

It amazes me how much I continue to learn about cooking, baking, and nutrition. For example, it is amazing how many spices there are from all-spice to za'atar? There are spices that define cooking from the North, East coast, West Coast, and of course from my beloved Southern states of the USA.

One of the new recipe books that I received for Christmas included a recipe for banana bread and mace. What?!? I immediately thought of the defense spray mace, but this is different. Mace inside the defensive spray is a concentration of a substance from hot chili peppers. Mace that is used in cooking is actually kin to nutmeg.

Nutmeg is a brown spice. When whole, it is an oval-shaped pit. Nutmeg can be found dried or whole. It is a warm spice that pairs well with cinnamon and is used most often in baking. It is also used in some savory cooking. For example, many of the recipes I have for béchamel sauce (aka white sauce) calls for a little bit of ground nutmeg.

Mace comes from the same plant as nutmeg. Mace is bright red and actually surrounds nutmeg when both are on the nutmeg tree.  Mace is more red than nutmeg. The taste of mace is more concentrated and peppery in my opinion.

I hope you've learned a little something today in "RD school" about spice and baking. For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me, RDtipoftheday, on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.