II. Epidemiology
- More than half of U.S. adults have a disorder significantly affected by diet
- Normal weight does not ensure that a patient's dietary intake is optimal for health
III. Evaluation
- HIstory- Rate your current nutrition health
- What are your motivation for nutrition change?
- What barriers do you have for nutrition change?- See Food Insecurity Reources
- Do you have access to fresh foods readily available and at a reasonable price?
- Do you or your family experience hunger due to lack of money or resources (e.g. transportation, nearby market)
- Is your time limited to prepare home meals?
- Is it difficult to prepare meals for your family due to different needs or wants?
- How are your shopping and cooking skills?
 
- What foods do you eat on a regular basis?- Use a questionnaire such as REAP, or food records, diet diary, or smartphone application
- Are you following a specific diet plan (e.g. Mediterranean Diet, DASH Diet, low carb diet, intermittent Fasting?
- Are you purposely limiting your calorie intake?
- Do you frequently eat at fast food restaurants?
- Do you frequently eat at sit-down restaurants?
- Do you frequently cook home meals from simple or fresh ingredients?
- Do you frequently eat with distractions (e.g. television, devices)
- Do you typically eat with others such as your family?
 
- What other supplements or substances do you use?
- Do you perform regular Physical Activity at work or home, or perform regular Exercise?- What activities (aerobic, strength, flexibility or core)?
- How much time are you active each day?
- How many days per week are you active?
 
- What chronic medical conditions do you have that may be affected by diet?- Diabetes Mellitus?
- Cardiovascular Disease (e.g. Coronary disease, Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia)?
- Celiac Disease?
- Eating Disorder?
 
 
- Dietary history tools- 24-Hour Recall- Patient recalls what they ate and drank at each meal over the last day
- May be performed verbally or on paper, prior to or during the clinical encounter
 
- Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants, Shortened Version 2, released 2022 (REAP-S V2)- Expands on version 1 with 5 additional questions including Mediterranean Diet (beans, fish, nuts, olive oil)
- Five groups of questions (food sufficiency, healthy eating, low nutrient foods, Exercise, ready to change) with guidance for counseling
 
- Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants, Shortened Version 1 (REAP-S V1)
- Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants, Full Original Version (REAP)
- Automated Self Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24)- https://epi.grants.cancer.gov/asa24/
- Research tool that may be used by patients to assess their intake
 
- USDA Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) Calculator for Healthcare Professionals
 
- 24-Hour Recall
- Nutritional status exam
IV. Guideline: Choose food predominately from plant sources
- Eat 5 or more servings of fruit or vegetable per day- Recommendations- One serving Fruit equivalents- One medium apple, banana, or orange
- Chopped, cooked, or canned fruit (1/2 cup)
- Fruit juice (3/4 cup)
 
- One serving Vegetable equivalents- Raw leafy vegetables (1 Cup)
- Cooked, chopped or raw vegetables (1/2 Cup)
- Vegetable juice (3/4 Cup)
 
 
- One serving Fruit equivalents
- Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables- Decreased risk of Colon Cancer
- Decreased risk of Gastric Cancer
 
 
- Recommendations
- Eat other foods from plant sources- Recommendations- One serving Whole Grains/Cereal/Pasta- Whole wheat Bread (1 slice)
- Ready to eat cereal (1 ounce)
- Cooked whole grain cereal, rice or pasta (1/2 cup)
 
- One serving Beans and Nuts- Cooked dry beans (1/2 cup) preferred over nuts
- Peanut butter (2 tablespoons)
- Nuts (1/3 cup)
 
 
- One serving Whole Grains/Cereal/Pasta
- Benefits of Dietary Fiber- Decreased risk of Colon Cancer
- Water insoluble (wheat bran) fiber may be better
 
 
- Recommendations
V. Guideline: Limit intake of high fat foods (especially animal fat, saturated fat and trans fat)
- Choose foods lower in fat- However, over emphasis on fat-free at the expense of excessive Carbohydrates results in weight gain- Do not trade fat for high Carbohydrate, increased calorie meals
- Monounsaturated fats (e.g. olive oil) are a part of a Healthy Diet
 
- Recommendations- Replace fatty foods
- Eat fruits, vegetables, grains and beans
- Eat smaller portions
- Select non-fat/low-fat milk and dairy products (and overall limit to 1-2 servings per day)
- When eating prepared foods, choose lower saturated fat
 
 
- However, over emphasis on fat-free at the expense of excessive Carbohydrates results in weight gain
- Limit consumption of meats (especially high fat meat)- Recommendations: 1 serving of meat per day- Lean meat (2-3 ounces)
- Poultry (2-3 ounces)
- Fish (2-3 ounces)
 
- General- Select lean cuts, and smaller portions of meat
- Choose beans, seafood and poultry- Instead OF beef, pork and lamb
 
- Select baked and broiled meats- Instead of fried, charcoal-broiled, or smoked
 
 
- Risks of Salt-cured, pickled, or smoked meats
- Risks of red meat (RR 1.1 to 1.3)
 
- Recommendations: 1 serving of meat per day
VI. Guideline: Healthy Eating Plate (Harvard, modified version of ChooseMyPlate.org)
- Key Components
- Limited items- Limit butter, saturated fats and avoid trans fats- Use healthy oils (e.g. olive oil, canola oil)
- Small handful of nuts
 
- Limit milk/dairy (1-2/day), juice (1/day) and avoid sugar drinks (e.g. soda)
- Limit salt- Limit to 2300 mg/day (1 tsp), and some guidelines recommend 1500 mg/day (2/3 tsp)
 
 
- Limit butter, saturated fats and avoid trans fats
- References- Harvard Nutrition Source
 
VII. Guideline: USDA Standard Food Pyramid for Adults (replaced by other meal planning strategies)
- Precautions- Consider the Healthy Eating Plate above as an alternative
- USDA Food Pyramid is influenced by many outside forces including the meat and dairy industry- Based on Scientific Report of Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, released every 5 years
- However, USDA breaks with advisory board when in political conflict (e.g. meat/dairy, environment)
 
 
- 
                          Fiber: 6 to 11 servings per day (5 to 10 oz grains per day)- Bread
- Cereal
- Rice or Pasta
 
- Vegetables: 3-5 servings/day (2 to 4 cups/day)
- Fruits: 2-4 servings/day (1.5 to 2.5 cups/day)
- Dairy: 2 to 3 servings per day (3 cups/day)- Milk
- Yogurt
- Cheese
 
- 
                          Protein: 2-3 servings per day (5-7 oz/day)- Meat
- Poultry
- Fish
- Dry beans
- Eggs
- Nuts
 
- Fats, oils, and sweets (22 to 44 g/day, up to 36 g/day in age over 60 years)- Used only sparingly
 
- Snacks (Discretionary Calories)- Limit to <10 to 15% of total calories, or <100 to 440 kcals/day (up to 350 kcals/day in over age 60 years)
 
VIII. Guideline: Miscellaneous
- Be physically active and maintain a healthy weight- Moderate activity for 30 minutes on most days
- Maintain a body weight within 20% of ideal
 
- Limit Alcoholic beverages- Alcohol, when used in moderation may be a part of a healthy lifestyle- However, encouraging Alcohol use in those who use little to no Alcohol, risks Alcohol Abuse
- Those who safely use Alcohol in moderation may continue
 
- Risks associated with longterm heavy Alcohol use or abuse- Oropharyngeal cancer
- Esophageal Cancer
- Hepatocellular Carcinoma
- Breast Cancer
 
 
- Alcohol, when used in moderation may be a part of a healthy lifestyle
IX. Approach: Pearls
- Avoid products that raise the risk of excess calories, weight gain, Diabetes Mellitus- Avoid sugar-containing soft drinks
 
- Cereal grains (wheat, rye, barley, corn, rice, oats, millet) and pseudo-grains (quinoa, amaranth)- Whole grains are preferred- Whole grains mill all three grain components (bran, germ, endosperm) together
- Refined grains contain only the milled endosperm (germ and bran are removed)
 
- Wet grains are preferred over dried grains (from a nutritional, excess calorie standpoint)- Cooked oatmeal is more filling initially than dried cereals
 
 
- Whole grains are preferred
- 
                          Dietary Fat
                          - Use healthier oils high in monounsaturated fat (olive oil, saflower oil, canola oil, peanut oil)- Avoid unhealthy, tropical oils (coconut oil, palm oil) that are 86-92% saturated fat
 
- Decrease in saturated fat and trans fat lowers coronary risk
- Unsaturated fats in moderation are considered a part of a Healthy Diet- Over emphasis on fat-free at the expense of excessive Carbohydrates results in weight gain
- Replacing unsaturated Dietary Fat with refined starch and sugar results in worse outcomes
 
 
- Use healthier oils high in monounsaturated fat (olive oil, saflower oil, canola oil, peanut oil)
- Dairy
- Plant-based food focus (plant forward)- See Plant Based Diet
- Encourage superfoods
 
- Eat less meat (esp. less red meat)- Replace red meat with nuts, legumes, fish and poultry
- Avoid highly processed meats such as deli slices (increased cancer risk)
- High Temperature cooking (e.g. barbeque, open flame) of meat or poultry is associated with Diabetes risk
 
- Logistics and social factors- For those who have too little time to practice a healthy lifestyle (but avoid preaching)- If you do not have time to be sick, you must take time to be well
- Healthier dietary change is superior to medications in its effect on morbidity and mortality- Consider this as disease modifying nutrition
 
 
- Implement dietary changes in steps (e.g. one per clinic visit)- At each step, replace one less Healthy Dietary item with a more healthy item of the patient's choice
- Have patients choose one healthy item from a superfoods list
- In the longterm, diet improves by "crowding out" the less healthy choices
 
- Make media-free, family dinners a habit- Set out a plate of cut vegetables for snacking while preparing dinner
 
- Have lunch containers open to prepare at same time while making dinner- Many of the dinner items can be placed directly into lunch containers
 
- Make time to eat breakfast (high quality with fiber and nutrients)- Breakfast skipping increases the risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity, Coronary Disease
- Bi (2015) Public Health Nutr 18(16):3013-9 +PMID:25686619 [PubMed]
 
 
- For those who have too little time to practice a healthy lifestyle (but avoid preaching)
- Produce shopping and storage- Buy max of only 2 weeks of perishables, wash, trim and store in humidified refrigerator door
- Choose recipes in advance of shopping and stick to a shopping list- Choose recipes that share core ingredients, may be prepped in advance, and good as left-overs
 
- Keep salad greens and herbs wrapped in damp towel or in a container with water at bottom
- Roast left over vegetables at the end of each week
 
X. Approach: Public Health and Prevention
- Healthy Lifestyle is the keystone to reversing a U.S. trend of worsening overall health despite medical advances- Maximal medical management for cardiovascular disease has reached a mortality plateau (2010)- Further advances in lowering cardiovascular mortality will need to maximize healthy lifestyle
 
- "Greatest advances... offset by the burden... caused by too many people eating too much... moving too little"- (2005) Institute of Medicine +PMID:22379642
 
 
- Maximal medical management for cardiovascular disease has reached a mortality plateau (2010)
- Children are not compelled to relive their parent's medical history  ("genes are not destiny")- High genetic risk patients with healthy lifestyle lowered their coronary event risk by 46%
 
- Since 1994, Obesity (BMI>30 kg/m2) has dramatically increased throughout the U.S- As of 2015, most U.S. states have more than 26% Obesity rates (contrast with <14-18% in 1994)
- As of 2014, Type II Diabetes MellitusPrevalence in the U.S. has increased to 22% (contrast with 5% in 1980)
- Up to 60% of U.S, toddlers in 2017 are projected to be obese by age 35 years old
 
- Food insecurity and hunger- Associated with increased hospitalizations and worse comorbidity management
- Most plant-based meals can be prepared for $1-3 per serving
 
- 
                          Protein importance in the diet is over-stated at the expense of health, cost and the environment- In the U.S., even those on plant based diets far exceed Protein requirements (0.8 g/kg or 40-60 g/day)
- Agriculture (esp. live stock) is the world's second largest emitter of greenhouse gases (behind energy)
- LIvestock are heavy resource utilizers (food, water); the same resources could support far more people directly
 
XI. Approach: Restaurants - Menus of Change (Harvard, Culinary Institute of America)
- Regionally sourced foods
- Intact whole grains (minimal processing), nuts and legumes
- Healthier oils (olive oil, saflower oil, canola oil, peanut oil)
- Decrease the sugar and salt
- Prepare more home meals (less eating-out at restaurants)
- Plant-based food focus (plant forward)- "Delicious, unapologetic, cravable" recipes making use of mediterranean, asian and latin flavors
- Maximize the use of local produce
 
- Meat in smaller amounts (2 ounce), less frequently overall (Protein-flip: meat becomes the side-dish)- More seafood (diverse selection) than poultry/eggs than red meat- Replace red meat with nuts, legumes, fish and poultry
 
- Blended burgers (meat mixed with mushrooms, grains, vegetables, legumes)
- Meat becomes the dish condiment or seasoning
 
- More seafood (diverse selection) than poultry/eggs than red meat
- Resources- Menus of Change
- Plant Forward 50 (chefs and restaurants)
 
XII. Approach: Teaching Kitchens
- Many health care organizations, teaching institutions and communities have built teaching kitchens
- Offers hands-on education for delicious, healthy meal preparation for sustained habits
- Minimal home kitchen kit- Chef knife, pairing knife, cutting board, vegetable peeler, can opener
- Measuring spoons and cups, whisk, slotted spoon, colander/strainer, mixing bowls
- Stock pot with lid (5 qt)
- Saute pan (11")
- Sheet pan and cooling rack
 
- Minimal home pantry- Flour (whole wheat, unbleached all-purpose), Brown rice, rolled oats, grains (e.g. quinoa), whole wheat pasta
- Nuts (e.g. almonds), dried fruit (e.g. raisins), dried beans (e.g. lentils, black beans, split peas)
- Oils (olive, canola), Vinegar (wine, rice or apple), mustard, honey
- Kosher salt, black pepper
 
- Flavor foods by cuisine
- Workspace organization ("Mise en Place")- Back row- Tray for ingredients and prep bowls
- Large scrap bowl (and consider bags for freezing stock)
 
- Front row- Cutting board, knives, spices/oils
 
 
- Back row
XIII. Resources : Education
- See Food Insecurity Resources
- Disease Modifying Nutrition (Curbsiders Podcast, Dr. Michelle McMacken)
- Superfoods Patient Education (Curbsiders Podcast, Dr. Michelle McMacken)
- Healthy Eating Plate (Harvard)
- Choose My Plate
- Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives Conference, Harvard and CIA, St. Helena, CA
- U.S. Dietary Guidelines
XIV. Reference
- Eisenberg, Willet, Clark, Hu (2018) Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives Conference, Harvard and CIA, St. Helena, CA
- (1996) CA Cancer J Clin 46:325-341 [PubMed]
- Pierre (2022) Am Fam Physician 106(4): 427-38 [PubMed]
