Monday, October 17, 2016

HIIT me with your best shot: Why HIIT is beneficial for every size and shape

When I first heard of HIIT, I had no idea what it was all about. I wanted to dig deeper and figure out why HIIT has been all the rage lately. Turns out, it has so many benefits and anyone can do it! HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training and can be explained as short bouts of maximal effort exercises followed by a short recovery, or low-intensity period, in between each exercise. This pattern of high and low intensity can vary by 30 seconds to 2 minutes for each exercise, depending on your goal.
Some examples of HIIT include:
·         Running
o   Sprint with an all-out effort for up to 1 minute, lightly jog for about 2 minutes, and then continue with another minute of sprinting, and so forth
·         Swimming
·         Biking
·         Body weight exercises like push-ups, mountain climbers, pull-ups, or burpees
·         Tabata
o   Workout with a maximum effort for 20 seconds, take a 10 second break, and continue this pattern about 8 times or for 4 minutes each exercise.
The biggest benefit is the efficient utilization of carbohydrates and fat during your workout. During aerobic exercise, carbohydrates and fat become more available for our body to use. This allows for carbs and fat to be used as fuel and meet the energy demands of your workout.
·         Glucagon is a hormone found in the liver that changes glycogen (stored form of glucose) to glucose.
·         Glucose is our body’s most readily available form of energy, especially during workouts.
·         With short bouts of exercise, glucagon production is increased, making more glucose available.
·         With more glucose available during a workout, fat breakdown is enhanced which allows your body to use fat as an energy source.
Another benefit of HIIT training is you don’t need a gym to do it! Body weight is completely acceptable for this type of workout.
·         Using body weight can be just as beneficial for a workout. Your body will adapt by increasing muscle size or strength when using just body weight.
·         Any variation of body weight exercise works. So long as intensity stays high, your body will continue to adapt regardless of mode or exercise.
It’s so important to know why each workout mode is beneficial if you want to know what’s going to work best for you. So if you’re tired of the same old routine, try out a HIIT workout. See what gyms around you are offering classes, most will allow you to try a class for free on your first time.


BIO: Kristen is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, also working towards getting her personal training certification through NSCA. She works in weight loss counseling and also maintains a nutrition blog. Instagram @KPCreations.RDN  and blog site: www.kpcreations.com.

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

SCAN Events at FNCE 2016


FNCE 2016 is so close! SCAN has so many exciting events planned this year at FNCE - come join us!

Sunday Morning Breakfast
The Cranberry’s Fight Against Infections: Using Nutrition to Reduce Antibiotic Use
Sunday, October 16
6:45-8:00am
Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel – Pacific Salons A-D

Sunday Night Reception
Join SCAN for the first stop of your evening!
SCAN: Playing with the All-Stars
Sunday, October 16
5:15-7:30pm
Convention Center’s Grand Ballroom Foyer

Monday Morning Fitness
Yoga led by Mandy Unanski Enright, MS, RD, RYT
Monday, October 17
6:45-8:00am
Renaissance Waterfront Hotel – Atlantic Ballroom 2 & 3

Monday Evening CPE
Yogurt: A Smart Snack with Surprising Benefits
Monday, October 17
5:00-6:00pm
Headquarter Hotel - Westin Boston Waterfront
Harbor Ballroom III

Tuesday Morning SCAN Spotlight Session
Going Coconut Over Saturated Fat? Why So Much Confusion?
Tuesday, October 18
8:00-9:30am
Convention Center - Grand Ballroom West

Monday, October 10, 2016

Dietetic Internship Match Stories: Allison Bokenkotter

Editor's Note:  Allison is a SCAN blog contributor who is sharing some of her tips on getting matched.  She recently passed the RD exam this summer and works in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

What are you talking about? How could not receiving a match from DICAS be a good thing? Yes, I was one of those dietetic students who didn’t receive a match from DICAS on the second Sunday of April. I even refreshed the page a couple of times thinking maybe there was an error since about 6,000 other students were logging into DICAS simultaneously. I knew not receiving a match wasn’t a “death sentence” but if you’ve ever applied to DICAS you know the tremendous amount of work that goes into it. From endlessly researching different internships all around the country to practically being able to recite your personal statement in your sleep. I think I cried once that night and said “enough, if you want it, go get it.”

So I did what the other 50% or more of students do who don’t get a match the first round, I looked into the second round match. The second round is for programs who have a few openings after the first round (usually very rare). In my opinion, the second round match is similar to eating leftovers that have been in the refrigerator all week. The leftovers never taste as good (unless its Chinese food) but it’s better than not eating at all. There are slim pickings during the second round match and honestly, I didn’t want to apply for any second round openings because, well, none of them impressed me but at the same time I needed an internship in order to be an RD.

I graduated with a B.S. in dietetics three weeks later and stayed in close contact with my DPD director, who knew how hard I had worked on my DICAS application and in my undergraduate career. My plan was to continue volunteering at the VA hospital, get my masters in nutritional sciences where I received my undergraduate degree, continue to stay involved in my local dietetic association and apply for DICAS again in the fall. Until I received an email from my DPD director saying that the Coordinated Program (CP) at our university was accepting three students into the program for this years internship. So I applied, although I wasn’t overly confident, after all, I did not personally know CP director and never had her as a professor. Not to mention the other fifteen students who were applying for the three openings as well. Luckily, my DPD director was part of the decision-making panel on which three students would be accepted. Then the waiting game started yet again.

Two weeks after applying for the CP, an email was sent to me late one afternoon. As you probably already guessed, you’re reading my journey on how I finally was accepted to complete my internship! Not only did I get “matched” in an unorthodox way but I was also able to complete my internship locally, which saved me a tremendous amount of money. Any dietetic student knows being a dietetic student is rather expensive.  So although I didn’t get matched on that second Sunday in April with DICAS, completing my internship through the CP ended up being a better “match” for me.

Here are my tips to not only be successful but also get an internship:

1. Stay resilient, strong, and positive! If you want it, you will get it.
2. Get to know your professors – they want to help you succeed
3. Get involved: local dietetic associations, volunteer opportunities, etc.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

#SCANchat October FNCE and Boston TONIGHT at 8 PM EST

Please join our Twitter chat with all your FNCE questions tonight at 8 PM EST.  You can find us @SCANdpg.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

SCAN's 2016 All-Stars



The FNCE 2016 SCAN reception will be featuring our four 2016 SCAN All-Stars. Our All-Stars are longtime members of SCAN who are highly influential in their fields. You'll have the wonderful opportunity to mingle with them attending the reception, but here's an introduction of each of our All-Stars.

Toby Amidor, MS, RD, CDN --
Author, consultant, and contributor bringing the RD voice on wellness topics to major outlets such as U.S. News & World Report and the Food Network’s Healthy Eats blogs. She is active in multiple social media platforms, including Facebook (@tobyamidornutrition ), Twitter (@tobyamidor with more than 13,000 followers) and Pinterest (4,600 followers), carrying sound messages far and wide.

Roberta Anding, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, CDE, FAND --
The ultimate sports dietitian, board-certified specialist in sports nutrition working with athletes at youth, collegiate and pros levels, including the Texans, Houston Astros and Houston Ballet. As Director of Sports Nutrition at Texas Children’s Hospital she demonstrates what a sports dietitian brings to the table with her expertise in eating disorders and as a CDE who can handle complex medical issues like diabetes. She is a scholar, who can teach at the highest level, and a communicator who has served as an Academy Spokesperson and currently provides a sage voice through social media via Twitter (@RobertaAnding).

Carol Kirkpatrick, PhD, RDN, CLS, FNLA --
SCAN is thrilled to have Carol as one of our SCAN Spotlight Session speakers, where she will share her expertise on practical choices within cardioprotective eating patterns. She is a certified clinical lipid specialist and Fellow of the National Lipid Association – a group with whom SCAN has a network partnership. Carol was part of the writing group for Part 2 of the NLA Recommendations for Patient-Centered Management of Dyslipidemia, and has authored and co-authored professional and patient education publications. In the true spirit of SCAN, emphasizing cardiovascular nutrition as part of wellness, Carol is director of the Wellness Center at Idaho State University, where she is a clinical assistant professor.

Jessica Setnick, MS, RD, CEDRD --
Jessica is a champion for people dealing with eating disorders and disordered eating, and for the RDNs who work with them. Experienced in both in-patient and private practice worlds working with eating disorders, Jessica is now a Senior Fellow at the Remuda Ranch Eating Disorder Treatment Center in Arizona, and a speaker and author educating health professionals. Jessica is also a Certified Eating Disorder RD and a CEDRD Supervisor, supporting dietitians working toward this credential and mentoring the next generation of eating disorder dietitians. Twitter: @JessicaSetnick

For more information about attending the FNCE 2016 SCAN reception:
http://www.scandpg.org/fnce-2016/2016-fnce-scan-reception/

Hope to see you there!

Saturday, October 1, 2016

SCAN @ FNCE: GOING COCONUT OVER SATURATED FAT? WHY SO MUCH CONFUSION?

  • Room: Grand Ballroom West
Tuesday, October 18, 2016: 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
CEU Credits:1.5
Level 3 - Advanced

Nutrition professionals are often asked about headline-making studies regarding dietary saturated fat and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Often these headlines conflict with one another or with advice people hear from health professionals. This session will guide professionals in how to evaluate studies examining the relationship between saturated fatty acids and CVD, summarize and translate the conclusions from the most valid studies to educate individuals on general cardioprotective eating habits, and apply the conclusions from valid studies to answer questions like “What about coconut oil?” and “Is butter back?”