Learning Lounge

Sunday, October 6 | 9:35 - 9:50 a.m.

Many assume that professional conferences such as FNCE^® are exclusive to established practitioners. However, these events should be accessible to students and aspiring RDs (RD2Bes) as well. This session aims to guide first-time student attendees on maximizing their experience and gaining lasting benefits from FNCE^®, ensuring they are well-prepared and continue to attend in the future.

Sunday, October 6 | 11:40 - 11:55 a.m.

Children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are at increased risk for obesity and subsequent co-morbidities, which has implications for life expectancy, independent living and overall quality of life. Unfortunately, this population has limited access to resources and opportunities to engage in programming that appropriately address their needs.

Thus, the development and adaptation of nutrition education materials, curricula and opportunities are a critical need to support this population's adoption of a healthy lifestyle. This presentation will review key strategies for creating or adapting nutrition education efforts to meet the needs of youth with IDD.

Sunday, October 6 | 12:20 - 12:35 p.m.

It's estimated that only 28% of U.S. adults wake up feeling well-rested most days of the week. When you consider the importance of restful sleep for mental and emotional health, metabolism, immune system function, disease risk reduction, and more, we really should be counseling our patients on what to eat for better sleep—and doing what we can to help ourselves get the quality shut-eye we need.

In this Learning Lounge presentation, Jessica will share how nutrition can play a role in sleep quality. Jessica will touch on a few key nutrients that research has shown to be important for restful sleep and share a few ideas for dinner and bedtime snacks to support better sleep quality and duration.

Sunday, October 6 | 1 - 1:15 p.m.

RDNs will discover the keys to unlocking unlimited earning potential, creating passive income streams and ensuring financial security through diversification. Learn how embracing multiple revenue streams provides financial flexibility and independence, empowering entrepreneurs to navigate market fluctuations with confidence.

Gain valuable insights into the ability to scale faster by leveraging diverse income sources, allowing your business to thrive in today's dynamic landscape. Don't miss this opportunity to revolutionize your approach to business sustainability and growth.

Sunday, October 6 | 3:10 - 3:25 p.m.

Are you confused about associations (often contradictory) resulting from epidemiological research, especially where the evidence grade is low? One potential reason is that many studies are riddled with confounders, many of which are highly significant.

For example, consumers eating the most ultra-processed foods (UPFs) or refined grains also show high scores on many dietary and lifestyle factors associated with increased risk for chronic and communicable diseases, and the converse is true. So, are intakes of UPFs or refined grain causing the observed associations, or are these due to impacts of significant confounders and interactions?

Various examples will be discussed to aid practitioners, especially as many have little time to evaluate the research in depth, in interpreting such findings for their practice.

Monday, October, 7 | 9:35 - 9:50 a.m.

Women have a tendency to over perform cardiovascular exercise. This can often raise cortisol levels, and due to the increased stress, fat loss is often inhibited.

This talk will encourage women to participate in low intensity exercise, particularly walking and strength training. Learners will leave with an understanding of the effects of cortisol and their role in the body, which will allow dietitians to better aid in patients meeting their goals.

Monday, October 7 | 11:40-11:55 a.m.

In the past few years, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) has exploded. A concern expressed in higher education is that the widespread and easy accessibility of AI leads to increasing cheating.

One method to address this potential concern is to educate students on the acceptable use of AI by allowing them to explore it within the classroom setting. This exploration may help students understand the strengths and limitations of AI and help both the educator and student set boundaries for its use.

Monday, October 7 | 1 - 1:15 p.m.

Bariatric surgery comes with a lot of benefits, but it is not without the risk of complications. Though widely understudied, malnutrition in the setting of complications from surgery often leads to these patients requiring parenteral or enteral nutrition support.

This presentation aims to describe this situation that to many clinicians seems unfathomable, but is a worst case scenario.

Monday, October 7 | 3:10 - 3:25 p.m.

The overly restrictive, low-nutritive value renal diet is recent history and has given way to more healthful whole grains, plant-proteins, and varied fruits and vegetables. Despite the updated guidelines being published over 4 years ago, most practitioners have not yet implemented these life-changing concepts into practice or apply a one-size-fits-all approach to patient recommendations, even when not supported by the literature, such as in the elderly, polymorbid, or hospitalized patients. There is growing evidence that restrictive diets cause harm and malnutrition in hospitalized patients with chronic conditions.

Tuesday, October 8 | 9:40 - 9:55 a.m.

As clinicians are being called on to work with adolescents and their family to reduce the hazards associated with social media, this program will highlight the reality of how powerful social platforms are in driving Gen-Z decisions about food, fitness, wellness, body image and mental health.

From statistics on the accuracy of information from nutrition influencers on popular platforms to the dangers of some popular food and nutrition trends and more, attendees will see that in order to guide parents and teens, it's critical to stay on top of what's trending.

You'll leave this session better equipped to aid parents in feeling confident not only in understanding the risks of social meeting and their child's true nutrition needs, but also in providing their kids with relatable educational sound-bites and exciting, nourishing meals and snacks.

Tuesday, October 8 | 11:10 - 11:25 a.m.

Adverse encounters with healthcare providers can steer individuals away from conventional western medicine, leading them to pursue care from non-credentialed health advisors. Consequently, patients might turn to unqualified nutrition consultants who provide sensational advice that is not backed by research.

This is commonly observed in the oncology setting where patients seek out "holistic providers" when they feel their personhood has been overlooked. Patient centered care serves as an avenue to foster connection with patients and improve patient buy in to evidenced-based nutrition guidance by ensuring patients are seen and heard.