How To use Grapefruit to Lower High Blood Pressure

Heart disease is the number one killer of women. If you are a women, and even if your not, here is what you need to start doing.

The food you eat is critical in determining if you will have high blood pressure and if you can lower it. Eating less meat and eating more fruits and vegetables can lower your blood pressure.

High blood pressure occurs when fats, cholesterol, and nutrients in the food you eat start to accumulate along your artery walls. This narrowing of your arteries restricts the flow of your blood, increases your blood pressure and making you more susceptible to heart attacks and strokes.

If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high trigylcerides, grapefruit has been found to reduce the effects of these conditions.

So which is better yellow or red grapefruit? Well, in a study made where people who had a history of high cholesterol, those that ate the red grapefruit had the most effect in lower their blood pressure. The yellow also lowered blood pressure but not as much as the red grapefruit.

It was found in this study that grapefruit had a better effect in lowering blood pressure than statin drugs.

Red grapefruit are extra high in anti-oxidants and these nutrients are able to reduce your trigylcerides: the yellow are not.

Eat the red grapefruit when available and when it is not eat the yellow. Eat at least one - two per day. If you eat ½ just before your meal or drink a glass of fresh grapefruit, you can expect to lose 1 or 2 lbs during the month. By eating 2 grapefruits a day expect to lose more weight
Eating grapefruit has many health benefits, but one other is in controlling your insulin level. Studies have shown that those that eat grapefruits have lower insulin and glucose levels in their blood.

It is believed by researchers that grapefruit enzymes help to control insulin increases that happen after you eat. These enzymes help digest your food better and this results in less nutrients being stored as fat.

Grapefruit has also been found to be caner preventative. It's the phytonutrients - antioxidants - and especially lycopene that has been found helpful in preventing cancer.

Grapefruits are high in fiber, vitamin C, Vitamin A, and antioxidants - carotenoids, limonoid glucosides, flavonones.

You can buy red and yellow grapefruits from November to May here in the US. If you don't have any in your area go online and order some.

CAUTION: If you are on any drugs, do not eat grapefruits in combination with taking drugs. Grapefruit enhances the effect of drugs and can cause symptoms of overdose.

Obesity is an Increasing Health Risk

High blood pressure, joint pains, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, heart ailments, palsy, liver ailments, menstrual abnormalities, breast cancer, female infertility, decline in libido, endometrial cancer, mental stress, blood circulation diseases like arteriosclerosis, cholelithiasis etc. These are some of the diseases which might come up with obesity. This list seems endless. But before knowing how to end obesity one must know "what is obesity?"

Whom would you consider a person to be obese? A person who has BMI (Body Mass Index) of over 30 is considered to be an obese individual. But how does one become obese? In theory causes of obesity are gene, intake of fatty foods, lacking of physical activity, food habits, laziness and endocrine problems.

What are the available remedies for getting out of obesity?
Liposuction: It is a surgical process where the fat is removed by sucking out the fat from the body by inserting a needle.

Surgery: Commonly this procedure involves surgery of stomach and intestine to lower the intake of food.

Diet Pills: Majority of the diet pills are for short-term use only. These diet pills are effective only if they are used in combination with exercises and a controlled diet.

Fat burning pills: These are short-term quick fat burning pills. But the main problem with this medication is that the results are short lived. Once the medication is stopped the fats again show up.

Exercises: It is an age old technique of obesity reduction. It is a natural process so side effects are not there.

Controlled diet program: Like exercises this too is a natural process. Here a limited amount of food is taken which controls the formation of fat in the body.
Acupressure and acupuncture: Age old technique but nothing concrete has been proved yet.

Whatever be the method of getting over obesity there is no better method than natural methods like exercises and controlled diet program. And if a diet pill like Phentermine, Adipex, Acomplia is introduced the effects would be visible within a short time period.

Apart from physical aspects obesity may also let you feel dejected, out of the world and may make an individual abstain from social gatherings. If you are obese it is time to act. Whatever remedy you choose you should always consult your doctor for his view on that remedy.

Award Honors Success in Fight Against Diabetes

Ice cream or yogurt? Regular or diet soda? These may not be critical decisions at your dinner table - unless you're one of nearly 18 million Americans living with diabetes today.

People with diabetes face daily challenges. To remain healthy, they must monitor their blood sugar levels, eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Some people also need to take insulin to stay alive.

In an effort to recognize champions of these challenges, Eli Lilly and Co. established the LillyforLife Achievement Award in 2002. The award celebrates the inspiring achievements of people of all ages who live with diabetes.

Those recognized do not have to be well known or famous for their achievements but can be everyday people who have accomplished or are working toward exceptional personal success.

This year, Lilly has expanded the award program to include not only people with diabetes but also anyone impacted by the condition or involved with the diabetes community.

Categories of submission include: patients age 18 or over; patients age 17 or under; professionals; caretakers or spouses; and journalists.

One person from each category will be selected by a panel of judges to receive this special award. Applicants are eligible to apply for one category. Peer or self-nominations are accepted from the public through Aug. 30, 2004.

Last year, Rick Largent was honored with the first ever LillyforLife Achievement Award. Largent has been living with type 1, or insulin-dependent, diabetes for 25 years. He has faced extraordinary challenges during his life beyond diabetes. An unfortunate accident left him quadriplegic, and he later lost his 19-year-old daughter to cancer.

Largent neglected to control his blood sugar, putting himself at risk for diabetes-related complications. It was not until he began using an insulin pump that he started taking control of his health again.

Largent began traveling cross-country sharing his story and teaching others that anything is possible when diabetes is managed well. He also visited Capitol Hill in an effort to educate policymakers on the dual dilemma of diabetes and disabilities.

Largent's resilience to conquer diabetes and quadriplegia represents the kind of spirit the LillyforLife Achievement Award stands for. As many who live with diabetes know, if the disease is managed, there's no reason you can't achieve your goals.

How to Substitute Fat in Your Everyday Diet

Fat is a nutrient that is a contributor to the increasing problem of obesity in the world today. It's stored in the fat cells of the body. The number of fat cells is estimated to be around 50 billion for the average person. It can be up to 100 billion for the obese person.

Fat cells are like storage tanks of energy to be used for later use. It has been shown that obese people who binge eat may stimulate baby fat cells to sprout to increase the number of fat cells they have.

Fats are found in foods such as butter, margarine, oils, fats, dripping, nuts and oil seeds. Research conducted indicates that good fats such as fish oils especially deep sea fish, olive oil, canola oil, avocado and nuts contain important fatty acids which if taken by people aged 65 plus reduced the risk of a fatal heart attack by 44%.

Other names for fats include… Lard, animal shortening, coconut oil, palm oil, vegetable oil, butterfat, whole milk solids, copra, tallow, chocolate chips, shortening, margarine, cocoa butter.

Now lets have a look at the different types of fat. There are three types of fat to found in the diet.

Saturated fats - are found mainly in animal products and do the most damage and are the most related to the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries. . Research has indicated that saturated fats in the diet can increase LDL cholesterol levels in the blood, which is the unwanted cholesterol and should be avoided. The following foods contain this type of fat:

Meat
Dairy
Eggs
Cakes, biscuits and pastries

Monounsaturated fats - Monounsaturated fats help to decrease the cholesterol and LDL levels in the blood. The following foods contain this type of fat:

1. Olive Oil
2. Canola Oil
3. Peanut Oil

Polyunsaturated fats - Polyunsaturated fats in small quantities can help to decrease total cholesterol. Examples of polyunsaturated Fats - would be vegetable oil and palm oil.

As pointed out before, consuming fats is the major culprit that leads to fat being on the human body mainly because fats are high in calories. I recommended that people eat less than 20% of total their total calories from fat.

We also know that eating too much fat leads to health problems and weight-gain, but we do need some healthy fats in our diet. Fats are a source of soluble vitamins A, D and E.

Fats provide hormone production and skin health and protection of vital organs and insulation Too much fat in the diet however, can increase the risk of a number of lifestyle diseases that are common in the western world

So Please…
Limit the saturated fats in your diet - which includes butter, cream, full-fat dairy products, fatty meats, cakes, pastries and fried foods.

Choose lean meats where possible and trim visible fat and skin before cooking
Select low fat dairy products where possible

Be aware of the hidden fats in processed foods and foods high in salt
Choose liquid fats over solid fats e.g. olive and canola oil over butter

Include amounts of unsaturated or 'good fats' in your diet. Sources include fish, olive and canola oil, nuts and avocado

Also try to include the good omega-3 fats daily – fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines are good sources and try to eat three fish meals a week if you can.

Below is a list of fat substitutions that you can apply in your everyday diet whether it is at work, home, or dining out.

Current Food Change to
Cheese – High fat types…
Cheddar and other hard cheeses. Lower fat varieties e.g. Edam, Cottage, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Gouda.
Chips/French fries Thick cut 'wedges' or oven baked chips
Chocolate Eat in moderation and buy the best quality. Substitute jelly babies or other sugar treat.
Cream Reduced fat cream, use low-fat yoghurt or evaporated skim milk.
Creamed Soups Check label for fat, use clear soups.
Croissants, pastries Bagels, bread rolls, finger buns.
Custard Low fat custard
Doughnuts Crumpets, plain scones, raisin loaf.
Ice Cream Reduced fat Varieties.
Meat (beef, lamb, pork) Lean beef, trim lamb, new pork or other 90%. Fat free cuts/mince.
Muesli Bars Check label for fat, buy breakfast bars, Power bars.
Pies Reduced fat pies, use filo pastry
Potato Crisps Pretzels
Salad dressings – Mayonnaise, French Use vinegar or lemon juice
Savoury biscuits Wheat crisp bread
Sweet biscuits Plain biscuits wheat meal.
TV meals Lower fat varieties (check label for fat).


There are many ways to achieving a reduced fat diet. Here are some examples:

Breakfast

· If you like butter or margarine on toast, only have it on the last slice you eat.
· If you don't feel like a solid breakfast, have a fruit smoothie.
· Mix up your own cereal from two or three types and give your creation a
name.

Lunch

· If you eat lunch away from home, plan it the night before. Make sandwiches
before you go to bed.
· Try some thick vegetable soup with a fresh bread roll to dip.
· Invest in a cool bag to keep your lunch fresh.

Dinner

· Try oven-baked potato wedges with a salsa topping.
· Go for fresh pasta with a quick tomato and basil sauce.
· for dessert, have a piece of fresh fruit with a yoghurt topping.

Snacks

· Salsa dip with pretzels
· Plain fruit loaf
· Yoghurt
· Vanilla dairy custard.

Before a workout
· Small glass of fruit juice
· Banana and Custard
· Half a slice of toast with jam.

After a workout

· Fruit/canned fruit
· Wheat Bites
· Rice cakes with honey.

At Work

· On your desk – bottle of water or glass to use at the water dispenser.
· In your desk – piece of fruit, small pull-top can of baked beans/creamed
corn/stewed fruit.
· Bring a few ingredients from home to be combined at work.
· Keep some cutlery where you work.

On a Plane

· Order a special meal when you book your ticket. You'll usually get served
first.
· Ask for an extra roll or two.

At the Hotel
· Take your own favourite cereal and reduced fat milk.
· Ask that the foods be removed from the snack bar. Eat your own low fat
nibbles.

Take-Aways
Burger Bar – Plain grilled burger, skim milk milkshake.

Pizza Parlour – Gourmet pizza with lots of veggies, go easy on the cheese.

Kebab House – A little meat with a lot of salad.

Sandwich Bar – Salad sandwiches/Rolls.

Club – A little meat, heaps of mashed/jacked potato and veggies, pasta/rice.

Indian – Lots of boiled rice, tikka, plain naan, dahl soup, raita.

Chinese – Lots of boiled rice, chop suey, steamed dishes, plain noodles.

Italian – Tomato-based dishes, plain bread.


Suggestions in General

1. Record your food intake to identify problem areas. E.g. emotional eating, unwanted hunger cravings, over-eating.

2. Pay specific attention to the times when you over eat.

3. Try to avoid severe food restriction (like fasting, low calorie dieting).

4. When measuring your progress, monitor body fat levels, not weight  throw the scale out.
5. Aim for slow fat loss (one pound / week)

Importance Of A Healthy Diet

Is sleeplessness bothering you? What about the difficulty to loose weight despite hardest efforts? 
Or is your hair line receding faster than what it had taken your father? Well, ever wondered 
why this was so? Scientists and dieticians of this world are arguing that 
this is and many other hosts of similar problems are connected to our diet!
Modern food is unfortunately not without harmful chemicals used either f
or growing vegetables, preserving or cooking (flavonoids). Many dietary problems 
like indigestion and ulcer are frequent in people who have to depend on chemically treated 

food. In this background, the new school of theory which is gaining moment is eating whole 

and natural food. Meat and vegetables without preservatives, buying fresh and raw milk from vendors directly and fresh fruits are some of them.

Diet
Having said this, it doesn't diminish the importance of daily intake of various nutrients 
and calories. Deficiency in any of them will gradually show up as trivial problem initially.

Let us see what USDA has recommended for the Americans. If you are taking less than 1,800 
calories as a teen, you must raise it by at least 200 counts a day. The figure goes further up 
for an active man. Also calorie needs of women are different from that of men. Example, 
an 18-year male needs 400-800 extra calories than women. What food gives these calories 
and how to calculate the calorific values? And what other nutrients make food balanced?

USDA has a chart (food guide pyramid) with suggestions to get these calories. You have 
to do some calculations to balance your diet.

o 5 servings of vegetables
o Four servings of fruits
o Three servings of milk products
o 11 of pasta, cereals, and bread
o Two to three servings of meat (both red and white), eggs, nuts and beans put together.
o Sparingly, fats and sweets.

As per USDA (US Department of Agriculture), one serving equals a bread slice; an ounce of cereal, ½ a cup cooked rice and veggies each, one glass juice-milk each and 2-3 ounces lean meat, 1½ cups boiled beans

Diet must not be seen in a limited context. Diet is a generic word so you have diets that suit patients too. The secret is eating as much as needed your body would absorb. Keeping a balance diet since young is important if you want to live to old age. It could save you a substantial savings on medical bills!

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Cake Tape Pisang

Kocok mentega dan gula hingga putih, agar adonan cake mengembang dengan baik.
BAHAN:
250 g mentega tawar
150 g gula pasir
3 butir telur ayam, kocok lepas
1 batang vanili, belah 2, ambil bijinya

Ayak bersama:
200 g tepung terigu serbaguna
½ sdt baking powder
½ sdt garam

Saus, didihkan hingga mengental:
225 ml susu cair
2 sdm gula pasir
1 batang vanili, belah 2 membujur, ambil bijinya
1 sdt tepung maizena, larutkan dengan 2 sdm air
3 sdm sirop karamel

Isi:
50 g gula pasir
250 g tapai singkong, buang seratnya, haluskan
50 ml santan kental, dari ¼ butir kelapa parut
2 sdm mentega

Pisang mentega, panaskan di atas wajan datar hingga kecokelatan seperti karamel:
1 sdm gula pasir
2 sdm mentega tawar
1 buah pisang ambon, kupas, iris bulat 1 cm
CARA MEMBUAT:
• Siapkan cucing tahan panas volume 100 ml, olesi dengan margarin hingga rata. Sisihkan
• Isi: Panaskan gula pasir di atas wajan datar hingga membentuk karamel. Masukkan tapai, aduk  hingga rata. Tambahkan santan dan mentega, aduk rata.  Angkat, sisihkan.
• Kocok mentega bersama gula hingga putih. Masukkan telur, sambil terus dikocok hingga rata. Tambahkan biji vanili, aduk rata.
• Masukkan campuran tepung sedikit demi sedikit, aduk rata. Tuang adonan isi sedikit demi sedikit, sambil aduk perlahan hingga rata.
• Tuang adonan cake ke dalam cucing hingga ¼  tinggi, letakkan 1 potong pisang mentega, tutup dengan adonan hingga ¾ tinggi cucing, ratakan.
• Panggang cake dalam oven panas suhu 180° C selama 20 menit hingga matang, angkat. Sajikan bersama saus dan siraman karamel dari pisang.

Untuk 6 porsi
Kalori per porsi: 948 kalori

Loosing Fat and Getting in Shape - Take Responsibility and be Direct with Yourself

Do you feel like you are fighting a loosing battle when it comes to burning fat and getting into shape? Maybe you purchased a few books, videos or workout equipment claiming to be the magic bullet to make you look thin "in 30 days". Well I think that you are not alone and many of us have been down this road.

One suggestion I have is that if you want all these things to work you should be direct with yourself. Being blunt with your self is a powerful thing. I believe it helps people have a change of heart. Having a change of heart is key when it comes to fat loss and maintaining your health because you have to let go of the bad habits and acquire healthy habits. Everything starts from within and you are ultimately responsible for executing your nutrition and exercise plan. Here are a few things to look at to help you take responsibility for your self.

Accept that it takes hard work and persistence to reach your fitness goals. Don't look for instant gratification. It's not in your best interest to think that eating right and working out is a temporary action. Think about trying a different routine. The one you are doing now is not working for you, so try something different for the next month. You may find a routine you enjoy more.

Stop making excuses for every little thing that keeps you from exercising and eating right. The excuses we allow ourselves to not be healthy should be entirely unacceptable to you. If you feel you do not have enough time to take care of your self, think of this: Everyone that works or has responsibilities is pressed for time. Yet some people rise above their daily grind and make fitness a part of their life. Ultimately they stay healthy. If they can do it, you can do it

Diabetes For Eyes

Diabetes can play havoc with your eyes, and sometimes there are no early sumptoms. So you may have no idea anything is wrong until your eyesight is in danger.

Here are the main eye problems that can be caused, or made worse, by diabetes.

Cataracts

These are often described as a clouding of the lens of the eye. They are treatable by surgery in most cases.

Glaucoma

Our eyes are largely made up of fluid, and when the pressure of that fluid builds up too much inside the eye, you have glaucoma. Left untreated, it can damage the optic nerves, and even lead to blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy

Lining the back of our eyes is light-sensitive tissue known as the retina. The retina contains very small blood vessels that can be damaged by diabetic retinopathy. Sometimes there are symptoms such as blurred vision, but often you won't even know anything is wrong until the condition is well advanced. In the worse case, it leads to blindness.

Early detection is the key to battling all of these conditions, and the best diagnostic tool available is the dilated eye examination. This is a test in which special eye drops temporarily enlarge your pupils, allowing the doctor to see the back of your eyes. This test (which is painless) can detect cataracts, glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy in their early, treatable stages.

Eyesight is precious, so if you have diabetes do yourself a favor and make an appointment for your dilated eye examination. And then do it again every year from now on.

DIIT FOR STRESS

Having depression can be quite… well… depressing. Pardon the lack of an appropriate expression, but the main thing is that we all know that depression can be pretty devastating. It is a hindrance to our social advancement as well as to our personal happiness.

There are some cases that people find a relief for depression by eating food or diet supplements that boost up the level of tryptophan. Tryptophan is a kind of amino acid that is responsible in producing serotonin.

There is also a study that proves that carbohydrates is an anti depression supplements. It lessens the premenstrual syndrome for about three hours.

Simply by eating a high density of carbohydrates can diminished the effect of depression in the body. Carbohydrates repair the imbalance in the ration of the specific fatty acid. Imbalances of fatty acids can affect the risk of depression.

There is also a study that shows an association between moderate consumption of caffeine drinks which lower the symptoms of depression; any excess can heighten the risk. Proper diet also helps to lower the tendency of committing suicide, in which depression is one of the primary causes. In this study, the doctors have formulated that by drinking coffee or tea, you can reduce the effect of depression.

There are also certain habits that contain harmful substances that may trigger the symptoms of depression, like drinking alcoholic beverages, too much cigarette smoking, and drug overdose.

Vitamins and other food nutrients such as Vitamin B, Iodine, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Amino complex have been associated with some protection against depression.

Niacin is also a very important in the production of tryptophan that helps promotes Vitamin B3 and it has been found out that it regulates blood flow in order to avoid mental depression.

Vitamin B12 and calcium ingredients may help in depression that take place during the monthly menstrual period. In the year 2001, there was a study that proves that this vitamin can prevent postpartum depression.

Those kinds of food supplements and vitamins may enhance the effectiveness of SSRI and other antidepressant.

In order to avoid depression you must choose your food wisely and have a proper diet.

10 jenis makanan yang banyak bermanfaat untuk tubuh

Selama bertahun-tahun, para ahli gizi melakukan penelitian untuk mengidentifikasi manfaat nutrisi dari makanan tertentu. Mereka mempelajari protein, karbohidrat, kalori, lemak, mineral dan vitamin untuk menentukan manfaat kesehatan bagi tubuh manusia. Dan akhirnya menemukan manfaat nutrisi dari setiap makanan.

Berikut 10 jenis makanan yang memberi banyak manfaat untuk tubuh, sbb:

1. Madu
Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa madu mengandung antibakteri dan antivirus. Studi lebih dalam menyebut madu bermanfaat untuk menyembuhkan luka dan baik untuk kesehatan pencernaan.

2. Green Tea
Penelitian menunjukkan, teh hijau membantu mengurangi risiko kanker, stroke, dan penyakit jantung. Teh hijau juga diyakini membantu mencegah penyakit diabetes tipe dua dan osteoporosis, serta meredakan radang usus.

3. Kenari
Makan 1,5 ons kenari setiap hari bisa menjadi makanan diet rendah lemak jenuh dan kolesterol yang dapat mengurangi risiko penyakit jantung koroner.

4. Blueberry
Adalah salah satu buah dengan tingkat antioksidan tinggi. Kandungan zat di dalamnya membantu memperlambat penuaan, mengurangi risiko diabetes, menurunkan kolesterol, meningkatkan keterampilan motorik, serta menunjang kesehatan kemih dan penglihatan. Blueberry juga memiliki sifat antiinflamasi.

5. Delima
Sebagai buah kaya antioksidan, sebuah penelitian menunjukkan bahwa delima membantu mengurangi risiko penyakit jantung dan menurunkan tekanan darah. Bahkan, membantu menurunkan kolesterol dan mengurangi risiko kanker tertentu.

6. Rempah-rempah
Kayu manis membantu menurunkan kolesterol dan menstabilkan gula darah. Jahe membantu memperbaiki kesehatan pencernaan, dan mengandung antiinflamasi. Manfaat jahe sebagai pencegah kanker juga tengah dipelajari. Sementara sifat antiinflamasi kunyit diyakini dapat memperlambat perkembangan penyakit Alzheimer serta mengurangi risiko kanker.

7. Yogurt
Yang terbaik adalah yogurt polos. Kandungan kalsium, magnesium, Vitamin B-2 & B-12, dan probiotik yang dikenal sebagai bakteri baik dalam usus, bermanfaat menyehatkan sistem pencernaan serta kekebalan tubuh. Konsumsi yogurt secara teratur juga diyakini membantu menurunkan kolesterol.

8. Cokelat hitam
Jenis cokelat ini menawarkan manfaat baik bagi sistem kardiovaskular serta perlindungan dari kanker. Tak hanya itu, mengonsumsi cokelat hitam juga bisa membangkitkan suasana hati yang baik untuk kesehatan emosional dan mental.

9. Salmon
Salmon kaya omega-3 asam lemak dan protein, rendah kalori, rendah lemak jenuh, dan memiliki sifat antiinflamasi. Manfaat kesehatan ikan salmon termasuk pencegahan diabetes, Alzheimer, kanker serta menyehatkan sistem kardiovaskular.

10. Brokoli
Brokoli penuh dengan vitamin seperti asam folat, vitamin A, B6 dan K. Mineral seperti kalsium dan kalium membuatnya lebih sehat. Brokoli dianggap sebagai makanan penyembuhan yang diaktifkan oleh phytochemical indole-3-carbinol dan sulforaphane, membantu melawan kanker.

Makanlah makanan yang membuat kita sehat, sehingga kita bisa hidup lebih sehat dan bugar tahan terhadap kuman, bakteri, virus

PERAN AHLI GIZI

Mungkin sebelumnya banyak di antara kita yang tidak tahu bahwa ternyata ada sebuah profesi di bidang kesehatan selain dokter, perawat, dan bidan, yakni sebuah profesi yang disebut ahli gizi. Profesi ini tentu saja berbeda dengan profesi-profesi lain di bidang kesehatan yang lebih akrab di telinga kita itu. Mendengar namanya, tentu kita akan secara otomatis mengaitkan profesi yang satu ini dengan segala macam hal yang berhubungan dengan makanan dan diet. Tidak salah sebenarnya. Hanya saja, jika dilihat lebih jauh, ternyata peran seorang ahli gizi tidak melulu mengurusi soal makanan, diet, dan penyakit. Secara umum, paling tidak seorang ahli gizi memiliki 3 peran, yakni sebagai dietisien, sebagai konselor gizi, dan sebagai penyuluh gizi. Berikut dapat kita lihat satu per satu.

Dietisien adalah seseorang yang memiliki pendidikan gizi, khususnya dietetik, yang bekerja untuk menerapkan prinsip-prinsip gizi dalam pemberian makan kepada individu atau kelompok, merencanakan menu, dan diet khusus, serta mengawasi penyelenggaraan dan penyajian makanan (Kamus Gizi, 2010).

Sedangkan  seorang konselor gizi adalah ahli gizi yang bekerja untuk membantu orang lain (klien) mengenali, mengatasi masalah gizi yang dihadapi, dan mendorong klien untuk mencari dan memilih cara pemecahan masalah gizi secara mudah sehingga dapat dilaksanakan oleh klien secara efektif dan efisien. Konseling biasanya dilakukan lebih privat, berupa komunikasi dua arah antara konselor dan klien yang bertujuan untuk memberikan terapi diet yang sesuai dengan kondisi pasien dalam upaya perubahan sikap dan perilaku terhadap makanan (Magdalena, 2010).

Kemudian peran ahli gizi yang satu lagi ialah sebagai penyuluh gizi. Yakni seseorang yang memberikan penyuluhan gizi yang merupakan suatu upaya menjelaskan, menggunakan, memilih, dan mengolah bahan makanan untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan, sikap, dan perilaku perorangan atau masyarakat dalam mengonsumsi makanan sehingga meningkatkan kesehatan dan gizinya (Kamus Gizi, 2010). Penyuluhan gizi sebagian besarnya dilakukan dengan metode ceramah (komunikasi satu arah), walaupun sebenarnya masih ada beberapa metode lainnya yang dapat digunakan. Berbeda dengan konseling yang komunikasinya dilakukan lebih pribadi, penyuluhan gizi disampaikan lebih umum dan biasanya dapat menjangkau sasaran yang lebih banyak.

Ketiga peran itu hanya bisa dilakukan oleh seorang ahli gizi atau seseorang yang sudah mendapat pendidikan gizi dan tidak bisa digantikan oleh profesi kesehatan manapun, karena ketiga peran itu saling berkaitan satu sama lain, tidak dapat dipisahkan.

Lalu, apa pentingnya menjadi seorang ahli gizi? Tentu saja penting! Pernahkah kita renungkan bahwa sebagian besar penyakit-penyakit degeneratif seperti penyakit jantung dan pembuluh darah, kencing manis, darah tinggi, penyakit ginjal, hati dan empedu serta penyakit-penyakit malnutrisi (salah gizi) seperti obesitas, marasmus, kwasiorkor, gondok, dan kekurangan vitamin A yang diderita penduduk Indonesia dan tidak jarang bahkan sampai merenggut nyawa itu ternyata salah satunya disebabkan oleh minimnya pengetahuan akan gizi. Coba kita pikirkan lebih jauh, kalau saja penduduk Indonesia menjalankan pola hidup bersih dan sehat serta memerhatikan asupan makanan yang mereka konsumsi, tentu penyebaran penyakit-penyakit itu tidak akan merajalela seperti sekarang ini.

Kemudian, dari mana masyarakat umum dapat memeroleh informasi dan pengetahuan-pengetahuan tentang gizi guna memperbaiki pola hidup mereka? Di sinilah peran seorang ahli gizi sebagai penyuluh dan konselor gizi sangat diperlukan. Seorang ahli gizi yang tentu saja harus memiliki kompetensi sebagai seorang dietisien ini juga harus mau ‘membagi ilmu’ yang dimilikinya kepada masyarakat umum melalui konseling dan penyuluhan. Dengan ilmu yang menjadi keahliannya, ahli gizi dapat membantu masyarakat mengatasi masalah kesehatan mereka dan keluarga terutama yang berkaitan dengan gizi dengan menggunakan bahasa yang umum dan sederhana yang mudah dimengerti oleh masyarakat awam.

Dengan adanya peran ahli gizi di dalam masyarakat, diharapkan dapat membantu memperbaiki status kesehatan masyarakat, khususnya melalui berbagai upaya preventif (pencegahan). Mudahnya begini, jika kita tahu apa saja dan bagaimana makanan yang aman, sehat, dan bergizi untuk dikonsumsi, kemudian mengamalkannya dalam kehidupan sehari-hari, niscaya kita akan terhindar dari berbagi penyakit mengerikan yang sudah disebutkan di atas. Bayangkan jika tidak, dan kemudian kita harus mengobati penyakit-penyakit itu, tentunya akan terasa sangat menyakitkan dan pastinya akan mengabiskan biaya yang tidak sedikit untuk mengobatinya. Kita semua  tahu, bahwa mencegah itu lebih baik (dan lebih murah) daripada mengobati. Jika kita bisa menerapkan kebiasaan itu, kita menjadi tidak mudah sakit, dan tidak terlalu tergantung kepada jasa dokter dan perawat, serta tidak perlu mengonsumsi obat-obatan yang umumnya selalu memiliki efek samping terhadap kesehatan.

Melalui ahli gizilah salah satu caranya masyarakat dapat mengetahui berbagai informasi-informasi dan isu-isu kesehatan, khususnya yang berhubungan dengan gizi. Jika dilakukan tatap muka, masyarakat pun dapat langsung berinteraksi dengan ahli gizi dan berkonsultasi langsung dengan mudah mengenai permasalahan gizi yang mereka hadapi. Ahli gizi yang memberikan penyuluhan dan konseling pun hendaknya memiliki bekal pengetahuan dan wawasan yang cukup yang harus terus ditambah dan diperbaharui setiap waktu.

Selain memberikan informasi mengenai makanan dan gizi yang dikandungnya, ahli gizi juga wajib menguasai tentang penyakit-penyakit yang berkaitan dengan gizi, seperti penyakit-penyakit degeneratif, penyakit-penyakit akibat malnutrisi, dan penyakit-penyakit infeksi untuk kemudian disebarluaskan kepada masyarakat. Hal-hal yang dapat diinformasikan antara lain dimulai dari pengertian dan penjelasan singkat mengenai penyakit tersebut, kemudian apa saja tanda dan gejalanya, apa penyebabnya, bagaimana cara mengatasi, mengobati, dan mencegahnya, serta apa saja makanan dan minuman yang dianjurkan dan yang tidak dianjurkan.

Sebagai seorang penyuluh, ahli gizi dapat menyampaikan informasi-informasi kesehatan yang khususnya berkaitan dengan gizi serentak kepada audiens yang jumlahnya relatif lebih banyak. Hal ini menguntungkan karena informasi penting tersebut dapat langsung tersebar kepada sasaran yang lebih luas dalam waktu yang relatif lebih singkat. Namun, informasi yang disampaikan biasanya bersifat umum, kurang detail, dan respon dari audiens yang dapat ditanggapi pun terbatas.

Sedangkan dalam melakukan kegiatan konseling gizi, biasanya terjadi komunikasi langsung dua arah antara konselor dan klien. Hal ini lebih efektif, karena informasi yang disampaikan pun dapat lebih detail dan lengkap. Komunikasi yang dibangun pun dapat lebih intens dan mendalam sehingga dapat benar-benar dipahami apa keinginan dan kebutuhan klien. Hanya saja, penyampaian informasi yang dilakukan melalui metode konseling ini akan memerlukan waktu yang lebih lama jika sasaran yang dicapai lebih banyak.

Mengingat betapa pentingnya peran ahli gizi dalam membantu meningkatkan derajat kesehatan masyarakat Indonesia, mari kita dukung mereka dalam menjalankan program-program gizi dan kesehatan guna menuju Indonesia yang lebih sehat!