Food and nutrition professionals everywhere are celebrating March as National Nutrition Month®. What started in March of 1973 as National Nutrition Week grew into a month-long celebration by 1980 due to the rising interest in nutrition. The American Dietetic Association (now known as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics or AND) started this campaign to bring education and awareness of nutrition and health. The American Dietetic Association’s (ADA) original purpose “to increase the public’s awareness of the importance of good nutrition and position ADA members as the authority in nutrition” remains the central focus today. This year’s theme is “Put Your Best Fork Forward”. Check out the National Nutrition Month website from AND for more information. March 8 is also Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist Day. So to all of my fellow nutritionists out there, “Happy RD Day”! It is an honor and privilege to be able to help others find health through good nutrition. There is so much controversial and just plain bad information out there today that it is refreshing to hear sound nutrition advice based on scientific research from a credible source. Registered dietitian/nutritionists must follow a Code of Ethics to practice in a manner that is consistent with current scientific research and recommended dietary guidelines. Required continuing education of 15 hours every year helps RDNs stay up to date on the latest research. To locate a qualified nutrition professional that is registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR) and licensed to practice in your area, click here.
This month I will be focusing on the recommendations found in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, latest diet trends and what research says about the components of a healthy diet. The connection between diet and disease has been realized for a long time but science is just now starting to understand how food interacts with the cells in our body to produce health or disease. I find nutrition fascinating and hope you do too as we look at the many aspects of a healthy diet. Feel free to join in with your comments below. I know there are as many different opinions about diet as there are people, but I look forward to a polite sharing of views on this important topic. 🙂
There was much discussion prior to the committee releasing the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Do you feel the guidelines are in line with current research? Why or why not? What do you think should have been included or changed in the new guidelines?