Participant Sali Ann Lutwin said, “Good information for anyone trying to achieve a healthy diet.”
Klopocka-Niemiec (M.A. Nutrition Science, R.D.) consults with Green Hills Market on South Salina Street in the Valley as an in-store, registered dietician. She is available every third Saturday in the market from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with free advice and to taste test recipes. Once a month she conducts a label reading tour for diabetics. This consists of one hour in a classroom setting and one hour in the store reading, comparing and practicing label reading.
“Two hours?” I thought, Ugh! But at the end of two hours, I wondered where did the time go? Attendee Kim Cherry said, “I wish it was longer.”
Klopocka-Niemiec knows the science of food and how it relates to the human body and she is also sensible. She said you have to be informed and her key word is “balance.”
She outlined three types of diets: My Pyramid Plan, The Mediterranean Diet and the Low Glycemic Index Diet. She said all three of these approaches are similar and appropriate for diabetics, but also helpful for everyone in preventing chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke; and also for overall wellness.
Essentially the label reading seminar presents great information for anyone in regard to preventative nutrition, too.
Her two main messages were creating a healthy plate and a “how to” read a label.
Regarding the plate, cut it in half – one half should be filled with fruits and vegetables – the other should be half protein and half starch. When you look at your plate make sure you have the three food groups and also check for color. Color often translates into nutrients she said.
One participant, okay it was my dad, raised his hand and said after reading Cornell Professor Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s book “The China Study,” he said he went to one of his lectures and asked him, “Can you give me an actual diet to follow?” Campbell said, “Read my book.” He had read the book, but he needed some concrete plan on how to change more than 80 years of not necessarily eating properly. Dad has coronary heart disease and recently developed diabetes type II, but is otherwise in good health. He is also a caregiver for my mother, so he has now become the cook after a life of being the cookie.
Klopocka-Niemiec said, “We can not make sweeping recommendations like just eat vegetables.”
An all-vegetable-diet may work for some people, but could have disastrous results for others because each of us produces different enzymes in varying degrees, so our requirements are not the same.
Another participant said she was allergic to soy and other beans, too – so it is hard for her to get protein without eating meat, poultry or seafood. Klopocka-Niemiec said exactly, but also with every dietary problem there is always a “solution.” For example, if you are sensitive to beans try lentils.
“You can minimize a sweet tooth with a proper diet,” Klopocka-Niemiec said.
She said instead of limiting something we crave – balance it with good food. An example is: if you have a handful of raw almonds it is satisfying, where as with a handful of salted almonds, we tend to crave more – it’s the salt talking to us. Cookies often have us craving more cookies where one piece of fruit is often enough.
She said that herbs and spices are underestimated in that just a little gives us great flavor and also there are many essential nutrients. She said that dried herbs would retain their nutritional value, but need to be thrown away after expiration date.
Klopocka-Niemiec also covered:
The importance of fish and whole grains
Look for a density of nutrients in the foods we consume
Good versus bad cholesterol
How the pancreas metabolizes sugar
Natural versus artificial sweeteners
How yogurt affects the digestive tract
Why some organic foods are better, such as milk
Adding seeds into our diets
The good oils: Olive, Canola, Grapeseed, Flax and nut oils
Staying away from soda because of lack of nutrients
The difference between steel cut, rolled or quick oats
Lots of information on fresh and dried fruits
Why eliminating fats from our diets is dangerous
Use dairy sparingly
Trade alcohol, such as a glass of wine, for a portion of fruit for dessert
Participants comments
Melanie Greene who works at Transitional Living Services said TLS started a wellness initiative and found the seminar very helpful.
Participant Sali Ann Lutwin said, “Good information for anyone trying to achieve a healthy diet.”
Kim Cherry comes from a medical background, but still was finding it difficult to create a proper diet for herself. She has been struggling with diabetes for a decade and felt she wasn’t getting information on management from her healthcare provider. So, she started seeing a nutritionist who encouraged her to attend Green Hills Label Reading Seminar.
“I found this extremely worthwhile,” she said.
Green Hills marketing manager Hillarie Zani assisted in the event and said she learns more each time she attends one.
The fact that Klopocka-Niemiec walked the participants through many of the different food departments in the store was invaluable – hands on learning. She really has a wealth of information and could back up her answers with good science. She took a pretty complex subject and made it palatable.
Label Reading Tours at Green Hills Market:
The remaining 2009 FREE Label Reading for Diabetics Tours at Green Hills Market, 5933 South Salina Street, Syracuse are all Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. are:
January 27, 2010
February 24, 2010
March 31, 2010
April 28, 2010
May 26, 2010
(Note: previously scheduled Nov. 18 and Dec. 16 Label Reading Tours were put off until 2010 because of the high traffic in the store during the holidays). Contact Hilarie Zani at 492-1701 x18 or hzani@greenhills.com for more info or to register.
