Ventures Fall 2018

Ventures Enterprising News & Ideas for Nutrition Entrepreneurs

Clutter Cleaning to the Extreme

Fall 2018 Volume XXXVIII Number 2 Detoxing: Clearing the Clutter to Create Space in Your Work and Life

In This Issue: Clutter Cleaning to the Extreme ������������ 1 Simple Decluttering Strategies. �������������� 2 Transform to Create Space… ���������������� 3

Elana Natker, MS, RD Chair If you’ve been reading your monthly NE in a Nutshell e-newsletters, you’ve heard by now that my family and I have relocated halfway around the world. My husband and I joke that the time was ripe for a midlife crisis, but the truth is that both of us were feeling a bit stifled. I know I was feeling stress about home and the kids: Why won’t the kids get off their iphones? Are they challenged enough at school? Why aren’t they into sports? In my own life I was stressed that I wasn’t cutting-edge enough as a nutrition entrepreneur. And, gosh, am I just a fraud as the leader of NE DPG?!

Just thinking about these things raised my stress levels. So when my husband came home to say he might be offered the new overseas job he was hoping for, I was both excited and nervous. Excited about living abroad but nervous that I’d become totally irrelevant in my work life.

As I learned from talking with other professionals, including dietitians, who have lived overseas, the one thing I could almost certainly look forward to is a slower pace of life. While Oman isn’t a Third-World country and in fact is an emerging economy, simple pleasures that we may take for granted in the U.S. are not a guarantee in my new home. You know, things like fast internet access or that the local grocery store will have coffee filters in stock.

In the first week of moving here I had no cell phone service, which meant no flipping through Instagram and Facebook while I waited for my Starbucks coffee (like I said - no coffee filters yet!) and waiting until I got home to our WiFi to check emails, which was fruitless anyway since my emails didn’t start buzzing until about 5 p.m. local time when the business day is about to begin on the East Coast. Driving around with my husband (since I also didn’t have a car yet), I looked at the scenery, trying to memorize the surroundings since even when I did get cell service, Google Maps is a joke around here, so I’m told.

I’m not saying everyone needs to travel overseas to do a little digital detox, but there are some important lessons I’ve learned so far.

1. P ut the phone down. It’s OK not to

be immediately available all the time.

2. Create office hours, and stick to

them. My clients and coworkers know that they can call me directly between 5-9 p.m. my time, which is anywhere from eight to 12 hours earlier for them, depending on their time zone and the time of year. They also know that I’ll be able to devote some solid work hours during my morning hours while they are fast asleep. Those evening hours for me/morning hours for them are reliable.

3. When you’re at work, focus on being

at work; and when you’re not at work, unplug. You do no favors to anyone if you’re trying to juggle a work call while volunteering at the kids’ school.

If you need to be forced to digitally detox, come visit me in Oman.

Happy to help you out!

Clearing Your Mind of the Clutter ���������� 4 Less But Better ������������������������������������������������ 5 Clean Up Your Digital Clutter ������������������ 6 You Are Not Alone ���������������������������������������� 7 Decluter By Controlling Your E-Mail ����7 5 Ways to Detox �������������������������������������������� 8 Clearing Your Career of Negativity ������� 8 Detoxing Your To-Do List �������������������������� 9 Product Reviews ����������������������������������������10 Time Blocking To Increase Productivity ��������������������������������������������������11 Let Go of Good & Grab Onto Great ����12 Detoxing: Clearing the Clutter in the Corporate Wellness Space ����������������������13 Detoxing Your Private Practice ������������14 Make Every Day A Vacation ������������������15 Detoxing the Mind and Soul ����������������16 Detox Your Social Media. ������������������������17 Detox Your Inbox With the New NEDPG.org… ����������������������������������������������18 Deliberate Creation of Ease and Grace ��������������������������������������������19 Members on the Move ����������������������������20 The Same Difference ��������������������������������21 The Journey from Mind-full to Mindful ������������������������������������������������������22 How to Make Room for Growth and Follow Your Passion �������������������������������������23 Mini Meetings ����������������������������Back Cover Elana Natker, MS, RD, is the owner of Sage Leaf Communications, a nutrition communications agency, which is still going strong from her home office in Muscat, Oman.

She’s planning to enjoy the next two to three years overseas with a mix of work, travel and outdoor explorations.

Ventures EDITOR Julie Harrington, RD

INCOMING EDITOR Kim Hoban, RDN, CDN, CPT

EDITORIAL BOARD, 2018-2019 Elana Natker, MS, RD Lisa Jones, MA, RDN, LDN, FAND Erin Hendrickson, RDN, LD Julie Harrington, RD Rosanne Rust, MS, RDN, LDN Lauri Egan, RDN, CPT The newsletter pertains to the Nutrition Entrepreneurs Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and reproduction rights are reserved. Publication of an advertisement in the Ventures newsletter should not be considered as an endorsement of the product or advertiser by the DPG. Viewpoints and statements in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect policies and/or positions of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. © 2018 Nutrition Entrepreneurs.

All rights reserved.

WE WELCOME INPUT FROM OUR MEMBERS. PLEASE CONTACT THE EDITOR: Julie Harrington, RD NewsletterEditor@NEdpg.org

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION OR QUESTIONS Email NEadmin@NEdpg.org.

ADDRESS CHANGES AND MISSING ISSUES If you have a change of address, please contact the Academy with your new address information. If you missed an issue, email Lauri Egan at NEadmin@NEdpg.org or call (513) 972-4668.

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Decluttering Julie Harrington, RD Newsletter Editor When I was writing this article, I was currently going through the process of moving, and it was a great time to detox and clear the clutter from my work and personal life. You don’t realize how much stuff you actually have when it is still in a big pile waiting to be sorted into boxes.

Being surrounded by clutter slows us down and can make us mentally and physically cluttered, and for me causes unneeded extra stress and anxiety. If we have a cluttered, disorganized living space, letting go of the stresses of work, finances, relationships and other areas of our lives can be virtually impossible. Similarly, if a workplace is in disarray, it can be difficult to complete tasks well and on time. Just sitting in a cluttered room can create stress, as the clutter provides a great deal of information for the eyes to process and visual reminders of how much work is left unfinished. This constant, lowgrade stress can subtly and steadily drain our energy, leaving us overwhelmed, and exhausted. Moving into my new space, my mission was to totally reduce the amount of physical clutter.

DECLUTTER YOUR WORKSPACE A messy workspace is less efficient. Don’t put it off until tomorrow. Declutter your workspace ASAP. Start by removing everything off your desk and only having your essential tools available for everyday use. Then get rid of all non-essential items and assign proper places for everything. Don’t let the stack of papers keep piling up in the corner. That brings us to the next tip.

CONVERT TO DIGITAL To trim back on the items I was physically moving to my new place, I started converting a lot of paperwork to digital. While I did not move over everything to a digital format (I don’t think I could ever give up my paper planner or my handwritten to-do lists), I did move over a lot to an external hard drive.

My type-A personality scanned and filed a lot of paperwork into separate folders on my external hard drive. I have easy access to everything without two giant file boxes taking up space.

DO A DIGITAL DETOX The media you consume has a huge impact on your mental health. Ever scrolled through Instagram and found yourself rolling your eyes or even getting upset over someone's photo or caption? Delete them. Social media is a great way to stay connected to friends and family and keep up with current events, but it can also be more toxic than you realize, especially if you're dwelling on what you see long after you've seen it. It’s great to diversify yourself with whom you follow and connect with on social media, but stick to those who contribute to your life in a positive way.

Julie Harrington, RD, is the owner of Julie Harrington Consulting, LLC and just went through a full rebrand and redesign for her new website julieharringtonrd.com. Cooking has always given her joy because of its powerful ability to connect people together. As a chef and dietitian, her passion is to educate others about nutrition through food and give them the tools they need to build confidence in the kitchen.

Transform to Create Space Amanda Sauceda, MS, RDN, CLT Secretary When I think of “detox” I think of letting go of whatever doesn’t serve me anymore. Of course letting go often means going through all my papers to see what should be shredded and then taking a bunch of things off my work desk and dumping them into the trash. But I have started to rethink the idea of detox as just meaning throwing stuff away.

Detox can also mean transform. Turning something that doesn’t work for you into something that does. Don’t get me wrong; some things need to be thrown out, but not everything needs to be destined for the trash can. This is why I like the idea of reduce, reuse, recycle for detox because not everything needs to be tossed or can’t find a home somewhere else.

The biggest thing that I take out of detoxing my space is the new energy that it creates.

It really helps spring forth new ideas and a refreshed outlook.

1. MOVE THINGS AROUND Whenever I am doing something and have a block of time, I start moving things around and clearing space. Moving the layout of furniture really helps. I am not even sure how seeing a space redecorated in a new way really brightens things up but it does.

2. DON’T GET USED TO IT Sometimes when I am going through things, I have found that I need to approach things like I have never seen them before. This ties in a bit with moving things around. For example, I had always assumed that my printer had to be right next to my desktop. Then one day I thought to move it to the top of my desk.

Now I have tons of space on my desk and it looks great.

3. ASSESS BEFORE YOU TOSS I cannot tell you how many small notebooks I have collected over the years and would toss until I realized that I was always struggling to find scrap paper for notes. Now I assess before I toss and see if I can actually use it or donate it. If neither of those options work, it gets tossed.

4. LOOK BEYOND THE WORKSPACE It doesn’t just have to be your workspace that you clear out to get re-energized.

Clearing out my closet has been one of the biggest things that I have done that brought in a lot of new energy. It was cathartic to clean out clothes and make new outfits that I actually enjoyed wearing.

5. SCHEDULE IT IN Try to set time aside in your calendar for clearing things out of your space. Sometimes it almost seems counterintuitive when we aren’t directly working on a to-do list, but clearing out the space should have its own place on the list. For me, the best ideas always come when I am clearing up things and not actually forcing myself to think of something.

Amanda loves pizza. She has a running list of places that are her favorites and places that she wants to try. Her numberone pizza place used to be a luggage room in the golden days of Hollywood and has a fermented sourdough crust that is to die for.

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Clearing Your Mind

of the Clutter!

Kerri Hawkins, MS, RDN, LDN, cPT Director of Member Services Fall for me still has this feeling of fresh beginnings, which I guess ties back to my school-age self. I used to love getting new notebooks, school clothes, a brand new planner. Those things all represented a clean start for the year and created a feeling of confidence that I could be and accomplish anything that school year.

Looking beyond the new school supplies, that feeling of confidence for me came from the ability to wipe my brain “clean” of all my past worries, of what happened last year in school. Having a clear mind allowed me to dream big and be present so I could enjoy school and all that it had to offer.

A few years back I started to recognize that I was cluttering my brain on a daily basis with worries and doubt, even though I was having great success in my practice. I recognized my mind had become cluttered in my thoughts of doubt which left very little time for me to be creative and confident to set new goals and dream big.

I tried numerous ways to ease that self-doubt in order to create room for all those other thoughts that are important to help me grow not only in my career but as a person.

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After numerous attempts of meditation, morning walks and journaling, I felt like I had failed. Many of these behaviors that my colleagues raved about had just created more time and space for my self-doubt.

I started to reflect and realized that a skill that I incorporated on a daily basis with my clients I had completely overlooked for myself.

Self-affirmation has played a major role in helping my clients treat themselves with more self-compassion and believe they have the skills to change. Affirmations are proven methods of self-improvement because of their ability to rewire the brain, where the level of feel-good hormones increases and pushes our brain to form new “positive thought” neurons. Affirmation has the power to declutter our minds so that we can begin to believe things are possible and take action.

Self-affirmations are now how I start my week.

Every Tuesday morning I sit at my desk, door closed, lights dimmed and I select my Think Up app on my phone. I hear my recorded voice whisper “I am doing the best I can and that is enough” as gentle music fills the background. Affirmation after affirmation fills my mind and I can feel the clutter leave my brain as I prepare to take action for my week.

There is no right way to use self-affirmations or a formula for a perfect practice; it is all about finding what is right for you. But here are a few tips in getting started:

1. Identify your negative self-talk and beliefs.

Make a list of the cluttered beliefs that often fill your mind but have no validity to them.

2. Create affirmations out of those beliefs.

Look for what is false about those beliefs and create statements that are empowering and true.

3. Begin using the new affirmations. You can write them on a index card and place them in a visual location, make them your screensaver on your phone or computer, record your voice or use an app.

4. Create a routine to help clear your mind of the clutter. Say them daily, weekly, monthly or hourly, but find a place and time to be focused on empowering yourself.

My thought process of “dreaming” about my ideal school year was my start to self-affirmations. I didn’t even realize how impactful that was until I started to set my intentions each week with my affirmation practice now. Self-affirmations have power to declutter your mind so that you can take action and dream big.

Less But Better Erin Hendrickson, RDN, LD Director of Communications Not all clutter presents itself in the form of scattered paper in our office, clothing we’ll never wear in our closets, or that inherited set of fine china sitting unused in the cabinet.

Professional clutter sneaks into our business lives and majorly impacts our bottom line.

In the words of one of the greats, Ron Swanson,“Never half-ass two things; whole-ass one thing.” Firstly - if you’re unfamiliar with the aforementioned character - I recommend an immediate Parks and Recreation Netflix binge. Secondly - truer words have never been spoken. Thirdly - when we take on an unhealthy level of opportunity (in the form of projects, volunteer roles and business prospects), our quality of work suffers and eventually we burn out.

I’ve been there, burned out and made a shift.

My journey is still in progress, but had I not zeroed in on my passions and Marie Kondoed my professional life, I’d probably still be spinning my wheels in a role I didn’t love (and doing less than quality work).

Here’s how to "do less, but better”:

1. Identify your passion.

What part of being a RDN really sets your soul on fire? Mine is connecting with individuals through the power of words.

Yours may be food photography or childhood nutrition or mentoring others.

Focus on THAT.

2. Find projects specifically in this area.

You can do or create them for yourself in (or outside) your work setting. I started a blog and began volunteering with my local dietetics committee. I wrote a few articles for my city newspaper and started building authority as a writer.

3. Don’t overcommit.

Most dietitians are natural-born peoplepleasers. It’s okay to turn down a project or opportunity that doesn’t align with your passion or goals. Quality over quantity always wins and often equals higher income.

4. Filter through the noise.

It may be tempting to subscribe to every podcast, course or Facebook group your friend or coworker recommends, but STOP. Find an expert (or two) you can relate to and study his or her work.

5. Have Fun. All work and no play … well, you know the rest. Keeping too much on our plates leaves little room for simple joy and leads to unhealthy levels of stress.

Less professional clutter means more time to focus on meaningful work we love - and leads to a higher quality product or service for our clients, patients and those we report to.

Do less, but better and have a little fun while you’re at it!

You can find Erin blogging on her website MinimalistRD.com about all things minimalism including tiny houses, capsule wardrobes and zero-waste living. You’ll likely find her hiking, thrifting and eating her way around Nashville, as well as planning her next travel adventure.

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Clean Up Your

Digital Clutter Nancy Sidnam, MS, RDN Social Media Coordinator When you hear the word “clutter,” what comes to mind? It’s most likely something you can physically see and touch - a desk covered in papers, a messy laundry room, or, for those Friends fans out there, a secret closet like Monica’s!

But what about the digital world and all our devices? It’s easy to neglect cleaning up the clutter in this space since it’s much harder to see and impossible to touch, but there are so many good reasons to do it.

For one, unnecessary files take up storage space, which can have a significant impact on the speed and functionality of the device.

Second, having to navigate through digital clutter makes it much harder to find the information we need, which is inefficient.

Third, clearing out the clutter can help you clear your mind, especially when we’re talking about information clutter; it’s too easy to be inundated with alerts that there is something new to look at or read.

If you’re ready to declutter your digital space, here are four places to start:

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1. SOCIAL MEDIA How do you feel when you scroll through your social media feeds? Consider unfollowing anything that doesn’t add value to your life. It’s important here to define what “value” means to you, as it may be different for each of us. My social media feeds are a sacred space, and I try as much as possible to follow pages, people and brands that make me laugh, challenge me to grow, inspire me, and help me see the world from new perspectives.

2. PHONE APPS Apps are meant to provide convenience and make our lives easier - but how many do we truly have the time and ability to use? Just like when cleaning out your closet you might ask yourself “When was the last time I wore this shirt?” consider asking yourself “When was the last time I used this app?” Delete anything that doesn’t make the cut (I use one year as a benchmark for evaluation), and cluster the rest into different categories so they’re easier to find when you need them.

3. COMPUTER HARD DRIVE When was the last time you took a deep dive into the depths of your computer’s hard drive? If getting rid of documents stresses you out, start by organizing everything into folders first. This will make it easier for you to see that you have five outdated versions of your resume

floating around, or those old case-study presentations you gave in your MNT class years ago. An external hard drive is also a great way to save files that are important but not necessary to keep on your computer - think large videos that take up space and slow the device down.

4. EMAIL INBOX Two things have helped me a great deal in keeping my inbox organized - filters and the “unsubscribe” button. Filters can be a great way to redirect emails that you want to reference at some point but don’t need taking up space in your inbox, where your highest-priority emails should be. To determine if there are emails you can unsubscribe from, ask yourself the same value question as you did above with your social media feed. Are the emails you’re receiving providing value to you in some way, or do they feel like a burden?

While it might feel like a tall task to clean out all these spaces (especially if you’ve never done it before), creating a system around digital clutter cleanup and doing it regularly will help keep the clutter to a minimum!

Nancy, founder of The Wellie Life, loves experimenting with DIY skincare recipes. She makes face masks, body scrubs and more, all created with ingredients found in her pantry and refrigerator.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE Jenna Bell, PhD, RD Delegate’s Corner I submitted my contribution to the editor late. I may push deadlines a day or two, but this one I pushed nearly a week. For one simple reason: at this time, I am unable to declutter or detox, thus cannot give insights on how to do this. I am buried. I’m surviving, occasionally thriving. Therefore, the point of this article is to assure those of you who find yourself in a similar situation - you are not alone. My hope is that by remembering that your peers might be in this harried space may provide some solace.

You are not alone in your clutter if: §§ You have one to several dependents. For me, it’s a three- and five-year-old. They are adorable but feral. You often think that

they alone are too much to handle, but if you had few responsibilities outside of their care, you’d be a nicer, patient, more grateful caretaker with fewer fine lines and wrinkles. Yet, you also know that this wouldn’t be the case - because you’re 45 and the lines and wrinkles reflect your age and time in the sun. §§ You are voluntarily on more than one board/delegation/committee - and you are certain that you are just the worst!

I'm currently trying to be a productive member of the NEDPG executive committee, which includes serving in the House of Delegates and as Policy Advocacy Leader. I'm also on the Board of Trustees for the venerated children's museum Great Explorations. I'm also on the Editorial Advisory Board for Today's Dietitian and a contributing writer for the blog and magazine. I find myself accepting assignments then wait until the deadline looms, all the while cursing myself for agreeing to do it.

§§ You are worried. Just in general. Am I grateful enough? Am I a good citizen/ coworker/friend/parent/daughter/spouse/ board member/driver? - you name it. Did I pay my property taxes? How much is on the Amex? How do I leak so much money?

Because of all these nagging worries, you sometimes have a melatonin gummy before bed. §§ You have no accessible memory.

Apparently, I went to a Ben Fold’s concert with a friend of mine a year ago. At least that is what she said. §§ Your mantra is this too shall pass. But then you don’t want it to pass because you know that this is the best time of your life.

And you know and cherish that you are not alone.

Jenna is the senior vice president and director of health & wellness at Pollock Communications in NYC. She works remotely and lives in what she calls “vacation” - St. Petersburg, Florida - with her two kids, husband, Giant Schnoodle (Mokey) and Golden Doodle (Rainbow Unicorn Sparkle).

§§ You are more intense with everyday activities - from exercise to cleaning to drinking wine. Or maybe that’s just me.

Declutter By Controlling Your Email Patti Landers, PhD, RDN, LD, FAND Treasurer One recent Friday I opened the email on my smart phone and 250 messages from somewhere suddenly appeared. I shut it off, hit the button in autopilot fashion and of course the same thing happened again! The work email had gone haywire, I had 500 messages and I was on my way out of town for a week. This turned out to be an unexpected blessing. I deleted the work email account on my phone and went to cool off in Colorado.

If you are like me, you check your email multiple times a day and before bedtime for sure, even when it is the weekend or you are on vacation. This is a bad idea and can lead to getting news you don’t want to know right when you should be relaxing and going to sleep.

Back in February of 2012, Amy Gallo wrote a timeless article in the Harvard Business Review about stopping email overload. I want to share a few of her tips.

STOP or at least do not participate in those replies like “thanks,“you’re welcome,” etc.

Delete those right away! This is business after all and time is valuable.

GET TO ZERO. I would name this “declaring email bankruptcy.” She calls it clearing out your inbox and keeping it clean. Amy recommended creating a folder called “Old Inbox” and putting all those messages in there.

You can still find something if you need it.

It was so mentally refreshing to spend that time in the mountains with no guilt whatsoever about not responding to work email (because I couldn’t). I cannot think of a better way to declutter than to take a vacation and not pack the email!

DELETE any messages you do not need to even read. Sometimes I open some of those so I can “unsubscribe” and this seems to be worth my time because then I will not continue to get them daily or weekly.

Gallo, Amy. Stop Email Overload. Harvard Business Review, February 21, 2012. https:// hbr.org/2012/02/stop-email-overload-1 Accessed 8/15/2018.

RESPOND immediately if you can take care of it quickly in a minute or two.

Patti Landers has had nutrition careers as a professor and consulting dietitian. She loves both her work and family and strives to establish some kind of equilibrium in life. She is particularly adept at balancing things and is currently serving as NE treasurer.

FILE the rest of the messages by putting them into folders you’ve created that sort them by priority and when a response is required. You can also use flags if that is helpful.

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Ways to Detox Abbie Gellman, MS, RD, CDN Director of Meetings

As Registered Dietitians, we get a lot of questions about the latest detox diet. But how does the idea of “detox” extend beyond the world of food and nutrition and into how we manage our work and personal lives?

We are all busy and, at times, feel like we are barely holding it together. However, we still need to maintain focus and not run ourselves ragged trying to “do it all.” Perhaps it’s time to detox our lives a bit and take a breath...

"How do I detox?"

1. Find your best quiet time when you can really work and feel efficient and motivated.

• Morning before anyone else is awake • Night when everyone else is asleep • Every Wednesday

2. Find some “me” time that is not for work. Here are some things on my list. I’m sure you have hobbies and things you’d love to be doing more of as well!

• Exercise • Movies • Theatre • Reading actual books for pleasure • Spending time with friends and family

3. Turn off technology notifications and force yourself to take breaks every 30 minutes.

Think about this for a minute – do you ever feel stressed? Tired? Overwhelmed? If you answered no, please contact me privately and tell me your secrets. My suspicion is that 99.9% of you answered yes, though, so keep reading because I’ve got some helpful strategies and tips.

The American Psychological Association found that we begin to get distracted after approximately 30 minutes, and we cannot efficiently function for more than 90 minutes. That’s right, turn OFF those pesky email alerts and text notifications in order

Kelly Jones, MS, RD, CSSD, LDN Director of Sponsorship

§§ Detox your social media.

If you’re spending a lot of time on Facebook or Instagram (or any social channel), you’re likely seeing most people posting only the best experiences life is offering them. It’s easy to become envious of others’ careers rather than be inspired by them. If you start comparing yourself to someone and are filled with self-doubt after seeing her/his posts, unfollow the person! Instead, fill your feed with people who inspire you and make you smile when you need a pick-me-up.

When I decided that I wanted my career to continue on a more entrepreneurial route, I finally joined NE. At the time, I had just read The Law of Attraction, and coincidentally Chere Bork (a Law of Attraction facilitator) was the NE chair. As soon as I signed up, I participated in one of her teleseminars where I was not only inspired to develop an action plan to my goals, but also to stop comparing myself to other dietitians (I still use her term “comparitis” when mentoring other dietitians) and find the positive in every experience.

Part of allowing yourself to grow involves forming new relationships, but it also often involves closing the door on others or changing your expectations of them. It’s important to take stock of who in your life is building you up, and who shifts your mood from confident to self-sabotaging. The latter not only hurts your mental health but also your ability to be a successful entrepreneur.

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§§ Evaluate relationships with family and close friends.

You can’t get rid of family, but you can take ownership of how much time you spend with them and decide not to take them seriously if they aren’t as supportive as you’d like. In many cases, a family member may not realize that her/his demeanor and attitude is bringing you down, so take the time to have meaningful conversations with those who will understand and work to change. §§ Spend less time with negative colleagues and clients.

It’s okay to be selfish and prioritize your own well-being. The more time spent with people who have a toxic attitude, the harder it will be to have the positivity

to focus properly on the task at hand. Once you hit 30 minutes, then check in on email and text if you want to, and get up for a stretch break or to take a quick walk about.

4. Schedule times each month to clean up and reorganize.

Once a month, set aside an hour to go through your desk and arrange files, organize that pile that’s gotten out of control and make sure that stack of mail in the corner has been sorted. You’ll automatically get a fresh start on a regular basis and feel like you’ve accomplished something.

5. And my personal favorite – JUST SAY NO! - That’s right, just like Nancy Reagan’s war on drugs in the ‘80s and ‘90s (for those of you who remember), we can tell people no.

We are allowed to say no.

Abbie loves live theater and music. In addition to her love of all things culinary, she tries to go to a variety of plays, musicals and concerts as often as possible. She's lived in New York City for 20+ years and has gone to at least one Shakespeare in the Park show every summer!

and strength to excel in your business and personal goals. When it comes to corporate clients, assess whether the company fits your personal philosophy if they are causing you excessive stress. §§ Collaborate with dietitians who build you up!

We all know the body detoxes and combats inflammation by using nutrients from food to support organs and tissues.

Things like excess alcohol, repeat intake of fast food and smoking put stress on those immune and antioxidant systems. Similarly, we want to have less-negative people to stress us out and more-positive people to feed our drive to improve our business. We can’t eliminate negativity and stress, but having other dietitians to lean on can help you get through times of adversity and reassure you when you’re mentally feeling down.

Kelly is a new mom learning to balance a love for her family and her career. She works as a fitness nutrition consultant, media-spokesperson, and professor with a little bit of nutrition coaching and virtual course work, too. She is a selfproclaimed foodie and travel addict, always looking for the best plant-based dining in a new city. Kelly loves to compete in road races and triathlons with her family and friends, but also spending time at yoga and group fitness classes.

Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD, CDN, CSCS Mentor Programs/ Services I am the queen of todo lists. While I’ve gone from paper and pen to online lists, I have more than one to-do list floating around on my phone and computer. As entrepreneurs, at any given time we have a myriad of projects, tasks and priorities vying for our attention. While a to-do list can help keep you organized, if it’s cluttered with small, repetitive tasks or lessthan-urgent responsibilities, it’s easy to get distracted by whatever comes first on the list, rather than what is most important. Here are three ways you can start detoxing your to-do list today.

ELEVATE YOUR LIST If your to-do list looks anything like mine (hello five-page Google doc!) or you’re still using paper and pen, upgrade and organize your list with a new tool. Managing your tasks on an app allows you to edit and rearrange your to-dos, share lists and tasks with other team members, get reminders for upcoming deadlines, set recurring tasks, and more. There are many apps or browserbased tools on the market including Todoist, Asana, Any.do, and Workflowy that allow you to decrease the clutter and be more efficient

and productive.

AUTOMATE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE Get those repetitive tasks off your to-do list by automating them. Try Zapier, an automation tool that connects different apps and websites, allowing them to “talk” to one another. For example, set up a Zap to add people to your email list when they register for an event on Eventbrite or add subscribers to Mailchimp from a Google Sheet. A few other automation ideas: §§ Scheduling - use a scheduling system like Acuity or Calendly to automate client bookings. Clients can book, cancel and reschedule appointments all on their own.

You can set up appointment reminders to go out at certain times, saving you from having to call or email each time. Linking to your calendar from your website can also save on email volume. §§ Client onboarding - automate using a scheduling system or email marketing system so that once a client books an appointment, you can set up a flow of emails to go out providing her/her with the information and paperwork he/she needs for the first appointment.

§§ Finances - tools like Quickbooks or Freshbooks allow you to set up recurring invoices, bill payments, automatically pull in your bank and credit card transactions, categorize and track expenses, and more.

UPGRADE YOUR INBOX Instead of putting every reminder or task on your to-do list, try using an email add-on like Boomerang or FollowUp. These tools help keep conversations and tasks from slipping through the cracks by utilizing timed reminders that pop up at the top of your inbox whenever you want them to. Or if you’re someone who likes to use your inbox as your to-do list, try out a tool like ActiveInbox, which turns your Gmail into a task management software.

Alissa is the founder of Alissa Rumsey Nutrition and Wellness in New York City. Through her writing, speaking and one-on-one coaching work, she helps people who are frustrated with dieting improve their relationships with food and their bodies. She has a passion for food and travel and more often than not can be found traveling around the world, laptop in tow. You can connect with her on Instagram @alissarumseyRD.

§§ Social media - use a scheduling system like Hootsuite, Coschedule or Later to schedule and automate your social media posts. Or try a platform like SmarterQueue that automatically re-schedules content on an ongoing basis

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Product REVIEWS

52-Week Meal Planner Workbook: The Complete Guide to Planning Menus, Groceries, Recipes, and More Author: Jessica Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN Date: 2018 Publisher: Rockridge Press, Emeryville, CA Price: $14.99 (list price on Amazon)

Plant Based Juniors: First Bites The Definitive Guide to BabyLed Weaning for Plant-Based Babies Author:

Alex Caspero Lenz, MA, RD, and Whitney English Tabaie, MS, RD

Date: 2018 Publisher: Self-Published Price: _____

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Although pre-printed menus are frequently requested by clients, we know that these menus (“tell me what to eat”) are not helpful as they rarely include all the foods or meals that your clients eat. The 52-Week Meal Planner: The Complete Guide to Planning Menus, Groceries, Recipes, and More is perfect for working with your clients to help them plan 52 weeks of personalized meals that are meaningful to them.

will need a bit more guidance and examples than what is included in this workbook.

The 52-Week Meal Planner is an ideal workbook for the NE RDN to use when helping clients with meal planning. Stop using single-sheet paper (like I have been doing)! Use this workbook and let your clients keep it as a resource for years to come.

Title: Nutrition and Healthcare Consultant

I applaud Jessica for thinking to write a book that is so handy, easyto-use, and readily available for the client/reader for years to come.

Reviewer: Eileen Stellefson Myers, MPH, RDN,

LDN, CEDRD, FADA, FAND

Affiliation: Self-Employed

For the reader without a RDN, this book provides basic information which may not be enough for the reader with limited nutrition or meal-planning knowledge. Some readers

Do you have friends, clients or are you a new parent looking forward to introducing plant-based foods to your sweet baby? This e-book, written by new moms and awesome dietitians, Alex Caspero Lenz and Whitney English Tabaie, is a fantastic resource for new parents looking to incorporate plantbased Baby-Led Weaning (BLW). This is a very inclusive feeding resource as the writers advocate for doing what each family feels most comfortable with – adding purees if necessary and softer foods – no one BLW size fits all in this book. It’s like talking to a couple of dietitian friends, encouraging the reader to try BLW, but also encouraging the reader to choose whatever feeding and eating style works for each family. For new parents, this book is a quick 42-page read (you will actually read it – cover to cover) with a great section for the what,

why and when of BLW as well as FAQs and 30 pages chock full of delicious and doable plant-based recipes for the whole family.

Plant Based Juniors: First Bites is a fantastic plant-based BLW resource and cookbook!

Reviewer: Abigail Joy Dougherty, RDN Title: Food and NutritionConsultant

Time Blocking To Increase Productivity Nicole Aucoin, MS, RD, LDN Specialty Group Chair: Authors and Writers In one day, you have a limited amount of time to accomplish your tasks. The amount of time you have available cannot be increased, regardless of what life may throw your way. How you divide that time up between your business projects, family time and personal life impacts how much you can accomplish towards your goals.

It is even more challenging in a situation where you are your own boss, because it can be easy to try to do too much in one day or value some tasks more than others. In many cases, time for yourself is the first to go.

Time blocking is a strategy that you can apply to your life in order to accomplish the most with your limited time. It does not just apply to your business, but also to any aspect of your life that requires your time. Time blocking works by setting aside chunks of time, two to three hours, and dedicating it to a specific project.

Instead of working in 10 projects throughout the day, choose two projects to focus on and only work on those for the time you set aside. This means that you are not checking email or responding to any nonemergency inquiries during that time.

Here are three things that will help you with increasing productivity using time blocking:

§§Block out time for responding to email.

We know that email can be a huge distracter throughout the day, so time for email should also be blocked out. It is recommended to do email first thing in the morning and again at the end of the day. You will notice right away that by not responding to email during your project time blocks, you will accomplish more at a faster pace.

When you are time blocking, make sure you don't just write it down. Put it in your calendar so that nobody can schedule calls or appointments during that time.

Treat it as an appointment with yourself to do that project

§§Block out time for YOU! Also, block out time for yourself and your personal life. This is just as important as those projects. You can work until 11 p.m., but are you as productive as if you were to go do a workout and start fresh in the morning? No. Time for yourself should be just as valuable as your project times.

For me, exercise is important. I block time every day to get to the gym for a workout.

It helps with mental clarity and focus.

§§Block out time for clients and to schedule appointments.

Finally, use a software like Acuity to block appointment times back to back.

This allows you to set aside project appointments versus client appointments.

You can’t work on your business if you are always working in your business. You can limit your client appointments to a few days a week, then set aside days for just projects. Your clients will value your time if they know it is limited.

While the concept is simple, the practice of it can be challenging. It takes discipline to stay with one project for a certain amount of time, but once you see how much you accomplish and build the habit, it will become a natural practice.

Nicole Aucoin, MS, RD, is the founder of Healthy Steps Nutrition, CrossFit HSN and HSN Mentoring. Nicole left the corporate setting to start her own business helping others achieve optimal health through proper nutrition and exercise. She mentors hundreds of gym owners and dietitians to build successful nutrition businesses. HSN Mentoring provides a turn-key solution to launching and building a successful private practice. Nicole is the author of Nourish: Grow Your Nutrition Business From The Ground Up which is available on Amazon, and is an active contributor to the CrossFit Journal and Box Pro Magazine. She offers free help on her website, growyournutritionbusiness.com.

She can be reached at Nicole@healthystepsnutrition.com.

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NE EVENTS AT FNCE® Let Go of Good OCT 20-23, 2018 • WASHINGTON, DC & Grab Onto Great Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD Specialty Group Chair: Speakers/ Media “Good is the enemy of great” is a phrase you might have heard before, but one you might consider using as a lens to evaluate and detox your business.

In our entrepreneur dietitian world, opportunities often abound and many times we jump on them because they provide income or a source of revenue. They busy our time and our minds and while they might also fill our bank accounts, some of these good things might be distracting you from great things.

I often find myself saying, “I don’t know when I will have time to do that!”“How will I fit that in?”“I really want to grow that, but I have no idea when I will find time!” Sound familiar? The truth is when I am in this place, I have typically filled my days with things that are stealing space in my schedule and possibly keeping me from my larger business goals.

Not to mention, many of these space-stealers are also occupying my nights and weekends while leaving me worn out mentally and physically. So what to do?

A recent devotional made this very clear to me. Think of it as swinging on a trapeze. The trapeze artist swings out on one bar and then has to reach out and grab the other one. At some point, he’s got to let go of one to grab onto the other, or he’s not going

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to make it to the other side. If he thinks he can hold on to both, what happens? He gets stuck in the middle and will eventually fall.

Some of us are stuck in the middle, holding on to good, while trying to reach for great. The truth is, if you don’t let go of good, it’s hard to grab hold of great. It’s releasing old, busy, time-consuming things and taking hold of new visions, dreams and goals. Once you let go, you suddenly find time in your professional and personal life for things that inspire you to be creative and innovative.

It might sound counterintuitive to let consistent jobs and revenue go, but if you want to do bigger things, you have to have the mental, physical and emotional capacity to do so. This requires time and space. If it fills your schedule, drains your energy and weighs heavy on you, it might be time to detox and clear it from your life.

Remember, good is the enemy of great. If you want to go to a new level in your business, you will have to be brave enough to let some things go and leave some things behind. Conduct a business life-check and make a “good” and “great” column.

The “great” column should be full of things that are fulfilling and propelling you forward. If it doesn’t make it in that column, you might consider letting go.

Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, owns her own consulting business and is a Certified Sports Specialist in Sports Dietetics. With a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s degree in exercise and sports nutrition, she is passionate about marrying the two to provide quality, science-based nutrition information through speaking, media, writing and consulting.

Caroline Susie, RDN, LD Specialty Group Chair: Corporate Wellness One of the top weightmanagement solutions offered to corporations in the United States was created by a nurse, not a dietitian. The program does not have any long-term (three years or more) published weight-loss results in any peer-reviewed journals. Yet this program continues to be offered at some of the largest companies in the U.S. What does this tell us?

As dietitians, we need to step up our game!

According to the CDC, the estimated cost for obesity is $147 billion dollars. Of the adult population, 36.5% are obese, which we know contributes to chronic disease. Treating people with chronic disease accounts for 86% of our nation’s health care costs. We are in a crisis and the weight-management landscape is crowded.

We need to help clients and business leaders/

decision makers CLEAR THE CLUTTER and recognize the importance of evidence-based, clinically sound weight management programs.

The current system for our clients/businesses is complex and fragmented. We see lack of evidence-based solutions and questionable reporting on return-on-investment. This is an opportunity for every corporate wellness dietitian. As dietitians, we can demonstrate consistent, quality, evidence-based recommendations, and show quality measures.

To declutter, we need to establish the core elements for weight management/wellness solutions and be sure our clients or customers understand. Weight-management programs and wellness solutions need to have a strategy and have ability to be measured. We need employers to look for solutions that are evidence-based, clinically sound, operating efficiently and have proven long-term results.

Additionally, we need to be able to measure impact. It is recommended to measure cost, quality and member experience from the company’s lens and employees’ perspective.

The core elements must be central to an employer’s weight-management strategy as they impact cost, member experience, plan design and administration.

So many of today’s solutions are silo only, focusing on nutrition or weight loss or pre-diabetes, etc. This is where dietitians can really shine! We can address all of those conditions in addition to offering ongoing program management and intense comorbid management. As dietitians, we can provide support in helping clients define their focus and provide a true wellness strategy. So let’s declutter and interrupt this wellness space with some solutions from our awesome NE members!

Caroline Susie, RDN, "Have passport, will travel." I have a passion to see the world! Not counting any country twice, I have visited 25 countries and counting. I love experiencing local food speciality cuisine when I travel and will NEVER pass up on a cooking or cocktail-making class.

My tagline says it all, "Dietitian by day, foodie by night."

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Detoxing Your Private Practice Nicole Goodrich,MS, RDN Specialty Group Chair: Private Practice Wearing all the hats required to operate a private practice and juggling life can leave your mind and body unbalanced and make you feel unhealthy. In today’s world, people are pulled in every direction and the expectations are through the roof. With these demands, stress and negative feelings can arise.

So how do you start the “detox”?

1. Create a business plan A good starting point to detoxing your work life is to have a clear, defined business plan in place. Being an entrepreneur usually means your brain is running a mile a minute, producing ideas that have one running down one path and abruptly stopping to run down another. Opportunities may also be knocking on your door, sending you down yet another road. Although this can be exciting and inventive, being pulled in multiple directions too often may cause added work, taking you away from your true mission.

Creating a business plan is not always exciting or comfortable; however, it is necessary. It is the foundation for your business, providing guidance and goals.

Keep in mind, it is important to be flexible, adaptive and curious when running a business. Having a business plan does not mean saying no to everything and never deviating from the plan. It creates a roadmap that keeps your mind on track.

When you have a clear picture, you have

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focus. Making space for the important things will lead to achieving your goals and ultimately having a better work-life balance.

2. Create your method We have these ideas that having our own practice will give us flexibility, freedom and create the ultimate work-life balance.

However, this may not be the daily case.

You may be working harder and longer hours than ever before. Some days running a practice can send your cortisol levels skyrocketing!

C. UNPLUG Stick to your schedule and let it go! I know. Easier said than done. There is always going to be work to do. Use a different phone number from your cell phone, limit checking email and enjoy your “life” time.

D. AUTOMATION Think about your processes. Can anything be automated or streamlined?

With today’s technology, there are several areas of opportunity for the private-practice RD.

Continue the detoxing by creating your plan of attack. RD2RD Founder, Megan Boitano, MS, RDN, asked a great question during a Facebook chat, “Do you allocate time or piece it together to complete a task?” The responses were all over the place. This is a great reminder to create your own method to your madness. Do what works best for your brain and your life.

Once you have your business roadmap created and you have defined your method to your madness, you then have focused energy. This in turn creates more time and energy to spend on your life outside of your business. You have a guide to say “no” to things that do not fit into your business model. Furthermore, you have more of an idea what does fit and spend time focusing on that.

Start by taking some time to create your business plan, be disciplined and adjust as needed. Here is some food for thought:

Nicole Goodrich, MS, RDN, LDN, CHWC, is the president of Anderson’s Nutrition, and the founder of Nutrition Business Consultants & Services. This Arizona native just moved back to the Philadelphia area and is excited to explore the restaurants and history that surrounds her. She left her full-time job after a decade in the nutrition business world to embrace her passion of assisting others achieve their goals.

She currently coaches clients in one of her Pennsylvania locations and works virtually with nutrition entrepreneurs on their business developments.

A. BE REALISTIC WITH YOUR TIME Carve out time for marketing, accounting, admin and other areas besides patient care. You can do this by using calendar blocks and creating a schedule.

B. USE TOOLS TO KEEP YOURSELF ON TRACK Use lists, processes or software to assist.

A favorite of mine is Keeps by Google.

You can create a checklist and cross things off as you accomplish them. Also, using an electronic software can help create a workflow that keeps your tasks organized.

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Make Every Day A Vacation Maria McConville, MS, RDN, CPT Specialty Group Chair: Coaching This is the fall issue of Ventures which means summer is over … Sigh … Most of us likely took a vacation or two during the summer months and now it’s back to the grindstone for a few more months until we set our sights on holiday vacations. I know some people who live vacation to vacation. When they take a vacation, they cram so much activity and enjoyment into their precious few days that they need a vacation from their vacation … can you identify? More about this later.

When I think about clutter, I reflect back to when my three kids were little (they are adults now).

I would come home from a long day at work to find almost every room in the house in disarray.

How many times did I lament,“I can’t even think with all this clutter!” The overwhelming messy picture in front of me exhausted me more than my day at work. Instead of being motivated to get it straightened up, it zapped my energy.

I truly believe that we spend the first half of our lives accumulating things and the second half getting rid of our stuff. I’m in that second half - getting rid of things. Too many things and too much physical clutter weigh us down.

I can add value or how this endeavor will add value to my business or life.

When I am more discerning about What helps me to be productive: commitments, it helps me to clear the mental clutter and dedicate more time to the things that energize me and bring me §§ Lighten up my space, put things away and joy. I am working on incorporating more start with a clean slate. vacation-behavior into my everyday life. §§ Move my work space to a room with no Instead of working relentlessly day after distractions such as the dining room. day, I have realized that I don’t have to take §§ Work from the library and leave my phone major vacations to feel like I have a break. I at home. am taking more time to do things that feel like mini-vacations. I am slowly knocking Mental clutter can be just as detrimental as things off my bucket list. Too often we put our physical clutter. As entrepreneurs, sometimes 15bucket-list things on the back burner, but I am we want to do it all; we offer our clients aware that tomorrow is not a guarantee so I’m everything. But when we do, some of those slowly moving things to the front burners aspects become clutter because they don’t Working harder and longer so you can fulfill us. They don’t represent who we are and afford your next vacation is no way to live. I are not authentic to our brand or ourselves. challenge you to incorporate more vacationThat causes inner discord and mental clutter. behavior into your daily life; start by clearing What helps me to be productive: the physical and mental clutter.

For me, when there is too much clutter, I can’t concentrate and I certainly can’t be creative.

§§ Choose work that becomes me; I don’t want to become my work. I listen to my gut before accepting a business or personal commitment. §§ Be more discerning about which opportunities to accept and which ones to forego.

Maria is the owner of Balanced Body Nourishment, LLC. In addition to guiding clients to find better health, Maria is passionate about helping them change their thought processes to become victors over life’s circumstances and manage stress. She finds her inspiration and enlightenment at her seaside home and you can find her each evening walking on the beach collecting sunsets.

§§ Assess the value of what I may commit to.

Before deciding about contributing my time and energy to something, I ask myself how

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Detoxing the Mind and Soul Jessica Beardsley, MS, RD, LDN Specialty Group Chair: Second Career Dietitians The term “detox” may invoke visions of all manner of diets from downing apple cider vinegar to drinking loads of water to all variations of “clean eating.” As dietitians, we may sometimes feel the need to detox from things other than food. Our bodies are composed of more than just the physical. We need to consider our mind and soul as well. Consider a detox as the process of abstaining or ridding the body, mind and soul of unhealthy substances or toxins. “Toxins” in our mind and soul can include negative thoughts about selfworth, judgment, grudges, disappointment, overwhelming deadlines and unrealistic expectations. We have all experienced some form of these throughout our lives and know that they weigh us down. They manifest as stress in our lives (either chronic or acute) and they have a direct impact on our physical health.

Why Focus on Mind and Soul Toxins Addressing the toxins of our mind and soul can provide both short- and long-term stress relief. Relieving stress can make you happier, healthier and more well-rounded. Don’t we all want that? Reducing stress has physiological benefits (e.g. lower blood pressure, better immune function, lower risk of heart attack, diabetes, etc.) as well as benefits for quality of life overall. Reducing stress leads to increased productivity by promoting mindfulness and

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efficiency in your work. It also improves sleep which not only benefits your work but has the added benefit of increasing your patience with loved ones.

How to manage stressors; or mind and soul “toxins” Consider some of the mind and soul “toxins” that cause stress in your life. While we can’t get rid of certain people or life circumstances, we can create healthy boundaries to help manage them as well as adopt healthy stressmanagement techniques.

§§BOUNDARIES Research: No boundaries = low selfesteem. Know what your core values are and stick with them. Letting someone push your boundaries leads to resentment and stress.

Detox Idea: Detox from saying “yes” to every request from family, friends and coworkers. Practice saying “No.”

§§SILENCE Research: Noise pollution increases stress and anxiety. We are constantly surrounded by noise, music or talking.

Detox Idea: Turn off the radio in the car.

Wear noise cancelling headphones at work. Take five minutes in the morning to be silent (and avoid people!)

§§SOCIAL MEDIA Research: According to the American Psychological Association, those who check their technology constantly are more stressed than those who check it infrequently. The constant influx of family and friends posting their idealized lives on social media can cause feelings of inadequacy, stress and anxiety.

Detox Idea: Delete or take a hiatus from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter on your phone. Turn off “push” notifications. Limit your activity to a certain time of day when you’re on your computer. §§FOREST BATHING Research: Forest Bathing or Shin-rin Yoku is a therapy developed in Japan for preventive healthcare. It involves “taking in the forest” or simply being outside.

Forest Bathing can lower blood pressure, heart rate and depression measures.

Detox Idea: Avoid being inside for a whole day. Take a meeting outdoors; go for a walk on a trail before or after work.

Be around green plants and trees as much as possible.

§§BEST FRIEND Research: Studies show that you are happier with meaningful relationships.

Having a good friend is associated with longer life expectancy and better longterm mental health. The happiness you get from spending time with good friends causes your brain to release endorphins.

Detox Idea Detox from any relationship that drains you or causes mental stress.

Practice making appointments to spend time with a good friend (even if it’s on the phone) each day.

Jessica Beardsley, MS, RD, LDN, is a nutrition and lifestyle counselor in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She loves to read cookbooks but hardly ever follows a recipe as she prefers to use them as “inspiration.” She loves coaching her clients to make real-life changes for improving their health. When Jessica is not cooking food or talking about it, she enjoys running, dancing and reading with her two daughters.

Detox Your Nicole Rodriguez, RDN, NASM-CPT Specialty Group Chair: Technology/ Social Media Detox? Never. I can count on my trusty liver to handle that task. But when it comes to social media, there’s no harm – and potentially quite a bit of good – in doing some serious cleansing.

Here, some tips on executing a digital declutter.

1. Give your weakest platform the heave-ho.

LinkedIn delivering a mega-dose of anxiety and little tangible benefit? Kick your account to the curb. Twitter feeling like more of a troll-laden chore than medium for good? Say sayonara to that one, too. These aren’t meant to be digs at the platforms named in particular (for the record, I love Twitter!), but rather a friendly reminder that you don’t HAVE to be active on EVERY platform. Hone in and dedicate yourself to one or two, and enjoy the extra brain space.

2. Streamline your time.

Some figures suggest the average person will spend five years of her/his lifetime on social media, with daily figures ranging from six to nine hours a day. Get some of your life back with an app like ITTT (If This Then That), which helps streamline posting and other screentime-related chores. Still feeling like you can’t put your phone down and break away? There’s an app for that, too. Consider installing Moment, which might just encourage you to step away from your device once you see how much time you’re spending on it!

3. Tidy up your bio.

There are only so many characters in which you can tell your story. Be sure those few words do the following: §§ Match your content §§ Feel authentic to your brand and reflect your core message and values §§ Makes clear to your followers what YOU can offer THEM

4. Purge your following.

Take a hard look at the content (and the people creating it) you come into contact with when logging on to your chosen platforms. Chances are you’re going to follow colleagues, friends and relatives, but there’s likely an opportunity to trim the fat in your virtual space. I personally do a hard “purge” of my Instagram account on a monthly basis. Here’s what gets the boot: §§ Non-celebrity accounts that don’t follow me back (#sorrynotsorry) §§ Anyone whose content leaves me feeling anything less than joyful or inspired §§ Accounts promoting – upfront or surreptitiously – actual cleanses (or anything else reminiscent of pseudoscience).

Managing your social media may seem like a daunting task. Take a deep, cleansing breath, and practice a bit of self-care in the time you’ve saved with these tips.

Nicole Rodriguez, RDN, NASM-CPT, and blogger behind enjoyfoodenjoylife.com. When Nicole's not experimenting with global flavors or working on the latest glute-sculpting program, she's tuned in to late ‘70s disco-soul. Though a native New Yorker, her heart beats to The Sound of Philadelphia and lots of Teddy Pendergrass.

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Detox Your Inbox With the New NEDPG.ORG! Jennifer Watson, MS, RD Website Coordinator The new NE website is up and running - and ready to connect you with your fellow NE members. In each of the newsletters this year, we will cover a different section of the website to get you informed, connected and involved with NE. If your inbox looks anything like mine, you spend a lot of time sifting through messages from colleagues, friends, family and online retailers. In the midst of this pile of messages, insights and valuable information from fellow NE members can often get lost. Or do you find that you vaguely remember an email message on a topic, but have no good way to go back and look at it again?

The new NE website will help de-clutter your inbox AND make it easier to find information contained in messages from fellow members.

The NE Yahoo Groups EML will be discontinued by the end of the calendar year, with communications now being hosted within the website nedpg.org. Instead of emailing your questions, comments and announcements to the Yahoo Group, you will now post topics and responses within the Forums on the member section of the website. This is a big change from the way NE has communicated in the past - but the new website is designed to become a destination for networking and communication within NE. So are you ready to dive in and free your inbox? Your first step is to complete your first log-in to the new website:

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1. Open your browser and visit nedpg.org

(This is the same website address as before). Click on the “Login” button in the top right hand corner. Click on the “Lost your password?” link and use your Academy email address to obtain a password to log into the website (this is only necessary the very first time you login).

2. Once you're logged in

Visit Get Connected for all the NE Groups and Forums: All Forums are housed in separate Groups so you can visit the areas of the site that interest you most. The NE Hub Group is a place for general questions and discussions.The News & Events Group is the place to post mini-meetings, upcoming events or other news that is pertinent to the entire NE membership.

Specialty Groups each have their own Groups and Forums. Click on Specialty Groups to find your area of interest, such as Private Practice, Corporate Wellness or Second Career Dietitian.

3. Click on the Group you wish to visit

The Home page of all the Groups is a “news feed” of updates about the Group.

Items posted here will NOT show up in the Forum topics. Make sure you click on “Forum” to post discussion topics that will go out to all group members.

4. When you click on “Forum”

you will see all the topics currently being discussed by members of the Group. If you wish to join in that discussion, click on the topic and respond in the text box like this (below).

You can also create a new topic in the Forum at the bottom of the page.

After crafting your message, you can choose to follow the topic via email - and receive responses in your inbox (if you like). You can respond to messages via email, but to start a new topic, you must post to the Forums on nedpg.org.

You do not need to join a Group to read or post in the Forums, and you can search ALL the Forums by clicking on the search bar at the top of the page. However, when you join the Group, you have the option to “subscribe” to the Forum as well - and receive updates via email. The best part about the Forums is you DON’T have to subscribe to find out what’s going on. View the messages ANY TIME on the website!

If you decide you don’t want updates anymore, go to the group page and click on the “Unsubscribe” button: Tip: If you want to receive updates via email but don’t want to clutter up your daily communications, then change your email address within your profile.

Choose an email address where your NE messages and notifications can wait for you.

The Forums are just the start of great things to come on the website. As we are all learning the system, please email Jennifer Watson (websitecoordinator@ nedpg.org) or Lauri Egan (NEadmin@ NEdpg.org) with questions and feedback!

I'm only here for the food - at least that's what Jennifer would say! Jennifer has traveled the world trying exotic and delicious foods including roasted guinea pig in Ecuador and a donutwrapped hot dog in Korea. Jennifer is an adventurous eater and can't wait to tell you about (and share her pictures from) latest trip to an ethnic market, food truck, or farm-to-table cafe.

Deliberate Creation of

Chere Bork,RDN Abundance Ambassador “I love, love, love paper!” But lately, I find I am craving space more than stuff although my husband Gary would love to argue that there are still reams of paper around here. And I do mean reams.

I have made the decision to deliberately create a life of ease and grace. I do believe life is easy and we make it hard. Our beliefs do create our days. Can you think of a better belief than a life full of ease and grace? I can’t.

A while back one of my clients created what we call her “kitty-corner life.” She was let go from a horrendous, life-consuming job (she slept with her laptop) and began to use the law of attraction. With a need to gain back control of her life, she began to work out at a health club a mile or so from her home, which resulted in her participation in her first triathlon. She loved the closeness of the gym and decided she wanted to have her next job close to home to continue to work out with ease. Her new job is “kitty corner” from her health club. She deliberately and with intention created her new amazing life.

I decided to create a “kitty-corner life” where everything would be a bike ride away.

I discovered a “hair salon” in a woman’s house less than five minutes away and my

bookkeeper Jane who lives less than a mile away. I am lovin’ it. Ease and grace! I decided!

You can have this too. There are four easy steps to create the life you want.

First, choose something you want. Get a blank piece of paper and write at the top of the paper. I am creating___________.

Carve out time for marketing, accounting, admin and other areas besides patient care.

You can do this by using calendar blocks and creating a schedule.

Second, write all the reasons why you want

Your desires and beliefs are just thoughts.

“Ask and it is given.” Esther and Jerry Hicks in their New York Times bestseller Ask and It is Given state, “You ask through your attention, through your wanting, through your desire - that is the asking (whether you desire it to happen, or you desire it to not happen, you are asking …) The desire is the beginning of all attraction.”

Life is supposed to be fun and lived with ease. Attracting what you want gives you confidence and energy to accomplish anything. It is a priceless feeling.

this and write all the reasons why you should have it.

Remember the best things in life can’t be seen or touched, only felt.

I want grace to feel a sense of inner calm. When I live in grace I can create a more nurturing home environment. [Don’t forget to plop positive emotion in your desire statements.] I am excited that having ____. I am delighted about having _____. I am abundantly rich in things that matter most to me.

What do you want to deliberately create?

Your desire is the beginning first step. Better get busy!

Third, script it out like you are already living it.

I visualized riding my bike to my appointments. I visualized having a calm dinner meal with Gary filled with ease and free of worry. I visualize clutter-free closets and cabinets and desk.

PS: When you love your life, it loves you back!

Chere is the happy owner of Savor Your Life Today, Inc. and a Law of Attraction coach, giving RDNs a big boost of confidence to live the lives they have always wanted. She enjoys coaching smart, savvy RDNs to greatness. If you met Chere on the ground floor of an elevator, she would know a lot about you by the ninth floor. She loves dietitians! cherebork.com

Fourth, allow it to happen. The key to allowing is to remove all doubt. Doubt holds a negative vibration. Allowing is the absence of doubt. Give what you want: attention, focus and intention.

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Members

on the

Eileen Stellefson Myers, MPH, RDN, LDN, CEDRD, FAND, with co-author Charlotte CapertonKilburn, has authored the third edition of the Helm Publishing popular training manual for helping dietitians who work with disordered eating and eating disorders. The manual includes 16 lesson plans along with the 72 pages of camera-ready handouts. The new edition also includes sample case studies sprinkled throughout the manual.

Adam Lax, RDN, LDN, is the “Six Figure Nutripreneur Business Coach.” Being in private practice in South Florida for the last 11 years, he has created a formula for RDs/RDNs to start their own - or take their existing - practices to produce consistent results, capable of earning a six-figure income. His “Six Figure Nutripreneur” program offers live CEU workshops, an online program, as well as one-on-one coaching. He synergistically guides the RD/RDN to a profitable and sustainable practice.

Julie Stefanski, MEd, RDN, CSSD, LDN, CDE, editor of Food, Nutrition & Dietetics for Nutrition Dimension, a division of OnCourse Learning, was selected as one of three new national media spokespersons for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Julie is the owner of Stefanski Nutrition Services in York, Pennsylvania. You can find her on social media @foodhelp123.

Move

Susan L. Farrell, MBA, uses her experiences as a leader in healthcare foodservice management to write on selfempowerment for women. Her latest book is 3 Good Choices: Change It, Accept It, or Leave It. In this empowering and easy-to-follow guide, learn how to enact change by making positive choices, acknowledging acceptance and letting go of troubles in all areas of your life. Go to SusanLFarrell.com to order your preferred format (eBook, paperback) from your preferred supplier.

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Jeanne Petrucci, MS, RDN, The team at Living Plate has recently launched an updated version of Living Plate Rx: a FREE digital, meal-planning program for credentialed, nutrition professionals only. The program is revenue-generating and whitelabeled – marketing these plans as your own with your brand represented adds real value to your practice. Save time, make money, improve engagement and enhance your brand with hand-curated, prescriptive meal plans. We keep the person in personalized.

Interested? Contact: jpetrucci@livingplaterx.com

Alissa Rumsey, MS, RD, CDN, CSCS, is hosting two Dietitian Entrepreneur Mastermind Retreats this fall for aspiring/ new entrepreneurs and current business owners. Come spend a weekend working on your business, connecting with a small group of like-minded entrepreneurs and collaborating on ideas to grow your business.

Learn specific strategies that you can implement right away to help you build and run a successful, profitable business. Training workshops cover building a virtual business, how to set your fees, negotiating contracts, building your email list and more. [18 CEUs] alissarumsey.com/mastermind-retreat.

Sachiko St. Jeor, created an innovative, portable office and toolkit (THE BLACK BAG™). It is designed to improve energy balance assessments, and provide new approaches to enhance practices and stature of RDNs. Supported by a Certificate of Training, innovative tools/ methods, a Mentor Club with known experts, workshops and small research grants, it forms a new Energy Balance Coalition to position RDNs to be the “purveyors of energy balance.” Visit GenQuestnutrition.com for more information.

The Same Difference Christine McIntosh, RD, PhD Diversity Article

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND? Trained in food and dietetics in the 1980s, and a self-declared student for life, I have returned to school enough times to obtain a PhD. Holder of registrations in Australia, Canada and USA, I have worked across healthcare and education domains in many places. I joke that my CV exposes my short attention span, but my eclectic career is true to the quote “life is an adventure!”

HOW HAS YOUR BACKGROUND ENHANCED YOUR DIETETIC PRACTICE? I think that travel is one of life’s best teachers.

It has made two things clear to me: one, dietitians everywhere serve others with conscientiousness; two, clients have similar experiences with food no matter what their health conditions or cultures. The world over, people are as diverse as we are the same.

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF DIVERSITY AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT IN THE DIETETICS FIELD? The very nature of our profession requires diverse knowledge. We use the nutrition care process as sleuths to understand our clients’ food lives. Therefore, I understand diversity as both a personal and professional act of curiosity and regard for variety. This applies also to cultural and ethnic variances among clients and colleagues.

HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO HONOR WHAT IS ONE TIP YOU HAVE FOR OTHERS TO THE UNIQUENESS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL? BE MORE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE/AWARE? Experience teaches me that the more stories I hear from clients, the more often I hear similarities among their experiences with food, health and disease. This primes me to listen deeper to their unique stories to assist with personally relevant strategies. This parallels the dietitian practice of mentoring students and early-career practitioners. Our colleagues are more similar than different, wherever their ancestors are from. I value unique attributes that each of our colleagues bring to the field.

HOW DO YOU CHALLENGE AND PROMOTE SENSITIVITY AND INCLUSION IN THE DIETETICS FIELD? I think sensitivity and inclusion are contained in a patient-centered approach and model. I use it in my work. The trend for all healthcare professionals to focus on patient-centered care came at a great time in my career. When I was at a low point in my confidence of my ability to help others meet their nutrition goals, I learned motivational interviewing skills of listening, reflecting and waiting for pivotal points in our conversation to support their behavior changes. My belief that motivational interviewing is person centered communication led to my PhD study of dietitian’s experience of motivational interviewing.

One tip is to understand the theme of the times in which we live. My career began in the era of the medical model when clients were defined by descriptive data on their health charts. The professional culture promoted a communicative distance and top-down approach to patient care.

Health professionals today seek more of a therapeutic relationship with patients to engage them in their own care. This is considered more “authentic” practice. The term “authenticity” is spoken about in the media, in marketing and is a core value of this generation. I think this undergirds all cultural sensitivity. As authentic practitioners we appreciate ourselves and the lives of others in equal value.

HOW WOULD HAVING MORE DIVERSITY IN DIETETICS PROVIDERS IMPROVE OUR FIELD? Dietitians who are authentic and skilled in conversation that promotes another’s self-worth are recognized as effective change agents. If this is our brand, then our profession will continue to attract both new students and clients to the field.

Christine McIntosh, RD, PhD, is the owner of Free to Eat, a narrative nutrition service where clients learn their food relationship to make health change. Like many dietitians, hobbies revolve around food and fitness, but uniquely she aims to be a food historian.

HOW HAS DIVERSITY HELPED YOU IN YOUR JOB ROLE? My commitment to person centeredness side-steps any concerns about diversity.

When I apply careful listening in conversation with clients or colleagues and consider their life experiences as a backdrop to their nutrition concerns, any attached labels of people groups fade away. Person-centered communication gives me confidence that I am helping in the most sensitive way I can.

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The Journey from Mind-full to Mindful Lo Bannerman, MS, RDN Guest Article It takes very little to go from mindful to mind-full. One extra letter changes the entire meaning of the phrase. What does this letter represent in your life? Does the “L” stand for piles of paperwork on your desk? A never-ending to-do list?

An overflowing pantry or refrigerator? The continuous chase of shiny objects? It is so easy for us to add things to our literal and figurative plate, one item at a time, without looking ahead and realizing how full it will be when we get to the end of the buffet line. So, how do we drop the extra letter, the unnecessary to-dos and the excess burden?

First, we must acknowledge where we are and where we want to be.

Take a moment to assess what your life feels like. Are you happy here? How do you want to feel instead? Does one component of your life overwhelm any others? Look down the buffet line of your life. If you see mashed potatoes, pasta and rolls on the line (work, work, work perhaps), add a serving of your favorite one and leave the rest for someone else. With this extra room, consider adding in some nourishing greens (maybe self-care, family time or fun). If a dessert option looks appealing but typically leaves you feeling terribly after you eat it, try leaving it behind for a more satisfying option. In other words,

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if you are saying yes to a job that leaves you feeling awful or drained (regardless of its perks), consider what it would feel like to say no, opening the space to say yes to something that feels amazing and aligns with where you want to be. Once we notice our minds (and plates) are a little fuller than expected, we can embark on this plate-emptying journey called mindfulness. Check out some of these tips to get started.

1. Empty your plate.

Clear out the clutter, let things go, delegate the tasks you hate and move away from negative thoughts, experiences or people. If something does not align with where you want to head in life, don’t pick it up!

2. Mindfully add things back.

Only say yes (to people, events or opportunities) if it makes your heart happy and helps you fulfill your purpose or dream in life. The best part of the buffet may be someone sitting next to you or the wine in your glass. Keep your plate empty enough to enjoy what you love most.

3. Schedule time to do absolutely nothing … and honor it.

Make a regular appointment with yourself.

It can be for a walk in nature, time to read or meditate (Insight Timer is a wonderful app for this), or simply an unscheduled part of your day. Without making time for yourself, you are not able to show up for others and mindfully enjoy each moment..

4. When you can’t find your phone or planner, find your breath.

Breathing is an amazing tool to help us reconnect and be mindful. When things begin to feel overwhelming, find your breath. It is always there for you and can help you find a sense of calm at a moment’s notice.

What aspects of your life are begging to be emptied? What would it feel like if your plate was a little less full or filled with nourishing things you love? Be honest with yourself and find some courage to make any necessary adjustments. This life is the only one we have, so we may as well spend our days joyfully surrounded by good people and good food.

Cheers!

Lo Bannerman, MS, RDN, is the owner of Teal Avocado, a company focused around exploring health and wellness through positive energy and integrative nutrition. When she isn’t writing, she can be found volunteering at local clinics, travelling around the world, or eating an avocado.

Rachel Macam Student Article Sometimes people underestimate the power of clearing and organizing. It can seem daunting at first - a mountain of important papers on your desk or the endless void of unopened emails. Yet once you accomplish the task of organizing your desk, inbox or computer files, you become the master of productivity! Nothing can stand between you and your work goals like that finished spreadsheet or blog article. The ability to first discern what's important to your work, then clear the junk, is necessary no matter what field you work in. If you're not actively cleaning the clutter, then you become surrounded with the old with no room for the new.

Have a mess of papers or old notes?

Throw it away if you haven’t looked at it for a year. Keep yourself updated on the

latest research and news. If you're having a tough time letting go, scan papers onto a flash drive and toss the physical copies.

By keeping your desk clear, you won't get bogged down and distracted reading things that aren't relevant to your present task.

Make it a daily habit to delete any emails you know you're never going to open or have no relevance to current projects. Set a time aside to get it done. It can seem difficult when you're constantly bombarded with emails from school, updates at work, new research from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, etc. However, when you raise awareness of what's in your inbox, the greater chance you'll pay attention to opportunities that come your way. I would have never gotten my position as a representative on the Student Advisory Committee had I not been paying attention to my inbox.

Set small daily goals and follow through.

The longer block of time you set aside to accomplish something, the more likely you set yourself up to be distracted. Instead, pick your top three tasks that can be done in

10 minutes and get them done during the day. Feeling productive in accomplishing small goals may lead to a snowball effect where you finish more work than you expected. On the other hand, if you end up getting caught up with other projects, at least you’ve finished three tasks you don’t have to worry about tomorrow.

Ultimately, while eliminating non-essential materials and small chores may seem mundane, it should still take an important place on your list of to-dos. Make that fantasy of an organized inbox a reality.

By creating room for growth you'll be open to opportunity when it comes your way and free to work on your passions.

Rachel Macam is an undergraduate senior interning at the University of Illinois at Chicago to become a Registered Dietitian. Growing her experience through various volunteer work, Rachel plans to work towards her CDE after graduation and open a private practice. In the future she is interested in serving the international community to spread the message of health and wellness.

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Ventures

www.nedpg.org

Enterprising News & Ideas for Nutrition Entrepreneurs

Julie Harrington, RD 15 Joyce Dr. Succasunna, NJ 07876

Mini Meetings

NEW YORK (LONG ISLAND) MINI MEETING: On June 21, 2018, NE Tech and Social Media Group Specialty Leader, Nicole Rodriguez, co-hosted a food photography workshop sponsored by the New York Beef Council.

Held on the waterfront on Long Island, members of NE, LIAND and local food influencers picked up tips and tricks from classically-trained photographer and food activist Kita Roberts. Following a brief presentation, attendees worked one-on-one with Kita to get their best shot at capturing the delicious surf and turf options at E.B. Elliot's. Special thanks to fellow NE member Cindy Chan Phillips!

SEATTLE MINI MEETING: Lesli Bitel organized a mini-meeting in Seattle: “Fermented Foods and the Microbiome” as well as a farmers market visit.

PEPSICO NORTH AMERICA NUTRITION CHICAGO MINI-MEETING: On August 14, NE sponsor PepsiCo North America Nutrition hosted a Chicago mini meeting and panel discussion, “How RDs Partner with Big and Small Food Companies to Make a Difference”. Dawn Jackson Blatner moderated the interactive discussion with leading NE members who shared their range of experience with brand partnerships.