Greeting MS-AND Members,
The March MS-AND Newsletter will be a bit different this month as we are finalizing a website refresh. Please read below for all the content. Once our new website is in place, all the content will be added there. Please feel free to submit ideas, feedback, and content to [email protected] – we’d love to hear from you!
We’ll See You in Mississippi’s Queen City
Join us in Mississippi’s “Queen City”, Meridian, March 23-24 for our 2018 Annual Conference. Mail-in and online registration is open until March 20, 2018. After March 20th, participants will need to complete registration on site.
The full conference will offer up to 13 continuing professional education credits. In addition to the education sessions (both general sessions and breakout sessions), there are opportunities to visit exhibitors, professional poster presentations, networking opportunities and physical activity opportunities. We hope you will also join us for the awards ceremony on Friday night (see additional information in the article below).
Thank You to our Sponsor Learning ZoneXpress
Learning ZoneXpress is a small, women-owned business specializing in nutrition education resources including posters, banners, incentives and more. Please stop by our booth at the MS-AND Annual Meeting from March 23-25 to see these engaging resources first-hand. Mary Beth Anderson will be in attendance with samples to send home with you.
A few products she’ll be featuring are:
Farmers Market Cookbook + Free Sample Recipe
Dietary Guidelines Health Fair Kit
March is Nutrition Month Sign Set
Visit www.learningzonexpress.com for more information. As a MS-AND member, you will also receive FREE SHIPPING on your next order when you use coupon code 180104. Contact Mary Beth if she can be of any assistance selecting the right resources for your initiatives at [email protected] or by calling 888.455.7003.
This content is provided through a sponsorship agreement with Learning ZoneXpress
The Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics will support the Academy Foundation at our 2018 Annual Conference
Our Academy Foundation is the only charitable organization devoted exclusively to our profession, and empowers Academy members with tools and resources to be global leaders in food, nutrition and health. Since 2012, The Academy members and students in Mississippi have received $17,000 through 16 scholarships, awards, research grants and/or Kids Eat Right mini-grants since 2012. Let’s help raise funds for the scholarships, awards, research, public education resources, international opportunities and our Second Century campaign during conference this year. Currently, The Academy Foundation’s efforts are focused on programs and initiatives regarding prevention and well-being, health care and health systems, as well as food and nutrition security.
At our 2018 annual conference, we will have a ticketed raffle and a Mystery Box Pull (*read more about these below). Please consider bringing an item for The Academy Foundation fundraising event at our 2018 conference. Email MS-AND President-elect, Lydia West, [email protected], if you plan to bring items for the event. Items for the ticketed raffle may be brought to the conference and placed on the table. If you plan to donate items for the Mystery Box pull, please make plans with Lydia to arrange for those items to be secured by March 18, 2018.
All donations will be accepted. Remember, you can donate something that you made yourself, something that your purchase, or something that would benefit one of your local businesses in receiving more business for themselves.
- The 2018 ticketed raffle: conference participants purchase 1 ticket for $5 or 3 tickets for $10 and place tickets in a cup in front of items that they hope to win. The drawing for each item will take place after Jimmy Steward, MD, wraps up his presentation on Saturday, March 24, 2018. Participants do not need to be present to win the raffle prizes.
- The 2018 Mystery Box Pull: conference participants purchase tickets for $15 a piece then pull an item that is wrapped up, so they do not know what they will get. This drawing will be going on throughout conference until all of the “pulls” have been selected. Items that make good gifts for this raffle are bottles of wine that are at least $15, nice bottles of olive oil or vinegar, and fun gifts that will be wrapped so that the participant cannot tell what the gift is.
2018 Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Awards Celebration
The Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics board is excited to celebrate all of the accomplishments of Mississippi dietitians and our supporters with special attention paid to the 2018 awards winners. We will honor them at the awards celebration at our annual conference on March 23 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the MSU Riley Center Grand Theatre. Please join us to recognize the recognized students and educators of the year, Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year, Emerging Dietetic Leader, Outstanding Dietitian of the Year and Magnolia Award winners.
We will also enjoy musical entertainment will be by Mississippi’s own Aa’Keela Hudnall and hor d’oeuvres and a cash bar from Pretty Presentations.
Mississippians Know How to Go Further With Food
As you well know, March is National Nutrition Month. Mississippi has a strong cultural history with food. Tell us how you are using this year’s theme of “Go Further with Food”.
Tell us how you and other Registered Dietitian/Nutritionists and Nutrition and Dietetic Technicians, Registered are spreading nutrition knowledge in your community and working to let others know that you are the food and nutrition experts in Mississippi. Tag us on Facebook (MSandD) and Twitter (@mississippiRDs).
If you still need ideas, The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics has number of free, downloadable materials on their website, in the Handouts and Tipsheets section. You may print these and copy for free distribution at your events. Consider using the National Nutrition Month® graphic to create flyers and newsletters. To request permission to use the National Nutrition Month graphics, please contact [email protected].
The Role of Leafy Green Vegetables in Cardiovascular Disease Prevention
By: Smith Ann Chiles, Emma Kate Daniels, Nia M Eddie, and Carley Markham
Mississippi State University Department of FSNHP
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the term used to describe several ailments related to the heart and blood vessels. Many of these ailments are caused by atherosclerosis—a buildup of plaque in the arteries. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for 1 out of 4 deaths annually (1,2). An increased intake of green leafy vegetables proves to have a positive impact on the health of the human heart. Eating an adequate amount of green leafy vegetables has the potential to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease (3).
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responsible for recommending the minimum servings of food needed to provide the nutrients our body needs to stay healthy. The USDA currently recommends 1 ½ – 2 cups of leafy green vegetables per week for normal, healthy adults (4). Leafy vegetables can be consumed raw or cooked. When they are cooked, the wilting of the greens makes them more condensed. Therefore, two cups of raw leafy green vegetables would equal 1 cup of cooked leafy green vegetables. When consuming cooked leafy green vegetables, you can get your recommended amount for the week with just one cup of cooked leafy greens.
In 1970, Americans ate about 0.1 cup equivalents of leafy green vegetables per day. In 2015 Americans ate 0.15 cup equivalents of leafy green vegetables per day, or 1.05 cups per week. This trend shows that we are eating more and more green leafy vegetables every year, which is a good thing! Still though, it is not enough. In comparison with the USDA recommendations of 1 ½ – 2 cups per week, Americans are ½ – 1 cup shy of the recommended intake amount per week. (5)
Green leafy vegetables contain many health benefits which helps decrease the risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. Antioxidants, such as vitamin E, beta carotene, zinc, and lutein can be found in green leafy vegetables. Antioxidants are vitamins and minerals that aid in radical detoxification. This means they help remove many harmful molecules, called free radicals, from the body to protect you. Free radicals can cause damage to cell membranes and DNA, which can cause cancer, aging, and diseases like cardiovascular disease (6).
Green leafy vegetables also contain the mineral magnesium. Magnesium is important in several functions of the body. One of the major functions of magnesium is aiding in nerve functions of the body. It is very important for coordinating activity of the heart muscle and nerves that initiate your heart beat. A low magnesium level will increase risk for arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat) and heart palpitations (fluttering or pounding of heart) (7). Therefore, magnesium is important to regulate your heart.
The B Vitamin content in these vegetables is mostly Vitamin B9 or, folate. Folate and other B vitamins have been found to indirectly promote heart health through lowering the levels of homocysteine in the body. High levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is used to make proteins in the body, have been linked to atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. Homocysteine contributes to CVD through assisting plaque buildup in the arteries. Folate has been found to lower the levels of cysteine in the body, therefore indirectly reducing the risk for cardiovascular disease as well as the severity of someone who already has it. (8)
In addition to antioxidants, magnesium, and folate, green leafy vegetables contain fiber which also have a bile acid binding capacity which has been shown to lower cholesterol. By binding bile acid it reduces the circulation which enables cholesterol to become useful for reducing fat absorption. By lowering cholesterol, it reduces the risk for developing heart disease. (9)
Green leafy vegetables promote nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide causes smooth muscle to relax which dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow, decreasing blood pressure. An increase of one serving of green leafy vegetables per day can decrease the risk of CVD by 11% (10)
Green leafy vegetables contain nitrates that can reduce inflammation. The dietary nitrates aid in reducing inflammation by blocking the white blood cells from entering the inflammation site (11). The dark green leafy vegetables that contain the highest content of nitrates are arugula, spinach, and lettuce. Green leafy vegetables with a moderate amount of dietary nitrates include turnips and cabbage. (12) Lutein is a carotenoid found in green leafy vegetables that possesses both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study found that lutein was inversely related to the incidence of hypertension and correlated with reduced atherosclerosis and risk of cardiovascular disease. (13)
The combination of health benefits that green leafy vegetables contain directly influences a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. The blanket term “green leafy vegetables” includes so many different vegetables that don’t all have every single health benefit mentioned in this article in the same amount. Therefore, a variety of green leafy vegetables should be consumed on a regular basis in order for the body to get every health benefit included so that it can adequately combat the risk of cardiovascular disease.
To read the full article, please click here. For references click here
Acknowledgement: This article was developed by Mississippi State University Dietetic interns under the guidance of Registered Dietitian Dr. Terezie Mosby.
2018 Moonlight Market
The Mississippi Food Network will host the 2018 Moonlight Market on March 22, 2018 at The Mississippi Farmer’s Market in Jackson Mississippi. Join in from 6:00-8:00 p.m. for cooking demonstrations of “signature dishes” by Chef Nick Wallace and Chef Mark Coblentz. These dishes will highlight “Treasures from the Farm”. You’ll also be able to shop at the Farmer’s Market. This benefit helps to support the programs and services of the Mississippi Food Network (www.msfoodnet.org) and tickets for Moonlight Market are available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/moonlight-market-benefiting-mississippi-food-network-tickets-36687912534.
The Mississippi Food Network also has several volunteer opportunities that include:
- The Backpack Program – provides food to children who might not have enough to eat over the weekend and school holidays. Volunteers for this program can visit Mississippi Food Network Monday through Thursday 7:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- CSFP Program – works to improve the health of senior citizens by supplementing their diet with nutrient dense foods from USDA. Volunteers for this program can visit Mississippi Food Network Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 3: 00 p.m. in September through May.
- Volunteer Saturday – The 2nd Saturday of each month Mississippi Food Network hosts a volunteer Saturday event from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
For more information on any of these events contact the Mississippi Food Network at 601-973-7089.
2018 MS-AND Diet Manual Coming Soon!
We are putting a hold on our Diet Manual orders as we are excited to announce the launch of the 2018 Diet Manual! Stay tuned in the April 2018 newsletter for more details.
Consumer Protection Reminder
I am Constance Shelby, the Consumer Protection Coordinator for MS-AND. As we work to provide excellent serivce to patients, just a reminder to let us know about instances of both harm and success you hear about other practitioners to help promote the entire profession.
If you would like to report any stories of harm or success, please email them to [email protected]