Tag: dietitian

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Gratitude, Life is Short, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #419

You may have seen the acronym GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace is also God’s unmerited favor, or God doing for us what we cannot.

I find grace overflowing with God’s love, joy, peace, blessings, mercy, power, provision, protection, and wisdom. Thank You, Jesus!

Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?!

This week was fun and a little unusual!

I took Monday off work to spend time with Lydia for her spring break. We ran a few errands together, and then I walked to Starbucks to meet a friend for coffee. We had a good chat, and she mentioned how grateful she was for my help as she’s been going through a difficult time. Then, I walked back. It was less than a mile round trip, but it felt good to be out enjoying the beautiful weather. It reached the 60s that day!

I worked my full tour on Tuesday but didn’t arrive at the office until 1 o’clock. That’s because I went to see three Veterans first. I went to a nursing home and two private residences in Fargo and Moorhead. The nursing home is very close to my house, so it made sense to start there. I noticed a goose on the roof, which made me smile to think it was guarding the facility! The rest of the day was spent charting, but I felt rather productive!

Wednesday was another short day since I had my taxes done before work. It was also RD Day, and we had lunch and a game for staff. This included trying to match fun facts with each coworker. We laughed a lot, and the two ladies on maternity leave brought in their babies so we could see and hold them.

Thursday was another lovely day, perfect for walking to the middle school for Lydia’s teacher conference. She is doing well and has received all good reports. It is great to see how she has grown this year! As a side note, someone confirmed Lydia is officially taller than me!

Friday was the last day of working extra hours. The last four months have been very good. But, I have been nonstop busy with patient care. I was grateful for the money and time to complete my work. But it will be nice to get back to my normal routine on MONDAY when the two dietitians return! We also had a new worker start, and we are all grateful to be fully staffed again!

Today, we were invited to a coworker’s house to visit. We took Sandy’s donuts and hung out with my friend, also named Natalie, her husband, and two little boys. It was fun to chat about all sorts of fun topics and see Natalie out of our normal environment! 🙂

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These are only a few examples, but God’s grace never runs out!

There’s grace in every situation—we just need to look for it. God promises if we seek Him, we will find Him (see Jeremiah 29:13)!

Posted on in Finding Grace Weekly Recap, Food and Nutrition, Miscellaneous

Finding Grace #69

I love giving God a shout out for what He has done. We don’t do that nearly enough!

You may have seen the acronym GRACE as God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. Grace is also God’s unmerited favor, or God doing for us what we cannot.

I find grace overflowing in God’s love, joy, peace, blessings, mercy, power, provision, protection, and wisdom. Thank You, Jesus!

 Where did I find God’s love and favor—His abundant grace—this week?

I saw God move in many ways this week. I’ve received a lot of encouragement and practical support over the years, and I know how much of a game-changer that can be. So, now I challenge myself to look ways to help others. Sometimes, that means just encouraging someone; other times, I’m able to help in a more tangible way. This week, I was able to do that with two different friends with different needs. I am excited to see what God is doing in them, with them, for them, and through them!

The Lord graciously provided friends to watch Lydia. I had a work meeting out of town and preferred not to send Lydia to daycare the entire day. Then, God lined up my schedule perfectly so it matched up with my friend’s availability. On another day, a different friend watched Lydia early in the morning before daycare opened so I could maximize my time to meet an deadline. That day, Lydia was able to sleep in and I was able to reach my goal.

I love sticky notes. I generally have a million of them around the house. I’ve tried to go electronic, but still prefer old-school pen and paper. I recently decided to actually use my planner as a list-keeper instead of just a time-manager. (Great idea, I know!) Wouldn’t you know, I have felt less stress lately because I can write a task or project one time instead of over and over on various notes. Now, I can focus on just enough tasks for each day and cross them off once, yet still see progress on what I’ve accomplished. (It’s the little things…!)

I enjoy long holiday weekends! Today started off chilly, but has turned out bright and sunny. I ran about five errands (and didn’t have to wait long in line!), mowed the grass, laid down mulch, made sun tea (unsweetened), and worked on a few projects. Lydia played inside for a bit and has been outside too. The perfect day!

As I am writing this, Lydia is eating dinner on the deck. I ate with her but finished before she did. She would have finished sooner, but she’s been “yelling” back and forth with the neighbor girl who is patiently waiting to play. From inside, I just heard: “Hold on! I’m just eating now because my mom made me. I have two more broccolis and one piece of pizza. I already ate my strawberries. They are really healthy. Did you know that my mom is a dietitian? It starts with “d” and she tells people if they are making healthy choices or not.” 🙂

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These are only a few examples, but God’s grace never runs out!

There’s grace in every situation—we just need to look for it. God promises if we seek Him, we will find Him (see Jeremiah 29:13)!

Posted on in Food and Nutrition, Miscellaneous

Grace for Food Choices

We need a lot of grace when it comes to food. As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), I often work with people who are confused about what to eat. Nutrition is not rocket-science, though it has become more complicated than it needs to be.

People may wonder why I don’t discuss major nutrition concepts on my blog. While I may decide to share an occasional recipe, there are several reasons not to discuss nutrition here.

1. I am not a fan of unsolicited advice, and hence, I don’t like to provide it. If you would like some input on what you should eat, I will certainly point you in the right direction (and suggest you connect with an RDN who has access to your personal medical records).

2. It is unwise to assume everyone has the same needs or goals—or that we all need to eat the same foods. I prefer to make nutrition personal. As a professional, I tailor each session to the individual, helping each person reach their goals (which may differ from my goals from them). I may tell several people to eat the same type of food—but the amount, method of preparation, and timing might be different. So, it would be difficult to meet anyone’s goals while providing general statements on a blog.

3. Each food topic is complex. I could spend several pages discussing background, pros and cons, and possible solutions. I don’t have the time nor is that my intent for this blog.

4. Food trends change often in the food world. So, my post may not be relevant for long. This week cucumbers are good, next week they might be less desirable. (Fickle pickles!!) Research, politics and culture can cause change to happen overnight. For the most part, that is not interesting to me. But eating well is in season every day!

5. There are many nutrition myths, and in the length of my typical post, I probably won’t convince anyone to change their thinking. So, I’d prefer to focus on other things.

6. I will always love nutrition. But after Dave died, I took a huge step back. I have spent many years in healthcare. I have seen several worst case scenarios. During the year that Dave was sick, each of those worst case scenarios ALL seemed to manifest symptoms on Dave’s body. I was thankful to be able to advocate on his behalf. But, I lost my taste for it all, and it took some time for the passion to return.

7. I love teaching people how to eat well (in person) but here, I am happy to write about life, fun food facts and metaphors. I don’t need to add to all the confusion. I am focused on giving and living in grace!

Fruit baskets in marketplace

I will share just a few thoughts, however:

Good Foods vs Bad Foods
Foods do not have morals! They don’t provide a moral benefit upon consumption.

Example: I am not a good person if I eat an apple, nor a bad person if I eat chocolate cake. I think both are delicious, but on a deserted island, please give me the cake! Precisely because it has more calories, fat and flavor! 😉

I like to think of the health or nutritional benefits to each food and start there.

Fitness vs Health
First, they are not the same thing.

Second, you can be really fit and still be unhealthy (physically, mentally, emotionally, and/or spiritually).

Know the difference for you as an individual.

Organic vs Conventional, Whole vs Processed
These topics cause a lot of debate, which is not necessarily bad—but in my opinion that leads to more division and even hostility at times. Not cool…

By all means, please buy, prepare and eat the best quality food you can afford. But, don’t overspend your budget and go broke. Be healthy. Be realistic.

Read labels and make choices that meet your goals.

Eat in season, buy in bulk, clip coupons, get a crockpot, join a co-op…do whatever you can!

Food vs Supplements
I am a fan of food first, and then supplements if warranted. But once again, do what it takes to reach YOUR goals.

On Sugar, Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium, Moderate Protein, Low Carb, Low Fat, Vegetarian, Omnivore, etc
It is your responsibility to steward your health. If knowledge is power, prevention is key.

Food choices are one piece to the puzzle. Learn some solid cooking skills.

Eat a wide variety of foods–and eat what you like!

Food Journals and Fitness Trackers
Are they the end-all be-all of tools? No. Are they helpful? Yes, if used in the right context.

I love using both a food journal and a fitness tracker, as they provide helpful feedback and accountability. I may be a nerd…but I think they are fun! 🙂

Final Thoughts
One of my healthcare friends likes to say, “You’re a one-rat study. What works for you, might not work for the next person.”

Listen to your body. Know what makes YOU feel best. It may or may not match your initial beliefs. So be open to trial and error, change and new tastes.

Set goals for yourself, and revisit them on a regular basis.

Seek professional input as needed. Let me know if I can help. 🙂

**I may update or add to this down the road. But that’s it for now!**