Meet Registered Dietitian, Retha Booyens

Chat Leave a comment May 31, 2018 nutritionadsa

We caught up with registered dietitian Retha Booyens, who is passionate about nutrition and dietetics, to find out what drives her,  why she chose dietetics as a career and how she is making a difference through her work:

Why did you become a Registered Dietitian?

Contrary to what people believe, dietitians are actually foodies and love experimenting. I can remember that from a young age I loved food and eating, but also loved health and being active (athletics, acrobatics, hockey, netball etc). It seemed like an obvious decision to become a dietitian, but I need a bit more convincing. I took a gap year and did shadowing in dietetic lectures, at clinical dietitians and outpatient consultations. And after that there was no turning back.

What do you enjoy most about the work you do? What are the most satisfying moments?

The pleasure is in the small things, like a client progressing to solids after a long battle on IV nutrition and tube feeds or helping someone reach personalised goals (such as athletes).

Knowing that I can be an instrument in the saving of a person’s life is a tremendously satisfying feeling. I have a huge passion for critical care and renal dietetics and love to see how I can not only save someone’s life but also improve quality of life.

What has been your career highlight?

Becoming an ADSA spokesperson and being able to share my passion on a larger scale (in print, radio, etc).

Very close second was hosting a radio talk show (Bite for Life with Retha Booyens) on a local radio station in North West before relocating.

What are the most challenging aspects of your career?

Having to make peace with the fact that I cannot help everyone.

Knowing the vast amount of misinformation that is available, that is not only unsustainable but also damaging to people’s health. That is why I’m passionate about my Facebook page and Instagram account, just another platform where I can share evidence-based nutrition guidelines.

How do you cope after a day of nutrition disaster and bad eating choices?

I always try to remind myself (and my clients) that it is a lifestyle and not a diet. Therefore there are bound to be weddings, parties and other occasions where over-indulging will happen.

What I do after a day where I didn’t make all the right choices is just to get back on the wagon the next day and get back into my usual healthier routine.

What are the three things that you think people should stop saying when they meet a dietitian?

• Then you shouldn’t look what I have on my plate now.
• Can you give me a sample meal plan?
• You probably never eat unhealthy foods.

What should clients look out for when deciding which dietitian to work with?

Choose someone that you feel comfortable with and can relate to. Someone who will be able to support you on an emotional level as well.

The relationship between a dietitian and client/patient is far more than just ‘what you eat’ and therefore you need someone that will be able to assist with the other aspects besides the food.

What is your favourite dish and your favourite treat food?

The dish I love making is any type of interesting salad – I love to invite people over and them saying ‘I didn’t know that healthy food can be this tasty.

On the other hand, when I treat myself I love to have anything Italian – so pastas and pizzas are right at the top of my list.

 

To find a registered dietitian in your area, please visit: http://www.adsa.org.za/Public/FindARegisteredDietitian.aspx

Busting the two biggest myths about your immune system

Chat Leave a comment May 16, 2018 nutritionadsa

Winter is here, and that gets us thinking about our immune system, and what we need to do to boost it, so that it helps us avoid colds and flu, or at least recover from them more quickly.

The immune system is one of the most complex networks in the body that is still far from being completely understood by the world’s scientific community. As pieces of research are added to the picture, myths about the immune system arise in the gaps, and they are often acted upon as truths.

Registered Dietitian and spokesperson for ADSA (Association for Dietetics in South Africa), Linda Drummond helps us sort fact from the fiction:

MYTH # 1 – ‘All I need for a winter immune boost is a multi-vitamin or more Vitamin C’ – “This is probably the most common misconception – that nutritional supplements, or greater doses of one particular vitamin, can be an effective protective solution,” says Linda. “While Vitamin C does play an important immune-boosting role, research has shown that supplementing with Vitamin C does not actually help you to avoid developing colds and flu. Studies have found that in some, but not all cases, Vitamin C, as an isolated strategy, may help to reduce the duration of the illness, but not protect you from it. Nutritional supplements can play an important role in supporting improved health for vulnerable people, such as children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with health conditions that compromise their immunity. However, others should rather aim to get their daily intake of immune-boosting micronutrients from their food. Eating a variety of healthy foods every day, including lots of vegetables and fruits, wholegrains, dairy, meat, chicken or fish, beans and lentils, and plant fats provides not just Vitamin C, but also the other immune-boosting nutrients such as Vitamins A, D and the B’s, as well as trace elements such as zinc and selenium. You cannot expect that if you eat poorly, but take a supplement, your immune system will still be highly effective. What you eat, not what you supplement with, is what is most important to build your defences against winter germs. Supplements are not the antidote to unhealthy eating. They can help to fill in gaps in an otherwise healthy eating plan, and you should get your dietitian’s advice on this. However, we should all be clear that when it comes to what we consume and our immune systems and our health, there is simply no substitute that we know of at this time that beats the effectiveness of eating a variety of quality, minimally processed foods, which are mostly plant-based, every day. It is the way to go.”

MYTH # 2 ‘To improve my immunity in winter all I have to do is focus on the food I eat and the supplements I consume.’ “This is false,” says Linda. “While healthy eating is a vital immune boosting strategy, and nutritional supplementation may be necessary for you if you have a compromised immune system, it remains one critical aspect of having an effective immune system during the challenging winter months. But, it is a complex system and other factors are at play.

Scientific research has shown that:

• Sufficient sleep is also important to support the immune system;
• Regular exercise is a powerful immune system booster;
• And, a positive mental and emotional state strengthens your resistance to disease.

What this means is that during winter, if we want to effectively develop our resistance to illnesses, we need to keep our focus on our whole body and our entire lifestyle, not only one part of it. We must get enough quality rest that is balanced by also getting daily physical exercise. We need to take regular action to manage stress, develop mindfulness and be in charge of our disruptive emotions. Sleepless nights; days of inaction and stress that is off the charts for most of the time will batter our immune system as surely as nutrient poor food and other poor eating habits.”

The bottom-line is that you should boost your immune system this winter, and, based on real evidence, you can do that each day by:

• Eating healthily by focusing on a variety of minimally processed quality foods from the different food groups to ensure your body gets all the nutrients it needs. Aim for at least five colourful vegetables and fruit daily;
• Saying no to high energy, sugar, salt and fat foods including take-aways, sweetened drinks, sweets, chips, cakes, biscuits and all the other highly-processed options;
• Enjoying tucking up warm at night and getting the sleep you need to wake up refreshed and strong;
• Keeping active every day and
• Letting go of your stress and anxieties.
• Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 15 seconds. When you are not near a sink, use a hand sanitizer.

 

To find a dietitian in your area, visit the ADSA website

Chicken Meatball Harvest Bowls – NEW RECIPE

Chat Leave a comment May 14, 2018 nutritionadsa

Harvest bowls are awesome – lots of nutritious, yummy food and different flavours in one bowl to enjoy.

This Chicken Meatball Harvest Bowl, created by registered dietitian and foodie Cheryl Meyer from Dish & Delite, packs in cooler-weather seasonal veggies – brussels sprouts, zucchini, cauliflower and carrots. A great fibre boost and lovely variety of colour, vitamins and minerals.

We also love this recipe because all the elements keep well in the fridge and can be mixed and matched through the week for on-the-go lunches and quick, easy dinners.

 

This recipe serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Rice

½ cup raw brown & wild rice

 Chicken meatballs

250 g chicken mince

1 cup coarsely grated zucchini

¼ cup finely grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup fresh wholewheat or low GI bread crumbs

½ onion, diced

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

½ tablespoon fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon chicken stock powder

vegetable oil – for frying

Roasted veggies

300g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

300g cauliflower florets

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

Dressing

1 cup fat-free plain yoghurt

¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

salt and pepper, to season

Carrot

1 large or 2 medium (200 g) carrots, coarsely grated

 

METHOD

1. Rice: Cook the rice as per the package instructions.
2. Meatballs: Combine the chicken meatball ingredients. Using a tablespoon to measure, divide the mixture into 20, roll each meatball between your hands to form 20 small balls. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. When ready to cook, heat a frying pan with a shallow coating of vegetable oil and cook the meatballs in batches until lightly golden on all sides and cooked through. Once cooked, place on paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
3. Roasted veggies: Line a baking tray with baking paper or foil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cauliflower to the tray, drizzle with olive oil, thyme and crushed garlic and toss to combine. Roast at 200°C for 15-20 minutes, tossing mid-way.
4. Dressing: Combine the dressing ingredients.
5. Assemble: Enjoy your bowls warm or cold. Divide the rice, roasted veggies and grated carrot into four bowls, add 5 meatballs to each bowl and top with a generous drizzle of dressing.

 

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving

Energy: 1532 kJ; Protein: 26.8 g; Carbohydrate: 37.1 g of which, total sugars: 7.1 g; Fat: 16.1 g; Fibre: 10.0 g; Sodium: 287 mg

 

“We should be as kind to ourselves as we are to others”

Chat Leave a comment May 8, 2018 nutritionadsa

This week we chat to Tabitha Hume, a registered clinical dietitian in private practice, to find out why she became a dietitian, what she enjoys most about the work she does and what the challenges are:

Why did you become a Registered Dietitian?

I danced very seriously when I was at high school (ballet) and fell prey to the eating disorder monster. When I went to UCT, I started out studying BSc with an aim to genetic engineering, but then someone mentioned that dietetics was offered as a post-grad honours degree and my interest was piqued. I changed my BSc subjects to physiology and psychology and then was equipped for dietetics. I had a very strong interest in the physiological development of metabolic problems and so when I started my honours thesis on the hyper-metabolic response of paediatric burns patients, I was in heaven! Then after honours, my huge thirst for knowledge blessed me with a research and lecturing post at Wits Physiology Department, doing my thesis on carbohydrate and insulin metabolism, which was incredible. I knew I was in the right career when I started private practice and saw how rewarding it was, helping people with disordered eating and eating disorders completely lose their fear and anxiety of carbohydrates and remain skinny whilst eating a LOT.

So, it was really an evolution into dietetics, but a perfect fit!

What do you enjoy most about the work you do? What are the most satisfying moments?

I love interacting with people. I see myself as a bit of a teacher. Watching as the penny drops with people is very rewarding. Seeing previously restrictive people turning into satisfied eaters with a genuine passion for eating, and losing weight or stabilising muscle mass makes me feel like I’ve helped both body and mind, and made a positive difference. My most satisfying moments are probably seeing my past anorexic and bulimic patients enjoy food, socialising, eating with their families, and moving on to inspire other eating disorder sufferers with lecturing, blogging and mentoring. That’s paying it forward and I feel blessed that I am able to be part of that journey.

What has been your career highlight?

I think this answer has two parts: The first was the success of my first three books. Then, the second highlight has been slow: working my way back up from complete financial and emotional ruin after being accused of malpractice in 2001. However, the exoneration and my ongoing passion for helping people recover has put me back in the practice seat and made me stronger in the process. I’m proud of that.

What are the most challenging aspects of your career?

There are 3 main challenges, which hit me every day.

• The fact that everyone and anyone dishes out conflicting and pseudoscientific dietetic advice and that the public is not protected against this. More disease and death is being caused by confusion, yo-yo dieting, eating disorders and orthorexia arising directly from ‘diet gurus’ who have little or no physiological or medical background. Because the public sees these ‘diet gurus’ and registered dietitians as equal authorities and equally qualified to dispense dietetic advice, I sometimes feel angered that I am forced to highlight the vast difference in qualifications there are. It’s crazy that we are forced to ‘convince’ patients that we are the experts. After all, someone with a rotator-cuff injury would not question a physiotherapist on what advice she received from her personal trainer!
• Apropos the above: I also find it very challenging that medical aids still don’t see the massive value in dietetic therapy. This hinders the patient from obtaining the full scope of care that they actually need from a dietitian, and this incomplete process leaves the full lifestyle change open to failure, further exacerbating lost faith in dietetics.
• With the plethora of rubbish advice available to people, much of the limited time in consultation is spent trying to teach complicated physiological concepts so that they can understand and thus ‘trust’ the advice we give, because it is often so contrasting to what is fashionable and the latest fear-mongering fad. Patients so often say, “I need to spend a whole day listening and understanding because only with understanding it ALL can my enormous fear of food be undone.” We, as dietitians, shouldn’t have to do this. We should be able to guide, direct and heal. Not have to spend patients’ valuable time convincing them that eating normal food is OK.

How do you cope after a day of nutrition disaster and bad eating choices?

I speak to myself kindly, as I would to a child who made mistakes. We all do things for a reason, and I show myself WHY I made those mistakes, and rapidly make small adjustments to address that problem for the future. As soon as I let guilt in, my tendencies to be mean to myself start, and this simply starts a complicated restrict/defiance pattern in my eating which is not healthy. We should be as kind to ourselves as we are to others.

What are the three things that you think people should stop saying when they meet a dietitian?

• “Are you sure? Everyone else seems to be saying that blah blah blah (insert pseudoscientific rubbish)”.
• “I know what I should be doing I just can’t seem to have the discipline”. …..Um, no! If you don’t have the discipline, it’s probably because you are doing it wrong!
• I won’t need much time with you… just give me a diet sheet of what I can and can’t eat”.

What should clients look out for when deciding which dietitian to work with?

I think this is a very difficult one to answer, seeing as most dietitians have equal qualifications. I’d say that because patients usually require a lifestyle change (and that is a fairly personal process), finding a dietitian with whom the patient ‘clicks’ on a personality level is very important to motivation and trust.

What is your favourite dish and your favourite treat food?

Undoubtedly a hot lentil curry with chutney and tons of fresh coriander!

My favourite treat food would be warm apple pie! (Vegan of course!)