Kent State Interns

In 2014, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ruled that physicians can delegate the responsibility of writing therapeutic diet orders to a qualified RDNs. Now this doesn’t mean that every dietitian automatically can order patient diets. First, the privileging of RDNs must also meet state law and fall within scope of practice defined by the state in which the RDN is practicing. State legislature often reflects the regulations imposed by CMS, so legislation may have to change before certain state are able to implement the new changes CMS has declared. Second, the RDN must request the privileges from the hospital or facility they are practicing at. The hospital has the abuthority to assess the practitioner and determine if they are qualified and competent to obtain order writing privileges. What does it mean to have order writing privileges? RDNs who have order writing privileges can order or change therapeutic diets for patients either on their own or with a co-sig...

Any idea what purines are and what foods contain them? Well I am going to tell you. Purine is a compound in foods that when broken down in the body produce uric acid. What’s the big deal you say?? Well, for the average, healthy person consuming them occasionally really isn’t a big deal. However, if you or someone you know has kidney stones or GOUT you might want to keep reading… High levels of uric acid can produce crystals in your body. These crystals can deposit in your joints (GOUT) or end up in your kidney trying to pass through your body (Kidney stone). Lowering the amount of purine in your diet will limit uric acid amount thus helping to decrease the amount of crystals formed in your body! Foods can be categorized into three different categories. High purine foods, moderate purine foods and low purine foods.                             ...

People have various opinions regarding the consumption of meat products.  The current trend is that Americans are consuming less meat. Beef Consumption has dropped 15% in the past decade (U.S. Beef and Pork Consumption Projected to Rebound, 2016). There are many reasons why someone may or may not consume meat, including personal or religious preferences and perceived health benefits (positive or negative). I am here to sort out the facts for you. So look no further! I am going to list the positives and negatives of consuming red meat so you can ultimately make the best decision that fits YOUR lifestyle. Meat has 3 components: 1. Water = 75% 2. Protein = 20% 3. Fat, Carbohydrates, and Minerals = 5% These components vary depending on the kind and cut of meat. The food labels on meat products in grocery stores may say “lean” or “extra lean”. Lean meat has: Extra lean meat has: - less than 10 grams of fat - less than 5 grams of fat - 4...

What should i eat before and after a workout? First things first…carbohydrates, proteins and fats are important for the body before  and after exercise. Exercising muscle preferentially uses carbohydrates from stored glycogen, but fats are also an important fuel source for energy production during exercise. Fats and carbohydrates are the two major fuel sources during exercise. Fats must be translocated and broken down from their storage form before they are used. Typically there is enough carbohydrate stored as muscle glycogen for exercise but as muscle glycogen stores decline, the skeletal muscle will then use some amino acids (basic components of all protein). More specifically, the amino acid leucine is used for energy.              It is important to consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates exercise to delay fatigue and minimize gastrointestinal distress. It is also important to consume enough fluids to prev...

Inflammation is the way your body protects itself from infections, illnesses, and injuries. The body creates an inflammatory response to many outside factors. For many however, this natural process is chronic and silent, causing damage that can worsen chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Your diet can contribute to this chronic inflammation. Unhealthy choices such as refined carbs, high fat foods, imbalanced omega-6 to omega-3 ratios, and excessive processed meat intake all incite inflammatory responses. To combat this damage, many people have been following the Anti-Inflammatory diet. This diet focuses on increasing antioxidant intake in the diet. Antioxidants reduce free radicals, reactive molecules that are created naturally during metabolism and can cause inflammatory damage in excessive amounts. Other anti-inflammatory strategies are balancing protein and carbohydrate intake at each meal, taking in adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals, high fiber int...

In an effort to give students healthier meals that also address important sustainability issues, UCLA has expanded their seafood offerings. In addition to offering more fish they have reduced the size of the portions for beef options, claiming students have not even noticed the reduction. In order to truly drive the issue of sustainably sourced offerings, UCLA is moving beyond the traditional seafood such as tuna, shrimp, and salmon. They are putting more exotic, unfamiliar fish on the menu. These fish are more environmentally friendly to obtain, yet still very DELICIOUS. Overall, students are in favor of the change and are enthusiastic about sampling new species of seafood. I REALLY LOVE, LOVE, LOVE where they are going with this. One of the greatest challenges facing the human race will be to feed a continually growing population in a sustainable manner. Farming, for both livestock and crops, has led to serious implications for our planet. Consequently, our current approaches to...

A growing number of states have either passed legislation, or are considering bills, to ban the practice of “lunch shaming” in schools. Are you kidding me??? How is “lunch shaming” even a thing?? Apparently, it is!! “Lunch shaming” includes turning a child away from a hot meal, embarrassing or humiliating the child in front of their peers, as well as other forms of stigmatizing the student that cannot pay their lunch bill. Some schools even go as far as to stamp the child’s hand or make them wear a visible sticker that says “I need lunch money”.  Some of these students are already traumatized due to food insecurity. The “food shaming” and denial of food is exasperating the trauma felt by these children. Some kids are looking for opportunities to “bully” others and this practice adds fuel to the fire. Furthermore, children that go hungry are at a learning disadvantage.  Most of the newly passed laws will mandate that schools speak directly with parents (or guardian...