I recently returned from attending our national conference for dietitians in San Diego on September 24-27 and was refreshed to get updated on all the latest research, as well as having a little fun in San Diego!! This is a good event for all of us dietitians to go to because it keeps us abreast of current recommendations backed up by studies. For example...have you see the blogs going around about "Unprocessed October" where they are trying to get people to eat "unprocessed" food for a month? Well, I think its a fun idea, however, I went to a session called "Fresh Look at Processed Foods" and basically, the definition of "processed foods" is everything we eat unless it's pulled straight out of the garden! Even bananas are considered a processed food! The home grown tomatoes we can ourselves are "processed foods". So, as a dietitian, this conference is good at keeping us grounded with the scientific community so we don't loose our wits with all the hoopla going around with our foods. That's not to say all the "hoopla" is nonsense, I don't think that at all and I'm happy for all the "hoopla"! It keeps people thinking about our food and promotes "mindful eating" which is always a good thing. And as far as "Unprocessed October", their website explains their version of "processed" foods:
I signed up to do it. Since I make a lot of our food from scratch at home (or test kitchen, they call it) and we don't eat out that much, it shouldn't be that big of a challenge for me! However, following a unprocessed food diet using the official scientific definition is another story! The official definition? Here it is: Any deliberate change in a food that occurs before it's available for us to eat. It can be as simple as freezing or drying food to preserve nutrients and freshness, or as complex as formulating a frozen meal with the right balance of nutrients and ingredients - That's the official definition.
There are actually five categories of this official definition. (Nothing is simple in the scientific community like all the blogs may lead you to believe!) The five categories are:
1) Minimally processed foods - these are the most nutrient dense foods (which, by the way, there is no official definition of "nutrient dense" foods) such as fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, juice. There are approximately 1000 different foods in this category that contribute approximately 300 calories per day per person in our country or 15% of our food. We get 50% of our vitamin D from these foods. (milk) So, these minimally processed foods are not considered bad foods even though they are "processed".
(The statistics are from a six year study by the IFIC or International Food Information Council which is a nonprofit science-based organization who's mission is to communicate information on nutrition and food safety to health and nutrition professionals, educators, etc. who provide information to consumers. *Primarily supported by the food, beverage, and agricultural industries...)
2) Processed for Preservation - such as dried, canned or frozen foods. There are approximately 500 different foods in this category.
3) Combined foods - such as breads, cheese, mayonnaise. There are about 500 different foods in this category
4) Ready-to-Eat- This is the largest category, approximately 1,600 foods or 20% of the American diet. This category of foods contributes the greatest added sugars, calories, salt and fat to our food supply (60% of added sugars come from ready-to-eat foods). However, it's also where we get most of our folic acid and iron in our diets.
5) Prepared foods- such as TV dinner, etc. There are approximately 500 different foods in this category.
The number of different foods consumed in America is approximately 4,700.
So, if you want to do "Unprocessed October", I would suggest avoiding #4 and #5 - that's a lot easier and the most healthful.
Anyway, back to the conference....I also attended another session called "Driving Sustainability from Confusion to Infusion". I wasn't planning on going to this one but it was the first day and I had just spent time in the Expo Pavilion with all the exhibitors and food vendors and I must say, it was a little disheartening to see food vendors promoting their "healthy" food to all us dietitians when their food really is not that healthy.
It actually made me a little sick to my stomach seeing dietitians lined up for free hot dogs, including a pregnant dietitian. And Coca-Cola showing us their new vending machines that dispense more flavors of coke even faster now.
O.K., I know everything in moderation...but come on! We all know Americans don't eat in moderation. Have you heard of the obesity epidemic going on in this country??? A lot of this was hard to take. I even went to a debate entitled "Sweet Scrutiny: Debating the Research on Nutritive and Non-Nutritive Sweeteners". Two researchers debated this topic basing their comments on research that they've done and they both had different views on the matter! One researcher, Theresa Nicklas, PhD. from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston stated HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) is just another added sugar like all others, no different. The obesity epidemic is a very complex issue with no simple answer. The other researcher, Barry Popkin, PhD from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, was adamant about reducing our consumption of added sugars and HFCS. They both cited studies backing their opinions so it was interesting how debatable this issue of obesity is in our country and what to do about it.
So, I had to head over to the session on Sustainability to regain my sanity. The presenter, Ellyn Elson, is a dietitian who is now CEO of FocusGreen from Napa, California (of course) and she does consulting to businesses who want to reduce energy use and resources in their food service operations and GO GREEN. She also discussed what we individually can do, as well. Refreshing, like I said before, and so motivating. She emphasized there are no exceptions on who ought to be living this lifestyle and recommended the book Urban Homestead for those who think they can't. She even promoted a college degree in Sustainability at Sonoma College for any of us who might be tired of our careers in dietetics! HA! She went on and on about businesses that run sustainable programs and have fewer employee sick days, schools have better test scores from their students, hospitals are now putting in gardens for fresh produce for patients and cafeteria patrons and even composting and changing windows to ones that actually open and let in fresh air. She showed slides of the dinning halls at Cal. St. Berkeley and Stanford, two colleges that have state-of-the-art sustainability operations. It was the breath of fresh air for me that I desperately needed at that point.
There were a lot of good vendors in the Expo Pavilion, however, since they actually had a Natural and Organic Food sections which is where I spent most my time.
And then the highlight of my three days was on Monday when I met two of the contestants from the Biggest Loser, Jay and Jen, from last season. I was thrilled! I had so many questions I wanted to ask them.
We watch that show every season and we are always fascinated with their transitions. I never knew morbidly obese people could work out like that! I've heard talk that those contestants are "drugged" in order to get through it so, of course, that was my first question to them. Their response..."Heaven's NO!" So, I asked, "But how can you do all that exercise and not be so sore you can hardly move?" They both said they were not sore throughout the whole ordeal. So, I asked specifically about the first week. They admitted the first week was pretty bad but that they did really low intensity exercise. I said it doesn't look that way on T.V. and they both said that T.V. really exaggerated how it really was. Anyway, it was really fun talking to them, they were both so talkative and friendly, and again, very motivating! I was thrilled!
Next I went over to see their dietitian from the Biggest Loser named Cheryl Forberg R.D., who was doing a book signing of her book Flavor First which I was thrilled to get and talk to her, too. This cookbook has 75 delicious, all natural recipes so, of course, I love it. She also has a blog...
She signed my book "Happy Cooking, Sylvia" - and again, I was thrilled.
I was there for three days and went to many sessions that will be useful at my job in a small, community hospital where we have a variety of patients with acute and chronic diseases. There is always so much to learn and this conference had the best of the best; dietitians who are doing research and studies on the same populations of patients that I see everyday and have streamlined their recommendations to be the best and most practical. I took volumes of notes. And I can't wait to share it all with my colleagues.
Of course, we had some fun outside the conference, too, while in San Diego. My husband came along to play some golf and on our first night we went to Old Town for Mexican food! Always a fun place to go while in San Diego! The second night we tried a recommended restaurant from the Food and Culinary Professionals group that I am a member of. They put together a list of amazing restaurants in the area and they did not disappoint! We went to Terra American Bistro, a farm to table concept with local and organic foods - right up my alley! Bruce loved this restaurant even better than the one we went to Phoenix! (The Farm at South Mountain) It was Restaurant Week while we were in San Diego so we had another Chef's Choice 3-course dinner of their finest selections.
First course - Organic baby greens, candied pecans, dried cranberries, gorgonzola cheese and honey-walnut vinaigrette
The bread was delicious, too. Instead of butter, the spread was chickpea spread with garlic, so delicious, we couldn't get enough.
Second course - I ordered Stone Levitation Braised Pot Roast (grass fed, of course), yukon gold mash, farm fresh local vegetables (which were yellow and green zucchini), truffle oil drizzle.
Bruce ordered Grilled Yellow Fin Tuna, ginger soy glaze, stir fried vegetables, ginger-wasabi aioli, organic brown rice.
And then dessert - Bread Pudding, caramelized banana, pecan, Maker's Mark bourbon butterscotch with whipped cream.
Another excellent food experience!
Our third night we saved the best for last...Padres vs Cubbies baseball in beautiful Petco Park.
Our hotel was right across the street so how could we resist. We've never been to Petco Park so this was our chance to check it out.
We got seats right next to the Cub's bullpen and had fun watching the pitchers warm up. (Our son was a pitcher in college so we're partial to pitchers…) They had lots of relievers in this game so lots of close-up action to watch.
We walked all around the stadium checking out all the stadium perks like the model of the Midway which is docked at the San Diego waterfront.
We saw the "all you can eat" seating section -we thought that was a great idea! I wish Safeco Field had a section like that, especially when our son was a teenager! (They would have lost so much money, tho!) We loved the outfield standing room only section where you can sit on the grass and watch the game.
This is also the area where Tony Gwynn's statue is located.
All this walking around looking at the stadium made us hungry so we headed up to the old Western Metal Supply Building to a bar & grill for some stadium food fare.
The food was pretty good up there and the view was even better.
The home team Padres win! A perfect ending to a wonderful three days in beautiful San Diego.
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