I have a guest post to share today from Jacklyn, who is a dietetics student in Canada!
Hi guys! I’m Jacklyn and I blog over at Jack’s Balancing Act. I’m studying dietetics at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and am absolutely in love with my program. I’ve always liked school but spending my days gaining knowledge that is so applicable to my daily life just makes me giddy. The fact that I’ll finish the program as a Registered Dietitian is just sort of an added bonus.
Two years into my four and a half year program, I have learned a lot. I can ramble off biochemical pathways and tell you all about the gastrointestinal tract of herbivores. But today I thought I’d outline a few of the “bigger picture” lessons that have really resonated with me.
1. Food Marketers are really good at what they do
Even though I did quite a bit of nutrition-related reading before starting my degree, I realize now that I was definitely prey to some food marketing. And hey, props to them for being so good at what they do. But unfortunately, it makes for a bit more work for us to distinguish the claims that are truly evidence-based and those that are just a sneaky way of making more profit. I gobbled up labels like “all-natural”. But the truth of the matter is that the earth creates some wonderful things that still shouldn’t be considered “health foods”. Maple syrup is delicious and does indeed contain trace minerals and antioxidants; but at the end of the day, consuming too much sugar from maple syrup or consuming too much sugar from high-fructose corn syrup still means consuming too much sugar. I now do my best to ignore all writing on packages that isn’t either the ingredients or nutrition facts.
2. Osteoporosis is something to start thinking about when you (or your kids) are young
As little as six months ago, I filed osteoporosis on a list of matters as concerning to me as getting hot flashes and my hair going grey. In other words, it was something I NEVER thought about. But this year one of my profs continually reiterated the line “osteoporosis is a pediatric disease” and the statement really does make a lot of sense. Essentially, our bone mass peaks when we’re quite young; typically just before 20 in females and shortly after 20 in males (source). We maintain that mass for a while but then start gradually losing bone when we hit our mid-30s. So the greater we can manage to get our peak bone mass, the more we can lose before we start being at risk of symptoms of osteoporosis. If and when I one day become a mom, the bone health of my kids is something that will really be on my radar. I hope that with time people develop a better understanding of this condition and its prevention.
3. Food and culture are deeply intertwined
I am slowly beginning the process of practicing mock one-on-one nutrition consultations at school. Before starting, I figured that the advice I gave each person would be pretty similar. But what I’m realizing is that there is such a complex network of factors that affect what and why people eat the way they do. And more importantly, I’m realizing that this network shouldn’t be ignored but embraced. How wonderful is it that different cultures gravitate toward and appreciate different flavours? So if you live on a coast and have access to fresh fish from around the corner, centering many of your meals around seafood makes every bit of sense. On the other hand, if your culture is meat-loving, focusing on eating high-quality and well-prepared meat as a protein source a few times a week is perfectly reasonable. Don’t feel like you need to eat the way your favourite blogger or your fit co-worker eats to be healthy. Work with the foods you love… it may take a bit of tailoring but I promise it has the potential to be wholesome!
4. At the end of the day, foods aren’t “good” or “bad”
As I learn more about how the body processes what we eat, I realize that digestion is one heck of a complicated mechanism. Seriously, how incredible are our bodies?! The fate of a food after we swallow it depends on what else we’re eating it with, what we’re doing while we eat it and whether our individual body is equipped to break it down. It seems to take many people by surprise when I say that I have loosened up my diet since starting my path to become a dietitian. But I no longer view foods as existing either in the “healthy” or “unhealthy” camp. As Kath so wonderfully demonstrates day in and day out, real food can be so varied and delicious. To me, assigning them as “good” or “bad” is an oversimplification of our digestive system and a sure-fire way of inducing food guilt upon ourselves. So instead, I do my best to eat foods that haven’t changed too much since they’ve come out of the ground and that make me feel alive.
Jacklyn Villeneuve is a twenty year old dietetics student whose ideal day includes delicious food, a quaint coffee shop, lots of movement and great company. She recently started blogging at Jack’s Balancing Act, where she shares her journey to a balanced lifestyle.
Kate says
Great words. One of the things I’ve realized as a dietetic student is how differently most dietitians react towards food compared to the general public. Dietitians respond to things like food trends and fad diets and “superfoods” in a much milder way. It’s the “the more you know” aspect I believe.
KathEats says
Great point!!
Livi @ Eat, Pray, Work It Out says
great lessons 🙂 thanks for sharing!
Mary Frances says
Great post! Eating healthy is more than simply eating what marketers say is healthy. This was a great reminder to focus on balance and fresh foods!
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
Aww thank you – I’m so glad to hear it!
Linda @ The Fitty says
Thanks for sharing, Jackelyn 🙂 Vitamin k2 is a good supplement to prevent osteoporosis too.
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
I know very little about K2 – looking forward to looking into that. Thanks!
Mom says
Great post and photos. Good luck to you in your career!
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
Thank you so much! P.s. I saw this on my phone earlier without your picture in accompaniment and was quite confused, thinking it was from my mom ha!
Laura @SheEatsWell says
Love this post! I can relate to a lot as a post-bacc Dietetics student! I love your note about eating things that haven’t changed too much since they came out of the ground. I used to work in the pharmaceutical industry, so perhaps I am fairly cynical, but the more I learn, the more I realize how unfortunately political the food industry is. Thus, I think it is important to continue to educate people about how to read food labels, at the very least.
Alex @ get big, go to work says
I couldn’t agree more! The more I read and research about food, manufacturers, marketing, etc. the clearer it becomes that it is completely political and profit driven.
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
I’m so with you… it can be pretty discouraging. I think we can only hope that as people get more aware and concerned about what they’re eating, what drives the food industry will be forced to shift. P.s. Just checked out your blog and saw your post that’s similar to this one about what you’ve learned since starting your program – love it!
Laura @SheEatsWell says
Thank you! I think it is important to challenge our textbooks, when appropriate, and of course, in a respectful way. I’ve found some of mine are seemingly outdated with information. As future health professionals, it’s important to stay up with the latest science! 🙂
Katie D. says
I’d love more info, tips and key nutrients for children regarding bone health! My little one is a year old and I’m trying to focus on nutritious food, but with working full time, I don’t have time to do much research.
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
I’ll keep that in my mind for my blog – I’m sure many moms are in the same boat!
Sagan says
When I was studying nutrition at around 19 / 20 years old, I had the same epiphany about osteoporosis. I think I drank more milk and ate more foods high in bioavailable calcium for those couple of years than at any other point in my life 🙂
And ALL about just looking at the straight-up ingredients!
Thanks for sharing your learnings 🙂
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
haha I know… it’s like “how have I not been educated about this before now?!”
Joyce says
Hey! Nice to hear from a bright ambitious future-dietician from Ottawa! I will follow her blog as a fellow resident of the National Capital.
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
Aww thank you Joyce… I got so excited when I read that! Isn’t it fun to read blogs and recognize things from your city? Thanks again and hope you had a wonderful Canada Day 🙂
mary says
A wonderful article Jacklyn. As a fellow RD I applaud your sense of balance and reality. Teaching consumers to practice a whole food based diet is indeed difficult even with an understanding of food marketing! Good luck to you as you continue your journey to become an RD.
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
Thank you so much Mary! I agree… the public certainly can’t be blamed for having pre-conceived notions that aren’t evidence-based.
Alex @ get big, go to work says
Fantastic post and one that I really, really enjoyed reading. I really enjoy learning more about food, nutrition, our digestive tracks, etc. and found his post really enlightening. I have a follow up question- I think osteoporosis is a huge matter to be concerned with and was curious if anything could be done to reverse it or slow the loss of bone mass after mid-thirtys. Thanks!
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
Thanks for the kind words Alex! I’m sure some people could answer your question in much greater detail but from what I understand, what we should focus on as we age is maintaing the bone mass that we do have. This of course means getting enough calcium, which is a constituent of bones and what gives them their rigid structure. But it also means doing everything we can to ensure that the calcium we’re eating is being well absorbed. That’s where Vitamin D comes in, and also why it’s important to be moderate with alcohol, sodium and caffeine. Weight-bearing exercise is also a huge player in osteoporosis prevention!
Karen says
H ey Kath – Something funky is going on w/your site. It takes forever to for all the content/photos/ads to be downloaded, and then tons of ads appear at the bottom of several of your photo boxes (At&T in Spanish, etc.) Just wanted you to know…
Amanda says
You make such a good point about food marketers. The owner of a gym I used to work at once told me to stop buying magazines like Shape, Women’s Health, etc. because they’re all just trying to sell you something, even with the recipes the print. I thought he was full of crap, but the next time I opened one, I was curious… and sure enough, I noticed that almost all recipes mentioned a very specific brand name product. It’s so crazy that in order to follow FTC guidelines, we, as bloggers, have to fully disclosed when we’re paid… but magazines that are supposedly teaching people how to eat healthy can get away with it. Great post!
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
So so true. Especially considering that a lot of people seem to think of magazines like that as really sound nutritional sources.
Amanda @ Slimplify Life says
I am off to Seattle in 2 weeks to start a Coordinated Dietetics program at University of Washington. Washington DC –> Washington state :). I always love reading about other’s opinions on food, as it seems no one dietitian has the exact same!
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
Very true! And so exciting about your program. I hope you love it 🙂
Sam @ Grapefruit & Granola says
Thanks for the reminder about osteoporosis. I am also an RD and find when talking to patients that those who eliminate dairy from their diets generally don’t seem to make up for the calcium elsewhere. This is also why I support flavored milk in schools despite the added sugar.
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
I’ve observed the same in many people avoiding dairy. I so hope that public knowledge of non-dairy sources of calcium is something that increases with time (especially with the prevalence of lactose-intolerance). And very interesting point about flavoured milks; sometimes an option isn’t flawless but still superior to the alternative!
Nancy says
great post, I can tell you’ll make a great RD. I always tell people arsenic and cow manure are both “all natural” – doesn’t mean that I should eat them!
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
Aww thanks so much Nancy, I really appreciate it. And that’s a very powerful point!
Cassie says
The last tip is my favorite of all. It’s so bad to categorize food as good or bad because we’d be more tempted by the bad and binge on them! They’re treats that aren’t the best for the body but are still important for feeding the soul!
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
Amen to that!!
Heidi kokborg says
Thanks for sharing! I love the words on how no food is either bad or good. You can’t really categorize it! That was reakky great!
Jacklyn @ Jack's Balancing Act says
Thanks Heidi!