Understanding food and nutrition

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The Power of Positive Eating: 5 reasons food isn't naughty or nice.

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Dec 134 min read

The Power of Positive Eating: 5 reasons food isn't naughty or nice.

Explore why categorizing food as naughty or nice is so common and 5 reasons food is NOT naughty or nice.

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National Nutrition Month® 2024 promotes farm-to-fork nutrition.

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Mar 82 min read

National Nutrition Month® 2024 promotes farm-to-fork nutrition.

National Nutrition Month® is a campaign of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, held each year in March, when “everyone is invited to...

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What does home cooking look like in the 21st century?

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Nov 24, 20233 min read

What does home cooking look like in the 21st century?

How often is everything served at a meal in your home made 100% from scratch? What does that term even mean today? We certainly don’t...

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Is it possible to dispel misconceptions and misinformation? Yes. With authority.

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Nov 10, 20233 min read

Is it possible to dispel misconceptions and misinformation? Yes. With authority.

Is the public confused about food and nutrition? Can it be challenging to differentiate between what is fact and what is fiction? Yes,...

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When experts don't know the answer how does an authority respond?

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Oct 27, 20233 min read

When experts don't know the answer how does an authority respond?

“Why don’t nutrition experts ever agree?” “Why do nutrition experts keep changing their minds?” Do you hear those complaints? I do. I can...

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Obesity is misunderstood and BMI is misused. How can we provide clarity?

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Sep 29, 20233 min read

Obesity is misunderstood and BMI is misused. How can we provide clarity?

A nutrition topic that has gone through a major transformation in recent years is our understanding of the disease of obesity. When I was...

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What creates effective communication? Creating context for the audience is key.

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Jul 14, 20234 min read

What creates effective communication? Creating context for the audience is key.

What creates effective communication? This question is the focus of a series of posts featuring 8 key principles from Communicating...

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Are magical nutrition solutions real or a misconception? Learn the truth.

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Jun 23, 20232 min read

Are magical nutrition solutions real or a misconception? Learn the truth.

You’re scrolling social media or looking at magazine covers in the grocery check-out line… which of these ads have you seen? “Doctors...

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Why can’t nutrition experts agree? Conquer this misconception with truth and respect.

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Jun 16, 20233 min read

Why can’t nutrition experts agree? Conquer this misconception with truth and respect.

A common complaint about scientists in general and nutrition scientists, in particular, is that they can’t agree. One day they say coffee...

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Are dangers lurking in our food? Conquer this misconception with truth and respect.

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Jun 9, 20234 min read

Are dangers lurking in our food? Conquer this misconception with truth and respect.

Do you, or others you know or work with, have a fear of a particular food or food component? If so, why? Is there truly danger lurking?...

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Can we conquer the good food - bad food misconception? Yes. With truth and respect.

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Jun 2, 20234 min read

Can we conquer the good food - bad food misconception? Yes. With truth and respect.

One of the misconceptions about food and nutrition that drives nutrition professionals crazy is when people categorize food as all good...

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What misconceptions drive you crazy? Conquer them with truth and respect.

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

May 26, 20233 min read

What misconceptions drive you crazy? Conquer them with truth and respect.

Misconceptions are a nemesis to food and nutrition professionals. On one extreme are claims that a little gummy chew will melt away...

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Jargon is like a foreign language. Learn to speak so your audience understands.

Barbara J. Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

May 19, 20233 min read

Jargon is like a foreign language. Learn to speak so your audience understands.

What is jargon? According to the dictionary, jargon is “special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group...

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Communicating about risk? Ask AI to help with clarity and examples.

Barbara Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Apr 7, 20237 min read

Communicating about risk? Ask AI to help with clarity and examples.

In the field of food and nutrition, a common point of confusion is the concept of risk. Much of our dietary guidance stems from the goal...

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Barbara Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Aug 19, 20223 min read

What does healthy mean?

When communicating about nutrition, the adjective “healthy” is used a LOT. Consider the many ways we use the word healthy as a descriptor...

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How can we illustrate data effectively and help audiences make sense of numbers?

Barbara Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Jul 22, 20225 min read

How can we illustrate data effectively and help audiences make sense of numbers?

Numbers, data, and statistics make up much of what we communicate about nutrition. From simple statements like “make half your plate...

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Celebrate a world of flavors - without leaving home!

Barbara Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Mar 11, 20222 min read

Celebrate a world of flavors - without leaving home!

Do your menus need a revamp? Do you find yourself eating the same things over and over and over? Boring! This year’s National Nutrition...

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Waste not, want not. A book review of Zero Waste Cooking for dummies.

Barbara Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Feb 25, 20223 min read

Waste not, want not. A book review of Zero Waste Cooking for dummies.

Zero Waste Cooking for dummies, by Rosanne Rust, MS, RDN, is a book much needed by today’s western consumers who have been spoiled by a...

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4 Healthy Habits That Could Turn Unhealthy

Guest post by Taylor Lechner, MFN, RD, LD

Sep 3, 20214 min read

4 Healthy Habits That Could Turn Unhealthy

As dietitians, we dedicate years to learning how to help people be the healthiest they can be. We learn what to eat in what amounts, how...

90 views0 comments

Barbara Mayfield, MS, RDN, LD, FAND

Mar 12, 20212 min read

#NNM2021 promotes a personalized plate

During my many years of counseling patients from all walks of life, a common perception they arrived with was the fear that meeting with...

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