Reader Favorites: March 2016 Edition

Thank you for all of the love this month! March is one of my favorite months; there is so much celebrating. We celebrate birthdays in my family, National Kidney Month, and National Nutrition Month! If you missed any of the posts last month, here are the top favorite posts you visited in the month of March. Enjoy!

 How Do I Become a Registered Dietitian? 5 Steps to your RD

 Happy National Nutrition Month (NNM) 2016!

 How to Find Your Niche: Registered Dietitian Edition

 Becoming a Registered Dietitian: Pass the RD Exam

Friday Favorites: March Edition

P.s. Happy National Nutrition Month!

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:

February Reader Favorites

January Reader Favorites

 2015 Reader Favorites



Happy National Sandwich Day: November 3

It's National Sandwich Day! Sandwiches are my go-to, quick lunch. One of my undergraduate professors banned students from using sandwiches in our meal plans. Apparently, all nutrition and dietetic students eat turkey sandwiches for lunch and "prescribe" turkey sandwiches to their imaginary patients for all meal plans! I still love sandwiches and never seem to tire of making them or eating them. Here are some yummy salad and soup recipes to accompany your favorites sandwiches

Cobb Salad

Easy Tomato Basil Soup

Winter Vegetable Soup

Enjoy these yummy accompaniments to your favorite sandwich. And, celebrate sandwich day! For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter. 

July Favorites Roundup

Thank you for all of the love this month! The Summer is a busy time for me as I prep for Fall classes and finish some consultation work. If you missed any of the posts this month, here are the top five favorite posts you visited this month. Enjoy!

Five Things You Should Know About Becoming a Registered Dietitian

What Can Dietitians Do: A to Z

Being a Collegiate Professor Roundup

Vacation Tips Roundup

Being a Collegiate Professor: 10 Basic Principles of Human Nutrition

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

Being a Collegiate Professor Roundup

There are many job opportunities in the field of nutrition and dietetics. We recently finished a series on being a collegiate professor. Thank you for your questions and interest in this series. In case you missed anything, here is a round up of the series.

Check out an update on the courses I will be teaching in the Fall in Being a College Professor.

Check out the basis of what I teach as an undergraduate nutrition professor in Being a College Professor: 10 Basic Principles of Nutrition.

Do you want to know why I became a RD and college professor?

Do you want to know how I became a RD and college nutrition professor?

If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask them in the comments below, on Instagram, or Twitter. I would love to hear your questions about being a RD, being a college professor, or any nutrition-related questions. Also, feel free to leave any tips or tricks you've learned about being a great mentor or teacher. #NeverStopLearning

How I became a RD and College Nutrition Professor

Being A College Professor

Since my last posts about being a college professor and why I became a college professor,  many of you have asked questions about how to become a collegiate professor, what does it look like be an online professor? How do I come up with coursework? These were the same questions that I had when I started teaching. So, I'll address some of these topics today and in future posts, since you had questions. So, stay tuned.

I have always loved teaching, and I knew I wanted to teach eventually. But, I took a slightly different approach to becoming a teacher. I became a registered dietitian (RD) first. To become a RD, you must complete an undergraduate degree with prerequisites for entrance into a dietetic internship. You apply and match to an internship program. Once you complete your dietetic internship, you are eligible to take the RD exam. . Once you pass the RD exam, you can practices as a dietitian. 

Master of Science
After I passed my RD exam, I began working as a clinical RD. I worked full-time at a pediatric hospital and worked to complete my my Master of Science (MS) part time. 

I earned 12 graduate level credits during my dietetic internship. I was fortunate enough to find a Dietetic and Nutrition MS program that was mostly online. Having online courses was great for me since I was working full-time, I am self-motivated, and I had a good base understanding of the subject matter from my undergraduate degree. Also, it provided me with personal experience taking online courses as a student. This has been very valuable since I'm now on the "other side" teaching online courses. 

My MS degree did require some face-to-face classes, which I enjoyed. It was nice to have classes with people. I love meeting new people, so this was a nice change of pace from the online courses.

CSP or specialty certification

I earned a specialty degree in pediatric nutrition. I did this because I am a clinical pediatric RD, but I was offered the Lifecycle Nutrition course because of this degree. The Lifecycle Nutrition course is the only course I had as an undergraduate student that had a pediatric portion. So, it never hurts to specialize. And, keep learning.

Sending out your resume
When I decided to pursue teaching as an RD, I sent out resumes to local universities, community colleges, dietetic internship programs, and cooking schools. All of these institutions provide courses on food, nutrition, health, and food safety, which an RD can teach. I met several people through this, but ultimately there were no jobs available.

Networking
I actually got my first job through networking. I reached out to my dietetic internship program director to see if she knew of any jobs in her institution or at another institution. There were none at the time. But, she gave my contact information to a Undergraduate Director

Volunteering
If you are interested in teaching or any other aspect of being a RD, I would recommend volunteering. It may take some time and effort to find a RD that has the time to have a volunteer, but it will be worth it! Also, some dietetic internships have "alternate" or "staffing" weeks where you can request to shadow a RD in a specific setting. Take advantage of this opportunity and explore some different job opportunities for RDs.

I now have the pleasure of teaching several online courses, Basic Human Nutrition and a Lifecycle Nutrition. So, wish me luck as I work to finish reading 19 chapters of Lifecycle Nutrition. 

Are you a college teacher? Do you have any advice for those wishing to become professors? Do you have any questions about becoming a RD or professor? 
If so, comment below with your questions or advice about being a RD or professor.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

Why I Became a RD and College Professor

Being A College Professor

Since my last post about being a college professor, many of you have asked questions about how to become a collegiate professors, what does it look like be an online professor, and how do I come up with coursework. These were the same questions that I had when I started teaching. So, I'll address these topic in a few different posts. So, stay tuned.

I have always loved teaching. Most of the people in my family are teachers. I enjoyed school  and wanted to be an elementary or science teacher for most of my life. This was until my 12th grade English teacher (Hey Mrs. Malone!) had us do a project to prep us for college. She had us compare at least 2 professions. We had to look at the schooling required, collegiate coursework, areas of employment, rate of growth of the profession, and of course salary. While most of these things were comparable for teachers and dietitians, I like the idea of more 1:1 teaching, the variety of RD (registered dietitian) workplaces, and the flexibility of being a RD (read part-time, PRN, or as-needed employment).

I also knew I wanted to teach college eventually. But, I wanted to have a few years of clinical practice under my belt before teaching. Practicing as a RD before becoming a teacher was also encouraged by many of my mentors. 

Also, one of my favorite undergraduate teachers, Brandi Milioto, took this path. Brandi practiced as a RD before teaching college courses. I really enjoyed her classes because she is a fantastic teacher, great mentor, and she had real-life examples to add to the textbook information. I remember always being engaged in her classes and her real-life medical nutrition therapy (MNT) examples added so much to the lectures. (Don't worry; no HIPPA-protected information was shared.)

I have the pleasure of teaching a Lifecycle Nutrition class next Fall and Spring for undergraduate dietetics and nutrition students. I am so excited for this opportunity! It is the only course that includes pediatric nutrition. Since I also practice as a pediatric RD and have my CSP (Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition), I am so excited to share what I've learned about pediatric nutrition. So, wish me luck as I work to finish reading 19 chapters of Lifecycle Nutrition. 

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

Being a College Professor: 10 Basic Principles of Nutrition

10 Basic Principles of the Science of Human Nutrition
These are the 10 basic principles of the science behind human nutrition. As a RD, this is what I work to promote. I hope to increase the public's knowledge and awareness of these basic principles along with a healthy view of nutrition, body image, and health. I couldn't have said these any better. 

"1. Food is a basic need of humans

2. Foods provide energy (calories or kcal), nutrients, and other substances needed for growth and health.

3. Health problems related to nutrition originate within cells

4. Poor nutrition can result from both inadequate and excessive levels of nutrient intake

5. Humans have adaptive mechanisms for managing fluctuations in food intake.

6. Malnutrition can result from poor diets and from disease states, genetic factors, or combinations of these causes.

7. Some groups of people are at higher risk of becoming inadequately nourished than others. Poor nutrition can influence the development of certain chronic diseases.

8. Adequacy, variety, and balance are key characteristics of a healthy diet.

9. There are no “good” or “bad” foods."

Quoted from:
Brown JE. Nutrition Through the Life Cycle. Stamford: Cengage Learning; 2014.

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

Being a College Professor

I hope many of you are enjoying wrapping up school or enjoying summer vacation. You may remember that I am a college professor. So, the end of the school year is actual a busy time for me. After grades are posted, I start working on next semester's classes. 

I have the pleasure of teaching a Lifecycle Nutrition class next Fall and Spring for undergraduate dietetics and nutrition students. I am so excited for this opportunity! It is the only course that includes pediatric nutrition. Since I also practice as a pediatric Registered Dietitian and have my CSP (Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition), I am so excited to share what I've learned about pediatric nutrition from our textbook along with real world examples (without disclosing any HIPPA information). I am also excited to have the same group of students for 2 semesters; I hope the feeling will be mutual for the students :)

So, wish me luck as I dive into 19 chapters of Lifecycle Nutrition. 

For more recipes, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

Becoming a Registered Dietitian: the RD Exam

So, you've completed your undergraduate degree, taken the GRE, applied to a dietetic internship (DI), matched to a DI, and completed your internship. Congratulations! Now you are eligible to take the RD Exam.

Your undergraduate program and internship experiences will help you prepare for the RD (registered dietitian) exam. Shadowing dietitians in the internship will provide you with even more knowledge of the various types of medical nutrition therapy (MNT). Your internship should also include some food service experiences. The RD exam has both clinical and foodservice questions. So, be prepared for both! 

RD Exam Study Tools

There are many study tools for the RD exam. I would encourage you to look through the available options and pick one that fits your learning style. There are books, audio programs, daily questions, and flash cards. Examples include RD in a Flash, which is 630 flash cards for $127. I used the RD in a Flash cards and studied course material from my internship. There is the Jean Inman review course, which is a 2-day review with printed materials for $385. I've had many colleagues use this program to review for the RD exam. 

Many internships suggest a program. I encourage you to talk with your DI director about review material. Also, consider how you learn best. 

**Update: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) now offers a study tool. It's called eatrightPREP for the RDN exam. It's about $250 for non-academy members and $200 for academy members for 90-day access. It can be renewed for longer if needed. I have not personally used this resource. It was not available when I took the RD exam. I wanted to make you aware of a variety of resources. 

My advice is to invest in a study aide, make time to study, and set a date to take the exam fairly soon. This will give you a deadline and encourage you to make time to study. I encourage you to take the exam fairly close to graduate so all the information you absorbed during the DI will be fresh. Good luck!

Life After the RD Exam
Once you've passed the RD exam. You may decide to take one of three paths: finish your Master's degree as a full-time student, pursue a full-time career as a RD, or a mix of both by finishing your Master's degree as a part-time student while working as a RD. We'll talk about searching for a job as a RD and interviewing more in the near future. Stay tuned.

**Update: In 2024, students who complete their dietetic internship will now be required to earn their Master's degree before being eligible to sit for the RD exam. So, your path to become a RD looks like undergraduate degree --> dietetic internship --> Master's degree --> RD exam --> practice as a RD or RDN.

For more nutrition information, encouragement, and tips for healthy eating, follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter . You can subscribe to this blog, RDtipoftheday.blogspot.com, through BlogLovin.

If you liked this post, you might enjoy:

How Do I Become a Registered Dietitian? 5 Steps to Your RD

Failure is a Great Teacher

Dear reader,

My story isn't a perfect, model story, but I hope it is relatable. I great up eating Southern food. My mom made me eat vegetables because she is a great mom and because I would have been perfectly content to live off desserts.

I started dancing when I was little. This was my primary form of physical activity. I never thought of dance as exercise - fun, artistic, form of expression, social, competitive, sport, - yes! but exercise . . . never!

When I went to college, a lot changed. I was only 17, a little naive, and I had a lot to learn. I had so much to learn that I took 18 hours my first semester. Yeah, 18! I planned my courses needed to graduate in 4 years (type A much?!? Fun fact: most RDs I know are type A, so I'm in good company . . . and it was one of my assignments in Nutrition 1001). So, I had to take 18 hours my first semester. needless to say, I studied a lot! Did you know that while studying is great, it's a sedentary activity? Combine this with the fact I did not dance in college, and I lived on campus and made it a goal to get my "money's worth" out of the cafeteria. I found the massive gallons of ice cream and fresh-baked cookies quickly. So to recap, studying + cookies and ice cream in great quantities (because more is better - right???) minus dance = weight gain. I gained quickly - about 20% of my body weight in 3 months. Yes, you heard me right. Apparently, I am in an overachiever in many aspects of my life - weight gain included.

"Failure is a great teacher, and I think when you make mistakes and you recover from them and you treat them as valuable learning experiences, then you've got something to share." - Steve Harvey

I learned a lot in the next 3 1/2 years at college about nutrition and found other forms of exercise I enjoyed (Pilates, yoga, dance, elliptical, Frisbee, cycling, etc.). I slowly, healthfully began to get back to my freshman weight, a healthy BMI (body mass index), and an overall healthy lifestyle.

I hope that you learn a little something from the blog from this Southern RD. I would love to address topics or questions your have about nutrition. So, comment on the blog below or ask a question via Instagram and tag me @RDtipoftheday.

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