FORT SILL, Okla., July 20, 2017 -- Reading and understanding food labels can be really confusing, especially for folks who are brand new to nutrition awareness. Percentages and grams and breakdowns often make us believe nutrition is far more complicated than it actually is, and can be a deterrent in making the switch to a healthier lifestyle.
With the help of a nutritionist from Reynolds Army Health Clinic (RAHC), it's fairly easy to develop a nutrition game plan to help you achieve your particular goals. It's important to remember that the basics of good nutrition are going to be different for everyone, since each person has a different goal and lifestyle. But there are some basics that are important to remember.
Nestled within the umbrella of Army wellness, the Nutrition Care Division (NCD) located at RAHC offers Soldiers and family members a resource to help them on the road to living more healthfully.
The NCD is comprised of military and civilian registered dietitians who help to facilitate one common goal to deliver nutrition care. Comprehensive medical nutrition therapy is provided through individual or group class appointments.
The registered dietitians at the NCD work closely with each individual, ensuring that a well-suited and personally crafted approach is created, implemented, and evaluated. Nutrition and lifestyle counseling can range from weight management, sports nutrition, bariatric surgery, food allergies, diabetes, pregnancy, eating disorders or special diet services. In this way, the staff at the NCD can apply a different set of parameters to each appointment, making it a custom experience.
Much the same as a dentist is a leading authority on teeth and oral care, a registered dietitian is a food and nutrition expert who can translate the science of nutrition into practical approaches for healthy living. Having such an authority help educate Soldiers and family members should ultimately lead to a healthier force. At the NCD, registered dietitians use their vast knowledge of food science to help individuals make positive lifestyle changes.
Capt. David Korb, NCD chief, stressed that each person has different goals, and so there's no one common approach to each situation. The main goal of the center is to help individuals set realistic goals, and offer accountability and motivation.
A common misstep for people who are interested in becoming healthier is that they often set lofty goals in an effort to initiate change more quickly.
"If I had a person who was really into soda and who wanted to quit, I wouldn't suggest that they just out and out stop drinking it. Maybe I can get them to drink one less soda a day. Or maybe I can get them to switch soda with water. That's a little goal, but each little goal adds up to big goals in the end," said Korb.
Working and living at Fort Sill requires everyone to deal with excessive heat. With it comes the possibility of not getting enough fluids. Korb stressed a crucial element to any approach to healthy eating is to ensure that everyone gets enough to drink.
"Lots of people think it's 64 ounces [that's needed every day to stay hydrated] but in reality it's more along the lines of half of a person's body weight," he said.
So that means a 200-pound man is going to require at least 100 ounces of water. It may sound challenging, but setting little goals throughout the day can help.
"People who sit at desks all day, or even Soldiers when they're working, might not think about having something to drink. So setting a goal of say, one bottle by 10 o'clock, another by lunch, is a good way to make sure this happens," he said.
He said this was a loose guideline, since everyone's activity levels are different. However, the core message is the same.
The Nutrition Center works closely with the Army Wellness Center, the Tobacco Cessation office as well as individual units to ensure the readiness of Fort Sill's Soldiers and families. It offers demonstrations through partnerships with Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation, as well as other organizations across post. Interested patients generally do not need to see their primary care physician before making an appointment. For more information, call 580-558-2825.
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