Eat, Read, Learn | February 2024

NS Dietitians: Check out the DNNS Facebook page for more new foods, thought-provoking reads, and continuing education opportunities – and please share your own contributions as well!

If you have comments or suggestions, you can reach Meredith at meredith.lapp@gmail.com

EAT

Dine Around is coming back to Halifax Regional Municipality this month!

As the leadup to the SAVOUR Food & Wine Festival in late March, the Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia is bringing back Dine Around February 1-29, 2024! Over 100 HRM eateries are offering special tasting dishes for $10, $20, $30, $40, $50 or $60, which is a great opportunity to try new spots or a more affordable way to enjoy a fine-dining experience.

READ

Did you know that up to 80% of premature heart disease and stroke can be prevented through lifestyle change? February is Heart Month, so it’s a great time to refresh on therapeutic nutrition plans for clients experiencing heart disease, heart failure, and hypertension; or at risk of these conditions. The Heart and Stroke Foundation has excellent client-facing resources on the DASH diet for hypertension, strategies for managing clients with congestive heart failure, and the combined power of DASH/Mediterranean eating patterns (MIND diet) to significantly reduce dementia risk.

LEARN

First clinical guideline available addressing the impact of anxiety/depression on seniors’ health

Most RDs interact with people 65+ at some point in their day-to-day work. This group is often overlooked when it comes to the impact of anxiety/depression on health outcomes, especially in a social context where much interaction and connection happens in virtual spaces that assume a baseline level of tech-savviness, and in light of persistent taboos in earlier generations around sharing personal mental health struggles with health providers. Yet 1 in 5 Canadians over 65 years experiences clinically-relevant symptoms of anxiety/depression, which significantly increases risk of other conditions like hypertension and dementia. The Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health has released the first clinical guideline addressing this gap in care. Since RDs typically provide longer client interactions than primary-care physicians and often allow for more narrative discussion of client lifestyle factors, they are well-placed navigators to identify seniors struggling with mental health, and provide direction to effective resources and treatment pathways.

Follow the DNNS Facebook group for more new foods, thought-provoking reads, and continuing education opportunities – and please share your own contributions as well!

Curated by Meredith Lapp, RD

If you have a blog, book, or online course that you would like to share with your fellow network members, please forward information to Meredith at meredith.lapp@gmail.com