My Experience with the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy

 written by: Samantha Larkin, dietetic intern

During my undergraduate experience, I was struggling to find my niche within nutrition. Most of my professors taught about in-patient, clinical experience, and I knew that was not for me. I learned of the Integrative and Functional Nutrition Academy (IFNA) through one of my mentors during the summer of 2020. After researching the organization and their values, it seemed like a perfect fit.

To better understand IFNA, it is an evidence-based, whole systems approach to patient and client care. They combine modern science, clinical wisdom and thinking, while focusing on six key clinical areas: whole body systems approach; root cause analysis; therapeutic elimination diets and food plans; conventional and functional diagnostic labs; the art and science of dietary supplements; and mind-body modalities. 

If this sounds interesting to you, here are the basics of the program:

●       A 2 year online program plus an exam.

●       5 tracks with 33 modules.

●       Available to RDNs and RD to be students.

●       A new guest lecturer for every module.

●       Estimated cost of the credential program: $5,660.

Initially, the expenses were a concern for me, but as I go into detail below, there were aspects that allowed me to justify the price. The first track has a student discount, the subsequent four do not. However, you pay for one track at a time, so the total price is spread out over two years.

The greatest appeal was that I could complete this program prior to becoming a registered dietitian. The functional and integrative nutrition field is a competitive area to break into; I knew it would set me up for success in finding a related job.

You might be wondering how it is possible to complete a 2 year program while in school. Personally, setting aside a couple hours each weekend for IFNA was the best way to balance schoolwork and the lectures. I had to switch up my tactic during the internship due to my weekends being chalk full of rotation and class assignments. I made the most of my winter break to finish the final track. I found the information from IFNA deviated enough from the school curriculum that it did not resemble homework. And the cost was a significant motivator!

If you are currently in the SLU dietetic internship, or are about to start, you might wonder which concentrations IFNA applies to. The foundations of integrative and functional nutrition can be applied to many different areas of dietetics including all four concentrations offered at SLU. I am in the culinary concentration, and through IFNA, I learned of the synergistic qualities of certain foods when combined. I have seen an improvement in my understanding of how to enhance flavors and create a deliciously healthy meal. Many of the underlying themes in the IFNA program is food as medicine, so having a culinary background can lay the groundwork for a functional dietitian.

Regardless of your concentration, if you are interested in learning more about different labs, nutrigenetics, and the latest science regarding human nutrition, this program will beneficially serve you.

My greatest takeaways from this program include being able to interpret different laboratory results, learning about genetic variations and their impacts on nutrition status, and understanding the pathophysiology of different disease states using a functional lens.

If you are still on the fence about whether this is a realm you want to pursue, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has a dietetic practice group tailored to integrative and functional medicine. Their website has great resources and more information on what it means to be a functional and integrative dietitian.

 

The Raw Truth: Should You Try a Raw Diet?

By Parker Lane, SLU Dietetic intern

Coming into a New Year you may be thinking “New Year New Me”. Many people took to diet and exercise for things to put on that resolution list. In fact, according to Study Finds a little over half (53%) of New Year’s resolutions revolved around these two categories¹.

Which may lead some of you scrolling through medical journals and peer reviewed data to find your next diet, right? No! It will probably lead many to social media or an influencer that praises a diet for their good looks. And hey, I too find myself looking into what they claim to be their secret. Last year it may have been keto diet but this year I’m seeing the raw diet left and right. But I’m telling you now, you may want to do a double take after I tell you what the research says about the raw diet.

What Is the Raw diet?

The raw diet, which is also known as raw foodism, has a couple different criteria depending on where you look. The broadest was eating raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, meat, and dairy. It also allows minimally processed foods like fermented or dehydrated items (using temperatures below 118 degrees F)².  The raw diet is being described as a “anti-diet”, as it is not a diet but a lifestyle³. However, by definition according to the Mariam and Webster dictionary, a diet is “a special course of food to which one restricts oneself, either to lose weight or for medical reasons.”⁴_.  Therefore, it is a diet.

The raw diet isn’t new despite its newer popularity. It has been around since 1300 CE; however, its purpose through history was used for things like connecting back to nature, to anecdotal evidence of treating disease ^1,7. Present day popularity has come from celebrity followings⁷ but although it’s marketed as a lifestyle, it often seems to be used for weight loss. Looking at that from a nutritional standpoint it seems like a recipe for deficiencies as it is a restrictive diet on top of an energy deficit.

Figure 2:Karits E. Brown Monkey Eating Green Vegetable.; 2020.

Chewing on Science

Some of the arguments provided for the raw food diet is that it reduces your intake of processed foods, while increasing your intake of nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables. These items contain phytochemicals, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It claims to have benefits like reducing blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol⁴. There are also anecdotal claims that it will help with:

• Weight loss
• Lower inflammation
• Preventing cancer
• Give you more energy and more³.

All of these things make sense. More fruit and vegetable foods in the diet lead to less consumption of saturated fats, carcinogens, and processed foods which can in turn lead better health given that it is balanced with all the things our body needs.

However, it seems like with most restrictive diet there’s a catch. One study looking at long term adherence found that there was a significant amount of weight loss in both men and women⁵. However, it also had correlation with low BMI and amenorrhea in women⁵. And low BMI, just as high BMI, is associated with adverse health outcomes.

Additionally, many of the studies didn’t focus solely on eating raw fruits and vegetables. Rather most of the blogs in favor cited similar studies that focused on getting more fruits and vegetables in general, regardless of if they were cooked. 

This diet is highly restrictive and often does not condone eating out as most foods on the menu will have been processed in one way or another. However, with its celebrity following and popularity there are more restaurants now catering toward the raw food diet⁷. But for most this diet means eating at home. Well, that’s good because its less expensive right? Well yes, it’s probably less expensive than eating out; however, it is also likely more expensive than eating a nonrestrictive diet. There is specific focus on having fresh fruits and vegetables. Meaning those prices are going to fluctuate a lot throughout the seasons with availability.

Elephant in the Room

Figure 3:Rizkiyanto F. Elephant in the Room.; 2018. https://www.behance.net/gallery/66261629/Elephant-in-the-room

Don’t get me wrong when I say this, I love sushi and tartare, but eating raw meats, dairy, and fish all increase your risk of contracting a foodborne illness. Additionally, foodborne illness can come from raw plant sources too, and even the process of dehydrating can promote the growth of bacteria. Even if you’re not pregnant or immune compromised, foodborne illnesses can have serious and potentially fatal effects⁶. Cooking foods has evolved with humans and helps to kill harmful bacteria. In addition, cooking food helps increase bioavailability, meaning we can more readily absorb those nutrients⁸.

Now what about the enzymes in them that help break down food? Don’t those help with the bioavailability and digestion? The answer to that is they could if they made it to our small intestine. Which with the low pH of our acidic stomach they don’t. Lucky for us though, we have our digestive processes that start taking place from the moment that food enters our mouths which helps to break down our food to be absorbed⁷.

Finally, a lot of the evidence that they used did not focus only on raw foods and found that higher fruit and vegetable consumption and plant-based foods was likely to improve health outcomes⁹. So maybe the diet to try this year is trying not to diet at all. Instead, just trying to get a few more plants in our diet, maybe some raw and some cooked.

What’s Next?

To recap, the raw diet does show potential health benefits from its increased fruit and vegetables, nuts, seeds, increased fiber, and reduced consumption of processed foods. However, it does not come without potential detriments, like inadequate intake and nutrient deficiencies. Additionally, as many of their studies pointed out, similar benefits are achievable from eliminating processed foods and focusing on eating more plant based in general. So maybe this year instead of trying a new diet lets set a goal, one we think we can stick to all year. Let’s remember to fuel our bodies with a balanced diet, one that includes fruits and vegetables, but also other foods you enjoy as those can also be part of a balanced diet.  

Last, when setting a resolution, you want to be specific, have a way to measure your progress, make it reasonable to achieve, relevant to your goal, and set a time frame you want to achieve it by. You can have an overarching goal while having smaller milestones throughout the year to help you make it to that finish line. But also, it is important to keep in mind that change takes time and what ever your goal maybe, be sure you are patient with yourself and celebrate your smaller progress milestones.

*This blog is not meant to provide any medical nutrition therapy advice. Please follow/consult your health care physician or Registered Dietitian for advice on dietary changes. 

Bibliography

1. Anderer J. New year, same me: Most people give up on New Year’s resolutions within a month. Study Finds. Published April 1, 2021. Accessed January 19, 2022. https://www.studyfinds.org/give-up-on-new-years-resolutions/#:~:text=Over%20half%20of%20the%20resolutions%20described%20to%20researchers

2. Raw foodism. Wikipedia. Published September 11, 2021. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raw_foodism

3. Levy J. Raw Food Diet: Benefits, Risks and How to Follow. Dr. Axe. Published 2017. https://draxe.com/nutrition/raw-food-diet/

4. The Raw Food Diet | Diets & Weight Loss | Andrew Weil, M.D. DrWeil.com. Published February 15, 2019. https://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/diets-weight-loss/raw-food-diet/

5. Koebnick C, Strassner C, Hoffmann I, Leitzmann C. Consequences of a long-term raw food diet on body weight and menstruation: results of a questionnaire survey. Ann Nutr Metab. 1999;43(2):69-79. doi:10.1159/000012770

6. CDC. Foodborne Illnesses and Germs. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published February 16, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/foodborne-germs.html

7. Cunningham E. What is a raw foods diet and are there any risks or benefits associated with it? Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2004;104(10):1623. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2004.08.016

8. Platel K, Srinivasan K. Bioavailability of Micronutrients from Plant Foods: An Update. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2016;56(10):1608-1619. doi:10.1080/10408398.2013.781011

9. Block G, Patterson B, Subar A. Fruit, vegetables, and cancer prevention: a review of the epidemiological evidence. Nutr Cancer. 1992;18(1):1-29. doi:10.1080/01635589209514201

 

5 Things You Need to Succeed During the Dietetic Internship

By Sabrina Johnston, SLU Dietetic Intern

Over the first half of my internship, I have encountered a number of patients, and I have been able to implement what I have learned over the last few years and what I am still learning. But I realized that being an intern and being a Registered Dietitian takes much more than just learning and reciting nutrition information (although it is important). I have compiled a list of what I think are the 5 most important aspects of my internship that I have developed personally.

Time management.

Time management is at the top of almost all lists on how to succeed, and I think that it is fundamental for succeeding during the dietetic internship. Juggling classes, projects, and rotations at the same time feel hectic, and there were times where I felt overwhelmed and swamped. I learned to create a schedule and timeline to follow and I found myself finishing projects more efficiently and that I even had some free time on my hands. With my schedule under control, I found more time for doing the things I like, such as reading, running, talking with family, and even more time to sleep!

Life is manageable during the dietetic internship, you just have to get organized and stay organized. I kept time management at the top of my list because I realised that once I was organized, everything started falling into place and I could really start enjoying the internship for what it is: an opportunity to learn and have first-hand experience working as a professional in nutrition and dietetics.

Jumping in.

We have a good foundation of nutrition knowledge before starting the internship, but the actual internship is an entirely new journey. What I’ve learned works best for me is jumping in whole-heartedly during each rotation. I learned that the thrill of a new situation or a particularly complex case can be very exciting. I am still learning and every new patient I see is experience gained, every question I ask is more knowledge in my toolbelt for the future.

Secondly, the dietitians that I have worked with want to help, so taking the extra seconds to ask a question or ask for elaboration is well worth my time. Diving head-first into a new rotation is daunting, but with an optimistic attitude, I have had some of the best experiences and have learned so much more by rolling up my sleeves and just going for it.

So far, the most intimidating rotation that I faced was GI - there are so many complex conditions and I was worried that I would be overwhelmed. I told myself to run with it, and I learned so much information by observing then jumping right into it, and I enjoyed myself so much more than any of the previous rotations. Now, I know I am going to face even more challenging situations in the future, but I have grown and I feel that I am ready to face what is ahead of me. I have recently started my oncology rotation, but instead of feeling intimidated, I felt giddy with excitement and I cannot wait to learn more.

Being personable.

Nutrition knowledge can be memorized and spat out like a robot, and I have learned the value of gauging who I am talking to and how to approach them with education and counseling. I have learned how to build rapport with patients quickly and effectively, and I can more easily cater my advice and information to their needs. By seeing patients as people and using a conversation to guide the nutrition information I give, I have noticed much better reception of information.

Not all people are the same, and I have to take into consideration their viewpoint to cater the best intervention that I can. I have seen patients who will talk your ear off about their lives, and I have learned to guide the conversation back to the most pertinent information I need. I have also talked to patients who have told me that they will not listen to what I have to say and have asked me to leave. These interactions are just a glimpse of the many interactions that I will have, so it is important for me to be prepared for anything.

Being personable pertains to those you work with as well. Everyone has their place and their role in helping the patient, and understanding this helps everything move much more smoothly. I have established great relationships with my preceptors and staff at some of my rotations, and it has made my internship experience so much more positive.

Being confident.

I believe my confidence has grown the most during my internship so far. I will start with an example. The first patient I saw on my own was nerve-racking. I walked into my room and I introduced myself, albeit quietly. When the patient responded that they couldn’t hear me, I was shattered, and the thought “I’m not going to make it” ran through my head. I have had a lot of support and guidance from preceptors, teachers, and family. I know the information, confidence just comes from time and experience. Now, I have no trouble at all going into a patient’s room alone, introducing myself, and getting straight to business. I really enjoy speaking to and helping people, and I have gained a lot of confidence along the way.

Life is too short to worry about speaking too quietly and loudly, and I think being confident relates a lot to my previous statement about jumping in. By trusting your gut and diving into a new situation, you gain confidence in yourself and you will see yourself grow because of it.

Enjoy yourself.

To wrap it up, the dietetic internship is straining on time, energy, and brain power. I found that if I focused on what I needed to do in the future and looked at everything at once, I would shut down. Going into every day of the internship positively with an open mind and an open heart, I learned so much more. I connected closely with my preceptors and my patients, and I found myself falling in love with dietetics all over again. As I learned to enjoy myself during my rotations, I found that my paperwork afterwards wasn’t as daunting. I could finish my work more efficiently, and I found more time to relax, read a book, or cook myself a tasty meal.

The dietetic internship is too short to get lost in everything that needs to be done. It is an opportunity to experience what it is like to work as a professional in dietetics, and it is fun to see what opportunities lie ahead.

All pictures are sourced from Canva.

Why Dietitians Should Practice Cultural Humility and How to Make a Habit of it

 By Sarah Bostic, SLU Dietetic Intern

In the clinical realm, I have heard the ambiguous term “cultural competency” tossed around (might I say) haphazardly, with little regard for the confusion it causes. As far as we, the health sciences students, know, cultural competency is a standard. The American academic system requires most of us healthcare professionals to complete a workshop, take a class, or ace a test to ensure future practitioners meet a standard for understanding of diversity. But does anyone actually know what it means to achieve cultural competency? Can we actually become fully competent in culture?

Spoiler alert: We can’t.

Disheartening? Perhaps. As dietetics professionals, we aspire to be worldly. We want to soak up every ounce of cultural and culinary knowledge to best relate to patients. But frankly, as humans, we are naturally limited in our knowledge of the world. We will never be fully “competent” in culture, no matter the number of hours we study, years we practice, or multitude of crash courses we take in history or culture. No length of education is sufficient enough to lead healthcare professionals to full understanding of the needs and desires of unique individuals in this diverse world. Therefore, instead of striving for competence, I propose we should encounter the backgrounds of patients and clients with cultural humility. 

Practicing Cultural Humility: Explained

Cultural humility is a relatively new tool in healthcare; it was developed in 1998 to teach US doctors how to treat populations with diverse cultures, races, and ethnicities. It has since taken hold in various settings around the world, one of them being dietetics.

Cultural humility allows healthcare workers to obtain a comprehensive understanding of a client’s personal beliefs and values without relying on preconceived ideas about their culture.

Rather than “achieving” cultural humility, the practice is regarded as a lifestyle. We are asked to continually educate ourselves, engage in conversation, reflect, recognize and overcome biases, and work toward compassion and understanding in every interaction. Practicing cultural humility allows workers to enter relationships with patients openly, seeing that their patients are uniquely wonderful individuals. The interaction is doubly fruitful-- the client can aid in providing the most culturally appropriate (and likely most effective) intervention, AND the client will feel deeply heard, valued, and safe. Who doesn’t love that? 

Practicing Cultural Humility: Clinical Implications

Dietitians, among all healthcare professionals, have a great opportunity and responsibility to be the experts that practice cultural humility and lean in when we encounter unfamiliar cultural practices. Food is intimately tied to an individual’s culture, tradition, and upbringing. Meals are a communal experience, so in using cultural humility, we can capitalize on our curiosity about food to gain a beautiful insight into the client’s practices and values.

Practicing Cultural Humility: Personal Growth and Development

As dietitians and dietetics students, we must use our greatest tool-- the commonality of food-- as a ground for understanding, learning, and offering improved patient-centered care. In little increments, we can use our knowledge to inform future interactions and grow as professionals and people.

 In addition to learning from patients, we can intentionally choose to grow daily in our knowledge of history, culture, and food habits. With greater exposure to new thoughts and ideas through engagement with the world, we can uncover and break free from our ethno-centric American biases and encounter clients and patients from a more compassionate and informed standpoint.

Cultural humility is a tool for facilitating personal growth and development; it is grounded in the understanding that there is always something valuable to learn. 

How to Make Cultural Humility a Regular Habit

Though there are no concrete steps to follow, the following practices that will help you grow in your approach to cultural humility:

●     Develop Awareness-- Recognize diversity and how your unique identity and experiences shape the world around you.

●     Evaluate Perspective-- Welcome discomfort when your personal views are challenged. Work to understand why you feel the way you do. Address bias. Work toward respecting others and the beauty their unique perspective brings.

●     Practice-- Listening, reflecting, analyzing, and empathizing with other perspectives.

●     Gain Exposure-- Inform yourself through conversation, non-fiction reading, films, documentaries, podcasts, trying new restaurants, traveling, and regularly following trusted media outlets.

●     Include and Engage-- Make a habit of inclusion by promoting diversity in every decision you make. Ask if there is more you can do to ensure your actions have equitable and sustainable outcomes.

●     Act-- Utilize your position to actively work against inequity. Encounter individuals with love and openness.

Adapted from Baylor University's “Developing Cultural Humility” https://www.baylor.edu/diversity/index.php?id=948078

For more information on Cultural Humility:

With a limited budget, I, personally, have taken up reading as a hobby to expand my knowledge of the world and create a foundation for patient interaction. Reading books on populations I do not interact with regularly has opened my eyes to the diversity of needs that exist. The following resources may be a great start!

●     Cultural Competence v Cultural Humility, Public Health Culture Podcast

●     “What is Cultural Humility?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_wOnJJEfxE

●     Recommended reading:

○     Ask Me Why I Hurt by Randy Christensen, MD

○     Tattoos on the Heart by Fr. Gregory Boyle

Final Thoughts:

As a dietetics student, I am lucky that “autopilot” has not yet set in. I am always looking for new things to learn and often feel a strong sense of humility any time I speak with a patient. More often than not, I know, when I walk into my patient’s room with sweaty palms and a handful of questions, that I will be learning much more from the interaction than the patient will be learning from me. That has been my greatest take-away-- I sincerely hope that all Dietitians, no matter their tenure, will encounter patients with this same vulnerability as they carry out their important work. Dietitians should always approach patients with fresh eyes and anticipate there is something to learn from their patients.

Image taken from https://a-thousand-words.tumblr.com/page/3

Avoiding Diet Talk This Holiday Season (and beyond)

 Written by: Haley Jensen, SLU Dietetic Intern

With the Holidays quickly approaching, you may find yourself cornered in unwanted conversations about diet and weight loss. This is one of the busiest seasons of the year, often surrounded by friends, acquaintances and family. For a lot of people talking about diets feels like a “safe topic”. It’s often thought of as a causal conversation, just like discussing the weather. Even though the people you are around are comfortable discussing diets and diet culture doesn’t mean you have to be. This guide is meant to inspire you and give you tools to navigate uncomfortable conversations. Ultimately my hope is that the sample responses and coping techniques provided give you a sense of comfort and confidence this holiday season and beyond.

Helpful reminders

More than likely this holiday season you will find yourself in diet/weight-talk and you many not be sure what to say. Understand that its okay, building comfort around diet talk conversation takes time.

You’re not always going to have the “perfect“ thing to say.

You are allowed to say the “wrong” thing. There might be times where you need to take a break and not say anything at all.

You’re allowed to have boundaries.

You get to decide how much you share about your recovery, your relationship with food, your feeling towards your body and how your past experiences have brought you to where you are now. You do not need to have any conversations that make you uncomfortable.

You don’t always have to be a vocal advocate for anti-diet culture.

Conversations defending diet culture can sometimes be exhausting. It is perfectly acceptable to not educate up to your friends and family on the determinants of diet culture for a day.

Tips for Social Events

This season is filled with cocktail parties and mixers. Your might be meeting a lot of new people and the conversations surrounding diet culture are popular around the hors d’oeuvres table.

Your coworker is talking about their own diet/exercise plan… and they won’t stop.

• “I actually made a New Year’s Resolution to always talk about something new at parties- don’t you feel like we always talk about diets? Have you seen any good movies recently?”

Your friend makes a comment about having to “make up” for the holidays at the gym and asks you to join

• “You know that’s not how bodies work, there‘s really no need to make up for what the food we eat. I prefer to just enjoy delicious food with people I care about”

An acquaintance says “oh we are being so bad aren’t we”

• “The only bad foods are the foods that you stole”
• “My only food rule is that I don’t eat foods that are poisoned”

Tips for Family Events

We love our families but that doesn’t mean they can’t cross the line sometime. Navigating conversations gently can be difficult but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t say something if you want to.

Your aunt says “wow, you’ve lost so much weight since last time we saw you!”

• “I know I used to talk about diets and weight with you but I’ve recently realized it makes me feel pretty anxious, but I would love to talk about something else. Tell me how your and your family has been.”

Your cousin comments on your plate “oh, so calories don’t count today, do they?”

• “Actually, I don’t count calories today or any day. I prefer to let my body tell me what it needs, and today it needs my favorite holiday meals.”

A sibling tells you about the new diet their coworker is on

• “I love spending time talking with you but I would prefer if we talked about ourselves. I saw you went to Florida recently how was your trip?”

Overcoming Triggers

Now that we have discussed how to respond to diet talk, its important to understand how to not let those words someone said effect you negatively. You have chosen to take a journey into avoiding diet culture and its important to not let the word of someone else trigger you into diet, or feeling guilt for not participating in diet culture.

Work on your mindset

·         Use mantras and affirmations to help you remember why you’re trying to avoid diet conversations, some examples include:

• I understand that the holidays are about creating memories, and I won’t let food rules ruin that
• I will show my body that it can trust me by not restricting food
• I am more than the food I eat
• I give my body permission to change
• It’s okay to not know what my body needs right now, I am figuring it out

Have coping mechanisms ready

• Breath work- focus on your conscious awareness of your inhales and exhales. Using deep and focused breathing to create a therapeutic and calming effect. There are a variety of apps and techniques available.

• Create a happiness folder of photos on your phone filled with photos that cheer you up.

References

https://colleenchristensennutrition.com/diet-talk-how-to-respond-what-to-say/

https://alissarumsey.com/how-to-respond-to-diet-talk/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/thanksgiving-weight-diet-talk-advice/2021/11/08/2d4c4a3e-4007-11ec-9ea7-3eb2406a2e24_story.html

https://www.katiehake.com/blog/anti-diet-affirmations

10 Tips for Grocery Shopping on a Budget

By Sarah Katherine Gaston, Dietetic Intern

People often ask me how I keep my grocery budget as low as it is. I stick to a strict grocery budget while still ensuring I get all the food I need and want! Below are some tips and tricks I use to follow an affordable grocery budget: 

1. Make a list 

This is the first and most important step. Before entering the grocery store, write down your list of ingredients and stick to it. Making lists avoids over-purchasing items that you don’t need, and it will also save you time wandering around the store. 

2. Shop once a week 

I’m a huge proponent of shopping once a week. It forces you to make a meal plan, which avoids over-purchasing. It minimizes what I like to call “grab items.” These are ingredients you grab off the shelf when passing by and not ones that you necessarily need or planned to buy. The more times you go to the grocery store throughout the week, the more you tempt yourself with “grab items.” 

3. Check your pantry 

Taking inventory of the pantry can be helpful to remind yourself of non-perishables you might have stocked up on but aren’t utilizing. Pantries are often cluttered, making it easy for items to get pushed to the back and forgotten. Taking stock of what you have on hand can help while meal planning and avoid purchasing extra items you might already have at home. 

4. Coordinate your recipe ingredients 

I believe this is the biggest way I save. When planning my meals for the week, I typically start with one or two meals I’m craving and write down the ingredients needed. Then, I look at my ingredients and base additional meals/snacks around utilizing the same items. This reduces potential food waste and minimizes purchases. 

5. Buy Meat/Protein in Bulk 

Not all food items are cheaper in bulk, but meats/proteins typically are. I buy my meat in bulk and freeze for longer lasting quality. This is especially helpful if you are cooking for only 1-2 people. 

6. Buy in season 

Seasonal produce is always cheaper. An added bonus is that the in-season produce is usually better in taste than when out of season, and it is more environmentally sustainable. 

7. Check out the frozen aisle 

Some people frown on frozen food, but you can find gold in the frozen section. Frozen food does not always equal lower quality, and it usually means reduced prices. One way I save in the frozen aisle is by buying frozen fruit which I use to make smoothies. Smoothies are a great way to ensure you get your daily fruit intake and save on costly fresh fruits. 

8. Get creative with leftovers 

Leftovers when eaten over and over again get boring. To spice things up, make a meal that can be used in multiple ways. Grain-based or lettuce-based bowls are a great way to utilize leftovers to make something new the next day. Getting creative with leftovers reduces potential for food waste. 

9. Set up rewards if possible 

Some grocery stores offer reward cards or point systems that can be a quick and simple method to save a little extra. Check to see if your favorite grocery stores offer rewards programs. 

10. Grant yourself one “fun” purchase 

Sticking to a budget is good, but everyone deserves a little splurge. After I check all the items off my grocery list, I allow myself a treat purchase. Sometimes this is a dessert that hits the spot after a long week or a seasonal specialty item that I’ve been waiting for. While this isn’t a money-saving tip, it’s a nice reminder that budgets are great, but you can’t neglect a little treat every once in a while.

What is MSG and Why are We So Afraid of It?

 Written by: Kate Aragon, Dietetic Intern

Contrary to popular belief, I (as a nutrition student) don’t cook very often. I’ve always had men and women in my life who enjoyed cooking far more than I ever will and because of that, I didn’t grow up spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Regardless, food was always a big part of my culture as a Filipino-American, and just like many parts of Asia, MSG is widely used in the Philippines^[1].

My aunt would have me and my brother over for family dinners every so often, and I remember how she would try to hide the fact that she used MSG in her cooking. I was eight at the time. At 8 years old I was already given a reason to believe that this mystery ingredient, “M-S-G”, was a bad thing.

So what IS MSG?

MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is derived from the amino acid, glutamate (also known as “glutamic acid”)^[2]. Glutamate is produced by our bodies and is also a naturally-occurring compound found in foods like tomatoes, mushrooms, and seaweed.

MSG as we know it today, is a flavor-enhancer first discovered by a Japanese chemist who identified it as the dominant flavor component in kelp. When used, MSG can help to bring out the savory and umami flavor in dishes.

Why is MSG so controversial?

In the 1960s, Robert Ho Man Kwok, MD, published a letter in the New England Journal of Medicine that described a mysterious ill-feeling he would get after eating in Chinese restaurants^[3]. To no surprise, this “ill-feeling” (typically headaches, a rapid heart rate, and nausea) was eventually called “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome”. And since many Chinese-American restaurants at the time were making use of MSG, Robert theorized that his symptoms were tied to that.

Shortly after, other studies tried to show that MSG was the cause of brain lesions, female sterility, and even obesity. The catch? These studies used faulty science^[4].

Many of these studies were animal experiments, and the mice experimented on were injected with such large doses of MSG that it was completely unrealistic to extrapolate their findings into human conditions⁴. But it didn’t matter. By the time the faulty science was discovered, it was too late. The findings caught everyone’s attention and the world villainized MSG. As a result of the changing diet trend, Chinese-American restaurant owners had no choice but to advertise the absence of MSG in their dishes by displaying “No MSG” signs on their restaurants’ doors to keep their businesses afloat. And soon it became common knowledge that MSG should be avoided without even questioning: 1. The faulty science behind the blame, and 2. The xenophobia tied along with it.

How is MSG used?

When asked to think about the sources of MSG, most people would probably first mention Asian-American cuisine. But, a lot of snack foods in grocery store aisles use MSG as well. For example, Doritos®, Pringles®, and Cambell’s® all use MSG and can be found in the ingredient list of several of their products^[5][6][7].

Surprised? Maybe ask yourself if you’ve ever reported a headache after eating a bag of Doritos®. If not, then maybe begin entertaining the idea that MSG (or Asian-American food in general) is NOT the culprit for your mystery headache.

(DORITOS® Nacho Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips, n.d.)

(Cambell’s®Chicken Noodle Soup, 2021)

 

(Pringles® BBQ CRISPS, n.d.)

What does science say about MSG now?

Here’s a quick list:

●        MSG is formally placed on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) list of foods that are “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS)^[8]. Additionally, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) examined the safety of MSG in the 1990s and their report concluded that MSG is safe as well^[9].

●        The FASEB report identified some mild, short-term symptoms in some sensitive individuals who consume 3 grams or more of MSG without food. However, a typical serving of a food with added MSG contains less than 0.5 grams of MSG. In other words, consuming more than 3 grams of MSG without food at one time is simply unlikely and should not be an area of concern^[10].

●        Although it is possible for individuals to be “sensitive” to MSG, a 2017 meta-analysis observed that “scientists have not been able to consistently elicit reactions in double-blind studies with ‘sensitive’ individuals using MSG or placebo in food”^[11]. Meaning that, scientists were unable to consistently trigger reactions in individuals who claimed to be sensitive.

●        Several studies that highlight the adverse effects of MSG are conducted on animals, and therefore, are only relevant to those animals tested⁴. If the study in question showed an effect of MSG on rats… MSG has an effect on rats. Conclusions derived from experiments conducted on animals cannot be assumed to be true in humans.

Potential Benefits of MSG and My Final Thoughts

Did you know MSG only has about one-third of the amount of sodium compared to table salt^[12]? MSG can be helpful for those trying to reduce sodium intake, which according to the American Heart Association, should be about 90 percent of us because most Americans consume too much sodium. Perhaps by seasoning dishes with MSG, one may lessen the risk of heart disease!

Here’s a cool trick: By replacing half of the table salt in your salt shaker with MSG, you’d be able to cut the amount of salt you add when cooking without even realizing it!

Bottom line: Rather than fearing MSG as a dietary bogeyman, perhaps it’s time to reevaluate; consider its history, the xenophobia tied to its bad reputation, and its potential benefits. Perhaps it’s time to end the controversy surrounding it, and just see it for what it is -- a flavor enhancer that knows how to pack a punch.

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^[1] Germain, Thomas. "A Racist Little Hat: The MSG Debate and American Culture." Columbia Undergraduate Research Journal 2.1 (2015).

^[2] Singh, M. (2005). Fact or Fiction? The MSG Controversy.

^[3] International Glutamate Information Service. “Glutamate: The Purest Taste of Umami”.

^[4] Zanfirescu, A., Ungurianu, A., Tsatsakis, A. M., Nițulescu, G. M., Kouretas, D., Veskoukis, A., ... & Margină, D. (2019). A review of the alleged health hazards of monosodium glutamate. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety, 18(4), 1111-1134.

^[5] Pringles® BBQ CRISPS. Barbecue Pringles® Crisps | Pringles®. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.pringles.com/us/products/favorites/bbq.html.

^[6] Chicken Noodle Soup. Campbell Soup Company. (2021, September 21). Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.campbells.com/products/condensed/chicken-noodle-soup/.

^[7] DORITOS® Nacho Cheese Flavored Tortilla Chips. DORITOS®. (n.d.). Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.doritos.com/products/doritos-nacho-cheese-flavored-tortilla-chips.

^[8] Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. (2018). Questions and answers on monosodium glutamate (MSG). U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved September 23, 2021, from https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/questions-and-answers-monosodium-glutamate-msg.

^[9] Maluly, H. D., Arisseto‐Bragotto, A. P., & Reyes, F. G. (2017). Monosodium glutamate as a tool to reduce sodium in foodstuffs: Technological and safety aspects. Food science & nutrition, 5(6), 1039-1048.

^[10] Raiten, D. J., Talbot, J. M., & Fisher, K. D. (Eds.). (1995). Executive summary from the report: analysis of adverse reactions to monosodium glutamate (MSG). The Journal of Nutrition, 125(11), 2891S-2906S.

^[11] Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, College of Applied Food Sciences and Tourism, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, P.M.B 7267 Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria

^[12] Halim, J., Bouzari, A., Felder, D., & Guinard, J. X. (2020). The Salt Flip: Sensory mitigation of salt (and sodium) reduction with monosodium glutamate (MSG) in “Better‐for‐You” foods. Journal of food science, 85(9), 2902-2914.