Resources for Contemporary Diet and Nutrition Information
Separating fact from fiction while navigating the vast resources available on all things health and wellness related can leave the mind reeling and the seeker frustrated and ultimately resorting to following the latest fads to attack health questions. Knowing where to begin the search and how to find reliable and reputable resources makes the difference in laying the groundwork for achieving personal wellness. The resources listed below will educate, encourage and empower the active pursuit of personal knowledge in the quest for change. Readers will find success achieving personal goals related to healthy eating from the selection of quality food , to the economics of eating well, and embracing the organic food movement.
Dietary Trends and Nutrition Resources
Sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, this site provides member support and education to help with improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy (2012). Its mission is to empower professionals to be food and nutrition leaders for the whole nation, while its vision is the optimization of health through nutrition.
Sponsored by the International Food Council Foundation, this site communicates science-based information on health, nutrition and food safety for the public good.
Sponsored by the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, this site operates under the governance of the United States Department of Agriculture. The goal is advancement and promotion of American dietary guidelines while conducting applied research and analysis in nutrition and consumer economics.
Food Choices – Economics Resources
Sponsored by the American Society for Nutrition, this site offers online access to the Journal of Nutrition. The site includes current research on nutrition, diversity and economics in food choices.The selected article provides an analysis of the varying costs of food choices.
This professional site shares full length health presentations on varied topics such as food choice and economics. The selected article addresses the link between poverty and obesity.
Sponsored by Oregon State University, this site offers a series of self-paced, web-based learning modules in helping to meet some of the challenges of running a household. The program’s goal is to share useful information about how to plan healthful meals, prepare tasty, low-cost foods that are quick and easy, and make food dollars last through the month.
“Farmers Market Food Finds: Local Produce is Healthier for You and the Planet“
This essay identified the benefits of shopping for produce at farmer’s markets from both health and economic perspectives.
The Organic Food Movement Resources
www.ewg.org
Sponsored by the Environmental Working group, this site uses public information to protect public health. The group is responsible for the annual Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen consumer produce shopping guides.
Sponsored by the Organic Consumers Association, addresses issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, children’s health, and corporate accountability. The organization goals include campaigning for health, justice, sustainability, peace, and democracy.
Sponsored by the Organic Trade Association this site seeks to promote and protect organic trade in ways beneficial to farmers, the public, the economy and the environment.
“Organic Production and Food Safety”
This essay sought to debunk the myths that those regularly consuming organic produce were more likely to suffer the ill-effects of foodborne illnesses such as E-coli.
Here’s to your health,
Anita
Web-based Wellness Resources – Kaplan University – HW499
The Center for Healthy Living website is an easy to use resource for online classes in mind/body work. It provides numerous .mp3 files available for immediate download on Yoga, Meditation, and Breathing/Pranayama practices each month with the successive lessons building upon the previous month’s work. The site also provides links to the author’s blog and newsletter along with schedules for in-person classes held in Minnesota with the website author. This information will serve me well in presenting introductory audio files to clients while helping them to explore mind/body work in a private setting. As each individual may find different voices and music selections that resonate from within, it will be of great benefit to have numerous sites like this one as part of my resource library.
Center for Healthy Living. (2005). Online classes with Laura. Retrieved August 12, 2013 from http://www.yogachi.com/yogachi/OnlineCourses.htm
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) is an agency of the US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Division. Its mission is to “to define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and alternative medicine interventions and their roles in improving health and health care” (NCCAM, 2012). The website serves as a great resource in providing information on evidence-based research on integrating CAM modalities into the areas of both healthcare and health and wellness promotion. It provides detailed information on natural products and interventions for both healthcare professionals and laypersons alike along with news from all fronts in the areas of CAM. As an aspiring allied health professional with a passion for integral health, CAM options will form the base of the wellness programs which I will be designing. This website will afford me the documentation necessary to validate my recommendations to clients and their mainstream medical providers in caring for the whole individual.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. (2012). Health. Retrieved August 12, 2013 from http://nccam.nih.gov/
Evidence-Based Complementary nd Alternative Medicine Journal
The Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Journal website proved to be most appealing and appropriate to my future professional goals. The aspect of this website I found most useful was the ability to search for peer-reviewed journal articles covering a myriad of CAM topics, many of them I would never have connected as CAM modalities. The very nature of the content being not only peer-reviewed but also all evidence-based gives validity to the topic found. My interest lies in developing individual wellness programs utilizing various CAM modalities from energy work to meditation, from chiropractic work to prayer and all points intersecting. While I am becoming more and more knowledgeable to what all is available by way of personal experience, I cannot expect my future clients to “buy-in” totally upon my experiences. I must be able to share appropriate research findings in ways in which they will understand and hopefully respond favorably. The articles on this sight will all me to synthesize my experiences and my research and select the right fit for my clients. I will also be able to utilize this site to research areas of interest I may not have encountered or even areas in which my clients have personal experience or would like to explore as part of their wellness program.
Hindawi Publishing Corporation. (2013). About this journal. Retrieved August 10, 2013 from http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/
Here’s to your health,
Anita
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