March is National Nutrition Month

Trying to find a healthy eating plan has become increasingly difficult over the years, as more and more diets come out. There is also a lot of conflicting information out there on what to eat and what not to eat.

National Nutrition Month, sponsored by the American Dietetic Association, raises awareness and is urging Americans to "look beyond the myths of nutrition and focus on the facts." The American Dietetic Association wants consumers to know that we should be focusing on nutritional information that is based on scientific research.

National Nutrition Month is designed to educate, instruct and focus attention on making informed food choices and developing proper eating habits and physical activity habits. National Nutrition Month was created in 1973 by the American Dietetic Association, which currently has more than 67,000 members that consist of food and nutrition professionals.

Some of the common dietary myths that the American Dietetic Association say are false include:

- If you eat after a certain time at night you will gain weight or not lose weight.

- You have to avoid all carbohydrates in order to lose weight or to be healthy.

- Eating a piece of cake will ruin your diet.

A registered dietitian for the American Dietetic Association says that there are no good or bad times to eat and that there is not a magic bullet to lose weight. The truth of living a healthy lifestyle is the total diet approach. There is not a single food or meal that will make or wreck a healthy diet. What needs to be taken into consideration is the overall eating pattern which can include foods that are typically deemed as "unhealthy" as long as they are eaten in moderation.

With childhood obesity increasing at alarming rates, National Nutrition Month in our school systems is a great resource for parents, teachers and children. The American Dietetic Association has great tools and campaign tools for schools to use to raise awareness on this important issue. Parents can contact their local schools to see what they can do to help raise awareness within the school and throughout the community.

The National Dietetic Association stresses the importance of Americans meeting with a registered dietitian who can look at a person's overall diet and daily food consumption and put together a proper food plan. There are a lot of people out there, myself included, who need someone to sit down, talk with and explain how to eat properly, what types of food and tips for recipes. To locate a registered dietitian in your local area, just go to the American Dietetic Association website.