Published: November 18, 2008 11:18 am      

Healthy Eating

An interview with an expert

About the expert: Ruthanne Hilbrich has been a registered dietician for 25 years. She specializes in care and support of bariatric patients at Clarian Bariatircs in Carmel, and is also co-president of Flourish, LLC, a nutrition consulting company.



Q: People today are bombarded with a variety of diets and eating strategies. Is there one diet you recommend for your patients?

A: Registered dietitians at Clarian Bariatrics have developed a nutritional regime for successful pre-operative weight loss. It works so well that many of our patients lose so much weight they choose not to have surgery. It’s called the liver reduction diet; it’s low in fat, carbohydrates, and refined sugars – simply low-fat protein and vegetables.



Q: Many people want to lose weight, but don’t have much time for exercise. How can weight loss – although it might not be as significant as weight loss with diet and exercise combined – be achieved through diet alone?

A: Though a nutritious diet combined with exercise will produce the most dramatic and healthiest results, many of my bariatric patients are wheelchair-bound or physically disabled, and the ability to exercise is limited or impossible. Everyone can follow the liver reduction diet and experience weight loss success, regardless of physical ability.



Q: Not all unhealthy eaters are overweight. Many thin people have bad eating practices, and don’t realize the toll it’s taking on their insides. What are the internal adverse effects of unhealthy food?

A: The most serious of health problems will abound, regardless of weight. These include diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, just to name a few.



Q: What is the biggest dietary problem you see in America today, and why?

A: Nutritionally speaking, the addition of high-fructose corn syrup in highly processed food items of all types was the beginning of the epidemic of overweight and obesity in the United States.



Q: Drive-throughs are a quick and convenient choice for parents, but unfortunately, it’s setting children up for a lifelong habit of bad nutrition. What are your recommendations for parents on the go who want to feed their children healthy food?

A: I disagree that fast food is “unhealthy” or is “bad nutrition.” Though there are many poor choices at fast-food restaurants, there are always healthy items available to choose. Example: Order a grilled chicken sandwich without the bun and special sauce, and with extra lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion. Vegetables like lettuce and cabbage are healthy vehicles for eating “sandwiches” instead of using bread.



Q: Motivation is key when it comes to sticking with a healthy eating plan. Can you provide our readers with some good motivational strategies for making a permanent change in the way they eat?

A: The magic to motivation is having a plan. The most effective strategy to successful weight loss is daily journaling; record everything you eat and drink ... if you bite it, you write it ... if you drink it, you ink it. Patience and persistence – not perfection – will ensure progress. Having a great support system around you isn’t always possible, but Clarian

Bariatrics has the strongest family of loving support available. Find your “family” and watch yourself flourish!