Beyond Food: The Impacts of Changing Diet

by Morrgan Zmolek

Living with a chronic illness or the after effects of an emergency event like a heart attack is difficult enough, but the changes in diet that come with it are another added challenge. For those who need to change their diet due to chronic illness or emergency events, that shift in how they eat can pose challenges from a number of angles. First, how the patient is approached about the change can be a challenge. In the midst of an unexpected diagnosis, which in itself is overwhelming and scary, adding more information about diet on top of that can be a lot to handle. Maren Wolff, a registered dietitian nutritionist and clinical assistant professor at Iowa State, said that how the subject is approached is important. A plethora of science and literature exists concerning the benefits of a healthier diet. Everyone has likely heard it — more fruits and vegetables, whole grains and leaner meats tend to have better health outcomes in those who have diets rich in those foods. Not only that, but quality of life can be affected as well. Wolff highlighted the importance of quality of life in health and nutrition — it’s not just about the numbers — it’s also about how someone feels in their body. That’s where registered dietitian nutritionists — like Wolff — come in. Dietitians can be trained to conduct a variety of work in multiple different settings, like hospitals, private practice, community and public health, sports nutrition, public policy, schools, food service management and beyond. Wherever they work, the goal is always the same.

“In general, dietitians are food and nutrition experts that help patients, clients, families and communities ideally live healthier lives through food and nutrition,” Wolff said. “Dietitians utilize evidence-based practice to achieve that, as well as helping to tailor any sort of intervention or treatment related to nutrition to individuals.” In teaching her students, Wolff focuses on the importance of person-centered care. Each person’s care needs are going to differ based on a variety of factors: socioeconomic status, family support and overall lifestyle. Those all add up to a specific person with a certain set of needs. “One of the biggest things that I see for people is just a fear of changing everything they know about how they’ve eaten for their entire life,” Wolff said. “I think often people think they have to cut out things that they enjoy eating, and rightfully so that they would feel that way.” Dietitians, like Wolff, help patients think about what they can add to their plates to balance their diets, rather than taking certain foods away. “We try not to see an individual as a diabetic patient; they are a person with diabetes,” Wolff said. “When we really focus on the person, I think we can make the best and most appropriate changes.” Wolff said the most common concern she hears is about having to give up foods the patient enjoys eating. Because people often associate food with family, culture and celebration, the meaning of it goes beyond simply food.

“Food is really a source of joy and of pleasure,” Wolff said. “I’ve heard it described as almost one of our most intimate relationships. It’s with us from the very beginning of our life when we’re born to almost the very end of our life, and it’s something that, no matter what all the other circumstances or people coming in and out of our lives, food is kind of a constant.”

She said a big question nutritionists ask themselves is how they help their patients enjoy food, while bringing nutrition alongside that. Patients are not the only ones impacted by a potential change in diet, often their families are as well. The support of family is important in making any kind of change, but having a supportive environment is incredibly helpful for patients going through a change of this nature. Wolff said it’s often helpful to have a family member attend the appointment with the patient, both for support and to help brainstorm changes together to suit everyone’s needs. “As a family member, I think you probably feel a sense of ‘I want to take care of this person, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help them,’” she said. “That’s something that I often see from family members as well. They are really motivated and on board because they care about this person that they love.” Wolff’s biggest piece of advice to those going through this change or who have a family member doing so is to implement small changes first. Because diagnoses can be overwhelming, using small changes can help lead to big health outcomes and lasting success in implementation of a new diet. She also recommends working with a registered dietitian nutritionist, as they are able to gather information and individualize it to work with a patient and their lifestyle.

dark danish rye bread

by Callan Randall Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 25 hours Servings: 6-8

Ingredients 1 cup whole rye grains ½ cup sunflower seeds 2 cups boiling water 1 cup plain yogurt at room temperature 3 tbsp honey 1 tbsp sea salt 1 tbsp fennel seeds 5 tbsp carob (or cocoa) powder 4 tsp active dry yeast 2 ⅔ cup whole rye flour 1 cup whole spelt flour ½ cup light spelt flour Neutral tasting oil for greasing

Directions 01 In a heat-safe bowl, combine rye grains and sunflower seeds. Add boiling water to the bowl, and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. 02 Add yogurt, honey, sea salt, fennel seeds, and carob powder to the mixture and stir until well incorporated. Use a finger to test the temperature of the mix; it should be warm, not hot. 03 Stir the yeast into the mixture. Add rye flour and stir until well combined and smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave for 1 hour or until the dough is bubbly. 04 After 1 hour has passed, mix in spelt flours. Gradually add enough of the spelt flour to form a dough. 05 Turn out dough onto a floured work surface. Knead for 5 minutes, adding the remaining spelt flour until a firmer but still slightly sticky and heavy dough forms. Form it into a ball and return it to the bowl. Slap some water onto the top with your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge overnight. 06 The next day, place the dough into a 9x5 oiled loaf pan and press down with your fists to get rid of air pockets. The dough will be very sticky. Brush the top with water and dust with rye flour. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise for 2 hours. 07 Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake the loaf on the lowest shelf for 1 hour, turning 4 times to ensure even baking. Turn off the heat and leave the loaf in the oven for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and leave to cool on a wire rack for 4 hours. Cut, add any spread of your choosing, and enjoy. (Adapted from Vegetarian Everyday” recipe)