Transcription:
Fuel Your Future: Back to the Basics

Amanda Wilde: Nutrients, supplements, dietetics. Today we'll talk about nutritional health that fuels you with registered dietician nutritionist, Kiersten Haugerud. Welcome to Healthier You from Cumberland Healthcare. I'm Amanda Wilde. Kiersten, thank you so much for being here to share your expertise.

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: Absolutely, excited to be here.

Amanda Wilde: You are a registered dietician nutritionist. Is there a difference between a dietician and a nutritionist?

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: Yes, there actually is. So just for simplicity, I'll talk about the biggest difference between a nutritionist and a registered dietician is actually our educational requirements. So nutritionists have different education requirements State to state. So for the sake of this podcast, I'm just going to talk about, the requirements in Wisconsin because that's where Cumberland Healthcare is. So in Wisconsin, nutritionists are not required to have any education to call themselves a nutritionist or provide nutritional advice. But that being said, there are many nutritionists out there that do have education. So it's just always important to talk with your nutritionist about their background and their experience to make sure they're going to offer you the services, that you're looking for.

Amanda Wilde: So what is your personal background?

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: So as a dietician, we are required to get a bachelor's degree in dietetics. So I went to the University of Wisconsin Stout in Menominee, Wisconsin. We also have to complete a 1200 hour dietetic internship. I completed mine out of Boston, Massachusetts with an emphasis in community health promotion. And then I also continued on to get my master's degree at UW Stout in human nutritional sciences as well, which is not required currently, but as of January, 2024, all registered dieticians are going to have to have a master's degree in order to be an RDN .

Amanda Wilde: So you have all the credentials, which is actually very reassuring, especially with that emphasis in community health. The topic of this podcast is Fuel your future back to basics. So could you talk a little bit more about what that means?

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: Sure. So March is actually National Nutrition Month. And the theme for 2023 this year is to feel your future. so really this is all about just changing our mindset about what we're eating and what our habits are, not just for today, but for all of the years ahead of you. because we're really only given one life. And so we just really wanna take care of the body that we've been given. So reframing your perspective on the food that you're eating and thinking about is this the food that's going to benefit my health for the future, not just for today. And nutrition can be very, very complicated.

So getting back to the basics is sometimes the best place to start and the best place, to start the conversation when I'm working with a patient. A lot of times I'll have, the patient do an exercise with me, and so I'll just ask them, what was the meal that you had last night for supper? Was half your plate filled with non-starchy vegetables? Maybe they don't even know what a non-starchy vegetable is, so we'll talk about that. I'll ask, did one quarter of your plate consist of carbohydrates? Were they from whole grains?

Maybe they were, maybe they weren't. Was the last quarter of your plate filled with lean proteins? Maybe they don't know if they got enough protein in their day. So that would be another conversation that we would have. We can talk about how they prepared their food, whether or not they used oil or butter. that would be another conversation. So we just snowball effect into this, encompassing conversation about what their habits are. How can I help you continue eating the way that you're eating, but make small changes that are gonna last a lifetime versus changing everything that you're doing right now?

Amanda Wilde: So what are some of the small changes that you see as a result of your work?

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: First of all, we will just walk through, the plate and we'll talk about all of the different food groups. We'll talk about better choices based on what they're already eating. maybe, they really like pasta. Well, how about trying whole wheat pasta rather than regular pasta? Or maybe they're not a vegetable person. And maybe there's lots of vegetables they haven't tried before. We can talk about many different options. Or sometimes people just need recipe ideas. They're kind of at a roadblock and they don't know what to make the next meal.

Amanda Wilde: Now, I'm wondering about also besides food, what about supplements, supplementing with vitamins or herbs?

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: Sure. The short answer to this is to always speak with your doctor or a registered dietician before you start a dietary supplement. and this is going to be the best way to determine whether or not you actually have a vitamin or mineral deficiency. I think a lot of people think that they should be taking dietary supplements, but they don't really know how it's actually benefiting them. And so that's where the doctor and the registered dietician will come in, to help you determine, whether or not you're going to have any nutrient or drug interactions if you're on current medications.

I know everyone's looking to achieve those fast results. And the supplement industry spends and makes not only millions, but billions and billions of dollars every single year. And actually more than 50% of Americans take some sort of a dietary supplement because supplement companies will promise you anything. It can be weight loss or hair growth or wrinkle-free skin. So instead of being sucked in by those marketing schemes, it's always best to talk to your doctor and your dietician, and we will work together to help you decide whether or not a multivitamin or a supplement is right for you.

Amanda Wilde: Yeah. Because when we give ourselves supplements, we don't really know what dosages to give, it's kind of a free for all.

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: Right.

Amanda Wilde: So you sort through the mysteries of supplementation and what to take and how much to take. and also do you sort through those mysteries of macronutrients and micronutrients? Is that something that's part of the back to basics journey?

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: Yes, absolutely, and especially with Back to Basics, talking about macronutrients and micronutrients. People don't know the difference. All foods are made up of three macronutrients, and so this is where the calories in your food are coming from. So there are three things there. The first one is protein, which is in the form of amino acids, and these are the essential building blocks. To maintaining and building your muscles, your hair, your skin, your membranes, and your bones. The next one is carbohydrates, and this comes in the form of starches, sugars, and fibers.

And so a lot of people think sugar is the only carbohydrate, but actually starch, sugar, and fiber all fall under the category of carbohydrates. And this is essential to providing your body and brain with the most readily available energy. And so when carbohydrates are broke down into their most simple form, they make glucose, and that's what our brain runs off of. The last one is fats, and those come in the form of lipids, which is essential to nutrient absorption, cell and organ function.

And so all these three macronutrients, proteins, carbs and fats are crucial in carrying out all the functions of the body together. So it's not just one or the other, it's all of them in balance together. So talking about the plate earlier, now talking about the macronutrients, it all works in symbiosis.

Amanda Wilde: And what are the micronutrients?

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: Micronutrients are all of the vitamins and minerals that your food contains. There are four main categories of micronutrients. There are water soluble vitamins, fat soluble vitamins, macro minerals and trace minerals. So the water soluble vitamins. dissolvable in water, hence the term water soluble. And so these are not easily stored in the body, in excess, and so they can be excreted through the urine if you're supplementing and you maybe take a little bit too much. So the water soluble vitamins include all of your B vitamins and vitamin C.

The next one is your fat soluble vitamins, and they are best absorbed when they are consumed with a fat source. So a lot of times you'll see fat soluble vitamin supplements in a capsule that has oil in it, which is a fat source. they are stored in your liver and your fatty tissues to be used for future use. So the risk of vitamin toxicity is a lot higher, so paying attention to the dosage is important. The fat soluble vitamins include vitamins A, D, E, and K. Then we have macro minerals. These are the minerals that are needed in larger amounts for your body to function, and they play a very important role in your metabolism.

And these include calcium, phosphorus, manganese, sodium, potassium chloride, and sulfur. And then we have our little bitty trace minerals. And these are the opposite of macro minerals and they are just as important in the metabolism, but you just need them in a lot smaller amounts. and these include iron, zinc, iodine, selenium, copper, manganese, fluoride, chromium and melilidum, which I always messed that word up, but I was able to say it.

The amazing thing is that all these micronutrients also work together in the body to carry out the amazing thing that is our metabolism. So the best way to ensure you're getting all your micronutrients and your diet is to make sure you're consuming, all of those macronutrients that we talked about earlier in a well-balanced way.

Amanda Wilde: Right. Now what do we need to keep in mind to balance our macro and micronutrient needs?

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: So going back to talking about the plate, all the sections of your plate are in different portions. So half your plate should be those non-starchy vegetables. A quarter of your plate should be your proteins, and then that last quarter of your plate your carbohydrate. Fats aren't necessarily a food group that's on your plate, but usually fats are going to be present in your condiments or how you prepared your food. Like did you cook your food in oil or butter?

Amanda Wilde: How, do you know if you're getting all the macro and micronutrients you need?

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: Well, this would be a great reason to see a dietician.

Amanda Wilde: Perfect.

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: So, this is definitely one thing that I work with patients a lot on. They just don't know how much they should be getting of one thing or the other. Maybe they have a different body type or their hormones are a little bit out of balance and these are things that people don't think of a dietician doing, but we are educated to know all of these things, and so we help each person because each person is different and they don't need the same amount of calories or micronutrients or nutrients.

Amanda Wilde: Right. So there's an individualized program for each person when they come and talk with you about this. Are there other services you want to talk about that you offer at Cumberland Healthcare?

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: Yes, absolutely. The main thing that I deal with is diabetic education and diabetic prevention. And this is very prevalent in today's world. Obesity is very prevalent and so I work with patients from the beginning to the end. So if you are at risk for diabetes, we do have a. Prevention class that we run here. So if you're interested, please reach out to me on that. We also deal with pre-diabetes, so that's kind of the next step in the, diabetic journey. We also deal with type one, type two or gestational diabetes, and so I educate on all those different types. I also do diet education for all stages of kidney disease.

I work with cardiac rehab. If you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, weight management, wound healing, making sure you're getting enough protein to heal those wounds up. Sports nutrition, if you're a kid in high school sports and you wanna make sure you're getting the right macronutrients to support you before, during, or after your game. Eating disorder, management, tube feeding, food allergies and intolerances. And then lastly, one of my favorites is women's health.

So promoting nutrition for a healthy menstrual cycle before you get pregnant to boost your fertility during your pregnancy while you're breastfeeding, and then later in life, for women is improving bone health and preventing osteoporosis. That is just a little capsule of everything that I do. But if you're just wondering if you should see a dietician for a medical condition or you just wanna be a healthier person in general, the best way to find out is just to give me a call or find me on our website.

Amanda Wilde: That's very comprehensive, and those maladies you mentioned are a good reminder that everything we put into our bodies affects everything else. So thanks for showing us these ways to understand how these food choices work for our bodies.

Kiersten Haugerud, RDN: Absolutely.

Amanda Wilde: That was registered dietician nutritionist Kiersten Haugerud. For more information, visit cumberlandhealthcare.com/services/nutrition-weightloss. This is Healthier You a podcast from Cumberland Healthcare. Thanks for listening and be well.