What RDs Do: Sapna Punjabi-Gupta MS, RDN, LD, AP

SAPNA PUNJABI-GUPTA

CULINARY WELLNESS EXPERT, SPEAKER, ENTREPRENEUR

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Sapna was excited to be part of this series to help show the world the diverse areas of work in our profession. She has a very unique company and I can only imagine the energy along with great smells and flavours that would be present in her workshops. Sapna is humble and passionate as she aims to empower people to nourish and nurture their body, mind and spirit naturally with Western and Ayurvedic methods. 

Why did you become a RD?

I have always been curious about food and what we eat and why. When I enrolled for my undergraduate program in Food and Nutrition while I was still in Mumbai (India), I did not realize what I was getting myself into or what being a Registered Dietitian truly meant. I enrolled in the program because it seemed different and it felt RIGHT. Being an RD felt like solving an interesting puzzle of food science, research, culinary skills, counseling, medicine and putting all these pieces strategically together. I am thankful that I chose this path and followed what felt right.

What area of dietetics do you work in?

After 11 years as a Clinical Dietitian, I took a huge leap of faith in 2012 and decided to start my own company, Naivedhya – which means ‘An Offering’. I work in the area of culinary wellness and empower individuals to a vegetarian lifestyle. I conduct cooking workshops, wellness lectures and have my line of heirloom spice blends and spice products.

How would you explain what you do?

I integrate western nutritional science with ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, holistic medicine from India to make it easy and practical for modern living through wellness talks, cooking workshops, blogs and online video tutorials.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks?

I don’t have a typical day at work anymore. I am multitasking many roles on any given day such as:

• Being active on social media posting about different nutrition and food topics and staying current with news topics, food trends and issues. 
• Recording video tutorials for my YouTube channel – Naivedhya.by.Sapna
• Planning and prepping for speaking events, trunk shows to showcase my spice products, and private cooking lessons.
• Constantly communicating with people, professionals, and organizations for scheduling various events. 
• Traveling to speak and conduct workshops. 
• Grinding and preparing my spice products.
• Cooking and testing new recipes.
• Volunteering my time and being active at my kids’ school.
• Volunteering my time in various Dietetic Practice Groups for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 
• Spreading the message of vegetarianism, wellness and mindful eating every single day in any way I can. 

What has been your career path?

My career began as a Consulting Dietitian with an Endocrinologist in India. I was able to work with patients and was a coordinator for a clinical drug trial. I came to the USA to pursue my graduate studies and became highly motivated to work in the area of neonatal nutrition. I was able to fulfill my goal and worked in a clinical setting and specialized in areas of Women’s health and Neonatal Nutrition practice in a Level 3 neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Dallas. Apart from seeing patients, I really enjoyed mentoring dietetic interns and trained many RDs all over the country for advanced practice program in our NICU. I also led many nutrition quality control initiatives for the NICU that resulted in publications.

After more than a decade of extremely fulfilling clinical work, I changed directions to work for myself and created new paths and dreams. I am so thankful each day to have gathered the strength for the decision to have my own company – Naivedhya, where I get to spread the message of vegetarianism, culinary wellness and offer creative ways to put nutritional science in the forefront.

What advanced education or special training do you have?

I have a Masters in Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University, Ohio with special training in Neonatal Nutrition. I worked for 11 years in a hospital as a Clinical Dietitian mostly in the areas of high risk antepartum women and premature infants.

I am also a Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner. Ayurveda is a holistic medicine from India and is being practiced for more than 5000 years. It is globally recognized and accepted by the WHO (World Health Organization). In the United States, it is recognized by the National Institute of Medicine as a Complementary Medicine.

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now?

In an ideal world, in 5 years Dietitians will be a part of every medical practice in the USA and health insurance will cover an annual wellness assessment by an RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist) as part of preventative care. Dietitians will play an important role not only in the clinical settings but also lead in critical global food issues such as sustainable food, food waste, organic farming and more. I would love to see dietetics become a more financially viable career path and Dietitians becoming more assertive with regards to financial negotiations with their employers and demanding competitive compensation like other health experts.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up?

We do more than count calories, read food labels and eat salads all day long.

What are you passionate about in dietetics?

I believe in the power of food and the impact it has on our body, mind and spirit. The field of dietetics has the ability to make sure it can communicate the power and impact of food in a responsible manner to the world.

What is your favourite meal?

A home cooked meal that is well spiced and seasoned with love.

What tip(s) would you give to our readers?

• Follow your passion and your intuition. 
• Learn to COOK. It is the greatest gift you can give to yourself and your family. 
• Season your food with spices and love. Spices and Love HEALS.
• Set the right intention while cooking and eating your food. Food not only provides nutrition, it nourishes you. 

More about Sapna:

Website: Naivedhya
Facebook: Naivedhya
Instagram: Naivedhya_by_Sapna
YouTube: Naivedhya.by.Sapna

Thanks Sapna! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

What RDs Do: Ginger Hultin, MS, RD, CSO

GINGER HULTIN

CHAMPAGNE NUTRITION

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Ginger has had a variety on different roles in her career and has a somewhat non-traditional one now. She specializes in integrative health, oncology nutrition, responsible supplementation, and nutrigenomics. Like a typical entrepreneur (or one I can relate to), she engulfs herself in nutrition, even in her 'spare' time. I am excited to share her interview and I know she's excited to be featured. 

Why did you become a RD?

I got interested in nutrition because of my love of fitness and food but during my schooling and internship, my interest turned towards the clinical and behavior change aspects.

What area of dietetics do you work in? 

I work for a nutrigenomic company in Seattle, I teach students at an integrative medical clinic and I run my blog, Champagne Nutrition.

How would you explain what you do? 

It can be confusing because I do more than one thing! When I tell people that I work for a biotech start-up, they say “oh, so you’re not a dietitian anymore?” I get to explain that dietitians can do a lot of different things; that’s a wonderful aspect about our profession. I also love working with students; I teach and guide graduate dietetic students as they counsel patients. I’m a writer at heart so blogging and writing articles is something I do in my free time. 

I also serve as Immediate Past President for the Chicago Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Chair-Elect of the national Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group and am a Media Representative for the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

What are your ‘typical’ daily/weekly tasks? 

The majority of my time I am either prepping for, following up on or actively seeing clients for nutrition sessions. Other than that, I manage a team of dietitians so I have some training and supporting built into my day. I always take time each morning to set my social media channels since this is a huge priority to me and in the evenings I almost always write articles, blog or am on phone calls for the many nutrition-related volunteer positions I hold. Sometimes in my down-time I read nutrition magazines or books - It's all nutrition all the time with me!

What has been your career path? 

I started out working in a large hospital in Chicago on the cardiac rehabilitation floor. When they started doing bariatric surgery, I helped them open an outpatient bariatric clinic. From there I moved to an integrative oncology clinic and now I work at a nutrigenomic start-up company.

What advanced education or special training do you have? 

I have a Masters in Nutrition from Bastyr University, have earned my Weight Management Certifications I and II and I now have my Board Certification as a Specialist in Oncology Nutrition (CSO).

In an ideal world, what does the industry look like 5 years from now? 

I hope that the dietetic field continues to grow and integrate into general medical practice. Dietitians are THE nutrition experts.  Having a great relationship with other medical providers that refer to us for nutritional needs will be key. RDs also play a key role in sustainability and environmental nutrition, the healthy aging of our population as well as school food service and childhood nutrition, obesity and other chronic diseases and in the community regarding access and safety of the food supply. Dietitians are a critical piece to the health of our population.

What misinformation about RDs would you like to clear up? 

That we judge what other people eat. I want people to stop apologizing to me at dinner parties :) Also that we have a magic bullet – behavior change is hard and takes time and commitment so working with a dietitian over a period of time is a key to success. I can’t simply tell you what to eat when I meet you the first time; nutrition is a complicated science.

What would you like people to know about RDs? 

The amount of schooling, credentialing and continuing education that is required for us to achieve our “RDN” status.

What are you passionate about in dietetics? 

The food aspect and the culture around food. Cooking, recipes, food photography, eating out, food history – that’s the best. I also love talking to people about how to use nutrition to heal themselves; food is powerful medicine.

What is your favourite meal? 

I’m a huge pizza fan. Otherwise, I’m a vegetarian so a spicy tofu noodle dish with lots of broccoli in it would be ideal.

What tip(s) would you give to our readers? 

Reach out to a dietitian today for your nutrition needs! Most every person could benefit from working with a nutrition professional.

More about Ginger:

Website: Champagne Nutrition

Facebook: Champagne Nutrition

Twitter: @GingerHultinRD

Instagram: @champagnenutrition

Pinterest: Champagne Nutrition

Google+: Ginger Hultin 

LinkedIn: Ginger Hultin MS RD CSO

Thanks Ginger! Find out more about What RDsDo.

If you're a dietitian that would like to be featured, email me for the details!

Roll it out

As I work to expand my vegetarian recipe repertoire, I still like to look in the cupboards and be able to create a meal with my pantry staples.  This is a great creative skill to have when you don't have time to pick up groceries, are trying to eat more meals at home, or just want to see what you can create from your kitchen supplies. 

I did plan to try enchiladas at some point, since we don't usually have enchilada sauce in the house.  Otherwise, a few items you will almost always find in my kitchen include:

• frozen berries
• frozen vegetables (broccoli, beans, peas, etc.)
• canned tuna
• quinoa
• some sort of rice (brown, wild, whole grain basmati)
• greek yogurt
• unsalted nuts
• dried lentils
• canned black beans and chickpeas
• canned unsalted tomatoes
• frozen loaf of bread (or pitas)
• salsa
• milk
• oats
• apples
• raisins
• eggs
• onions
• garlic
• and of course a variety of herbs and spices

Vegetarian proteins are great to get you through the week because they're shelf stable (dried or canned).  What do you make when you don't have time to get to the grocery store?

The recipe I'd like to share with you today is adapted from Betty Crocker's Black Bean Enchiladas.

Ingredients

·  1 tablespoon vegetable oil

·  1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)

·  1 teaspoon ground cumin

·  1 can (341ml, 12oz) whole kernel corn, rinsed

·  3/4 cup medium salsa

·  1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained

·  1 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

·  7 (because that's what we had) whole wheat tortillas (8-10 inch)

·  1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce (we used mild)

·  Chopped avocado, black olives, sour cream and cilantro, if desired 

    *we also added a few chopped chipotle peppers for some heat!

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 11x7-inch (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cumin; cook and stir 4 to 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in corn, salsa, beans and 1 cup of the cheese. Remove from heat.
2. On microwavable plate, stack tortillas and cover with paper towel; microwave on High 30 seconds to 1 minute to soften. Place 1/4-1/3 cup bean mixture along center of each tortilla. Roll up tightly, and place seam sides down in baking dish; spoon remaining bean mixture on top. Pour enchilada sauce over enchiladas, spreading to coat all tortillas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
3.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly around edges. Garnish with remaining ingredients.

Plan ahead so you can roll out supper at home when you're in a pinch.

Here's to your health,
Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com

Another Day, Another Diet?

If you read my blog often, you will know that my favourite words as a dietitian are VARIETY, MODERATION, and BALANCE.  I feel that those terms can be applied to our food choices so that we enjoy what we feed ourselves and don't feel deprived.  My nutrition intern Samantha was also thinking along those lines when she wrote the blog post below.  With Sam's post in mind and since it's Q's Day - I would like to know:

What do you label your eating pattern/diet?

Do we have to be on a diet to be healthy?

By Samantha Sielski, Dietetic Intern (for Steph Langdon, RD)

Every day I notice more people giving themselves a label to identify the type of food they eat – lacto-ovo vegetarian, vegan, pesco-vegetarian, gluten free, raw foods, etc.  Then they have this guilt run over their face and they add “but I eat cheese!”  Why do people put themselves through the cruelty of avoiding the foods they love, and then feel outrageously guilty for cheating on these favorite foods?  I swear sometimes that I need a psychology degree to work in the nutrition profession.

Hollywood bombards us with the newest, fad diets 24/7. But this is exactly what they are, a fad, which are difficult to sustain long term.  It is always interesting to hear what lactose free, raw, juice cleanse diet a client or family member is on next.  But does a person really need to be on any special diet to be healthy? 

My answer to this question is yes and no.  If you have a diagnosed allergy or disease such as lactose intolerance or celiac disease, then there are definitely foods you have to avoid.  Otherwise, if you are a perfectly healthy individual then there is no need to be on a restrictive diet, but this does not mean you can’t try a gluten free or vegan meal.  People actually do more damage to their digestive system when they are voluntarily jumping from food restriction to food restriction.  This is due to the fact that the healthy bacteria in your gut do not like the food rollercoaster you are putting it through. 

There are some great things we can take away from different ways of eating, such as incorporating a vegetarian meal into your otherwise carnivorous eating habits or experimenting with ancient grains.  Some of my best recipes are from a vegan website, but this does not mean I am a vegan.  It means I see the value in the variety that other ways of eating can add to my ever expanding food enjoyment.  I challenge you to eat what you love and experiment with new foods; don’t become a restrictive dieter!
 

Vegan Zucchini Bread (Source AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients

    3 cups all-purpose flour

    1 teaspoon salt

    1 teaspoon baking soda

    2 teaspoons baking powder

    1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

    2 ripe bananas

    1/2 cup applesauce

    1/2 cup vegetable oil

    3/4 cup brown sugar (reduced from original  

    recipe)

    1/2 cup white sugar (reduced from original recipe)

    1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    1 tablespoon lemon juice

    3 1/2 cups grated zucchini

Directions

Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease 2 8x4-inch loaf pans.

Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Beat the bananas, applesauce, vegetable oil, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice together in a separate large bowl. Beat the flour mixture into the banana mixture; add the zucchini and mix until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pans.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 60 to 90 minutes. Cool in the pans for 20 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. 

Thanks Sam!

Steph Langdon, RD

something nutrishus counselling & coaching

www.nutrishus.com

Eat for the Earth

April 22 is a day to remember - it's my birthday!  It's also Earth Day - a day to think about how our actions impact our planet and our future.

I really like the theme that Earth Day Canada is focused on this year because it ties into nutrition and building healthy habits - both of which I focus on in my practice.  Their campaign is Take It Up For Earth Day - with the idea of taking up a new habits that's good for you AND the planet.

I would like to share some information from the Earth Day Canada factsheet:

• The UN Food and Agriculture Organization reports that livestock production is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions—more than the transport sector.
• 23.1% of adult Canadians are obese and an additional 36.1% are overweight.
• A study by Children’s Hospital Boston found that over a period of fifteen years young people who ate fast food twice a week or more gained 10 extra pounds and become twice as resistant to insulin than those who indulged less than once a week.
• A meat-based diet requires seven times more land than a plant-based diet.
• A study done in the Waterloo region found that food traveled an average of 4497 km to get there, emitting 51,790 tonnes of greenhouse gases in the process! If purchased locally those emissions would be reduced by 95%

Think about how your food choices impact the environment and perhaps you'll be inspired to create a new habit.  You don't have to do a major overhaul, but pick something small and work on it.  I'm not a vegetarian, I do enjoy the occasional steak, but my husband and I do enjoy vegetarian meals as well.  I also don't purchase all of my food from the farmer's market, but when I can and they have ingredients I need, then I will.  Even the simple, healthy act of focusing on increasing your plant-based foods such as vegetables, fruits, and legumes will help with your nutrition goals and have a positive effect on the planet.

Happy Earth Day (Sunday)!

Steph Langdon, RD
something nutrishus counselling & coaching
www.nutrishus.com