19 April 2012 ~ Agencies

In class we discussed various agencies offered to the community and all over the country. It was surprising to hear how many organizations that exist which try to help specific groups of people, as well as the general population. It is beyond inspiring that these organizations have maintained their assistance to people, even if it is not for substantial profit.  If the predator wanted to play baseball for the Indians, would you let him play? Or do you think he would kill all the players on his own team? haha :)

26 April 2012 ~ Ohio Board of Dietetics

The Ohio Dietetics Board has many surprising roles, which I had no clue even existed in an organization: issuing license & permits, establishes standards of professional responsibility & practice for Ohio dietitians...and what happens in consequence of malpractice, investigate complaints made against dietitians, continuing education and administering exams which evaluate minimal competency. Their main role is to investigate and take care of dietitians performing substandard or illegally. They hold, very formally, meeting for the Board and allow for public citizens to sit in on any meeting held! It is truly wonderful that we have the ability to see what is going on behind closed doors with nutritional issues within the community and state. Chicka yeaaa

24 April 2012 ~ An Inspirational R.D.

Francie Astrom is a Registered Dietitian, working for WellWorks of Ohio University. WellWorks is located in Grover Center, in a hidden corridor off the main hallway. She is paid primarily by means of the University Wellness  funds as well as from Wellworks membership fees. 
At WellWorks, there are a plethora of options available to members: massages, blood pressure screening, personal training, nutritional counseling, cholesterol readings, etc. As an RD, WellWorks is a place for them to help the members with specifically nutritional counseling and programming. The RD is expected to keep up to date on new information relating to their field as well as providing supplemental care to the members.  Membership is offered to faculty/staff, Athens business employees, community members and graduate students.

12 April 2012 ~ Influence of Farmers' Markets

Corresponding to the relationship between legislation and food activism, it was inspiring to see the video on the blossoming of a Farmer's Market in a needing Southern state community. The people formed together (health care staff, local farmers, legislators, citizens, etc) in order to establish an opportunity to improve the community. A simple implementation of a farmer's market allowed for prospective improvement in health and economy of the community. Simple actions, taken by ordinary people, can propel an even larger group into bettering their quality of life. So many people feel that they are powerless and cannot impact others in the tremendous ways we would hope for, but (with the video clip as a prime example) individuals can pull together fantastic strategies and utilize resources in order to create beneficial change. It definitely makes you think about buying more often from your local farmer's market in order to support your community and fellow neighbors.

10 April 2012 ~ SNAP vs. WIC

While talking about policies and the overall corresponding cycle in which policies are made, Dr.H mentioned an ethical question related to the SNAPS programs (commonly known as 'food stamps') and the WIC program: Should the foods which are obtained via SNAPS be monitored as closely as the WIC program? WIC requires certain food choices be made which are beneficial to the health of the woman and her children. However, with food stamps the applicant has the ability to buy as much junk food (or healthy food in some cases) as they're allowance permits. In my humble opinion, I think that if the government and its citizens are technically paying for someone to eat free food, they should have to create limitations which may ultimately give back to the rest of the community: better nutrition corresponds to better health, which in turn corresponds to overall improvement of life across the nation. It may seem far-stretched, but America has to start doing small things in order to promote a change in the right direction.

5 April 2012 ~ America and Food Security

Learning such statistics as nearly 17.2 million Americans were found to be "food insecure" in 2010, and that Ohio was the 6th in the nation for most food insecure, there is alot of room for improvement. Sitting in class and  thinking to myself : 'I'm only a college student, earning my degree in dietetics. What could I possibly do in order to put some ease to such a horrible situation all over the country (and world)?' Taking small steps, such as learning about gardening and making the effort to put yourself in the shoes of someone who has to go to free meal programs in order to survive, might just be the key to opening our eyes to the reality that lies outside of Ohio University and college life. As a dietitian, we are bound to come across people who are going to laugh in our face when we tell them to buy fresh fruits and veggies in order to improve their health; we have to be able to come up with solutions and answers for these people which fits realistically in with their lifestyles. In my opinion, in order to do that we have to be able to understand and have an empathetic view of what it must feel like. There are 17.2 million in the US alone who cannot comfortably buy the food they want or even need. That could be us one day, and we are likely to be dealing with these people as well.

3 April 2012 ~ Community Garden

The community garden project will be something quite interesting and new to me; I have never gardened or farmed in my life. Furthermore, after learning that my group's plot will be designated for young teenage girls, there is an added purpose to completing the activity. Teenage girls are known to be going through accelerating changes each year they get older (as do boys). My group has decided to choose the specific nutritional needs and common deficiencies in iron and calcium, and also nutrients which may help with their womanly cycles. We have brainstormed and thought of planting crops such as tomatoes, strawberries, mint, garlic, dandelions, and spinach. Further delving into the nature of farming will let us know whether or not they can actually be grown this time of year!

29 March 2012 ~ Food Security

To my astonishment, there is a "secure" and "insecure" aspect to food. Food security revolves around the availability, access and utilization to food. As we spoke about the topic and what it truly means, I realized that there are more people out there living with food insecurity than expected and that I may be one of them. Not going to the depth of dumpster-diving and searching for meals that way, it is difficult to balance the money outgoing towards bills and books and rent and the money spent to feed yourself. I never thought of myself as being insecure about food, but making the dollar stretch far is a common mindset amongst people nowadays. After watching the news clip on food security, it truly makes you open your eyes and count the blessings in your life. People are resorting to standing in food lines with hundreds of others in order to get bread and eggs and milk to last them the next 2 or 3 days. Watering down their milk as they once did in the Great Depression. Is this really happening today? The only way to manage such a problem while being in a financial depression throughout the world, we need to become more clever in our approach to food: utilizing gardening, less expensive substitutions, using "scraps" in order to replenish nutrients in the fertilizer for growing crops, educating people on how to lead more sustainable lives. Food insecurity is a sad situation which many face, but there are certainly solutions to aiding in their suffering.