The Lorax isn’t directly connected with the dietetic field, but if he speaks for the trees then they are speaking for the health of humanity. The Lorax’s sage words, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, Nothing is going to get better. It’s not,” could be the motto of a recently formed group called Dietitians for Professional Integrity.

For now their presence is largely on Facebook and they’re working together, with both dietitians and concerned citizens, to make sure the field’s largest trade organization, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND), hears not just their complaints but their calls to action.

See, the AND accepts sponsorship dollars to keep their organization rolling. But Andy Bellatti, creator of Dietitians for Professional Integrity, and his colleagues are calling bull – these sponsorships are paid for by the very brands these professionals are working hard against.

“Our main initiative is to have the Academy cut ties with its current sponsors,” noted Bellatti.

When you take a look at their on-going corporate sponsors, that’s where you can see how these dietitians are saying the AND “soils the good name of registered dietitians,” according to our Mary Hartley, RD.

Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Hershey, Abbott Nutrition (which produces Similac), General Mills, and Kellogg’s are some of the organization’s major sponsors. It’s cause for red flags amongst the organization’s members and the citizens who support this movement.

“The big picture issue is how Coca-Cola teaches webinars to RDs, how McDonald’s serves lunch at the California Dietetic Association conference, and how PepsiCo and Coca-Cola are financial contributors to the Academy’s Evidence Analysis Library,” declared Bellatti. To that, Monsanto sponsored the New York State Dietetic Association’s annual meeting.

“The organization chooses to align itself with these brands. It’s misguided,” he said. “It makes us look tone deaf during a public health crisis.”
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If you thought Michael Natkin’s popular blog, Herbivoracious, was a quaint little site about basil and thyme, boy are you in for a surprise. This chef, blogger, cookbook author and busy father of two wants to expand your mind about the world of meatless dishes. From his website: “I love to draw inspiration from cuisines around the world, and stay abreast of the latest developments from the best chefs, then apply all of those ideas to create vegetarian dishes that you can rock at home.” With 400+ recipes to his credit, Michael has definitely been busy creating inspiring dishes for his readers.

Hey, Michael, it’s Father’s Day, put your feet up and let the kids cook for you!

Why did you start your food blog? Honestly, I started the blog out of pure frustration. I wanted to be a restaurant chef, but five years ago wasn’t the right time in my life to quit my day job and make that leap. I have young kids and a wife with chronic fatigue syndrome, so it just didn’t work. I also have this unstoppable passion for food, and needed to find a way to share and connect with the larger culinary community. Food blogs were just starting to become popular, and I thought that “Hey, at least this is something I can do.”

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This Sunday, if Wally Bishop goes out to dinner with his three children to celebrate Father’s Day, he won’t be nervous about whether the restaurant will have adequate seating for him, something he used to worry about on a regular basis. After losing over 200 pounds, Wally can just sit back and enjoy the time with his family. He might even save room for dessert.

If you live in South Carolina you’ve probably passed Wally and his lovely wife on their bikes as they peddle around town. Wally describes himself as an avid cyclist but says there was a time when even walking down the block was a challenge. Like many people, Wally was healthy and active until he graduated high school but then slowly the stress of his job and life in general, coupled with poor diet choices and not enough activity caused the pounds to slowly creep on. To make matters worse, whenever Wally would try to diet, he ended up gaining back more weight than he lost. He wanted to change but yo-yo dieting was sabotaging his efforts. Finally, he came to the conclusion that focusing on the scale was actually part of his problem. That’s when he switched gears.

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Imagine a park where you don’t have to say to your kids, “don’t put that in your mouth!”. In fact, imagine one where you encourage them to do the opposite. Well, it’s happening! Seattle will soon be home to the nation’s first-ever edible park.

A seven-acre plot of land in Seattle’s Beacon Hill area will soon be the Beacon Food Forest. The area will be planted with several types of edible plants. Walnut and chestnut trees, berry bushes, fruit trees, even exotics like pineapple and lingonberries will grow in this new park. The best part? It’s open for public picking and plucking. All are invited and encouraged to eat up the nation’s’ first food forest.

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Food is your fuel. You need it to sustain daily activities and to power through your workouts. As runners, we need a combination of carbs, proteins and good fats to keep our bodies strong, healthy and provide us with enough energy to run and hit the times or the distances we want to achieve. While all runners (if you run, you are a “runner”) need carbs, proteins and fats, the amount and type will vary based on seasons. By seasons, we mean your training season (race season) and the actual seasons (winter, spring, summer, fall).

When you are in training, for a race or to stay/get in shape, AND it’s the summer, your body requires a higher amount of fluids, carbs and proteins. Below we’ve outlined what your body needs during summer training to sustain your athletic endeavors.

Fluids: The general guideline is 6-8 glasses per day or half your body weight in ounces. This differs for each person depending on activity level and the season. During the summer, you sweat more. Thus, you need more water and need to pay attention to replenishing your electrolyte levels. Add Nuun tablets to your water or eat saltier foods post workout. Let your thirst be your guide as to the right amount for you. Remember, if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.
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