PulseConnect October Member Spotlight: Stacey Green

This month, we spoke with Stacey Green, a Yoga teacher and coach based in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Stacey teaches individuals in group yoga and mindfulness classes.

Q:  How did you hear about PulseConnect and why did you join?  

A: I heard about PulseConnect from a colleague who uses the materials she receives to help move her clients towards mindful eating and a healthier lifestyle. I work on a very personal level with students, which gives me personal insight to what may or may not be useful to them.  

PulseConnect is aware of my practice and audience, which means I only receive materials that add value to the services I offer. 

Q: Does pointing to a specific brand help with the recommendations that you’re making?

A: Yes! If I am aspiring to be an example to my students, pointing to a particular brand I actually believe in and/or use is very helpful.   

Q: What kind of things are your clients asking you about? What topics do you discuss on a daily basis?

A: Clients ask how they can develop regular practices into their life that incorporate wellness on a physical and nutritional level. In my mind, they are connected.    

You don’t have to be fit to start being physical. Whether yoga is for you or it’s something else, I try to encourage people to start. Knowing and doing are not always in sync, which is why it’s helpful to have products and information to share that back up this way of thinking.

Q: What do you like best about PulseConnect?  

A: In a world where everyone is trying to “declutter” their closet, their minds and their refrigerators, I like to try something myself to see who it might help in some way before giving out random stuff in my classes. I’m able to get information and products from PulseConnect and then determine what’s going to be right for a specific clientele. That way my students know  I’ve put some real thought into their well being on a personal level.

What's the Deal With Fat?

Fat is all over the news recently, which leads us to ask: What’s the deal with fat?

In part, this is because of the revelations about how the sugar industry shifted the blame towards fat decades ago. Some doctors are critical of low-fat diets, partially blaming them for America’s dramatic rise in obesity rates. On top of this, we’re hearing more and more about high-fat diets. Specifically, the ketogenic diet (high fat, low carb) has become a hot topic. This sounds counterintuitive, but has strong science behind it. Its claim? Eat more fat, and you will lose weight (at least initially). T.J Murphy of Outside Magazine explains the ketogenic diet as:

“Followers scarf eggs, cheese, and olive oil in hunger-killing quantities, turning their backs on just about every carb other than vegetables. They don’t use half-and-half in their coffee—they use heavy cream. Still, they’re likely to look a little lean, since the ketogenic diet turns them into 24/7 fat burners.”

This is interesting, because it shows a shift in the understanding of fats. It also excites us to be in an industry where we are constantly learning and understanding more about our dietary needs. 

How are you advising your patients on fat? Have your recommendations changed based on these recent findings? 

HERE’S A SHORT HISTORY OF FATS ENDING TWO YEARS AGO. IN JUST TWO YEARS, SO MUCH MORE COULD BE ADDED TO THIS INFOGRAPHIC.

Recap: Expo East

On Thursday, we attended Expo East in Baltimore. Expo East is often overshadowed by New Hope’s much larger conference, Expo West. Expo East still attracts a lot of people (in the ballpark of 28,000 people), but it’s hard to compare to the 77,000 attendees that were present at Expo West this year.  

The buzz at these expos is infectious. There is so much excitement, from startups to industry giants. On one end of the spectrum, you have extremely successful natural products that have been pioneers in the field for 20+ years. On the other, you have companies that are 3 weeks old. In between, there are more than 1,000 exhibitors trying to get the word out about their products.

When walking the floor, speaking to exhibitors, we noticed certain trends that we think are noteworthy:

Free From—There were a growing number of companies present in the “free-from”   category. Consequently, many companies had vegan products for the first time. 

Less Emphasis on Gluten Free—There were a lot of gluten-free products, which goes hand-in-hand with the number of free-from products. However, many companies were not touting their gluten free attributes. 

Jerky—We’ve known that this category is booming, but seeing all these emerging jerky brands was shocking. Boring beef jerky has been spiced up with exciting flavors. Turkey, and other forms of jerky, also had a substantial presence.

Superfoods—Wow, were there a lot of superfood companies. Nutrient rich foods had a huge presence at Expo East. 

Peas—Peas are in. Not in the form that you grew up eating—we’re talking about pea protein. Many post-workout focused protein powders were made up of pea protein. Surprising, since whey has dominated this category for years.

The New Hope Network put on a great show. We really enjoyed seeing our industry friends, and hearing about new companies and trends. We can’t wait to see everyone again in March at Expo West! 

THANKS TO OUR NEW FRIENDS AT MAMMA CHIA FOR THE LAUGHS. WE LOVED THE MASCOT!

The 4 Keys to Patient Education

A local integrative medicine practice here in Chapel Hill offers regular seminars for their patients and the community. Last week, I attended one on the broad topic of integrative medicine and nutrition—a tough topic to cover in just one hour. But in addition to teaching me some new information, the seminar was beneficial in that it reinforced how challenging it can be to educate consumers about nutrition and health.

Translating often complicated science into easy-to-understand and actionable information for the layperson can be difficult. The seminar led me to reflect on how we create educational materials here at Pulse, and the four keys to effective health and wellness education that guide our efforts.

1. What is the need?

Far too often, health and wellness information is presented as universal truths applicable to anyone anywhere who wants to be healthy. The truth is that our health and wellness needs are incredibly personalized and unique. We may be seeking to simply lead a healthier life, but we may also be looking to prevent or manage a specific condition. The first goal of any health and wellness education should be to clearly and concisely define the need, providing consumers with the ability to determine if the information is relevant to them.

2. What solution is being recommended and how does it work?

Once the need is clearly defined, we want to introduce the solution—or in many cases, solutions. More importantly, we want to explain the “why” and “how” behind the solution. We call this the “biorationale” and the need for this explanation comes from the fact that once a consumer has their health awareness heightened, they want more information, not less. Providing a cogent and understandable explanation that translates complicated science into easy-to-understand language is critical to driving real and lasting behavior change.  

3.  How is the solution applied?

In other words: how much, when, with what, and so on. This key focuses on helping the consumer understand how to incorporate this solution into their daily life and the specific parameters required to achieve the desired positive health benefit. Frequently, this key involves consulting a health professional, which is why face-to-face interactions between a health professional and a consumer are a great way to share this type of education.

4. Which brand and why?

Last, but not least, we want to ensure that we are providing a specific and compelling brand recommendation that will be reinforced by the health and wellness influencer. Here we can focus on a brand’s features and benefits, and its points of differentiation, to ensure we are driving the path to purchase. Year after year for more than 17 years, health and wellness professionals have told us that their patients and clients ask for specific brand recommendations. Providing this information meets the needs of both the professional and the consumer, as I saw at the seminar last week.

Once the topic of essential fatty acids was discussed, a hand popped up from the crowd. “What does that look like… Are there brands that you would suggest?” The host of the seminar answered with a branded recommendation and explanation. As she attempted to continue her speech she was interrupted by another attendee, “Is that at [a local grocery store]? Can I get it through Amazon?”

These are the questions that you, the health and wellness influencer, are asked everyday.  Our goal is to give you the tools you need to answer them.

PulseConnect June Member Spotlight: Gina Crome

Earlier this month, we spoke with PulseConnect member Gina Crome, the founder of Lifestyle Management Solutions in Glendora, California.  As an RD, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, and health coach, Gina regularly counsels patients on health and wellness issues including weight management, diabetes education, heart disease risk factors, and a variety of other general health and wellness concerns. 

We asked Gina a few questions to learn more about how PulseConnect adds value to her interactions with those whom she counsels.

Q: How do you use materials that you receive from PulseConnect?

A: Since I do a lot of public speaking, the materials we get from PulseConnect have been a great resource to hand out at my talks. I also attend a lot of health fairs and community health events, so having materials ready at all times to distribute at our booth has been extremely helpful. And of course, it’s been great to get the materials for free, especially because a lot of my work in the community is pro bono. Whatever I don’t use in a classroom or at an event gets put to good use at my office. 

Q: Could you please describe a recent program that you found valuable and why?

A: We recently took the box of Clif Bars that we received to an event and it was a huge hit! A lot of people we counsel have children, so having the Clif Kids samples to give out along with educational information was perfect!

I also received a Smart Balance kit, which was very well received by my clients. I’ve found that clients really like it when they are given information with a meal plan or a recipe and then also have a coupon for the product. 

Q: What kind of things are your clients asking you about? What are topics that you discuss on a daily basis?

A: We do a lot with weight management, so clients often ask us for foods that are portion controlled, fat reduced, and lower in sugar. Recently, a lot of people have been asking us specifically for diet beverages that don’t use certain chemicals. 

We also do a lot of diabetes education, so we get a lot of diabetics looking for products low in sugar and high in fiber. Fiber is another big thing that a lot of clients are looking for to maximize their fullness. However, with the recent changes to the nutrition label, I think we’re going to see a lot more people concerned about added sugar.

Q: What do you like best about PulseConnect?

A: Through the network, I’ve discovered new products, and it’s nice to have that first hand knowledge and be able to try the product. For me, that’s the part I like most about the network itself because I find it really hard to make a recommendation if I don’t know anything about the product or haven’t tried it myself. 

Proof That Experts Still Exist in the Field of Nutrition

Last week, at the Today’s Dietitian Spring Symposium, Dr. David Katz gave the keynote address in which he mentioned a 2014 article titled “The Death of Expertise” (The Federalist, 01/17/14). The idea sounded so much in line with one of my biggest fears as a nutrition scientist, I couldn’t wait to read it. 

The author, Tom Nichols, writes:

“I fear we are witnessing the ‘death of expertise’: a Google-fueled, Wikipedia-based, blog-sodden collapse of any division between professionals and laymen, students and teachers, knowers and wonderers—in other words, between those of any achievement in an area and those with none at all.” 

As a Registered Dietitian entering my 20th year in the profession, I’ve watched the food/nutrition blogosphere and social media grow exponentially—and alongside it, the even faster growth of self-proclaimed nutrition experts who not only reject the education of RDs but also reject science and rationality in favor of sensationalism and fear. It is this “death of expertise” that is potentially dangerous to all people who eat and also a risk to the RD as a profession. 

I tossed and turned all night after listening to Dr. Katz and reading Mr. Nichols article. Was there anything I could do to stop this disease from killing our profession? I pulled myself together for my “real job” and headed into the symposium. 

Along the way, I ran into an old friend and valued colleague who was speaking on how to be a qualified preceptor in order for students to have more opportunities to gain experience in the varied fields of dietetics. Without knowing it, she started to put my worries to rest. And then I went to the “expo”—the recently vilified, corporate-hamstrung, sometimes-dreaded vendor showcase (BTW, I am a vendor). For two hours, I talked to colleagues, answered questions from RDs with sincere interest in the science behind the product I represent and listened to other experts challenge the proposition of this product. I left the room hopeful, inspired and in awe of the professionals around me. 

While a few were bloggers and “media RDs,” most were dietitians with direct patient contact either in an in-patient or out-patient setting. Most had paid their own way to attend the symposium and most didn’t miss a single session. They were open to new ideas and eager for more and more information. It’s been a long time since I walked away from a vendor showcase without a single copy of a journal article left, and a list of people who asked for digital copies of full-text articles for their “reading pleasure.” The experience assured me that the Registered Dietitian is THE nutrition expert and is working tirelessly to maintain that expertise.

Why is this important? Because, at a time when marketing budgets are tight and digital/social communication is the darling of paid and earned “impressions,” you can’t forget to talk to the experts. Getting your information into the hands of the people who make professional recommendations to their clients guarantees that an expert is delivering your message. What’s even better, this information doesn’t have to be in the form of clever sound bites or complicated brochures. In fact, it can and should be a clear presentation of the science in a manner that respects the expert’s ability to draw his or her own conclusions, with a simple coupon to drive trial. 

So, I answered my own question: what can I do to stop the “death of the expert?” I can treat them with respect for their knowledge and experience, and for their time and effort in continuing to advance their expertise and that of the profession.