Why are the Dietary Guidelines for Americans so important?  The fact is that they are used for all federal nutrition programs, including school lunch, hospital care, military feeding and so on, and are used in educating the public in how to eat healthily. The point is that billions of dollars are at stake when the […]

The article begins: “You’ve had bacon with eggs, bacon cheeseburgers and even bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches. But how about bacon dessert?” Then they must have read my mind, because the next sentence is, “Don’t look so disgusted.” Apparently bacon is a hot new item in doughnuts, cookies and even chocolate bars. A top seller […]

While I was at the annual conference of The American Dietetic Association, now known as The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, I came upon a booth sponsored by the Pulse Canada Association. First, let me tell you that prior to FNCE 2011, I did not know Pulse is the term for the edible seeds of […]

Mary Ireland talks about new mentor programs that are helping to distribute nutritional information and provide one-on-one assistance to help those most at risk for obesity to live healthier lifestyles.

I want to share with you a few of my observations made at the annual Food and Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) in San Diego (September 24-27, 2011). In today’s post I will discuss the American Dietetic Association’s (ADA) announcement of a name change; then, I will discuss my favorite meeting of the conference.

I was putting on a breakfast for 40 ladies about a week ago. I was whisking by the tables on my way back to the kitchen, I overheard a comment that surprised this dietitian/nutritionist. I really don’t know who said, “This is SO rich!” But frankly I was really amazed, even a bit stunned. Most […]

After reading an article entitled “Hiding vegetables to reduce energy density: an effective strategy to increase children’s vegetable intake and reduce energy intake” that was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on September 2011; I noticed that the article made me think of several experiences and observations from my past. If you click […]

Mary Ireland discusses the high cost associated with illness and injury, focusing on the cost of living with diabetes.

Public agencies concerned with cardiovascular health always stress the importance of diet and lifestyle as the primary means of lowering fats in the blood and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk. But if your cholesterol goes over the danger line, it’s fairly likely that your doctor will prescribe statins (Lipitor, Crestor or Zocor) and a low […]

I want to share with you right at the beginning of this article that most Americans don’t need to worry about eating enough protein. Our meals are frequently designed around a sizable chunk of animal protein. This is protein overkill. Maybe if we understood our protein needs a little better, we’d relax our concerns in […]