Health

20 HEALTH • Fall 2018 Central Mass. nutritionists weigh in \\ By Susan Shalhoub W e've all heard of low-carb diets, juice cle- anses, fasting, the Atkins Diet and the Cabbage Soup Diet, and have for many years. There is so much information out there on what we should and should not be eating. And it seems like as soon as we hear about a certain type of diet and learn the basics, there is another one getting popular. NEW FOCUS, SAME NEED But according to a Georgia Southern University study published last year by the American Medical Association, when it comes to diet- ing, we may be over it. From 1988 to 1994, the study says, 56 percent of overweight adults went on diets. From 2009 to 2014, that number went down to 49 percent, less than half. Pass the doughnuts. That's not to say, of course, that we all suddenly gorge on foods we know aren't good for us. It's just that the goal of eating healthy has seen a cul- tural shift, and that even includes the language we use, too: today we talk less about counting points and calo- ries and getting skinny and more about eating clean and organic and getting strong. Lisa Gibbs, a Tenet Healthcare oncology dietician at the Saint Vincent Cancer and Wellness Center in Worcester, said that even a term like "vegan" can be intimidating to some. "People can be scared of that word," she said. "I say 'plant-based.' It really depends on who you're talking to." In Gibbs' case, her patients are looking to ramp up their immunity while undergoing chemotherapy or radiation. Professional dieticians like Gibbs are constantly educating clients who ask about popular diet trends. A Pew Research Center poll from 2016 showed just how conflicted people can feel. Just over half of American adults, 51 percent, said they heard or read news stories about diets that conflicted with earli- er reaport "some of the time," and another 21 percent said they received mixed messages "all of the time." Importance of eating healthy, no matter how But the mere concept of a diet — which means examining one's eating habits — is a good thing in and of itself, said Maisie Ostyre, a registered dietician and owner of Eat to Live Nutrition in Natick. "I get asked a lot about Keto [low- carb] and Paleo [a nutritional plan based on the eating habits of our ancestors in the Paleolithic period], diets, and intermittent fasting. It sounds like a good idea. You're using fat for fuel. But not if you feel restricted," Ostyre said. "You risk rebound eating and are prone to eat whatever is available," including foods rich in sugar, sodium and bad fats. Which defeats the whole pur- pose, and then some. She says that good nutrition con- sists not only of getting healthy hab- its established, but also figuring out how those habits will realistically fit into a client's life afterward. But that being said, if Ostyre, a for- mer Worcester bariatric-surgery nurse, has a client who is very inter- ested in trying a specific diet, she won't always discourage them, she said. If it gets them to make changes and pay attention to what they are eating, at least, there are very funda- mental benefits attached to that (even if they don't ultimately stick with that first initial plan). There are signs that American adults don't necessarily eat healthier, even if they're more aware of the risks of ordering a side of fries instead of a salad or vegetables. Another Pew study found that Americans were more likely today than two decades ago to pay atten- tion to what they eat. Yet eating hab- its today are less healthy than they used to be, the poll found. The effects of those habits are clear: 71 percent of American adults are overweight, and 38 percent of those are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Needed: broader context Both Gibbs and Ostyre recom- mend food sources from plants whenever possible, and moderation everywhere else. They say that it's better to focus on an overall diet or lifestyle rather than what a person is eating from meal to meal or snack to snack. Gibbs — who works with patients looking to nutritionally boost their immunity during cancer treatments — adds that mainstream information on healthy eating often muddies the waters for those looking to make positive changes. We often hear the word "super- food," for example — used to describe foods like avocados, spinach and salmon that are high in nutri- tional content — when it should Maisie Ostyre, a dietician and owner of Eat to Live Nutrition in Natick, is often asked about diets that are low-carb or date to how our long-ago ancestors ate. "It's not about one day or one meal. It's about what you eat over time." Lisa Gibbs, Tenet Healthcare oncology dietician at Saint Vincent Cancer and Wellness Center in Worcester Lisa Gibbs, a Tenet Healthcare oncology dietician, constantly educates clients based on questions on diet trends. P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y

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