Dietitians of Alaska

Ways to Be Active (and Healthy!) When It’s Cold and There’s Less Daylight

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 18:42:00 GMT

The Alaskan winter sets in with shorter days, colder air, and long stretches of darkness. It’s easy to slip into hibernation mode. Staying active and eating well during these months can make a world of difference for your energy, mood, and overall health. Here are some realistic and science-backed ways to stay moving and nourished when the temperature drops and the daylight fades.

Embrace indoor activities.
Try resistance bands, yoga, or bodyweight workouts at home. Online workout videos, fitness apps, or even virtual dance classes can keep your body moving without having to brave the cold.
Make errands your exercise.
Park farther from store entrances, take stairs instead of elevators, or do short 10 minute movement breaks throughout the day. Small bursts of movement add up!
Explore winter sports.
If you enjoy being outdoors, bundle up and try snowshoeing, skiing, or ice skating. These activities not only boost cardiovascular health but also help you soak up natural light an essential during low-sunlight months.

Did you know?
Just 15–30 minutes of exposure to daylight (even when cloudy) can help regulate your body’s internal clock, improve mood, and support vitamin D production!

Nourish Your Body the Alaska Way

Dietitian Tips for Winter Wellness:

Boost your Vitamin D intake. With limited sunlight, Alaskans are especially prone to vitamin D deficiency . Fatty fish like salmon, halibut, and sardines are rich natural sources. Ask your dietitian if you should consider a vitamin D supplement.
Support your immune system with colorful foods.
Add bright vegetables such as bell peppers, carrots, and kale, and fruits like citrus, berries, and apples. These are packed with vitamin C and antioxidants that help your body fight off colds and fatigue.
Prioritize omega-3 fatty acids.
Cold-water fish and even plant-based sources like walnuts and flaxseeds can help reduce inflammation and support brain health which is important during darker, slower winter months.
Stay hydrated, even in the cold!
It’s easy to forget water when it’s chilly, but dehydration can lead to fatigue and dry skin. Warm herbal teas or lemon water are great cozy options.

Light, Movement, and Food: A Winter Trio

Winter in Alaska doesn’t have to mean low energy or cabin fever. Staying active in creative ways and choosing nutrient-rich foods can help you feel strong and centered all season long. So lace up those boots, open the curtains to let in light, and nourish your body with wholesome local ingredients. Your body and your mood will thank you.

At Dietitians of Alaska, we’re here to help you navigate your wellness journey year-round. Contact us to learn more about individualized nutrition plans, vitamin D support, and meal ideas to keep your body fueled through the winter.

The post Ways to Be Active (and Healthy!) When It’s Cold and There’s Less Daylight appeared first on Dietitians of Alaska .

Move Your Body

How a Dietitian Can Help You Understand the Root of Your Weight Struggles and Create a Personalized Nutrition Plan

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 17:21:00 GMT

When it comes to managing your weight, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution—and that’s exactly why working with a registered dietitian can be a game-changer.

At Dietitians of Alaska, we believe that understanding why you’re struggling with your weight is the first and most important step toward real, lasting change. Weight issues can stem from a wide range of factors—metabolism, hormone imbalances, emotional eating, medical conditions, genetics or simply years of misinformation about food. A dietitian is trained to look at the whole picture of your health and help pinpoint where the challenges are really coming from.

More Than Just Meal Plans

A dietitian isn’t just someone who hands you a list of foods to eat. We are trained professionals who understand how the body functions, how it digests and absorbs nutrients, and how food choices impact everything from your energy to your mood to your long-term health.

We consider your medical history, lab results, lifestyle, stress levels, and personal goals. Then, we craft a personalized nutrition plan tailored to your body’s unique needs. Whether you’re dealing with insulin resistance, food sensitivities, a sluggish metabolism, or simply don’t know where to start, a dietitian can guide you with evidence-based strategies—not trendy fads.

Every Body is Different

What works for one person might not work for another—and that’s okay. Your body has its own rhythm, chemistry, and needs. A registered dietitian understands that and works with you to develop a plan that fits you. That means sustainable habits, realistic goals, and support along the way.

If you’re in Alaska and looking for real answers and professional support, reach out to Dietitians of Alaska. We’re here to help you move beyond frustration and confusion—and toward a healthier, more empowered version of yourself.

Ready to take the next step in your health journey?
Contact us today and let’s build a nutrition plan that works with your body, not against it.

The post How a Dietitian Can Help You Understand the Root of Your Weight Struggles and Create a Personalized Nutrition Plan appeared first on Dietitians of Alaska .

Why Consulting a Registered Dietitian is Essential for Personalized Nutrition Plans

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 17:05:00 GMT

When it comes to achieving your health and wellness goals, choosing the right diet plan can feel overwhelming. With countless fad diets and conflicting advice, it’s hard to know what’s best for you. That’s where a registered dietitian (RD) comes in. A dietitian is not only a trained expert in nutrition but also a partner in helping you develop a personalized diet plan tailored to your unique health needs.

Personalized Nutrition Plans for Your Unique Body

Each person’s body is different—what works for one person might not work for another. Factors like age, gender, activity level, medical history, allergies, and specific health conditions all play a role in determining the ideal diet. A registered dietitian has the knowledge to create a plan that is specifically tailored to your unique needs, ensuring that you’re getting the right balance of nutrients to fuel your body and reach your health goals.

Expert Guidance Based on Science, Not Trends

There’s no shortage of trendy diets or the latest nutrition fads circulating online. However, these trends are often not backed by science and may not be sustainable or healthy in the long run. Registered dietitians rely on evidence-based nutrition to guide their recommendations. They stay updated with the latest research to ensure that your diet is both effective and safe.

By working with a dietitian, you can avoid the confusion and risk of trying out every new fad and instead follow a plan that is grounded in science and based on your personal health.

Support in Managing Medical Conditions

Many people turn to dietitians when dealing with health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or food allergies. A registered dietitian can help manage these conditions through medical nutrition therapy, offering you a plan that supports both your medical needs and your lifestyle. Whether you’re trying to lower cholesterol, control blood sugar, or lose weight, a dietitian can help you make informed choices that will improve your overall well-being.

Sustainable Health Goals

Unlike restrictive diets that promise quick fixes, a dietitian works with you to set realistic, sustainable health goals. They focus on building healthy habits that you can maintain long-term, rather than promoting drastic changes that are hard to keep up with. This approach helps you see gradual improvements, making it easier to stick with your plan and feel good about the changes you’re making.

Accountability and Motivation

One of the hardest parts of sticking to a diet plan is staying motivated and accountable. Whether it’s checking in regularly or offering advice when things get tough, a dietitian provides the encouragement and accountability that’s essential for lasting success.

Guidance on Supplements and Special Diets

In some cases, you might need to take nutritional supplements or follow a special diet due to allergies, intolerances, bariatric surgery, or preferences like veganism. A dietitian can help you navigate these complex dietary needs, ensuring you’re still getting all the necessary nutrients to stay healthy. They’ll also guide you on whether or not supplements are necessary and which ones are safe and effective.

Educating You About Nutrition

Working with a dietitian is an opportunity to learn about nutrition in a way that’s relevant to your life. Instead of just telling you what to eat, they’ll explain the “why” behind the choices. This education helps you make informed decisions, empowering you to take control of your nutrition long after your initial consultation.

The journey to better health is a personal one, and the path you take should be tailored to fit your individual needs. By consulting with a registered dietitian right here in Alaska, you’ll receive a personalized plan that not only meets your health goals but also supports your lifestyle and well-being. Their expert guidance can help you cut through the noise of trendy diets, manage health conditions, and set achievable goals that you can maintain over time. Whether you’re aiming to lose weight, manage a health condition, or simply eat better, a dietitian can help you create a diet plan that’s truly built for you.

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Get the Right Help: Dietitian vs. Nutritionist Explained

Sat, 10 May 2025 18:33:00 GMT

When it comes to getting serious about your health, diet plays a huge role—but who should you turn to for expert advice? The terms “dietitian” and “nutritionist” are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same. Depending on your goals—whether it’s managing a medical condition or simply improving your eating habits—it’s important to know the difference. Here’s a quick breakdown to help you decide who’s the right fit for your health journey.

What is a Dietitian?

A Registered Dietitian (RD or RDN) is a licensed, highly trained healthcare professional. They’re the go-to experts for clinical nutrition and medical nutrition therapy. Dietitians must:

Earn a bachelor’s (often a master’s) degree in dietetics or a related field
Complete at least 1,000 hours of supervised practice
Pass a national certification exam
Stay current with continuing education

Because of this rigorous training, dietitians can be a critical part of the treatment of nutrition-related medicalconditions. You’ll often find them in hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and private practices. Many insurance plans cover their services, especially when part of a medical treatment plan. Also, the title “Registered Dietitian” is legally protected—only certified professionals can use it.

What is a Nutritionist?

The term “nutritionist” is broader and far less regulated. Some nutritionists are highly educated, while others may have completed just a short online course. In many states, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist without formal education or licensing.

Nutritionists typically:

Offer general wellness and nutrition advice
Work in gyms, wellness centers, or online
Are rarely covered by insurance

That said, many nutritionists are passionate and knowledgeable—just make sure to check their credentials before taking advice.

So, Which One Is Right for You?

Here’s a simple way to decide:
If you’re dealing with a medical condition, need targeted nutrition therapy (using nutrition to manage or prevent medical issues), or want expert support that’s both science-backed and closely regulated— a Registered Dietitian is your go-to . They’re the gold standard in clinical nutrition (how food and nutrition affect the body to prevent, treat, or manage diseases) and bring serious training and credentials to the table. Trust that you’re in expert hands!

A nutritionist can be a guide for general wellness goals if they’ve got solid training and experience. Just make sure you check their background and qualifications.

Bottom Line:
Your choice should reflect your needs . Dietitians are licensed professionals equipped to help with complex health conditions, meal planning, and long-term care. If you’re looking for structured, reliable, and personalized nutrition support, a dietitian is absolutely worth it. Do your research, trust your instincts, and choose the expert who best supports your health journey.

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Line One: National Nutrition Month – How Food Connects Us

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 16:41:00 GMT

Food is a common thread for humanity. It can break barriers and connect people across all walks of life, that’s why the theme for National Nutrition Month in March this year is “Food Connects Us.” On this Line One, host Dr. Justin Clark and Dietitians of Alaska for a discussion about food and tradition, health challenges in nutrition, and how to eat healthy without compromising on flavor.

Learn more

The post Line One: National Nutrition Month – How Food Connects Us appeared first on Dietitians of Alaska .

Line One: Dietitians of Alaska – Deconstructing fad diets

Wed, 11 Dec 2024 16:46:00 GMT

What do intermittent fasting, paleo, and keto all have in common? These are fad diets that offer rapid weight loss and a magic bullet to improve chronic diseases. While they are popular, many of these diets have limited data to support their claims, and in some cases can actually be unhealthy. Join host Dr. Justin Clark as he discusses the good and the bad of the current fad diets on this Line One.

HOST: Dr. Justin Clark

GUESTS: Registered Dietitians with Dietitians of Alaska

Erika Van Calcar, MS, RD, LD
Soleil Thiele, RD, LD
Staci Kloster, RD, LD

Click HERE to listen.

Continue for a transcription of the audio show.

Dietitians of Alaska | Line One

Dr. Justin Clark: Good morning. Hello and welcome to Line One, Your Health Connection. I’m your host, Dr Justin Clark, today on Line One, we will be discussing different types of fad diets.

A fad diet is similar to a fad in fashion. It’s a diet that’s generally very popular and designed for the short term. They often promise drastic results, whether that be massive weight loss or drastic improvements in your health. They can sound like a newly discovered hack that promises a new view. All too often, they involve purchasing supplements or vitamins. Over the years, there have been many fad diets, keto, Atkins, intermittent fasting, paleo, even HCG diet, South Beach diet, Whole30 and the cabbage soup diet, and there will certainly be many, many more in the future. While these diets do not do everything they claim, many of them do have some helpful components.

Here today to discuss fad diets and help us tease out the good and the bad are returning guests from Dietitians of Alaska, Erika Van Calcar, Soleil Thiele and Staci Kloster.

You can also be a part of the conversation. If you have a question or a comment, call us toll free statewide at 1-888-353-5752, in Anchorage, 907-550-8433 or email us at lineone@AlaskaPublic.org .

Well, it’s great to have all of you back today. I want to start with Erika Van Calcar. Erika, it’s a pleasure to have you back. Thank you for being here.

Erika Van Calcar: It’s a pleasure to be here.

Dr. Justin Clark: Go ahead and give the listeners a little bit refresher about who you are, where you came from, how you got into being a dietitian.

Erika Van Calcar: Well, that’s going to take the next hour, but I’ll try to sum it up. I am now almost 11 years in Alaska, I guess transplant to Alaska from Washington State. Washington and Ohio is where I went to school, got my degree and then masters in nutrition and dietetics. I worked there for a while, then moved up here, like I said, about 11 years ago, and I’ve now been with Anchorage Bariatric, Dietitians of Alaska for almost eight years. In my spare time, I love to go hiking with my dogs, this time of year running away from mosquitoes and puttering around in my garden.

Dr. Justin Clark: Excellent, Soleil Thiele. We’ll go to you next. Welcome back.

Soleil Thiele: Thank you very much. So my name is Soleil Thiele. I am originally from South Lake Tahoe in California. I did my schooling in the Bay Area San Jose State University, and then came up here, became a dietitian in 2020 and also started working with Anchorage Bariatrics and Dietitians of Alaska the same year, and I’ve been here since.

Dr. Justin Clark: Great. What do you do in your spare time?

Soleil Thiele: I like hiking. I crochet often. I like to chill with my two cats and my fiance and pretty much what I like to do, camping, hiking, all that good Alaska stuff, fishing.

Dr. Justin Clark: Staci Kloster, welcome back to Line One.

Staci Kloster: Yes. Thank you. Born and raised in Alaska, went to UAA, did my internship here in Alaska, some of the rural communities. I will say, probably what led me into the field of dietetics was that I actually met with a dietitian, and it was what I didn’t want to be, so to speak. I wanted to do better, I guess, to say, and so that kind of led me down the path of dietetics. In my spare time, you will find me hunting, fishing, pretty much again, all those Alaskan fun things to do.

Dr. Justin Clark: Well, last time we had you guys here was earlier in 2024, I believe, and we talked a lot about diet in general. We talked about the difference between dietitians and nutritionists, what a dietitian is. What we didn’t get to talk about last time was a lot of the questions that came from our listeners about different types of diets, particularly fad diets. Because we didn’t get a lot of time to talk about those, I thought we’d do another show to discuss a little bit of those in more detail and get our listeners questions.

So let’s start. In general, what is a fad diet? I know what I consider a fad diet, and I mentioned that in the opening, but what do dietitians define or consider as a fad diet? So Erika, we’ll start with you.

Erika Van Calcar: I think if you look at what the medical community also considers or classifies a diet, whether it’s a fad diet or not, like you mentioned, it falls along the lines of, like, fashion trends. If one particular comes to mind, it is this the low carb trend, where it comes in and out of fashion. But also, the typical hallmarks of a fad diet are missing one or several food groups, or restricting food groups relatively nutritionally inadequate. So it’s missing key components, whether that be fiber, or B12, zinc, really touts drastic change. Like you were mentioning earlier, it’s like “lose 20 pounds in two weeks”. Outside of a major medical issue, it’s probably not something we should strive for. You also mentioned the necessity – if you’re going to follow this program, you need to buy these supplements, these powders, these vitamins. Those are all pretty big red flags that this might not be something that’s going to be overall a good health practice, or really sustainable long term.

Soleil Thiele: The one thing that I was going to add in, kind of reiterating what everybody else is saying is – it sounds too good to be true. I think a lot of times fad diets will focus on the short term, but then don’t really address the maintenance of things. So, yes, whereas you might lose, you know, X amount of pounds quickly at first, how do you maintain that? Because a lot of times, like Erika was saying, you’re cutting out something that really isn’t sustainable long term, and usually comes with popularity that it is the “in” thing now and then kind of ebbs and flows, will go away and then circles back around.

Dr. Justin Clark: We see that in Bariatrics, in our new patients, and most of our patients have tried many, many of these diets over time. We’ll call it more of a yo-yo type diet, because they’ll try a Keto or a paleo or something, and then they’ll lose 20-25 pounds, but the second they kind of go off the plan, that yo-yo is right back up and usually actually more. Some people will tell me they’ve lost the same 100 pounds multiple times. I think fad diets probably play into that a lot. Well, let’s get into one of the more common ones that has come up in the last five years or so, and that would be the keto diet. And I know in particular, Erika Van Calcar has a strong opinion about keto. So why don’t we start with you.

Erika Van Calcar: Interestingly enough, the keto diet isn’t actually new. I was doing a little bit of digging last night and eating a lower carbohydrate diet is mentioned all the way back in 18-something, I can’t remember the exact day, but the 1800s. It has been intermittently smattered throughout history, but in the 1920s, 1921, 1923, a doctor by the name of Russell Wilder designed the keto diet, not as we see it now, but like the original keto diet for the treatment of pediatric epilepsy. It had absolutely nothing to do with weight loss. Typically, when I mention that to folks, I get big, wide eyes. In its original state, it was very restrictive. It was about 5% protein, 5% carbohydrate and about 90% fat, so very, very restrictive. But again, it had nothing to do with weight loss, had everything to do with managing seizures.

Dr. Justin Clark: And that was before they had very good medicines to manage the symptoms.

Erika Van Calcar: Yeah. I actually had a patient whose son was following the ketogenic diet, again, for the purpose of seizure maintenance, up until a couple years ago where he was finally able to eat fruit loops because he had the medication that actually managed his seizure well, and so his diet was able to be liberated. Just very excited.

Dr. Justin Clark: So let’s set some ground rules here. In terms of the last show, we talked about what a protein is, what a carbohydrate is, and what if that is. We’re not going to rehash that, but different diets have different percentages or recommendations. So let’s start with what a good, healthy general diet that you would recommend to a normal person, like, what is a general percentage breakdown of a well-rounded healthy diet? Staci?

Staci Kloster: The Institute of Medicine, one of their recommendations of an overall healthy diet is about 45 to 65% carbohydrates, 10 to 35% protein, 20 to 35% fat. So to give that into some better context, if you had a 2000 – calorie diet, then you would be getting about 225 to 325 like grams of carbohydrates, about 50 to 275 grams of protein, 15 to 77 grams of fat, just to put it in tangible context, so that’s what I would say. I mean, everybody, I think that’s one thing with the fad diets – why it works for some and doesn’t work for others is that we’re not all built the same. One doesn’t fit everyone. So definitely with those recommendations, I think there’s also why there’s like a 20% swing in there, somebody might do better on a 35% protein, or even 40%, whereas the next person, maybe 10% is more ideal for them.

Dr. Justin Clark: So a general, healthy diet, let’s go by the numbers that you suggested. So 45 to 60% carbohydrates. Let’s jump back to keto, what’s the breakdown for the keto diet as we see it today?

Erika Van Calcar: I think the more common keto diet as we see it today, and again, there are so many permutations of the original now, but it talks about somewhere between like 20 to like 50 grams of carbohydrate, which is what a lot of people who want to follow a low carbohydrate diet are used to. So I can imagine them when they hear what Staci had to say between the 250-300 grams of carbohydrate, their heart is now in or their stomach is now in their throat. Protein, typically, it’s going to be around the low end of the standard recommendation, about 20% again, give or take, and then, depending on what variation of the keto diet you’re following, it can be anywhere between 70% fat to 80% fat. That’s what I’ve seen.

Dr. Justin Clark: I was reading like 10% carbs and 70% fat, around 20% protein, so drastically different from a general healthy diet. Real quick, I wanted to remind our listeners of our call in numbers, questions for our dietitians today: 1-888-353-5752, in Anchorage, 907-550-8433.

Soleil, obviously, keto is low carb, high in fat, but we’ve seen those before. We’ve seen them in the low carb diet, and then Atkins, which was popular maybe a decade or 15 years ago. How is it different from those sort of fad diets?

Soleil Thiele: Good question. So it basically comes down to that breakdown of the protein, fat, carbs. Atkins and keto are both low carbohydrate diets. Keto is much higher in fat, while Atkins is more moderate in fat and higher in protein. So that’s the main difference between the two. It just comes down to the protein and fat distribution.

Dr. Justin Clark: It seems like there’s not one that’s better or worse than the other. It seems to be how people react to the different diets?

Soleil Thiele: Exactly. Everyone’s different. Someone’s going to love lower protein, higher fat, while someone else is going to like more of a higher protein diet. So it kind of just depends on the person.

Dr. Justin Clark: And so the word keto is referring to ketosis, which is a state that the body gets put in. Someone explain that, and any of you guys can take this, but what is ketosis, and why are people trying to get into that state?

Staci Kloster: The easiest way that I think about it is that your body wants carbohydrates for fuel naturally. So then when we restrict those carbohydrates, what is it going to get for fuel? With the keto diet, it then turns that fat into fuel, and so it is now working off the fat intake. That’s something that actually with doing this, I mean the keto diet has been around, like Erika Van Calcar said, for a long time. I’m not necessarily a huge fan of it personally, because with Crohn’s disease, it does not work for me to eat such a high fat diet. So I haven’t really ever cared to know so much about it, I guess, to say. But one thing that I did find interesting, because sometimes we’ll talk about a higher protein diet, and patients will say, oh, a keto diet. But I’m like, keto is more high-fat that even if we want to lift the keto diet restrict proteins, because they can prevent ketosis, and so that protein amount really does matter with the keto diet, of not being too high in protein, but really getting your fuel from fat.

Dr. Justin Clark: So we’re not providing the body with carbohydrates. And so the body will burn its own carbohydrates until it runs out, and then it’ll start burning fat, and the breakdown of fat releases ketones, and so that’s what ketosis refers to. So what happens to the body when it starts burning fat, rather than carbs?

Erika Van Calcar: So that’s an excellent question. Can you be more specific? Because that’s, that’s broad….

Dr. Justin Clark: Body’s still gonna get energy – that’s just gonna get it from fat rather, so does it break down the fat that you’re eating, or is it breaking down the fat that’s already in your body?

Erika Van Calcar: I think it’s probably a combination of the two, because there’s burning fat or adipose tissue for energy is such an inefficient system. It does need to work harder and just it needs more of that resource in order to not only provide the body energy, but also to provide the brain the necessary energy to actually function. So yeah, it is using both the stored energy or adipose tissue, but then also the fat that we consume to make that energy happen.

Dr. Justin Clark: I know there’s a lot of side effects, Soleil, when we hear sometimes our patients will have foul smelling urine or bad breath, like, what do you hear from patients who are doing keto or are in ketosis?

Soleil Thiele: The bad breath is definitely the big one, where it kind of smells like acetone, almost, and that’s just from the ketones that you’re breathing out. Keto flu is also a huge thing that you hear about. So basically you just get the flu-like symptoms from being in that state. And I feel I have, I’ve never done keto myself, but for most people, I think who go through keto, I think most people experience that keto flu, and then I think it lasts a couple weeks, and then it goes away. So those are the two big ones, I would say.

Erika Van Calcar: Keto flu period is the body using all of that stored energy, that stored carbohydrate basically and trying to then transition into using adipose tissue for energy, which, again, is a very inefficient system. It takes a while for the body to actually convert to that way of producing energy.

Dr. Justin Clark: Let’s take a quick break here, and we’ll come back for more questions about our fad diets. You’re listening to Line One, Your Health Connection. If you have a question or a comment for our guests today, call us statewide, toll free at 1-888-353-5752, or in Anchorage at 907-550-8433. After the short break, we’ll continue our discussion on fad diets with Erika Van Calcar, Soleil Thiele and Staci Kloster from Dietitians of Alaska.

Welcome back to Line One, Your Health Connection. I’m your host, Dr Justin Clark. I’m joined today by dietitians, Erika Van Calcar, Soleil Thiele and Staci Kloster from Dietitians of Alaska. If you have questions about fad diets, if you have a question or a comment, call us toll free statewide at 1-888-353-5752, in Anchorage at 907-550-8433 or email us at lineone@Alaska Public.org

So we’re gonna take a caller here – Amelia is calling from Eagle River. Amelia, welcome to Line One.

Caller Amelia: Hey, thank you, doctors. I don’t really follow any fad diet. I do eat slightly a bit more protein and less carbs than most, but I’ve been blessed to have a very healthy body weight my whole life, because when I was 21 I lived in Japan for a while, and I adopted their method of eating till 90% full. I’ve done that. I’m 44 now, been a stable, thin weight, and I just don’t eat until I’m full. I forgot the Japanese word for it, but it’s very common there; they call it 90% eating. I thought I would bring that to people’s attention.

Dr. Justin Clark: That’s great! Thank you, Amelia, we’ll get our comments here on our dietitians for that.

Erika Van Calcar: I honestly, I think that’s a fantastic way of approaching eating and a very mindful way of doing it, which is something that you know, both Staci and Soleil and I really try and tap into a lot – to where you’re eating to, I think I call it like, comfortable, full, satisfied, no longer hungry, but you’re not to the point where you’re overfull, uncomfortable-kind-of- Thanksgiving-dinner, which I think a lot of us not necessarily strive for, but that’s what we use as our cue that we are done. Either the plate is clean or we are stuffed to the gills.

Dr. Justin Clark: Loosening my belt or unbuttoning my pants button. It sounds like a great thing also, we hear a lot of…it’s very easy to work…I don’t know the right way to put this – but it’s the timing of your eating, or the length of your meal. If you eat too quickly, you will not get that sensation or that feedback to your brain, because that takes 15 to 20 minutes for your hormone levels to transition from an empty stomach to a full stomach. And so for most of us, I think I speak for myself, I was in the military, we had to eat very, very quickly, and we had three or four minutes, and then you had to move on. So we got used to eating all of our food very, very quickly. But what do you guys suggest to patients in terms of how to eat a meal?

Staci Kloster: Well, I would say probably one of the biggest thing that patients, and I am guilty of it at times too, is put the phone away, TV away, computer away, work away, and actually focus on your food. I think sometimes that can help slow us down, actually, appreciate the meal, not be doing so many other things. It can also help us to not graze, I guess, to say so if I’m watching something, I’m letting dogs out, I’m doing whatever, people getting kids ready – then it’s like, I take a bite, then I go do something. Ten minutes later, I’m taking a bite, and now I have just again – I’m not really ever full, nor am I ever really hungry, and so I’ll eat until my plate is cleared, when I probably only needed half of that. So I think putting the distractions away would be one of my recommendations.

Dr. Justin Clark : Yeah, what about you Soleil?

Soleil Thiele: I literally use that same example. One thing I always like to add, just to put it in a picture for people, is imagine yourself at a movie theater and you got your big thing of popcorn in front of you, and 10 minutes into the movie, you look down and half the popcorn is gone already, and you’re like, how do I eat all that? It’s the same thing at home, in front of the TV or in front of your computer or in front of your phone. Your awareness is not on you and your hunger fullness cues, and it’s not on the meal that you’re eating. So, it’s extremely easy to overeat or eat too quickly and all that stuff that we don’t want.

Erika Van Calcar: If I can add one thing to that, though, and that I find for myself, but also several people that I talk to, they live alone – It’s just me and my dogs, and the thought of sitting at a table with no distraction and just food would drive me insane and probably cause me to eat faster, just because I just don’t want to sit there alone looking at my plate of food. I just find that very unappealing. So in those instances, we’ll talk about mindful eating, like with distraction, but still the same thing that Staci said. Take a bite, but then put the plate down, the bowl down, chew well. While your eyes are looking at something else, you are still paying attention to how I’m feeling, my eating speed, and you don’t just have the bowl in front of you, shoveling food into your mouth. So it’s like distracted, mindful eating.

Staci Kloster: I think one thing too is not to eat out of bags. I mean, maybe this isn’t so much for mealtime, but especially with snacking, portion it out. Even if you have to go get another portion, then at least you are being mindful of doing so instead of, if the bag was there, it would be gone because you weren’t paying attention.

Dr. Justin Clark: So you mean, a bag of chips isn’t one serving?

Staci Kloster: It is not unfortunately.

Dr. Justin Clark: So it’s better to portion them out. Don’t eat from the bag. All right, I’m gonna have to work on that one myself. Well, let’s move on. Let’s talk a little bit about intermittent fasting, because we have some emails about that. It’s again, this is something that’s come up. It’s very popular in the last few years, and there’s all some of iterations that I’ve seen our patients trying, whether that’s fasting for eight hours, whether it’s fasting for 12 hours or 16 hours, or fasting once a week or during the week. I mean there’s so many different possibilities.

So I guess let’s, let’s start with, what really is intermittent fasting from a dietitian perspective?

Soleil Thiele: So to put it simply, it’s periods of fasting and then eating. So the major ones you’ve probably heard about is 16 – 8, so you’re fasting for 16 hours and eating for 8 hours. There’s also the ratio 5 – 2. So 2 of the days out of the week you’re eating maybe 500-600 calories, and the rest of the days you’re eating normally, like you would. So it’s just that cycle between eating and not eating, which we all do. You know, we all sleep for hopefully seven, eight hours a night and that’s a fast right there. It’s just increasing that fast, typically.

Dr. Justin Clark: I’ve heard some of my patients say I will fast for 16 hours, and then during the 8 hours, I can eat anything that I want. Is that something that you would recommend, or are there parameters on what you should be eating during the times that you can eat?

Soleil Thiele: So definitely, you still want to focus on nutrition, of course. But yes, a lot of people do think like, oh, I’m only eating eight hours. I can eat whatever I want. But essentially, I mean, I don’t know…can anyone else put it in a better way?

Staci Kloster: With any of these diets, what are your goals? What are you trying to accomplish with changing your way of eating? And so if it is weight loss, then something has to change, or nothing is going to change. So even if you went fasting and you did the five – two, the five days a week, you continued to eat like you were, and just two of those days you don’t, depending on what your goals are, I don’t really see where the outcome is going to benefit if you don’t change those five days of what you are eating and then going back to that just general healthy way of eating, of having a good ratio of protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates to meet your needs. I mean as far as intermittent fasting goes, I have some friends and family who do intermittent fasting, but it really has been, the ones that have been successful with it, and very long term, it is a lifestyle. It is not something that they have then gone off of, kind of like when good Year’s resolutions come around and we do something for 30 days, we see a benefit, and then on February 1, we go right back to eating the way that we did, just because you fasted or you did something for 30 days doesn’t then change the long term outcome of how you’re diet is.

Dr. Justin Clark: So Erika Van Calcar, combining the two, intermittent fasting and keto, is the period of fasting meant to get the body into ketosis, or what I mean, what’s the point of fasting? Just calorie restriction? starvation? I mean, what’s, what’s the goal here?

Erika Van Calcar: I think that a lot of that goes back to Staci’s comment. Exactly what is your goal? If it’s weight loss, yes, during a period of fasting, the body does start to use both body fat and muscle, which isn’t talked about as much as it probably should be. The body will use both of those elements to produce energy while we are not eating, while we’re sleeping. Is that then ketosis? No. The body needs several days to several weeks to actually convert into full blown ketosis. So, some people will use intermittent fasting as a way to get to ketosis a little bit faster. So the two, while one can lead into the other, the two aren’t necessarily linked.

Dr. Justin Clark: I’ve tried some 24 hour fasting, where I did it, for me, it worked to do it from dinner to dinner, because I could eat dinner and then sleep. So that takes off about eight hours. Then on a busy day, I can skip breakfast and lunch pretty easily, especially if I’m busy and not thinking about food and then you’re right back to dinner, so it’s been about 24 hours. But during the day, there are stuff you can do to sort of curb your hunger a little bit. I mean, drinking fluids is okay when fasting, right? What can people do during the fasting period to, sort of, I don’t know, stay fasting?

Soleil Thiele: So you definitely can drink fluids. That’s important. They have to just be calorie-free beverages. So, water tea, coffee, coffee with your light sugary creamer in there. That’s calories, so that wouldn’t count. But yeah, water tea, anything calorie free, you can definitely sip on during the day, and that can definitely help for some people, at least with curbing some hunger.

Dr. Justin Clark: So, hydration, hydration, hydration.

Soleil Thiele: 100%, Yeah.

Dr. Justin Clark: We have a call from Jojo in Anchorage. Jojo, welcome to Line One.

Caller Jojo: Thanks so much. Great topic, guys. I’ve been listening. I got a question about intermittent fasting. Here’s briefly my story. When I was in my early teens, I noticed that if I ate anything before maybe 10 am, by 11am I was starving. And then I noticed if I didn’t eat anything, I could not be hungry till noon or one or two o’clock. So that just kind of became what I did mostly, and it’s mostly I just am not hungry. Never have been in the morning. In the past number of years, I’ve done different kinds of fasting. The past number of years, I’ve been not eating until between noon and three o’clock and then, like, a half a sandwich or something light, and then main meal at night. My problem is I’m now considered pre diabetic, and surprises, makes sense, slender and, you know, fairly sedentary, but there’s been a lot of talk back and forth about, “intermittent fasting and diabetes risk and early death risk” and all these things. It’s sort of vague, floating out there. Maybe you can clear the waters a little deeper?

Dr. Justin Clark: Certainly see what we can do here, Jojo. I’ll pose this question to Erika Van Calcar here first, our diabetes expert.

Thank you for the call, Jojo. Erika, what do you think? And also, I’d like to piggyback on Jojo’s question a little bit and talk about breakfast. Break-fast is the word that came from breaking the nighttime fast. We’ve always heard, my parents would say, well, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Is that true because it doesn’t seem to be true for Jojo? I’ll pose both of those questions to you.

Erika Van Calcar: I think that that brings up a really excellent point, and also an excellent question. I too, hear from a lot of people, and I’m sure Staci and Soleil as well. If I eat first thing in the morning I don’t feel good or then I’m starving by…you know. If I eat at eight, then I’m starving at like, 10 or 11, which then can be frustrating for some people, or they don’t feel like they should be eating that often. So back to the first question, is breakfast the most important meal of the day? I don’t know if there’s a really good, clear cut answer for that. As dietitians, we are groomed to say yes, if you look at the emerging interest in eating to our circadian rhythm, that also seems to hold true. That yes, eating breaking the fast kind of starting, even have, your your biggest meal as your body’s kind of gearing up, not necessarily based on, like the hour on the clock, but like when you actually are getting up and moving around, having that first meal is important. As to then eating, feeling hungry later on, what did you have for breakfast? I know, if I have a bowl of cereal first thing in the morning, well, I’m good for maybe about 30 minutes, and then I go from moderately satisfied to hangry, really quick. By 10-11, o’clock, I would not be a pleasant person to be around. So it may just be a matter of adjusting what you eat in the morning.

To go back to Jojo’s question of the “now, I’m pre-diabetic”, what does your eating pattern look like the rest of the day? And it may, I don’t want to say, be as simple as tweaking that, but maybe sitting down and talking with somebody about, what can I do to change the ratios of protein and carbohydrate to help even out my blood sugar a little bit, or maybe just get a little bit more active, that may help even things out a little bit.

Dr. Justin Clark: Good for Jojo to make an appointment and talk in more detail about that. A lot more questions got raised by that question than answered. Staci, posing Jojo’s question to you in terms of so should they be listening, it sounds like they’re listening to their body. How do you feel about people listening to their body in a way that may not fit with what you’ve learned in school?

Staci Kloster: That is one thing with breakfast. Because honestly, I’m not really a breakfast person. I don’t really care for a lot of breakfast foods, so then that doesn’t seem like I’m very excited to have breakfast. With that being said, I do also think it’s a difference between when are you actually getting up than when are you having your first meal? I don’t really care that it’s breakfast, per se, but are we going for long periods of time without eating? And then what does the rest of your day look like? For example, I mean, a lot of times I will wake up, but if I’m going to do a workout or do something, I don’t typically eat for probably the first three hours, but then I’m looking for something, and then eat pretty consistently throughout the day. I sometimes find it hard to tell patients to eat first thing in the morning, if they really don’t do well eating first thing in the morning, and it kind of sets their day as sluggish. Even having a bite or two of something, I think sometimes when we think of breakfast, we need to have, the bacon and the eggs and the pancakes, we have to have all of this food because, again, we’ve been told it’s your most important meal. But to me, I think you can also just have a little bit of something and move on from it.

Dr. Justin Clark: We’re going to take our quick break here, and we’ll come back and continue talking about fad diets. You’re listening to Line One, Your Health Connection. If you have a question or a comment for our guest today, call us statewide. 1-888-353-5752, in Anchorage, 907-550-8433. After this short break, we’ll continue our discussion on fad diets with Erika Van Calcar, Soleil Theile and Staci Kloster from Dietitians of Alaska.

Welcome back to Line One, Your Health Connection. I’m your host, Dr Justin Clark. I’m joined today by dietitians, Erika Van Calcar, Soleil Thiele and Staci Kloster from Dietitians of Alaska. Do you have questions about fad diets? If you have a question or a comment, call us toll free statewide at 1-888-353-5752, in Anchorage, 907-550-8433 or email us at lineone@AlaskaPublic.org

So we were talking a little bit about intermittent fasting, and I guess we have so many different diets we can talk about. But let me, let me ask you guys this: So keto, paleo, intermittent fasting, all of these things like, what are some of the good components to take from these diets? And then we can touch on, maybe – because there’s some danger to some of them for some patients. And so maybe we can talk about the good and the bad of fad diets. It doesn’t even have to be a particular diet, but maybe the habit. I don’t know where to start with this, but I’m going to put it on to Erika Van Calcar first in terms of maybe with keto or intermittent fasting, what’s good about those diets? What components would you like to see people do more of?

Erika Van Calcar: That’s a brilliant question and a hard question in the studies that have been done eith either low carb eating, intermittent fasting, low fat, If we want to compare all of those. Low fat diets, low fat, low carb, low fat, high protein, the list goes on and on and on. There are definitely some benefits. They’ve seen in research studies, weight loss improved insulin sensitivity, so your body just utilizes the energy that you put into it better, which can help either decrease blood sugar, prevent diabetes. Improvements in hypertension, improvements in or changes in cancer risk, so decreases in total and LDL, cholesterol and triglycerides. Even with the keto diet, there are some definite improvements in that lipid profile.

The consequences or the drawbacks, being that a lot of those studies are very short term and don’t have a lot of participants, or the dropout rate is really high, so they’re not getting a really good picture of what happens long term. In the short term, they’re seeing some pretty interesting results. But what happens long term? If I were to pick on the keto diet, what happens, let’s say, if you follow this exclusively for six months a year, two years. What happens to your liver? Do you all of a sudden get fatty liver, cirrhosis of the liver? What happens to your triglyceride levels? What happens to your kidneys? You know, if you’re prone to gout, that could be really problematic – eating even a moderately high protein diet. So with intermittent fasting too, are you fasting so long that then you’re not able to take in enough energy, enough vitamins and minerals, and so then are you ending up with deficiencies? So yeah, there are some really intriguing benefits to a lot of these things, but I think the long term consequence is we don’t know enough yet, just because we haven’t been able to study it enough.

Dr. Justin Clark: I do want to touch on an email that we got about intermittent fasting and potentially inhibiting the growth of cancer, which is an interesting question. I know you touched on that. Who wants to talk a little bit about keto, intermittent fasting and cancer? Is that an emerging thing?

Soleil Thiele: I mean, just bouncing off of what Erika Van Calcar just said. There’s research to show that intermittent fasting can kill off cancer cells. But, you have to look deeper into the research and see how many people are involved in this study? How long is this study? How many studies are there that are showing like, oh, yeah, we can replicate this multiple times? I mean, that’d be great if it does, but I do think there needs to be more research to back that claim up, because that’s a big claim.

Staci Kloster: I would also say just because you intermittent-fast doesn’t mean you have a healthy diet. So again, into with a lot of the studies, what is their diet when they are eating and so kind of the question back to, like the cancer, if you were intermittent fasting, just intermittent fasting, to me, doesn’t make it so that you have a higher prevalence of being, you know, risk free of cancer. But what are you eating when you are eating? Is it high in fruits and vegetables? Are you having antioxidants? You know, all of those things. So to me, your diet really does matter when you are eating, whether you’re intermittent fasting or not.

Dr. Justin Clark: Okay, interesting. So with our last six, seven minutes or so, we can talk about anything that you guys would like to talk about with these fad diets. But my question would be, over the years, there’s been lots of sort of wild ones out there, so I want to see what some of your favorites are that you guys have done or learned about or seen patients do. I know in my research, I came across the cabbage soup diet. I have no idea what that is. It sounds disgusting, but has anyone seen anybody on a cabbage soup diet?

Erika Van Calcar: I’ve had a few patients who have mentioned that very short term and a very noisy gut, let’s just say, on that diet. So long term, I will say this kind of, going back to the keto diet, and kind of pros cons that I have heard a number of patients say is that even if the keto diet wasn’t sustainable for them, the one thing that it did help with is kick their sugar cravings down a few notches. And so, that has stuck with them long term. So one of the pros, and I think a lot of these diets, that is sometimes what people are looking for – is to curb something, whether that is back to eating, how you’re eating, likely it’s going to presume and you didn’t have the sugar cravings that you did. Yeah, also, too with schooling to become a dietitian, I often would get questions asked about X, Y and Z diet. We tend to focus on more medical nutrition therapy, whereas diets, I did not have a class on the cabbage soup diets.

Dr. Justin Clark: Fair enough. Fair enough. Soleil, what about you? What have you seen out there that’s really been interesting for you?

Soleil Thiele: Well, I’ll mention the HCG diet because I’ve actually done that before, when I was in high school going through my I-don’t-like-my-body phase. That diet is extremely difficult. There’s different ways to do it. There’s an injection you can get of the hCG. There’s also, like this liquid dropper that you put under your tongue, which is what I did and basically, you take that injection or the little dropper, and you eat like 500 calories a day, focusing on protein and veggies, which are both good things, but 500/600 calories, is not sustainable for I don’t think anyone. So, yeah, that was kind of an intense diet, for sure.

Dr. Justin Clark: Yeah. Had a lot of patience on that, and the rebound effect from that diet?

Soleil Thiele: Immediately, I probably lost maybe 10 pounds. I didn’t do it for long. I maybe did it for like a week or two. I remember I went to LA with a friend, and all the good food in LA and I gained all the 10 pounds back in maybe two days. So it’s not a sustainable diet in any way, shape or form.

Dr. Justin Clark: Erika, what about you?

Erika Van Calcar: Just thinking about the ones out there, the South Beach, the HCG, gluten free, the cabbage, eating for your blood type, bright line, I think the zone was popular.

Staci Kloster: Bright line, I’ve heard that, which was, again, I think, like a 400-calorie. That one sounded extremely restrictive from that. I’ve heard from patients,

Dr. Justin Clark : Starvation is not a good long term strategy.

Staci Kloster: It isn’t.

Dr. Justin Clark : We have one more call. I think we can take Holly from Fairbanks. Welcome to Line One. We don’t have too much time, Holly. So hopefully we can get to your question here. Holly, are you there?

Caller Holly: Can you hear me?

Dr. Justin Clark: Yes, I hear you.

Caller Holly: Okay. I was just curious. So I’ve recently had to go on a gluten-free diet to help with inflammation, and I try to eat a balanced diet, but I feel like my body is still off, like I’m missing something, and I haven’t quite figured that out. So I’m just curious. If you guys have thoughts or advice for people who have to go on some kind of diet.

Dr. Justin Clark: Great question. Thanks, Holly

Erika Van Calcar: I just think email us to get an appointment, because I have so many more questions, Holly, than I feel like I can give answers, but I don’t know about Staci or Soleil. I think the biggest one would be, if you do have to go on to a way of eating that restricts a food group, and you know, grains would be a food group, I would talk to a medical professional that specializes in nutrition, medical nutrition therapy at least once, so you can make sure that you are getting a balanced diet. You are getting the vitamins, minerals, fiber, carbohydrate from other sources that you need. Just to make sure that you are hitting all of those benchmarks.

Dr. Justin Clark: We’ve seen gluten sensitivities popping up way more frequently, whether that’s just more awareness of it, or whether it’s happening more to be determined or debated, but certainly getting help from a medical professional, dietitian on what you need to be super helpful, I believe.

Well, we just have about one more minute here, unfortunately, last minute thoughts. Staci Kloster, anything for our listeners?

Staci Kloster: My take on several of these diets is that we didn’t get to touch on like the vegan diet, but you don’t have to be vegan to eat a vegetable. You don’t have to be gluten free to try other things that don’t contain gluten in them. So eating just a balanced diet, eating a variety of foods, I think would be kind of my takeaway from all of these diets.

Dr. Justin Clark: Yeah. Soleil, any last minute thoughts?

Soleil Thiele: I would say to those listening, if you are on a diet or following anything and you’re starting to feel guilty or shameful about what you’re eating or food in any way that is not a diet you should be on, you should not feel guilty and shameful about eating anything. And again, I would agree that if you’re struggling with mindset around food, or what diet you should be on, or any of that, then definitely reach out to us, and we’d be happy to talk to you.

Erika Van Calcar: Yeah, both of those. And also not all diets are safe, so really do talk to somebody before you start something, because you could be setting yourself up for some risk down the road.

Dr. Justin Clark: Great, great, great advice. Well, special thanks to our guests for being with us today, dietitians, Erika Van Calcar, Soleil Thiele from Dietitians of Alaska.

Thanks to our audio engineer, Chris Hyde and our producer, Madeline Rose.

You can find more information on this and previous programs on our website at alaskapublic.org. Let us know your thoughts or suggestions by emailing us at lineone@Alaska Public.org

This has been Line One, Your Health Connection. I’m your host, Dr. Justin Clark. Stay healthy, Alaska.

The post Line One: Dietitians of Alaska – Deconstructing fad diets appeared first on Dietitians of Alaska .

Jennifer B.

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 18:48:00 GMT

After bariatric surgery, Jennifer, an associate broker for a real estate company, continued to work with Staci Kloster, a registered dietitian at Dietitians of Alaska. The requirement to meet with her dietitian was annually, but Jennifer chose to go every 3 months to hold herself accountable and make sure she was hitting the goals she wanted to hit. This allowed her to adjust her diet as needed.

“You become very accustomed to eating certain foods with other foods. You have to realize that you don’t need all the things that are typically eaten together. It was hard knowing that I didn’t need it and it was ok if I didn’t have it. I still compulsively order foods but I’m not eating it all at one time. I can order a dinner and it will last me the next three or four meals. I have broken the habit of eating it all, but not yet ordering it all!” laughs Jennifer.

Through her journey, Jennifer learned that food doesn’t have to have the impact it used to have on her. “I can enjoy food without feeling bad about eating whatever I am eating. I can go out and do things and be healthy. I choose to make healthier choices now. My office is on the third floor and I choose to take the stairs instead of the elevator. With food, I tend to order items that I would have never ordered before because I’m not stuck in my old habits,” says Jennifer.

Since working with Staci, Jennifer has learned to listen to the signals her body sends letting her know she is getting full. This helps her readjust and make sure she is sticking to the tips she has learned, such as slowing down, thoroughly chewing her bites, and even putting her fork down for a while between bites. Jennifer says, “I look at it like this is my time to totally change because what I was doing was not working. With all the issues I had with my stomach and reintroducing foods, it really gave me time to reset what foods I ate and become accustomed to eating them. I don’t have food cravings anymore. Now if I want something sweet, I grab an apple.” Jennifer says she looks at food differently and also cooks differently for her family. “I am a lot more conscious of what I am feeding us.

“I love working with Staci so much,” says Jennifer. “I referred one of my friends to Staci and she is also working with my son. I recommend her 10 times over. I think Staci gets it and understands that everything is going to be different for everybody. As long as I’m getting my nutritional needs met, Staci gives me the freedom to eat what I want. She just wants me to be successful in whatever way I can!”

The post Jennifer B. appeared first on Dietitians of Alaska .

Jennifer, who has been a vegetarian since age 13, found out she had a gluten sensitivity. “The surgery forced me to introduce foods very slowly so I was able to figure out that I had a gluten sensitivity. I had zero interest in eating until Staci, my dietitian, had cleared me.”

Federica S.

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 17:32:00 GMT

“I’ve struggled throughout my entire life. During my childhood, my mom would fix our plates. I would eat that, but when I was putting my dish away, I would sneak more food. I’ve tried so many diets over the years and even bought pills from watching infomercials to try to lose weight. I did lose weight but gained it all back. After having my daughter, I lost the baby weight, but then gained more despite trying to exercise. Nothing helped,” says Federica, a social worker and speech/language pathologist.

Federica says she is focusing on healthy habits because it really does make a difference. With Erika’s help, she has allowed herself to change how she thinks about food and now recognizes it as fuel for her body.

“Through working with my dietitian, I am also more conscious of how much I eat and what I’m putting into my body. I still use a tracker to monitor my eating habits as I have found this helps me. Some other things I do is to try to make sure I eat from a smaller plate. I really try to make sure I listen to the cues of my body and just eat to the point when I feel I’m satisfied or when I just feel like I’m not hungry anymore. I wasn’t doing that before. It was hard to learn to make those changes. That’s the beauty of having a dietitian who you can have conversations with. So it’s with support that these changes can happen. It is something that you mentally have to wrap your mind around,” Federica shared.

“I told Erika that this is truly a lifelong journey. It’s a process. She agreed. I said I feel like I need to have all the answers. It’s been over a year. I should have all the answers. Erika told me, ‘No, it’s still a process.’ So that is one thing that I still work through is getting out of that mindset of that yo-yo diet or restrictive dieting,” said Federica.

Federica is very appreciative of the support she received from her dietitian after surgery and how it has helped her maintain success. She says, “They are here for you wholeheartedly. They really believe in what they do. Erika and the whole team are amazing!”

The post Federica S. appeared first on Dietitians of Alaska .

Federica decided to have bariatric surgery to jump-start her weight loss journey. Along that journey, she encountered Erika Van Calcar, registered dietitian, through Anchorage Bariatrics, a sister company of Dietitians of Alaska. After her recovery from gastric bypass surgery, Federica continued her appointments with her dietitian, Erika. Erika shared, “Federica is over a year post op from her bariatric surgery and she is doing very well with weight loss. She is changing her thinking and relationship with exercise and food.”

“I just felt like an entirely new person, even though I’d had weight loss success temporarily in the past, this felt different. This is like a lifetime; a whole mind change on how to do it for me,” states Federica.

Line One: Dietitians of Alaska – Exploring Diets

Tue, 14 May 2024 09:50:00 GMT

HOST: Dr. Justin Clark

GUESTS: Registered Dietitians with Dietitians of Alaska

Erika Van Calcar, MS, RD, LD
Soleil Thiele, RD, LD
Staci Kloster, RD, LD

Click HERE to listen.

Continue for a transcription of the audio show.

Dietitians of Alaska | Line One

Dr. Clark: Hello, good morning and welcome to Line One, Your Health Connection. I’m your host, Dr. Justin Clark. I am very excited about today’s show on Line One and we will be answering all of your questions about diets. There are many reasons someone may want to change their diet, such as weight loss, diabetes, heartburn, or maybe GI disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease. There are also endless types of diets out there such as Keto, Atkins, low calorie, low fat, low carb, intermittent fasting, gluten free and FODMAP. However, changing your diet is one of the hardest things for people to do long term. Having the help of a registered dietitian can make a huge difference. Today, I am pleased to be joined by three registered dietitians from Dietitians of Alaska, Erika Van Calcar, Soleil Thiele, and Staci Kloster. You can also be part of our conversation. If you have a question or a comment, please give us a call toll free statewide at 1-888-353-5752. In Anchorage at 907-550-8433. That’s 907-550-8433 or you can email me at lineone@alaskapublic.org. Well, I want to thank you guys all for being here today. We’re going to start with Erika Van Calcar. Thank you for being with us. I want to give you a chance to introduce yourself to our listeners and tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got to be a registered dietitian.

Erika: Thank you so much. So, long story with a lot of history. This year, I am celebrating my 20-year anniversary of being a registered dietitian and my 10-year anniversary of moving up to Alaska. So, this is kind of a big year for me. I am a transplant from Washington State and I became a registered dietitian because I have a passion for talking to people about food and honestly because I was in community college and my parents kind of gave me an ultimatum – it’s either find a job or find a career. And so, I flipped through the course catalog and found my career and I haven’t looked back and it’s been wonderful.

Dr. Clark: That’s great. Sounds like that’s an awesome story. Twenty years, I can’t believe it. Okay, and then, Soleil, welcome to Line One. Thanks for being with us today.

Soleil: Thank you. I’m a newer dietitian. I got my license around three years ago and my first job was actually starting at Anchorage Bariatrics and now Dietitians of Alaska. Erika is basically my mentor. She’s kind of taught me everything I know pretty much. But yeah, that’s kind of about me. I’m originally from California, but now, here in Alaska, and I love it.

Dr. Clark: Good. Well, thank you for being with us here today. And finally, Staci Kloster, welcome to Line One.

Staci: Thank you. I was born and raised in Alaska, always been my home, likely always will be. Went to UAA through the dietetics program. Did the internship here in Alaska, got to do some rural community things, got to see the great State of Alaska while doing it. What led me to become a registered dietitian was many, many moons ago, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and that just gave me a passion that, kind of one mold doesn’t fit everyone when it comes to their diet. So, that has led me down the career path of being a dietitian.

Dr. Clark: Great. Well, that personal experience certainly comes in handy with the patients you see, I imagine.

Staci: Yes, it does.

Dr. Clark: So let’s start with the basics. When someone says registered dietitian, Erika, I’ll start with you since you’re the senior partner here. But, what’s a registered dietitian? What do you consider it to be?

Erika: That’s a great question. And I defer back to, I guess, what a registered dietitian is technically speaking, because it is kind of confusing on social media. If you look online, it feels like the words “registered dietitian” and “nutritionist” are used fairly interchangeably. I think that’s where a lot of the confusion lies – is that a registered dietitian can also be a nutritionist, but a nutritionist can’t necessarily be a registered dietitian. There’s a little division in terms of credentialing there. So to be able to use the title of “registered dietitian” you need to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, like food science and nutrition, myself as an example, from an accredited institution. You have to complete 1200 hours of supervised and accredited work experience internship, you have to pass a nationally recognized exam that is regulated by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, and then every five years, you need to complete 75 hours of continuing education from approved sources, which includes at least one hour of professional ethics. So, there’s a lot involved there. To use the title of “nutritionist” is where it gets a little sticky. Every state is a little bit different. Some states have rules and regulations, some states don’t. So in those states, Joe Blow off the street, could say, “Hey, I’m a nutritionist” and, you know, there’s no regulation around that. Fortunately, up here in Alaska, we do have regulations. So you can go on to the state of Alaska website and actually look up what those regulations are. You can also do a licensure search for either a registered dietitian or a nutritionist. So, if you’re going to go talk to somebody, you can look up to make sure that they’re legitimate, they’ve done these things and they’re licensed in the state.

Dr. Clark: That’s very interesting. And so, Staci, we’ll flip to you next. I think you’re the most recently through the program. How long is the training to become a registered dietitian? And I guess we’ll start there.

Staci: So things have definitely actually even changed since I came through. Whereas now, in order to become a registered dietitian, you actually need to have your master’s degree. Up until 2024, if I am correct, you didn’t have to have a master’s degree. So some of the internships that have now kind of morphed into the master’s program, there is one here at UAA. I know that when I was going through the program, they were offering that as an option, but you essentially had to complete your exam by a certain date of 2024. Otherwise, else, you needed a master’s degree. So things are kind of changing on the horizon as far as the credentialing or schooling that you need to do now. It’s a bit longer.

Dr. Clark: So, Soleil to talk a little bit about the nutritionist versus dietitian and you can put this if you want, but what do you see either from your patients asking or from your own education about what are the the two differences in what a nutritionist will do for you versus a registered dietitian?

Soleil: Well, dietitians are the experts on nutrition. Nutritionist, it’s hard because there are some nutritionists out there who do go through programs you have to pay for and they can give good general nutrition advice. What a nutritionist can’t do is they can’t provide new medical nutrition therapy. So if someone has diabetes or heart disease or something like Crohn’s disease, that person would probably want to go see a dietitian because they’d be able to give you better medical advice compared to a nutritionist where they don’t learn that through their nutrition programs, through something like personal training certifications and things like that. So that’s, I would say, the main difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian.

Dr. Clark: Excellent. Erika, anything to add to that?

Erika: No, I think that about covers it.

Dr. Clark: Good. So, it sounds like the training is quite involved. I mean, you said 1200 hours of actual internship and I imagine that involves several different aspects of nutrition. So there’s inpatient and outpatient and all of you guys are outpatient therapists, so working with patients outside the hospital. But does your training also involve working inside the hospital? Start with Erika.

Erika: Yes. With my internship, I did it at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. And then that was where, because I have a master’s, and so that’s kind of where the master’s program went. The University Hospitals of Cleveland is where I did most of my internship and I would say, a good 80% of it was actually in hospital work. I was in the ICU, I did the NICU, I did the PICU, General med surg floors, hemodialysis units, so yep, all over. There’s quite a bit of time you actually spend in the kitchen as well, so it’s a lot of everything.

Dr. Clark: Good. Well, let me give our listeners our calling numbers again and then we’re going to get into the nitty gritty of these calories and diets and stuff, which I’m excited to hear about. The caller number statewide is 1-888-353-5752. In Anchorage, 907-550-8433, or email at lineone@alaskapublic.org. Okay, well, we do have an email, and I want to get to that in a minute. That’s regarding diet and cancer. But let’s get some of the basics out of the way first. And so, Staci, I think you’re up here. What is a calorie?

Staci: In the most basic form, the amount of energy that is released by the body when you ingest something. So, when you look at nutrition labels, and you see that a food has X amount of calories, then it is the amount of energy that that food is going to give you.

Dr. Clark: Awesome and so it’s very complicated.

Staci: It definitely can be and I think that’s also going back to perhaps dietitian versus nutritionist, then also to the amount of science that is needed to become a registered dietitian, is oftentimes very shocking. The amount of just science behind it all.

Dr. Clark: And I’m always curious, I mean, because calories are a standard thing. So it’s a standard amount of energy, or, you know, as you described it, but then, people burn calories very, very differently. So it doesn’t exactly correspond to one person’s particular amount of energy expenditure. Would that be okay to say?

Staci: Yes, I also think that skipping ahead, when we see the 2000 calories a day, it doesn’t fit the mold for everybody, because everybody is burning and taking differently.

Dr. Clark: Let’s talk about that. Soleil, what’s your feeling on this 2000-calorie a day diet? Like, where did that even come from? I mean, is there any history behind it? Is there any utility to it? Or is it just like a good number to use?

Soleil: I don’t know. I literally don’t know the history. I’m sure Erika probably researched that better than I did. But like Staci said, I mean, throwing 2000 calories at someone, that is not individualized whatsoever – everyone’s metabolism is different. You have to think about total daily energy expenditure, which is your basal metabolic rate, your resting metabolic rate, the thermic effect of food for instance, protein. You take less calories from protein and other foods, so that’s why like protein, heavy diets are sometimes a good thing, but there’s a lot that goes into it. Everyone is so different. You can’t just slap a number. Like, if you sign up for my fitness pal, a really popular tracking app, it usually spits a number at you and it’s like, okay, why is this number being spit at me right now? Erika might have more information on the 2000 calories.

Erika: I want to say that it goes back to the old food guide pyramid needing to give just a general guideline and just use something. I think that that’s where the 2000-calorie diet example came from. And really, where it’s used more often is on food labels. You’ll see the food label and give you the serving size, the number of servings per package, and then it goes down and grams of fat, grams of sodium, grams of protein and then on the very far right, it gives you these percentages, which are horribly confusing. But, they’re all percent that will give you based on a 2000-calorie diet, which for most of us, is just not applicable. So, I’m actually kind of surprised that they haven’t gotten rid of it by now. Just because not many of us eat exactly 2000 calories every day.

Dr. Clark: Yeah, I imagine there has to be some sort standard or, I mean, not per person, but in order to generalize a food label. I’m sure they had to pick some sort of number. But well, before we get into some more interesting questions, I wanted to ask you guys about an email here from Larry. A little complicated, but Larry had prostate cancer and he wanted to know if there was any particular diets that are used to per se, suppress cancer growth or spread, or also hormone driven cancers, like breast and prostate. Just to give some background, he’s also a type 2 diabetic with a BMI of 23. So, any thoughts for Larry and we’ll start with Erika, here. Tough question, but I’m sure there is some science behind this.

Erika: Yeah, one of my rotations was actually in an oncology unit. But Larry, forgive me, it’s been 20 years, since I’ve worked in oncology. For most cancers, there’s no good solid, peer-reviewed research on this particular diet that would help to suppress, prevent and cure cancer. There’s a lot of good correlation or connection, let’s say, between a more Mediterranean way of eating, more whole food, less processed food. But specific – a specific diet, specific foods, not that I recall.

Dr. Clark: What about things like, per se, what they call now super foods or something or low oxidative stuff? Is there any utility, I imagine it’s not bad, but is there anything specific that would help? You know, maybe suppress or….

Erika: Again, this is just my opinion, but I think almost every food can be a superfood on its own right. Every food from the blueberry to the watermelon to the carrot to the chicken breast. If you want to continue down the road of superfood, it has its own superpower, it has its own benefit at its own right. I think the trouble we run into with labeling something a superfood is that people tend to then fixate on that one particular thing and it’s going to be “the thing” at the expense of everything else. I think that’s doing the individual a disservice. I think you’re eating again, more whole foods, less processed food, and a wide variety is going to do the individual a better service.

Dr. Clark: So pose the same question. Soleil, Staci, any thoughts on diets for cancer related things?

Staci: This is Staci speaking, but I have to agree with Erika just as far as the Mediterranean diet. It seems like in a lot of research, things go back to the Mediterranean diet, mainly for that kind of whole food approach. If you think of having an apple versus having some apple juice, trying to have things that are less processed, whole foods, you’re gonna get kind of more of that superpower from that food. But also, like Erika said, I don’t think that there is one very specific honed-in diet that is going to cure all of those things that we want a diet to do for cancer.

Dr. Clark: Okay, awesome. I remember someone telling me once and I can’t remember who it was, but as you know, there’s vitamins and maybe we’ll get into that if we have time. But, you know, they’re like, it’s not the beta carotene and the vitamin, it’s the carrot. It’s eating the carrot that provides the benefit, not the individual supplement that comes out of the carrot. Does that make sense? Soleil?

Soleil: I think getting the whole form of a food is the best thing you can do. That’s where you’re getting the fiber and the nutrition like you’re talking about. I want to add to the cancer thing. Eating enough, especially if you’re going through cancer treatment, a dietitian can help with making sure you’re getting the right amount of calories and nutrients. Because going through cancer treatment, there’s muscle wasting that sometimes happens there depending on what kind of cancer you have. And so I think just eating enough, even if it’s through liquids, I think is super important. We don’t want wasting, so just making sure you’re getting the calories in there.

Dr. Clark: Good. Well, we’re going to take a quick break. You’re listening to Line One, Your Health Connection. If you have a question or a comment for our guests today, call us statewide at 1-888-353-5752 or in Anchorage at 907-550-8433. After the short break, we’ll continue our discussion on everything diet related with Erika Van Calcar, Soleil Thiele, and Staci Kloster from Dietitians of Alaska.

Welcome back to Line One, Your Health Connection. I’m your host, Dr. Justin Clark. I’m joined today by registered dietitians, Erika Van Calcar, Soleil Thiele, and Staci Kloster from Dietitians of Alaska. Do you have questions about what a calorie is? Or how many calories a day are recommended? What about if tracking your diet is effective? If you have a question or a comment, call us toll free statewide at 1-888-353-5752 or in Anchorage at 907-550-8433 or email us at LineOne@Alaskapublic.org. Okay, so I got some more fun questions for you guys. I want to know about macros. I hear all the time you need a certain number of macros or the breakdown of the calories. Who wants to start here and describe what a macro is? No one is raising their hand. So I’m going to say Soleil. What is a macro?

Soleil: So macros are three things that all foods have – carbs, carbohydrates, fat, and protein. There are suggestions for those. General suggestion is getting 45% – 65% of your calories from carbohydrates, 20% – 35% of your calories from fat and 10% – 35% of calories from protein. Very general, but that’s basically the gist of what macronutrients are.

Dr. Clark: Okay, so every food or I mean not every food but almost all foods are going to have three different components to them. And then you collect these up throughout the day, saying in general, your general diet should have a percentage of each of these. Okay, so let’s get into each of them a little bit because it’s so confusing to me anyway. Erika, okay. What is a carbohydrate?

Erika: So, a carbohydrate – think of it as if we’re using gasoline as an example. It’s almost like the nitrous oxide that you would put in a sports car to make it go really fast. It’s probably the most easy to access energy in a food. From that, there are different classifications of carbohydrates – there is a complex carbohydrate and there is a simple carbohydrate without getting into the chemistry of everything because we don’t want to do that. Basically, think of a complex carbohydrate as coming the way nature packaged it. So, like a bowl of potato out of the ground, that is considered a complex carbohydrate – it has fiber, it has a little bit of water, it’s gonna take longer for the body to get through it. Brown rice would be another example of a complex carbohydrate and apple could be another example of a complex carbohydrate. Then, you have simple carbohydrates. Basically, those just don’t take as much to get digested and converted into energy by the body. The best example of a simple carbohydrate could be just regular table sugar. It doesn’t take long at all for the body to break it down. That’s why it’s so good to use it with somebody who’s diabetic, who’s having low blood sugar. It takes very little time for that carbohydrate, that energy to get into the bloodstream. And so, we’ve got the whole food carbohydrate, we’ve got the more processed food carbohydrate, neither one of those is good or bad, because food does not have morality. It just is what it is. But, it’s generally recommended that the diet contain more complex carbohydrates than it does simple or more processed carbohydrates.

Dr. Clark: Okay, so it’s like white rice would be like a simple carbohydrate or like candy bars?

Erika: Candy bar, yes. I think you know, white rice, and I’m glad you brought that up, it is more processed. To make white rice, you have to take off that fiber-rich hull and they did that back, I want to say, like World War 1, 2, to make it more shelf stable. So it’s sat on the shelves here longer, could be transported, you know, overseas to the soldiers and wouldn’t go rancid. So it’s going to be digested quicker, but that’s not to say that it shouldn’t be consumed. I mean, most cultures nowadays do use white rice or a form of white rice. So that’s kind of a sticky area.

Dr. Clark: Well, I see what you did there. And I like it. Okay, so Staci, you get the fats. Okay. But first, you can comment on anything carb related and then you can add in the fats.

Staci: I did want to comment on carb-related only because when it comes to simple and complex carbohydrates, I think in general, when kind of like the 2000 calories suggestion, it’s more of like the general population. Just going back to like having Crohn’s, for somebody who has a GI disorder, oftentimes, having those more complex carbohydrates isn’t the best thing for my body. Being able to recognize that, having a dietitian walk you through that, that doesn’t mean I always have to have the apple sauce, but maybe I could peel the apple and not have quite as much fiber. Kind of those little hidden gems to make it more individualized so that you still get the whole food but maybe not the whole food. So fat is up to me, oh gosh.

Dr. Clark: I look at a label and I see saturated, unsaturated, trans fats. I don’t know the difference, like what’s good? What’s bad?

Staci: I think fats have been very popular in the diet world with the keto diet, if I might say that word on radio, I’m sure we’re gonna get into that. But with fats, knowing the difference between healthy fats, getting things from like, nuts, avocados, salmon, versus having some of those fats that you’re getting through more processed foods, I think it goes back to that. Having whole foods versus the processed foods still applies with that fat. Thinking that, just going on a very basic level of trying to eat fats from whole food sources as opposed to going to the more processed, then you should be ahead of the game.

Dr. Clark: Okay, so, before I go to protein with Soleil, we have a call from Trevor in Anchorage. Trevor, welcome to Line One.

Trevor: Thanks, loving the conversation. You know, my big question is about health related to and nutrition related to milk. Milk from the cows, there’s different types and then you add all the nuts and the oats and all these others, and really just trying to understand what are the health benefits of one over the other and how to best select it?

Dr. Clark: Well, that’s a great question, Trevor. I will pose that here to our dietitians. I’ll have you take the answer off the air. Okay, so just to summarize, for everyone, there’s cow milk and I know there’s fat-free, low fat, whole milk, a bunch of additives and then there’s oat and soy and coconut and all the other types of milk. So, who wants to tackle this question? Again, no hands, but everyone’s looking at Staci.

Soleil: I was gonna say, Staci, because there’s fat and milk. I mean, that’s a big part of it. But there’s also carbs and there’s also protein, so they have all those macros.

Staci: That is where again, I’m going to go individualize that A) can you process lactose that isn’t milk? If you can’t, then that takes some cow milk off of the table. So that would probably…if you get GI upset, if you have like constant diarrhea, then you’re intaking something that you’re not going to be absorbing and getting the nutrients from anyways. So then, having those alternative milks would be probably a better healthy alternative for you. If you are like me, and I just don’t like the taste of milk, so it’s hard for me to get over that, then I turn to alternative milks. But, what am I looking for in my diet? Am I looking for something that is going to give me some of those carbohydrates? Am I looking for something that’s going to give me a little bit more protein? Because maybe that’s harder for me to get, then that would be kind of more the direction. It’s very hard to recommend a product if the person, the patient, doesn’t actually like it. It doesn’t really matter whether it is the most super food, everything that is in my fridge, on my counter, but if I won’t physically eat it, it really doesn’t do me any good. So, I think also pairing that with what you like or can tolerate is a big component to it. I’m not sure if that answers your question or not.

Dr. Clark: I think it does. It depends a lot on what someone can tolerate and what they like and there’s not necessarily a bad product or a good product. What I’m hearing today is, everything is individualized and if you truly have questions that you want individual answers to, then you have to see a registered dietitian. Would that be a fair statement?

Staci: Yes.

Dr. Clark: Okay, well thank you Trevor, that was a great question. I have another email I want to get to, but I want to give Soleil her opportunity to discuss the protein and any comments on carbs and fats.

Soleil: Okay, the only thing I’ll say about carbs is that carbs are not the devil. I feel like everyone thinks carbs are the worst thing and you shouldn’t be eating carbs. They’re so so so so so important, especially if you exercise, and the fiber there with the complex carbs that Erika discussed. Carbs aren’t the devil, most diets out there these days, like keto, they cut out the carbs. I don’t agree with that personally. Everyone’s different, of course, but yeah, I just think carbs are important and everyone should be eating carbs. So that’s what I’ll say. Protein wise, I think protein is just as important. Protein is the building blocks of muscle. It’s the building blocks of enzymes that your body uses, like, literally, your body uses every bit of protein that you eat. And you can get protein from numerous sources, it doesn’t just have to be your meat, your fish, which are great sources, but you can also get protein through plant foods to beans. Tofu is a great source. What else, lentils, veggie burgers, and things like that out there these days. But yeah, I guess that’s kind of the gist of protein. Very important to, again, maintain that muscle mass. I think that it’s super important to maintain the muscle mass for your life, because at some point, you do start to lose your muscle as you get older and older. So you want to have as much muscle as you can to prevent being frail or anything like that in your older years.

Erika: Everyone’s looking at Erika, for some reason.

Dr. Clark: You’re not that old, Erika.

Erika: I’m the oldest one in the room.

Dr. Clark: I know Staci has a comment on that. But I’m going to ask you this Soleil, because I left protein to you specifically, can you get enough protein if you are a vegetarian?

Soleil: 100%. Yes. Like I said, tofu, lentils. I do something called Seitan, which sounds funny, but it’s basically wheat gluten. So obviously, if you have celiac or you don’t tolerate gluten, this wouldn’t be something for you, but packed with protein and incredible amounts of protein. Of course, protein powders are out there too. I definitely have a protein shake most days or just a scoop of protein and something that’s helpful, but there are some things you have to consider. The amino acids are very important for building your muscle. One of them is called leucine, it’s one of your vital essential amino acids. Typically plant proteins aren’t as strong in that compared to your meat-based proteins, dairy based proteins. But still, you can definitely get your protein and it’s not a problem at all.

Staci: Moreso, the comment that I just wanted to make, just because we had talked about calories, is that, to note that both carbohydrates, protein, they both have four calories per gram, whereas fat has nine. So, I just wanted to throw that out there since we had also mentioned calories. If you are thinking of the 2000 calorie diet or 2200, whatever the case may be, what your ratios would be and how many calories you’re gonna get from each one of those macronutrients.

Dr. Clark: So, you don’t have to eat a lot of fat to hit a lot of calories. Okay. All right. I have an email here from Deborah. So this will piggyback a little bit on your frailty comment Soleil, but she wants to know if there’s specifically diets for seniors as people get a little bit older and in (let me read the rest of her email), but it seems like there are certain foods that are more problematic as you get older and she’s specifically saying they want her to eat higher fiber foods. But eating higher fiber foods like later in the day causes problems. So are there any diet suggestions for, I guess, for seniors would be the general question. And Erika, since you’re the senior of the room, as you pointed out, I will post this to you.

Erika: Low blow! Just understanding the question, Deborah is looking for a general kind of diet advice for as you get older?

Dr. Clark: It seems as if it takes longer to digest my food as I age. Particularly problematic seems to be eating high fiber foods later in the day, while at the same time needing to eat more high fiber foods.

Erika: I gotcha. I think that we can definitely give, you know, kind of general stuff now. This may be another good opportunity to just, maybe even like one appointment with a dietitian. Because then, you and either he or she, because dietitians can be men, you can go over the particular foods that you’re eating. There may then be some suggestions. Okay, this and this are causing you issues, let’s just hypothetically, say like broccoli, cabbage, which tend to be fairly high in fiber, some of the common gassy vegetables. And so, it can cause some GI upset, bloating, gas, maybe even diarrhea, and a dietitian could then work with you and say these may also be good choices, but may cause less GI upset. Another example with fiber could be beans. Beans are really high in fiber, but if you think about your black bean, your red bean, your kidney bean, sometimes those can cause a lot of gas. Lentils tend to be fairly comparable in terms of fiber, but not as gassy. Like Staci was saying with the apple and Crohn’s Colitis. Even a peeled apple still has quite a bit of fiber, but you’re taking away some of the insoluble fiber and leaving more of the soluble fiber. My dad calls it “defarting the apple”, which is kind of a beautiful example and those who know, you just know. So, it may be for Deborah, taking a look, just like writing down what foods are causing her an issue and then meeting with somebody to just get different advice on okay, you know, these are some substitutions or things you can add to your diet.

Dr. Clark: Great. Well, we’re going to take our second and last little break here. You’re listening to Line One, Your Health Connection. If you have a question or a comment for our guests today call us statewide at 1-888-353-5752 or in Anchorage at 907-550-8433. After the short break, we will continue our discussion on everything diet related with Erika Van Calcar, Soleil Thiele and Staci Kloster from Dietitians of Alaska. Welcome back to Line One, Your Health Connection. I’m your host, Dr. Justin Clark. I am joined by registered dietitians, Erika Van Calcar, Soleil Thiele and Staci Kloster from Dietitians of Alaska. If you have a question or a comment, call us toll free statewide 1-888-353-5752 or in Anchorage, 907-550-8433, or email us at lineone@alaskapublic.org. We have a call from Kristen on line one. Kristen, welcome to Line One.

Kristen: Thank you. Thank you. My question is that as we’re going into the holiday season here, and people will be having get togethers and parties, what would be a good menu to set up for a nutritious and healthy, but still fabulous Christmas dinner?

Dr. Clark: Love it. Love it. Thanks, Kristen. Thank you for the question, Staci.

Staci: Well, I mean, if I had my choice, I would say some deer backstraps, some king crab and a side of shrimp. But, I do think when it comes to the holidays and you’re not just cooking for yourself, which I think sometimes can be a bit overwhelming, you’re trying to put on the presentation, feed the masses, appeal to the tastebuds, all of those things… I think incorporating your basic things where you have a protein, you have your carbohydrates, you have some healthy fats in there, and then you can’t really go wrong.

Dr. Clark: Okay, I like it. So what about a sweet potato souffle thing with lots of marshmallows on top?

Staci: Maybe marshmallows on half, for those who don’t want marshmallows, but….

Dr. Clark: Good. So there’s good proteins. There’s gonna be good proteins. You mentioned shrimp, I mean game meats, there’s always turkey and things like that involved, but also a good variety of carbohydrates, complex carbs, whole foods, less processed stuff.

Staci: Yes and I think sometimes we get into that – that everything needs gravy or sauce to make it decadent, when just some like perfectly steamed broccoli can go a long way. I think don’t try to overthink. It is my advice, I guess. Just make sure that you have a protein or maybe have a few different proteins, you have some healthy fats, you have some complex carbohydrates that if you want to try something different go for some quinoa or brown rice. If you’re looking for a new recipe, try something outside of the box that you don’t typically do.

Dr. Clark: Awesome. All right, Erika.

Erika: To piggyback on that, reminding folks that Christmas dinner, or even if we think back like Thanksgiving dinner, it’s just one meal. And so yes, I’m in 100% full support, and maybe not marshmallow the bejesus out of the already perfect sweet potatoes, or instead of two cans of cream of mushroom soup with the green bean casserole, if you can do it with one can and maybe a little whole milk. So making those changes, but then too it’s like, okay, this is just a meal… How can you set up the rest of that day, that week, to support whatever goal you have? So maybe the house isn’t full to the brim with cookies and pastries, that you find yourself being tempted with, or you’re having an agreement with your friends, your co-workers of the non-food presents, or having your guests take food home with them if you struggle with leftovers. So, I think doing what you can with your Thanksgiving dinner, or like the Christmas dinner, but also recognizing that it’s just one meal and you’re looking at the rest of the day, and the rest of the week, as well and just trying to, you know, doing what you can to make things look more balanced within that entire week.

Dr. Clark: Great. I think that’s great advice, as well. We have another call from Gene in Wasilla. Hello, Gene. Welcome to Line One.

Gene: Hi. How are you doing there?

Dr. Clark: Great. Great. What can we answer for you?

Gene: Well, I have a question about one of my favorite things. It is a salad with purple cabbage and carrots and then I put a lot of olive oil on it and balsamic vinegar. I’m wondering, these have been very good for me for when I want to lose a little bit of weight. What is the effect of olive oil on a diet like that? Does that help promote weight loss? What do you think is working for me or why is it working?

Dr. Clark: Yeah, yeah, that’s a great question, Gene. Thank you. I wonder if it’s partly you’re transitioning to just eating the salads too. It might be helping with some of the weight loss. But oils are not all created equal and so Soleil, why don’t we have you talk a little bit about olive oil or other oils or if there’s a weight or health benefit to the oils.

Soleil: Olive oil is definitely a good choice. It is part of the Mediterranean diet. It is considered anti-inflammatory. If you want to say that. When it comes to weight loss, you really have to pay attention to the oils because one tablespoon of olive oil is probably over 100 calories. Just that and if you’re not measuring, you could be doing four or five tablespoons of olive oil on your salad. That could be an extra 500+ calories you’re adding to your day, which could definitely lead to weight gain for some people. So, it’s a good choice – I would just say be mindful of how much you’re using and make sure you’re measuring it out a little bit better if you’re not measuring it. But yes, olive oil is a good choice. I think monounsaturated oils, olive oil, avocado oil is a good choice, especially if you’re baking something or grilling something in a pan. But when it comes to weight loss, definitely just be mindful of those fats as Staci said earlier, one gram of fat equals nine calories. So it can really add up for sure.

Dr. Clark: So it goes a long way. I mean, I heard at one point that, when researching the Mediterranean diet, that sometimes eating olive oil with bread, or carbohydrates sort of limits the absorption of the carbohydrates. Is there any potential truth to that? Or is that kind of just an old wives tale?

Erika: This is Erika. And yes, there’s some validity to that, in that fats and proteins do slow down digestion. And so, getting back to to the color, I think you’re on the right track in terms of just adding in the salad, the fiber. The salad sounds very fiber rich, very filling, very bulking, which gives you that initial sense of fullness, but then the fat in the olive oil helps to slow down digestion a little bit, so you feel more satisfied or more full, longer. Same with the bread, the fat is going to prevent the mixture of all that food. It’s going to prevent it from leaving the stomach faster than it would if you just ate the bread alone. Again, if we go back to talking about eating with diabetes, and we want to slow that release of carbohydrate, of sugar into the bloodstream, we tend to pair most things with protein. Most proteins contain fat, so you’ve got then to use a big word, that synergistic effect to slow things down.

Dr. Clark: That’s super interesting. So what I’m taking from this is that not all oils are created equal. There are some oils that are better like olive oil or avocado oil, things like that, rather than say, like vegetable oil, or canola oil or something like that. But you have to be careful because they are calorie dense. So, substituting that from like a ranch or something, could be good. But if you’re using more olive oil, then you may be negating the effects. Would that be fair to say? Got it? Well, gosh, the time has flown, we only have about three, four minutes left, we did not get to a lot of the specific diets. So it gives us a reason to have you all back on the show. Okay, the one thing I do want to hit in the last four minutes, because we’ve mentioned it several times, is keto. I know no one really wants to talk about keto, because it’s a hot subject. But, what’s the keto diet? Is it effective? Who would benefit? Anybody want to tackle this in three minutes?

Erika: This is Erika and I’m not sure if I can do that in three minutes. But, it is kind of my pet peeve. It is kind of my passion. I think I’m going to answer your question and I think it’s important with any, I’m going to use the word fad diet, that we understand the origins and I think the ketogenic diet is a beautiful example of that. In that, long story short, the ketogenic diet was first coined, I want to say in the early 1900s, by a doctor at, I believe, the Mayo Clinic for the treatment of pediatric epilepsy. It’s a medical diet, again, for the treatment of pediatric epilepsy. It was never intended to be for weight loss, or weight management. It came about as they looked at the management of seizures in children and young adults when they were fasted. They found that in the blood of these individuals, they found ketone bodies and it developed from there. It’s very restrictive. I had a patient actually not that long ago, or a few years ago now, whose son was actually on the ketogenic diet for pediatric epilepsy, and his diet was 90 percent fat. That’s a lot of fat, so restrictive. In about 2003 is when they finally started to use a modified Atkins diet because it is lower in carbohydrates. It is going to put an individual in that ketogenic state to get those ketone bodies released which – don’t ask me what it does to the brain, but so that people could eat a less restrictive diet. How then that worked its way into kind of the mainstream, Staci and I were actually looking for a timeline before we showed up here and…

Dr. Clark: Well, I guess you got out of that question Erika. We have to roll up here. If you want to see a registered dietitian, you can go to their website at dietitiansofalaska.com or call 907-644-8445. Special thanks to our guests for being with us today. Registered Dietitians, Erika Van Calcar, Soleil Thiele, and Staci Kloster from Dietitians of Alaska. Thanks to our audio engineer Chris Hyde and producer Madeline Rose. You can find more information on this and previous programs on our website at Alaskapublic.org. Let us know your thoughts or suggestions by emailing us at lineone@alaskapublic.org This has been Line One your health connection. I’m your host Dr. Justin Clark, stay healthy Alaska.

Announcer: Line One is a production of Alaska Public Media which is solely responsible for its content. Views expressed are those of the hosts and participants and not necessarily those of Alaska Public Media this station or its underwriters. Learn more about Line One and listen online at Alaskapublic.org. This is Alaska Public Media.

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