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Find us on Twitter @scandpg starting at 8 pm EST. 

Habits and Sticking with Resolutions (A Blogs from Around the Internet)

So we’ve survived a little over 4 weeks into the New Year and it’s already worn off for a lot of us (6 AM workouts in the cold darkness of January?).  The following links provide a roundup of some great writing from around the internet to help you focus on making habits or goals more attainable while taking care of yourself.  

Nia Shanks:  Achieving Goals is Hard and Most People Fail. Here’s How to (Finally) Succeed.

Fit Foodie Finds: 30 Ways to Meal Prep in 2017

Immaeatthat: How to Create a Self-Care Box

Summer Tomato:  How to Stop Moralizing Your Food Choices

Zen Habits: The Four Habits that Form Habits

Sean Flanagan Fitness and Nutrition: Wrong Goals = Frustration Up/Motivation Down. Here’s How to Fix It…

Gina Volsko MS, RDN, LD is a Columbus, OH based dietitian working with healthcare data.  When she’s not being a nerd, she also manages the SCAN blog, feel free to join our SCAN bloggers by emailing her at glesako@gmail.com and resolve to increase your exposure.  

Carbohydrates: Myths and Facts

Out of the three macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat), carbohydrates have been considered the enemy since the day I was born. Between all the media headlines, magazine articles titled “Stay Clear of Carbs,” and food industry advertisement, it can be hard to distinguish if the claims about carbohydrates are fact or fiction. Luckily for you, I went behind enemy lines to figure out the truth about carbohydrates.

Fact or Fiction:

1. Eating carbohydrates makes you gain weight. Fiction. Consuming more calories than you burn makes you gain weight, period. Consuming low carbohydrates and excessive amounts of fat and protein will not make you lose weight.
2. Only breads and grains contain carbs. Fiction again. Most individuals don’t realize that fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates as well. Carbs are more than just breads, cereals, and rice. Carbohydrates are found in most plant-based foods and most milk products as well.
3. Complex carbs are better than simple carbs. Fact, sort of, let me explain. True, as a dietitian, I strongly encourage complex carbohydrates such as 100% whole grain bread, rice, pasta, quinoa, buckwheat, etc. Complex carbs provide fiber, which may play a role in improving the gastrointestinal tract and protect against digestive diseases. Fiber also provides satiety so you feel fuller, longer. On the flip side, simple carbs or simple sugars are found in fruits such as apples, bananas, and milk products. These simple sugars are rapidly absorbed in the body and provide quick energy, which can be useful prior to a sporting event or a workout.
4. Low carb, high protein is better for you.  While some studies have shown that low carb diets may improve metabolic markers in the short term, no consistent research shows that it reduces overall mortality. According to Dr. John Hawley, who presented at FNCE 2016 on Promoting Endurance Training Adaptation in Skeletal Muscle by Nutritional Manipulation, stated that “chronic ketogenic diet impairs performance by reducing economy movement and dietary extremes are dangerous and have no place in contemporary sports nutrition guidelines.”
5. Don’t eat carbs after 9 p.m. Similar to my response on number one, consuming more calories than you burn will make you gain weight. If you have calories to spare after 9 p.m. go ahead and have a slice of toast with peanut butter. Not fueling your body properly could end up impeding your progress.

So there you have it! Carbohydrates aren’t scary and they shouldn’t be severely restricted or avoided. Choose mostly complex, whole grain carbs, watch those portion sizes, and enjoy a donut every now and then.

Allison Bokenkotter is an RDN in Cincinnati.  In addition, she’s the diversity/national nutrition month chair for the Greater Cincinnati Dietetic Association.  You can find her on LinkedIn: Allison Bokenkotter. 

SCAN SYMPOSIUM POSTER SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE JANUARY 30th

SCAN is pleased to extend the deadline for poster submissions until Monday, January 30th!  If you were thinking of submitting, but ran out of time, now is your chance to be included in our poster session!

Practitioners, graduate students, and undergraduate students are invited to submit abstracts for the 2017 Symposium poster sessions. Posters will be judged and cash prizes awarded to the first place poster of the following categories; Professional, Graduate and Undergraduate Student Students ​(category based on 2016-2017 SCAN/Academy Membership Status)

To submit your poster and for additional information on the 2017 Symposium click HERE. 

SCAN Symposium Featured Topic, High Fat Diets for Athletes: Time to Abandon High Fat Diets for Athletes - Time to Change Sports Nutrition Guidelines?

During three distinct periods, contemporary sports nutrition guidelines for carbohydrate (CHO)-focused eating for training and competition performance have been challenged by interest in low carbohydrate, high fat (LCHF) diets. Recently, ketogenic (<50 g/d CHO), high fat (80% of energy) diets have been enthusiastically promoted with testimonials of improved sports performance.  Indeed, cross-sectional studies of LCHF ultra-endurance athletes show remarkably high fat oxidation rates during moderate intensity exercise.  Furthermore, AIS research on elite race walkers found 3 weeks of LCHF greatly enhanced fat utilisation even at high intensities. However, penalties included reduced exercise economy and failure to improve performance after intensified training.  Current recommendations for an individualised and periodised approach to CHO availability during training and event- specific optimisation of muscle substrates during competition requires better promotion.  Nevertheless, there may be some scenarios where LCHF diets are of benefit, or at least are not detrimental, for sports performance.

This session will be presented by Louise Burke, OAM, PhD, BSc, Grad Dip Diet, FSMA, FACSM.  Learn more about this session, here. 

Nutrition Resolutions? Check Out These RD Blogs

2017 is still fresh with the usual resolutions regarding health and lifestyle.  Here are a few favorite blogs to check out that nourish the athlete, wellness junkie, or lover of great food photography.  These blogs are also promoting a non-diet approach with respect to mindful eating we can all appreciate.  Have any blogs you'd like to see featured? Email glesako@gmail.com.  

Cadence Kitchen

Lori is a Columbus, Ohio based RD (I found out about her blog via a postcard lying around my local Starbucks one Saturday morning) who's also an elite cyclist and marathon runner.  She beautifully illustrates produce in a lot of her work making it easier to add more colorful produce in the middle of winter.  

Shira RD

One of my favorite non-nutrition blogs is Cupcakes and Cashmere that focuses on food, entertaining, fashion, and makeup.  Recently, they've added a dietitian and that's where I started following Shira, who's based in California.  

Minimal Wellness

Becca is a Montana based dietitian who beautifully illustrates how easy it is to eat better.  I found her blog when I discovered The Minimalists.

ImmaEatThat

Kylie has a great blog that promotes positive body image and getting rid of diets to find what works for you.  She also has some amazing infographics on improving your relationship with food.  

Gina Volsko MS, RDN, LD is a Columbus based dietitian and health data analyst.  She's also the blog coordinator for SCAN, feel free to send her an email for more information on becoming a SCAN blogger, glesako@gmail.com.  Feel free to follow her antics on Instagram, @gina.koko.

SCAN 2017: Syncing Nutrition Science & Practice: ADVANCING KNOWLEDGE AND BUILDING SKILLS

Click here for more information on session topics for this year's SCAN symposium.