Melanie Rubery, MS, RD, LD, CLT, a registered dietitian and owner of the Healthy Life and Nutrition Clinic in Birmingham, teaches clients how to lose weight the healthy way. "Obesity continues to increase year after year, so we try to teach people how to make a lifestyle change by incorporating both a healthful eating plan and exercise. We want them to make a lifestyle change, not just a temporary fix," she says. "If they do that, it can help prevent heart disease by lowering cholesterol, often without medicines."
Rubery says diabetes has become a major problem in our society. "Millions of people are walking around with pre-diabetes and they don't even know it," she says. "Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise. We can help people keep their weight and body mass index at healthy levels which will benefit those who are pre-disposed to developing diabetes."
In the field of nutrition, Rubery says the focus should be on whole food nutrition – fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates – to achieve a balance between all macro nutrients. Adults need at least two to four fruits and three to five vegetables each day, plus three to five servings of whole grains. "That's in an ideal world," Rubery says. "Most people can get all the fruits, but it is harder to get all the vegetables and grains. We have shakes at our clinic that incorporate fruits and vegetables for people who have a hard time eating all they need."
Rubery recommends a daily multivitamin supplement that contains calcium and Vitamin D. "That's all most people need, and I recommend a fish oil supplement as well," she says. "Research has shown its benefit with heart health."
One of the biggest diet mistakes that people make is eating too few calories. "A lot of clinics promote 500- to 800-calorie programs, but that's not enough calories. Your body is not designed to function well on a low calorie diet. In fact, it goes into starvation or famine mode and tries to preserve essential functions at the expense of the essential ones," Rubery says. "To counteract the lack of blood sugar from carbohydrates in the diet, your body will break down fat – which is what you want – but it also breaks down muscle and other lean body tissue, which can be dangerous. Even organs can be broken down to use as fuel. Muscle tissue increases your resting metabolic rate, so when you have reduced amounts of muscle, your metabolism slows."
Skipping meals is another mistake people make when trying to lose weight. When you don't eat breakfast, for instance, you are likely to overeat at the next meal. "We do individualized plans, and we brainstorm with each person to determine how to get something in the stomach at appropriate intervals during the day," Rubery says. "You should eat every three to four hours to keep your metabolism going."
Rubery encourages her clients to stay away from fad diets, such as those that prohibit carbohydrates and all fats. "We need a diet made up of all macro nutrients, and that includes protein, fat and carbs. We need all food groups for proper nutrition," Rubery says. She adds that focusing on nutrition without exercise is not good either. "As we age, we lose muscle mass. We need muscle to burn calories more efficiently."
Because no two people are alike, nutrition plans developed at Healthy Life and Nutrition are based on each client's food likes and dislikes. "The bottom line is if you take in more calories than you expend, you will gain weight," Rubery says. "That's why it is crucial to have a personalized plan and the support our staff provides."
Clients can work with one of five registered dietitians at the clinic or online at www.healthylifeandnutrition.com. A dietician becomes a personal coach for each participant.
Disease prevention with proper nutrition can make a significant impact, says Rubery, but it is critical to people at a young age. "Children are being diagnosed with diabetes at a high rate, and it all goes back to what they are eating," she says. "We need to educate the adults in order to reach the children. Healthy eating has to be a family affair."
