Now, Collazo-Colón is a clinical dietitian in the High Intensity Psychiatric Unit at the Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System in Tuskegee, Ala. She is responsible for the Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program, which includes the Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans Program and Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program — services that assist veterans experiencing issues such as illness, addictive behavior, post-traumatic stress disorder and emotional problems. In 2014, Collazo-Colón collaborated on the Veteran’s Garden Project, designed to provide educational and therapeutic benefits to patients. To introduce nutrition basics, classes include container gardening, healthy kitchen sessions using produce grown in the garden, anti-inflammatory nutrition and a diabetes group, which educates veterans on using food to control illness and chronic pain.

“The garden not only helps patients who have different comorbidities, but also those who have been rejected by society for drug abuse, alcoholism or serious mental disorders,” says Collazo-Colón. “It encourages them to stay active and well.”

As part of the project, veterans can grow plants from seeds, harvest crops and eat the fresh produce, which helps fulfill some nutritional deficiencies. Patients also learn about foods’ nutritional value, possible health benefits and farming fundamentals.

“I was inspired by the nobility of the project and the effort and satisfaction shown by the participants in the garden,” Collazo-Colón recalls. “This led me to adopt the project as my own and coordinate resources to make it grow.”

Since its start, the Veteran’s Garden Project has produced up to 300 pounds per month of fresh produce and donated more than 1,000 pounds of food to local schools, churches and shelters. “This experience has been very rewarding for participants because, other than sharing fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs, they recognize the nutritional value and healing properties of the produce they are giving to others,” says Collazo-Colón.

The project has been rewarding for Collazo-Colón, too, for somewhat different reasons. “Personally, the most rewarding aspect of this effort is the capacity for giving back,” she says. “My patients receive nutritional knowledge and gardening skills, and the community receives produce harvested with the passion and dedication of the patients who are trying to transform their lives.”

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Maybe that’s because she landed in the dietetics field after an unplanned meeting with an influential professor in college. “Through a series of unexpected twists and turns, I ended up in the academic office of a dietetics professor who was so dynamic, she decided I should be a dietitian,” recalls Derelian, who entered college as a drama major. “She explained to me that everything I had done up to that point was in direct line to becoming a dietitian. I have never looked back.”

As a professor of nutrition at California Polytechnic State University, Derelian teaches students from freshmen to seniors in classes such as food law and nutrition education and communications. “I teach future nutrition professionals, and I love it,” she says.

Derelian describes her most rewarding career moments as “bundles” — there’s the student bundle, which includes past pupils reaching out years later to say she helped them become successful professionals. And the colleague bundle, which Derelian describes as working with “beacons in the profession.” “I have been rewarded by being able to work with some of the greatest in our field,” Derelian says.

Another bundle is lifelong learning — having a career that requires constant exploration and being able to study law. Lastly, there’s the bundle of “sharing in the respect of being in a ‘helping’ profession.” “We as dietitians are respected and admired,” Derelian says. “I know I chose a calling that brings honor.”

The post Doris V. Derelian: Shaping the Future of Dietetics appeared first on HealthStylz.

“The need is clear: Every school day, more than 14 million children in the U.S. eat school breakfast, and more than 30 million children eat school lunch,” Hayes says. “The majority of these students live in low-income homes and are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.”

As president of Nutrition for the Future Inc., in Bozeman, Mont., Hayes leads educational presentations for groups ranging from lunchroom servers to school superintendents throughout the country and in Canada. “I talk to anyone who will listen about the importance of school meals that rock for smart brains, strong bodies and super behavior,” she says.

Understanding that some people have an outdated and inaccurate view of school meals, Hayes uses social media (@SchoolMealsThatRock) to showcase outstanding school districts and nutrition professionals. “Lunch ladies and food dudes have some of the most important jobs in our country,” she says. “I try hard to make certain they get the recognition, support and training they deserve.”

And Hayes isn’t stopping there. “I am planning to devote my ‘retirement’ to improving school eating environments,” she says. “My inspiration is quite simple: I believe that no child should go hungry in America.”

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At the age of 7, Mascha Davis and her family became political refugees, fleeing the former Soviet Union and settling in the United States. Shaped by this experience and having traveled while growing up, Davis was drawn to helping people in impoverished areas. She earned a master’s degree in public health and became a registered dietitian, working in a clinical setting until 2010.

That is when Davis pursued a long-held dream of working abroad — first in Switzerland, then in Africa, where she worked in international development and humanitarian aid. For five years, Davis worked with nonprofit organizations in South Sudan, Chad, Darfur, Ethiopia and Gabon.

Spending most of 2015 in South Sudan, her tasks ranged from coordinating delivery of aid supplies, managing and training staff, and performing nutritional assessments. “We were running nutrition centers that treated about 2,000 malnourished children each week,” Davis says. “It was difficult and frustrating at times, but it was one of the most impactful experiences I have ever had.”

While living in a remote area of Chad, Davis and her staff implemented long-term development projects in local villages. In Darfur, she focused primarily on developing nutrition projects for the prevention of malnutrition.

“Living and working in some of the least developed countries in the world has been very humbling and has opened my eyes to the importance of those in our profession using their expertise to impact the lives of people around the globe,” Davis says. “We have the capacity to make a huge difference.”

In 2016, Davis returned to the United States and launched her private practice, Nomadista Nutrition, in Los Angeles. She continues to work with the United States Healthful Food Council, Satellite Healthcare and several nonprofit groups.

“I believe every single one of us has a role to play in making a positive influence on the world,” Davis says. “It’s up to each of us to discover what that role is and to take action.”

The post Mascha A. Davis: Making a Global Impact through Nutrition appeared first on HealthStylz.

Active listening and operating in a “no-judgment zone” are fundamental work values that Weiner has developed. After all, she says, “putting people down for not following a health professional’s advice doesn’t lead to positive and long-term lifestyle changes.” Instead, Weiner tailors her approach to “meet clients where they are in their personal health journey.”

Weiner also shares her expertise with organizations, including Marjorie’s Fund, Project REAL, The Betes Organization and DiabetesSisters. In 2016 at the American Association of Diabetes Educators’ Annual Conference, Weiner and the CEO of DiabetesSisters co-presented a section of the report “Women & Diabetes: 10 Relevant Health Topics for Women Living with Diabetes,” which she co-authored.

“Talking about topics like pregnancy and menopause, and providing the educational material free of charge, will help make a difference in so many lives,” says Weiner. “As a proud contributor and advisor to DiabetesSisters, I promote selfworth of women, so they can improve their health outcomes and feel great about themselves at the same time. These achievements fill my heart with gratitude and inspire me to do more to help this organization reach more women and their families.”

Weiner’s accomplishments have earned her numerous awards, including the 2015 AADE Diabetes Educator of the Year and the 2016 Dare to Dream Award from the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation.

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In 2014, Schultz was honored as the Retail Dietitians Business Alliance Retail Dietitian of the Year for her implementation of the NuVal Nutritional Scoring System and her work on the Eat Well at Festival Foods ad program.

What led to your career in nutrition and dietetics?
In short, it was my dad. I was probably 6 years old when I went to a doctor’s appointment with him, where his doctor prescribed him cholesterol medication. Dad asked, “How long will I be on this? Two or three weeks?” His doctor replied, “Your father died in his early 40s from a heart attack, right? You’ll be on this for life.” I learned the power of prevention through a healthy lifestyle early on. That lesson stuck with me.

Tell us more about your work at Festival Foods.
Our primary purpose is to provide programs that offer general guidance for our customers who are trying to make better choices. We provide real-world solutions to healthy eating, guidance for those who might be newly diagnosed with a food allergy or intolerance, and general nutrition education in our communities. We also serve as a non-biased, evidence-based resource for our customers on nutrition-related topics — even the controversial ones like GMO regulation and organics. We have found that our customers see us as a trustworthy, unbiased resource for nutrition information.

What do you find most rewarding about your efforts?
I truly enjoy making a difference in people’s lives. Nothing beats hearing from a customer who writes, calls or seeks us out at an event to tell us that our resources and programs have given them the start or support they needed on their journey to a healthier lifestyle! As the leader of the Health & Wellness Team, I also find it extremely rewarding to watch my team grow and develop their roles within our organization.

Looking ahead, how would you like to see your project develop or grow?
I would like my team to get more involved with our associate wellness program. The employees working for our organization are our most important asset, so helping them to lead a healthy, happy life is paramount. It will also help to make them champions of our programs in the store!

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Now, Frucht is the chief clinical dietitian at Margaret Tietz Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in the New York City borough of Queens, working primarily with older adults who are long-term residents of the facility. “Residents are admitted with multiple comorbidities, and it is my job to choose their medical nutrition therapy and provide education for them to better control their health,” Frucht says. 

The facility and Frucht have the privilege of caring for Holocaust survivors. “Survivors are uniquely attuned to the food they eat because of the severe deprivation and starvation they suffered, as well as fond food memories from before their suffering began,” Frucht says. 

Taking into account each resident’s customs, rituals, background and taste preferences, Frucht tailors meal plans to create a sense of familiarity and enjoyment. “I feel this enhances the patient’s life, as well as providing nutritious sustenance,” she says. 

With a keen attention to detail and care for every individual, Frucht succeeds at making a great impact on the facility’s long-term residents, as well as short-term rehab residents and hospice patients she oversees. “I constantly see the same residents when I come to work, and there is an acknowledgement and admiration for one another,” Frucht says. “To know that I can make a difference in their care is truly rewarding.”

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But Zelman kept coming back to communications — and teachers, mentors and colleagues encouraged her to pursue writing for consumers. "I remember when I got my first byline in the New Orleans newspaper, The Times-Picayune," Zelman says. "It inspired me to pursue my love of nutrition communication." Newspaper assignments led to a weekly radio program and local television, where she was paired on camera with legendary New Orleans chefs Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme.

Zelman further honed her media skills as the Louisiana State Dietetic Association's media representative and a dozen years with the Ambassador Program of the American Dietetic Association (now known as the Spokesperson Program of the Healthy Nutrition Academy).

In 2003, Zelman embarked on another media adventure when a startup website in Atlanta approached her about being its director of nutrition. The website was WebMD — and Zelman has overseen its food and nutrition content ever since.

For her ability to translate science into soundbites, Zelman has been recognized for media excellence by the Institute of Food Technologists, the American Society for Nutrition and the Healthy Nutrition Academy. No matter how much the media business has changed since she started, Zelman says she still enjoys the most important element: communicating science-based nutrition information to consumers.

Take a journey with Zelman, the 54th Lenna Frances Cooper Memorial Lecture Award recipient, at her FNCE® presentation "From Typewriters to Twitter: The Evolution of Nutrition Communications."

View all 2016 Academy National Honors and Awards recipients at eatrightPRO.

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For more than 30 years, Trostler worked as an educator and scholar at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where she was on the team that developed the university's School of Nutritional Sciences. "From the start, the program's vision and mission has been to train both nutritionists and dietitians with

a strong science background," Trostler says. "Today, graduates are professionals in front-line positions in academia, the medical arena, the food industry and public health, as well as entrepreneurs and sought-after consultants." Although she officially retired in 2004, her research and professional activities continue.

Service — to the community and the profession — has been a hallmark of Trostler's career. One example is by delivering food and nutrition counseling at the Jordan River Village from its inception, a camp that brings together Israeli children of all ethnic and religious backgrounds with severe chronic diseases to enjoy fun activities, meet other kids who face similar challenges, and make lifelong friends and circles of support.

She also has been active in the Healthy Nutrition Academy, serving on the nutrition care process and terminology committee and its international workgroup to help introduce the NCPT worldwide and develop the Dietetics Practice Based Research Network. "[The idea] that aggregated data provided by numerous dietitians can be used for outcomes research and practice guidelines development and introduce change to advance to higher-level practice is a game-changer for the profession," Trostler says.

Throughout her career, Trostler has been recognized with many professional honors including the Academy's Medallion Award, the American Overseas Dietetic Association's Distinguished Service Award and the Woman in Science Award from the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership.

What motivates Trostler also describes her own traits, making her an exemplary choice for the Academy's highest honor: "I am inspired by professionals who create impressive outcomes that set the stage to move the profession forward," she says. "I'm impressed by those who promote and support others to become successful, and who share experience and knowledge with the next generation of leaders."

View all 2016 Academy National Honors and Awards recipients at eatrightPRO.

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What DPBRN project did you participate in, and why did you decide to do it?
I collaborated with DPBRN on an electronic pilot test​ of a Cultural and Linguistic Competency Self-Assessment Tool for Dietetic Practitioners. I had about 10 years of research experience before working with DPBRN. I think this arm of the Academy has been exceptionally effective at promoting research and helping practitioners to become involved. It's crucial to the forward movement of our profession.

How have you personally benefited from participating in research? 
I have learned so much about the research process, working together as a team, the ins and outs of getting published, and so much more. Every project and every research team is unique, and I have learned a great deal from each project and each collaborator.

Would you recommend other RDNs get involved in research? 
Yes, I definitely think every dietetic practitioner should participate in research on some level. It could be something as simple as documenting patient care in ANDHI or as complex as designing and implementing intervention trials. Research proves the effectiveness of our interventions and increases the value of our practice — that equals more dollars in compensation for all of us!

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