- With Mayo Clinic nutritionists
Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the Food & Nutrition Center, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning."Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
A St. Paul, Minn., native, she is certified by the National Board of Nutrition Support Certification, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978, and is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 50 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many Mayo Clinic books, including "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody," "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook." She contributes to the strategic direction of the Food & Nutrition Center, which includes creating recipes and menus, reviewing nutrition content of various articles, and answering nutrition questions posed to Ask a Specialist.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Nutrition-wise blog
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Oct. 25, 2008
Physical activity a recipe for better health
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
I'm going to take off my dietitian hat for a moment and put on my wellness hat. Let's talk about diet's right hand — exercise.
The CDC recently released the "2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans." The guidelines recommend incorporating both physical activity and strength training. The guidelines are a result of the overwhelming evidence of the benefit of exercise in chronic disease prevention. The guidelines are as follows:
Adults and those 65 or older who are generally fit, and have no limiting health conditions:
- 150 minutes/week moderate intensity aerobic activity such as walking, moderate cycling, dancing, and yard work
- Or 75 minutes/week vigorous aerobic activity such as fast paced walking, jogging, jumping jacks, and heavy or rapid shoveling
- Or a mix of moderate and vigorous activity
- 2 more days/week — muscle strengthening (push ups, resistance exercises, or yoga) of all major muscle groups
Adults with disabilities:
- Talk to your doctor and a trained exercise professional about what's best for you
Pregnant and post partum women, in a good state of health:
- 150 minutes/week moderate intensity aerobic activity such as walking or water exercises
- Women who already do vigorous intensity aerobic activity may continue to do so and discuss adjusting their activity over the duration of their pregnancy or post partum period with their health care provider
Children:
- 60 minutes/day such as general active play, organized sports, or dancing
- Within this 60 minutes include: 3 days/week of vigorous activity that includes running or a faster paced activity, 3 days/week muscle strengthening such as pulling self up on a jungle gym or pushups, and 3 days/week bone strengthening such as jumping or running
You are encouraged to spread the activity over a week's timeframe and if needed, fit 10-minute segments into your day.
More is better; if you double the above recommendations you achieve a greater health benefit.
For those of you who are among the 28 percent of Americans who have no leisure time activity, this is asking a lot. Some argue that even if you are not sedentary, these recommendations might be unrealistic for most people. Regardless of where you fall in the spectrum of activity, be smart about how you increase your physical activity; talk to your doctor before beginning more vigorous activity.
I think we all can agree that any physical activity that increases your heart rate is a positive lifestyle factor.
For those of you who fall into that 28 percent, there are other reasons to get moving. Also this month, a small study was published that highlights the ills of unbalanced energy intake (what you eat) and being sedentary. As you would expect, it confirms that too many calories while being sedentary increases body fat. But the study also suggests that while you gain fat, you loss muscle mass and your body has an increased stress response — double whammy. In fact, those who gained the most fat also lost the most muscle mass. The message: If you're unable to participate in physical activity, watch your calorie intake closely.
We all know that exercise is something we should do. Do you find these guidelines motivating? Expecting too much? For those of you that have found success in making exercise a part of your lifestyle, share your tips.
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