According to the American Heart Association, 1 in 4 heart failure patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge from the hospital, and approximately half within 6 months. In episode #64, the Home-based Cardiac Rehab Dietitian discusses ways to lower the chances for of going back into the hospital soon after discharge.

In a realistic world, heart healthy eating will have a different starting point for everyone. It might mean making a few smaller changes or bigger substitutions. If you are in the process of working toward eating healthier to reach your goals then listen in to episode #63, where Marion VA Dietitians review ways to limit processed foods that can be high in sugar and salt.

VA Dietitians want to help encourage Veterans, their family, and caretakers to maintain heart health. Keeping our hearts healthy is important and nutrition can play a big role. In episode #62, listen along as Kristine, VISN 15 MOVE Coordinator reviews her top three lifestyle changes that can help improve your heart health.

There is a crucial transitional time after being discharged from the hospital where making changes could prevent the need to go back into the hospital. In episode #61, Registered Dietitian Ryan Santanna-Hart offers strategies such as starting with scheduling an appointment with your local VA Dietitian.

Would you be interested in watching a cooking class demo while being able to be sit in your own kitchen and have the opportunity to cook along with the instructor? That is exactly what the VA Healthy Teaching Kitchen classes involve!

Listen in on this episode of Fresh Focus, where VA Dietitian, Dr. Joel Hamilton talks all about how to spice up your diet with using an ingredient that you already have on hand, a potato! Why potatoes? Potatoes are inexpensive and generally accessible.

March is a whole month dedicated to promote the profession of Nutrition Services as well as delivering nutrition education to the public. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can help you improve your overall health and wellness. This year, for National Nutrition Month®, the team at Fresh Focus Podcast, welcome back Yaqutullah Ibraheem Muhammad, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist from the Atlanta VAHCS, Arcadia Primary Care Women’s Wellness Clinic to discuss tips on embracing cultural...

It’s common to see misinformation about nutrition. Science is complicated and scientific research can be difficult to critically evaluate. Especially for nutrition, many aspects of the wellness industry are unregulated such as supplements and supplement companies. With all the confusing nutrition information out there, how do we know which experts to trust or how to tell a credible source from a non-credible source? VA Dietitian Nutritionist Erin Gobeille in Fresh Focus episode #57 reminds us...

Have you ever seen a VA Dietitian? If not, you might be wondering what to ask once you are in the office. From what’s the best way to lose weight, what to eat when away from our homes, to how much sodium is too much are daily conversations in our specialty. Bethany, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist from the Louis A Johnson VA , joins Fresh Focus on episode #56 where she answers the most common questions she gets asked by Veterans and their family members.

March is National Nutrition Month® and is a chance to celebrate eating healthy. National Registered Dietitian Nutritionist day is also in March and is a chance to showcase dietitians as the food and nutrition experts. Each year we celebrate with a new theme and for 2022 the theme is “Celebrate a world of Flavors.” This means diversifying our food choices and being open to new flavors, cuisines and eating experiences. In episode #55, Dietitian Sara Peidle breaks down the benefits of choosing...

We are rounding out the series with a myth that is a big misconception when people come into the world of nutrition- and that is in order to be healthy, it is necessary to eat “perfectly” 100% of the time. You heard that right! The fact that you need to eat perfectly is entirely a myth.

Gluten and dairy and grains, oh my! In this episode of the Fresh Focus podcast’s Myth Busters series, our host Megan Rivenburg, MS, former dietetic intern at the Bay Pines VA talks all about the ever so prevalent myths about gluten, dairy, gluten-free, and dairy-free diets.

It seems like in the health care setting we always hear “losing weight is healthy” and “gaining weight is unhealthy.” It seems like there is this thought that the best predictor of if someone is healthy is their weight and what number shows up on the scale. But the thing is, there are so many factors that come into play when it comes to the number on the scale.

Listen in to Fresh Focus episode 51 where we discuss metabolism. We talk about how our bodies need food each day to fuel activities that you don’t even think about- such as organs functioning. Are there foods that are considered metabolism boosters, or does the science paint a different picture?

Listen along to this episode as Megan Rivenburg, MS, a former dietetic intern at the Bay Pines VA, sorts through the research on carbs. Are they bad for you? Are low-carb diets the way to go? Which carbs are the best carbs to be eating in order to support your health?

Eating healthy is just too expensive. If you have said or thought this exact statement, we as dietitians want to be able to help sort things and come up with the best plan. In episode #49, Healthy Teaching Kitchen Dietitian Abbie Spiwak, shares some common strategies for cost-effective nutrition.

Breastfeeding can be an awesome bonding experience with your baby. Although it provides baby with great nutrition, it can be overwhelming, frustrating, and brings up many questions for mamas and their support systems. Join Dietitian Lauren Hocking as she interviews Caitlin, a mom of two for her advice.

HTK is dedicated to improving Veterans’ skills and confidence to prepare healthy meals. Increasing Veterans’ self-efficacy with regards to food selection and preparation in a home-like environment to develop life-long eating habits. Taking nutrition education that is traditionally taught in the clinic settings and helping Veteran’s put it in practice in their day to day meals.

Did you know American Veterans experience higher prevalence of pain and more severe pain than non-Veterans? No matter where you are in your health journey: just starting out, managing several chronic conditions, or somewhere in-between by making changes to your diet you can really make a difference. Listen to a discussion in episode #46 with three VA Dietitians share ways to take action to manage pain.

Chronic inflammation causes our body to stop functioning in a healthy way. What we eat has the power to reduce that inflammation with antioxidants, vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, and other nutrients. Listen in to Fresh Focus episode #45 as a nutrition specialist breaks down the details you need to know about the anti-inflammatory nutrition plan.

Did you know that movement, activity, and exercise, can all relate and to pain management? Let Fresh Focus episode 44 get you started by having a discussion on ways to improve your functional independence and freedom. One way to begin is to identify ways to overcome any of your barriers and for most of us that includes reducing pain.

Listen in to Fresh Focus episode 43 where the Fresh Focus team welcomes a Registered Dietitian and Integrative and Functional Nutrition Certified Practitioner to break down several lifestyle factors that can influence inflammation in our bodies. The great news is there is lot we can do to improve our health!

Have you ever wondered if the food you are eating is causing you pain due to inflammation? Inflammation is the body’s protective response against injury, infection, stress, or foreign substances. Episode 42 of Fresh Focus goes through some of the food items that could be causing an increase in inflammation. Food items that cause increase in inflammation include a diet full of highly processed foods, high sugary foods, or typical junk food, sometimes referred to as the Standard American Diet.

Understanding pain response is important. Successful pain management involves setting identified goals and a treatment plan that is agreed upon by patient and Provider. Listen in to episode 41 of Fresh Focus where Dietitian Beth Blair interviews Nurse Judy Bishop about the successful interdisciplinary Pain Workshop.

When thinking of summer cooking, usually the first thing we all think of is the grill. However, remember that just because we use this king of summertime cooking every year, this doesn’t mean we always have to use it the same way. For example, it isn’t only for burgers and hot dogs!