In July I was privileged to speak for the second year in a row at the National Nurse Practitioner Conference in Keystone, CO. This year’s topic was “Putting the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Into Practice with Patients”. Speaking to a room full of my peers is always a bit more anxiety provoking! While the title of the session I gave noted the new guidelines as ‘2015’ it’s important to remember they are the latest for the next 5 years – through 2020.  

What made this years talk even more challenging was the announcement of the new food label needing to be implemented on all foods by latest July, 2018.

So, on the day my slides were due, the new food label was announced! Back to the drawing board to be sure all of the clinicians in attendance received the most up to date information.

For one of the best articles on the new food label read here for a piece from FoodInsight (foodinsight.org) by a colleague, Kris Solid, R.D.

Later in July I joined my Health Advisory Board colleagues from the Egg Nutrition Center for our annual meeting. This year we convened in the Pearl district of San Antonio.

In addition to working our way through discussing and creating the best ways for consumers, health care and fitness professionals to learn and understand about eggs, we cooked up our own storm of one amazing dinner at the Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio.

Part of our meeting was also visiting the San Antonio Food bank and were decidedly impressed with their on site gardens, amazing staff and abundance of offerings to those in need.

While in San Antonio, my article on the new dietary guidelines was published in 2 periodicals for nurses and nurse practitioners. Click here to go to the media page of my website. I am so proud of this article and being able to help educate other health care clinicians – specifically nurses and nurse practitioners – in their daily work with patients. This is also a great go to article for the consumer and all of you on the dietary guidelines.

Early August began with the most amazing project for a local non-profit I consult for, The Healing Garden.

The Healing Garden has partnered with Grafton Community Harvest Project to provide CSA (community supported agriculture) to clients in need of produce who are also experiencing a cancer diagnosis.

As part of an 12-week study, the grant both organizations received through Harvard Pilgrim Health Care looks at determining if access to fresh fruits and vegetables can produce changes in health and well-being.

Myself and two amazing interns provided both print and spoken nutrition education to a wonderful group. Here is a photo of myself with Britty Barrett (entering Tufts for her master’s in nutrition) and Katie Driscoll (finishing her last semester of undergrad at UVM in nutrition & dietetics). We are holding the FNCE hashtag sign in preparation for the Food and Nutrition Conference & Expo coming to Boston this October.

Last, my private practice was written up in the blog of the billing company I use, HealthyBytes.com. Here is the link telling a bit more about how fortunate I am to have my private practice grow so much over the past year – with their assistance (and that of a few other amazing ladies I’ll be writing about soon!).

In addition to all of this, I got to work with the most amazing clients this summer along with their care teams, families and loved ones. How grateful am I? My career is priceless to me! As I head into 2 weeks of time off with my family in one of our favorite places for our last summer vacation, sending you the best.

See you all in the fall.