President’s Update

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, were able to take some time to relax and recharge and are ready to take on a new year.

As I look back, Fall was a busy time with FNCE, PPW and several successful MAND events including a Dairy Tour at Great Brook Farm and a Spent Bread Making Class at the Somerville Brewing Company with Socials for Success.

In addition, the MAND Board has been busy planning events for the Spring including our Annual Nutrition Conference and Expo (ANCE) which will take place at the Four Points Sheraton in Norwood, MA on March 29th. Be sure to check the website for more information.

Also in March, our Public Policy Panel will be hosting our annual Day on the Hill. It’ll be held on Monday, March 18th from 9-10:30am at the Massachusetts State House. This year we’ll be discussing malnutrition prevention and the MA Commission for Preventing Malnutrition among the elderly. We have some wonderful speakers lined up. It’s open to all MAND members so please be sure to keep an eye out for further updates.

I hope you’ve been enjoying the MAND Blog! We’ve had some great article submissions so far. If you’d like to be considered for an article please submit to our Director of Member Communications at newsletter@eatrightma.org.

Each year MAND recognizes exceptional Registered Dietitians in Massachusetts through awards. The categories include Outstanding Dietitian of the Year, Outstanding Dietetic Student, Emerging Dietetic Leader, Recognized Young Dietitian, and Recognized Dietetic Technician. Submissions are due February 1st so be sure to nominate a colleague or yourself today! For more information, visit our Scholarships and Awards page.

Our nominating committee is doing a fantastic job of recruiting volunteers for the MAND Board ballot. There are still a few open positions, if you are interested in volunteering please email our nominating committee at nominating@eatrightma.org for more details. Our membership activities and events couldn’t be done without our volunteers. I’m grateful to them every day for all the work they do, consider volunteering for a position if you’d like to get more involved.

We will continue to keep you informed on the latest issues and MAND’s efforts to promote and advance our profession.

I think we can all agree that Winter can seem like it goes on forever in New England, MAND has a lot of great upcoming events in the works so be sure to check out our website, e-blasts and social media channels for updates on what’s to come to fight off those winter blues!

Healthy regards,

Monica Lebre, MS, RDN, LDN
Email: president@eatrightma.org

TB12: Fact or Fiction

Research conducted by graduate students in NUTR 903: Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism at Framingham State University.

The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance by Tom Brady was published in 2017, and quickly made the New York Times Best Seller list.  At 41 years old, the five-time Super Bowl champion is still playing strong for the New England Patriots and has attributed his longevity to his stringent diet and exercise plans.

This four-part series will review some of the nutritional claims and recommendations made in this book. This month will focus on fluid recommendations.  Future entries will highlight Brady’s recommendations for an alkaline diet, consumption of nightshades, and dietary supplements.

TB12 Claims and Recommendation:  Our bodies are over 2/3 water. Water aids in all body functions from brain activity to digestion to circulation of oxygen in the bloodstream.  Without adequate water, we risk decreasing the supply of oxygen in our bloodstream, depriving our muscles and organs of nutrients.  Therefore, it is recommended to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water every day.  Ideally, you’ll drink more than that.¹

What the science tells us: Water is vital for life, and without water, humans can survive only for days.  Our bodies are indeed mostly water, by weight.  Most aspects of metabolism and organ function depend on proper hydration.²  Decrements in the physical performance of athletes have been observed with as little as 2% dehydration,³ and cognitive performance has been shown to suffer with slightly more severe dehydration (2.8%).⁴  Proper hydration is, no doubt, very important.  We maintain fluid balance through physiological (urinary output and concentration) and behavioral adaptations (responding to thirst).²  There are several formulas often used to determine fluid needs.  A common ‘quick’ calculation is 1 milliliter of fluid per calorie consumed.  Another formula, based on body weight, recommends 30 mL per kg.⁵

So using Tom Brady’s recommendation, a person weighing 150 pounds should consume about 75 ounces of fluid per day.  One ounce is equal to 29.57 mL.  This works out to 2217 mL per day.  Using the body weight calculation, we would recommend 2045 mL per day.  So Tom Brady’s recommendation certainly is within the ballpark of our usual recommendations.  An Adequate Intake (sum of food and beverages) of 2700 mL/d for adult women and 3700 mL/d for adult men has been established.⁶  These values need to be adjusted for body size, activity level and sweat loss. Brady’s recommendation, however, could be used as a starting point.

TB12 Claims and Recommendations: Electrolyte replacement is just as important as water.  The electrolytes allow the water to be more efficiently used in your body.  Drinking water enhanced with electrolytes is ideal. Negative ions are the most important as they are needed to balance all the positive ions we encounter each day through exposure to electrical devices and pollution.¹

What the science tells us: Electrolytes play a critical role in fluid balance throughout the body.² Anions and cations are dispersed and balanced to maintain a neutral intra- and extra-cellular charge.² Research shows that replacement of lost electrolytes is important⁷, however, evidence of a beneficial effect of electrolyte supplementation for overall health or athletic performance is lacking.  Brady’s recommendation to consume excess negative ions likely stems from the theory that positive ions are harmful and negative ions have healing properties. The purported healing and aerobic boosting properties of negative ions is the premise on which “ion bracelets” are currently sold.  Research has failed to show a significant improvement in performance of those wearing the ion bracelets versus a placebo.⁸   Additionally, there is no research to indicate that oral consumption of negative ions is required to counteract positive ions encountered from our environment.

References:

1. Brady T. The TB12 Method : How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance. New York : Simon & Schuster, 2017.
2. Gropper SS, Smith JL, Carr TP. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. 7^th Boston, MA: Cengage Learning; 2018.
3. Murray B. Hydration and physical performance. J Am Coll Nutr. 2007;26(Suppl):S542–S548.
4. Cian C, Koulmann PA, Barraud PA, Raphel C, Jimenez C, Melin B. Influence of variations of body hydration on cognitive performance. J Psychophysiol. 2000;14:29–36.
5. Chidester JC, Spangler AA. Fluid intake in the institutionalized elderly. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997 Jan;971(1):23-8.
6. Popkin BM, D’Anci KE, Rosenberg IH. Water, hydration, and health. Nutrition Reviews. 2010;68(8):439-458.
7. Sawka MN, Montain SJ. Fluid and electrolyte supplementation for exercise heat stress. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;72(2): 564S–572S.
8. Sells PD, Cavicchio H, Everhart B, Grass B, Lambert J, Robinson K. Effect of a negative ion holographic bracelet on maximal aerobic performance. J Strength Cond Res. 2014;28(10):2895–99.

MAND Awards and Honors

Don’t miss your chance to be recognized or to recognize your colleagues!

Every year, MAND offers multiple opportunities for outstanding members to be recognized in the following categories:

• Outstanding Dietetics Student
• Emerging Dietetic Leader
• Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year
• Outstanding Dietitian of the Year (Annie Galbraith Award)

Click here for information on the criteria for each of these awards.

Why should you apply for an award or nominate a colleague for an award?

Applying for an award is a fantastic way to be recognized for contributions to nutrition and dietetics in Massachusetts.  Award honorees are recognized at a ceremony and reception each year during ANCE (MAND’s Annual Nutrition Convention and Exhibition), but receiving an award is much more than the framed certificate given to the honorees.

The honor of being recognized in one of these categories is something that you will keep with you throughout your entire career in nutrition and dietetics.  It is something that can go on your resume, it is a talking point in interviews, and it will always be something that sets you apart from your colleagues.

The application process is simple.  You need to fill out the application, and provide a resume and letters of support.  That’s it.

The submission deadline for all applications is February 1st, 2019.  Please visit the MAND website Scholarships and Awards page for additional information and applications.

Contact Shelby Burns (slkeysnutrition@gmail.com), Awards Chair, with any additional questions.

HIMSS19 | Champions of Health Unite 

February 11-15, 2019, Orlando, FL 
The HIMSS Global Conference & Exhibition brings you the world-class education, cutting-edge products and solutions, and unique networking opportunities you need to solve your biggest health information and technology challenges – all at one time, all in one place. Expand your knowledge and dive into a variety of compelling topics with HIMSS19 Healthy Aging & Technology Symposium, optional events, exhibit specialty areas, networking, and more.

The Academy is proud to be a Collaborator of HIMSS19. As such, Academy members receive the member discount to attend! To receive the discount, go to the conference website and select “Register Now”.  Select our name from the “Conference Collaborating Organizations” drop down in the registration process, and enter the code COLLABH19”