1 Way to Use Joy in Your Nutrition Counseling

Original post in Stone Soup Blog for Food and Nutrition Magazine June 27th, 2016. Hope you enjoy!

"Talking about our problems is our greatest addiction. Break the habit. Talk about your joys." — Anonymous


One year ago, I read the quote above and it really resonated with me. As RDNs, we are trying to nourish our clients with reliable science-based nutrition education and healthy food. We help them work through their problems, both emotional and physical. How many times have you worked with a client and the majority of the session is negative talk, using the words "can't" and "won't"?
I think this emphasis on the negative misses something. Instead, let's start talking about joy: both of the clients and of ourselves.
As registered dietitian nutritionists, we give a lot of ourselves to our clients because we really, truly care about them. We want them to be healthy and happy. We want them to meet their goals and find the perfect wellness balance in their lives. When it does not happen, we take it personally and burden ourselves with the negative results or inadequacy of our expertise. Their problems become our problems. I certainly have experienced this.

"Jar of Joy"

So last year, I started a little experiment to break the habit. I started a "Jar of Joy." At the end of each day, I dated a small piece of paper, wrote down at least one thing that brought me joy and placed it in the jar.
Then, at the end of the year, I emptied my jar and read 365 papers full of perfectly wonderful joys.
When taking a longer view, I realized the things that can feel negative in the moment can equally be seen as "beautiful chaos" and provide inspiration and goodness. After writing my daily joy, it was easy to forget the problems of the day or things I was struggling with. If this simple task could do this much for me, I knew it would do amazing things for my clients.
I'm now in year two of my "Jar of Joy." I am continuing to write my own daily joys. I'm even encouraging some of my clients do the same. When a client arrives for an appointment, we start with a written joy. It starts our session in a positive way, reminds them they are working toward their own personal greatness and recognizing the good in their life.
I keep each paper they bring me and when they are finished working with me, we read them together. It not only is a celebration of their wellness success, but also reminds them of how they responded to everyday life by experiencing joy and in turn became healthier along the way.

Anne Cundiff, RD, LD, FAND, is a retail dietitian in Iowa. Read her blogs, Nutritional Noshes and Crazy Cool in the Kitchen, and follow her on Twitter.


AE

Iowa Dietitians: The Real Nutrition Experts

I am a little bit in awe after this past week.  Of the dedication, devotion, passion and purpose I experienced with 249 other dietitians from Iowa. I realized now, more than ever, that I am one lucky gal to be the President of such an amazing organization, the Iowa Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

We had our annual meeting in Coralville, Iowa with this years theme:  Registered Dietitians Living in the Heartland. Our meeting chair Bridget and her chair-elect, Tina, did an outstanding job organizing and planning this stellar event.

The best part about the meeting was having Registered Dietitians from all around the state coming together and rejuvenate all the reasons they have put their lives into this profession. I love meeting new dietitians and hearing about their interesting careers outside of the dietitian bubble I live and work in. It is also great to connect with dietitians I know but haven't seen in years.

Since our meeting was all Iowa based, I wanted to share my favorite Iowa products with the group. Frontier Coop based in Norway, Iowa is a company that has been an Iowa-based co-op for 40 years (before organic certification and before Fair Trade). Their history of sourcing and distributing natural and organic products makes us a leader in the natural products industry.  You can find our products at stores like Hy-Vee, Whole Foods and local natural food stores across the U.S. and Canada. 

Then there is this little place known to Iowa as Scratch Cupcakery. I stumbled upon this tummy pleasing bakery when I needed a sweet-treat for a dear friend's birthday. When I clicked on the "About" section of the website, the first line of this Iowa-based sweet treat heaven, completely got me:  "Ever had a dream that you just couldn't let go of?"  I know exactly how this Iowa entrepreneur feels and can relate. This bakery holds a special place in my heart because of their story, a very special birthday celebration and how they will help cater to individuals with food intolerance. Thanks for making me and 249 dietitians smile! 

My third Iowa product I love and wanted to share was Ecolips:  The best lip balm for the world. It is. For real. My favorite. I am obsessed with the perfect lip balm. It cannot be too thick, have staying power, moisturize and smell good. Check, check, check and check. They are also organic, gluten-free and cruelty free. What is also really cool is you can create your own perfect stick of balm. You can pick your ingredients, your packaging and the name of your lip-saving perfection, all from beautiful Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

The last but not least favorite Iowa product I shared with my fellow dietitians, was Nicks Sticks. This is my go-to afternoon snack, everyday. I am on the go constantly and need a high protein snack with lower sodium and none of the junk found in other meat snacks. I am a big fan of their turkey and spicy turkey sticks. They are free of MSG, nitrates, and red dye. And Nick Wallace is the guy who makes these snacks. He is an Iowa farmer and lymphoma survivor. Who wouldn't want to share this healthful and delicious snack?

One of the best part of the conferences was spending time with friends. I had to reflect a little on my almost 15 years as a dietitian. I have made some of my best and long last friendships because of dietetics. My friend Jenny has been a friend since our internship and I would have never guessed we would have stayed so close and also become co-workers during the midst of our careers. And then there is my dear friend Brenda. She was my preceptor during my internship and has taught me everything I know!  She has been a person who has stuck by me through really difficult dietitian and personal experiences.

I am very fortunate to have had this experience in my professional life. These 2 days were meant for the dietitians of our organization to keep believing in their passion and purpose and to not lose site of why they are a Registered Dietitian.  I know that if there is a day I feel a little defeated, this president is going to jump into her comfy shirt, eat a cookie and know that she is a member of the greatest group of dietitians in the nation.