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Mar 3

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National Nutrition Month

It is March! March means I’m already 4 weeks into my clinical rotation.

Since I last updated about the internship I’ve been through my renal and cardiology basic clinical rotations. I’m in the middle of my general med/surgical/ortho basic clinical rotation. All this means is that each week I work with different RD’s who are responsible for different floors (units) of the hospital. Each RD is responsible for providing diabetes education to patients.

I can’t believe how fast the time is going by! I’ve already learned so much. I go back and forth daily trying to decide whether the clinical hospital setting is the right career choice for me. Although I think it is fascinating, I don’t get very excited about it. I’ve had the opportunity to see a few outpatient educations during my time at the hospital. This is definitely something I can see myself doing!

March also means it’s National Nutrition Month (NNM)! One of my projects for the internship involves creating educational materials – right up my alley! I put together a poster board and educational handout for the hospital cafeteria. I’ll be sharing some of this info with you as NNM continues.

This year the theme of NNM is “Get Your Plate in Shape” which promotes the concepts behind the new MyPlate icon that replaced the Food Guide Pyramid. The basic MyPlate messages are:

  • Make half your plate fruits and vegetables
  • Make half your grains, whole grains
  • Switch to fat-free/low-fat milk
  • Enjoy your food but eat less
  • Avoid oversized portions
  • Drink water instead of sugary drinks

Over the next month I’ll be blogging about these topics. Do you have any questions or topics you want me to address?

Feb 6

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Internship Update: Clinical Orientation

Hello sleepy intern! This morning I woke up bright and early, showered, put on my pre-planned outfit, lab coat and name tag. I grabbed my tote bag, and an on the go breakfast: dry cereal, almonds, banana and coffee with milk. After scraping the ice off my car, I drove 30 minutes to Saginaw where I picked up another intern at her apartment. By  8a.m. sharp, I was sitting in the Dietitian’s office at Covenant Hospital, ready to go!

Today was a short day, but mentally a long one. So many names and hallways and passwords and projects to remember, but I am so excited to get started! I was hoping to get my 5-week food service rotation over with first, but I’m actually really looking forward to starting in clinical.

What’s in store for me this week? First, I’ll be working with the dietetic technicians learning the in’s-and-out’s of nutritional screening. In a hospital setting, not every single patient is seen by a registered dietitian. It’s the job of the diet techs to decide who does and who doesn’t, it’s a great place to start this rotation! Then it’s off to cardiology.

Feb 4

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Internship Orientation

Last night called for a movie and wine. The past three days of internship orientation, while wonderfully exciting, have also been a tad overwhelming; there is so much to remember! This weekend, I want to get ahead on as much as possible.

The first two days of orientation meant paperwork and general intern expectations. The last day was the most helpful. After hearing about the CMU Online Master’s Program and meeting with the Financial Aide advisor, The current class of interns stopped by to let us pick their brains. This certainly put my mind at ease.

Our class of interns are all female CMU graduates, which is nice because we are familiar with each other, the school, the dietetics department, and the area.

This Monday starts ten weeks of my clinical rotation – first up, Tech Screening and Cardiology. I’ll be working in Saginaw which means I’ll have about a 30 min commute, not too bad.

Short post today – lots to do! Happy Saturday!

Jan 28

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Grocery Store Finds

Moving back to Michigan meant saying goodbye to some pretty amazing grocery stores, and hello again to my midwest stand by. But just because I can’t grind my own peanut butter here doesn’t mean I have no options. Here are some of my old and new favorites:

Frozen Veggies
Where can’t you buy these? Green beans are my favorite.
Quick dinner idea: whole-wheat spaghetti noodles, topped with tomato sauce, with a side of green beans.

Food Should Taste Good®: Multigrain Tortilla Chips
A serving size is about 10 chips, and they are yummy, so no eating straight from the bag! They are low in sodium (80mg/serving) and have a lovely nutty flavor.

Quick lunch idea: Place 10 chips on a microwave safe plate, top with a huge handful of spinach, a few halved cherry tomatoes, low sodium deli meat or beans, and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese. Add an orange on the side for dessert.

Source: http://www.foodshouldtastegood.com

Mini Babybel® Cheese
These are a new product for me. Bonus points – they were buy-one get-one free this week! So far I’ve tried the White Cheddar and it’s delicious. Try it paired with an apple for a filling mid-afternoon snack.

Source: http://www.thelaughingcow.com

Old Fashioned Oatmeal
Thank goodness you can buy oatmeal just about anywhere, because it’s a staple around here! Coming Soon: a long overdue, “tribute to oatmeal” post.

That’s all for now. I’m sure there will be more fun food finds as I explore the stores!

*I was NOT paid, nor did I receive free samples to endorse these products. These are items I personally buy and eat.*

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