The Dietitian Dish Blog

Written by Connor Freed, MS student in Animal and Nutritional Sciences

Written by Ayron Walker, dietetic intern and PhD candidate

Written by Kasey Yost, WVU Dietetic Intern

Welcome back, Mountaineers! I hope everyone is off to a great start to the spring term. With the start of a new year and semester, I wanted to take some time to discuss a new program we are offering, remind everyone of some nutrition resources on campus and talk about all thing’s nutrition. Let’s dive in!

Historically, it has been thought that the effect food has on our bodies was limited to strictly physical capacities, such as immune function, body weight or chronic disease risk. In recent years, however, research has been shifting to suggest that the impact food has on our daily lives may go far beyond the physical and can in fact play a crucial role in our mental health as well. There is currently a large amount of research being dedicated to exploring the relationship between the way food is broken down for energy in the gastrointestinal tract and how the brain is then able to utilize this energy for essential mental functions. It is becoming clear that this relationship, commonly known as “the gut-brain axis”, is much more complex than previously thought.

I hope this post finds you drinking some hot tea or other forms of hot deliciousness as you enjoy this fall weather we are having in Morgantown. Because many of you are recovering from midterms in recent weeks, I decided to pump the breaks on our, at times, science-heavy blog posts and give you some history mixed in with a little activism and perceptions related to body image (pretty light stuff, right?). Although I am a registered dietitian and didn’t take a traditional history course in college, I love learning about the history of nutrition and how it impacts us today. In honor of this, I decided to dive into the history of body neutrality to give some different perspectives, as well as tips related to this concept.

I hope everyone is settling into the semester and finding a routine that works for them!

I can’t believe we are back in session! I have really enjoyed seeing more familiar (and new) faces around campus this past week. The buzz of moving into a new space, starting a new job or getting back into a learning environment fills me with anticipation for a great semester to come. In case you are new (or someone that just needs a refresher), I wanted to give a quick shoutout to some wonderful resources we offer on campus.

I am writing to you with great anticipation as we near the beginning of the fall semester. For me, this doesn’t feel like just any new school year, but one that is filled with expectations and excitement following a very challenging year for most. While I am experiencing a lot of gratitude for the coming semester due to being able to meet students in person once again, I am writing to you from the Morgantown campus where we are experiencing a lot of 90-degree, high humidity days (my fan is currently on its highest setting!). When deciding on the topic for this month’s Dietitian Dish, the topic felt like a no brainer. With many of you enjoying in-person activities again, discussing how to fuel your body for summer activities and staying hydrated in the heat is important.

It’s good to be back with another Dietitian Dish post and have a chance to connect with Mountaineer family members that might be joining us from locations around the world this summer. When thinking about what I wanted to share with my Mountaineers entering the summer season (depending on where you're located, that is) I wanted to be intentional about the topic I shared. I know I’m not alone when I say that right now, so much of what I see and hear on social media, the news and discussions among families is related to monitoring food consumption for that “summer body." I want to first acknowledge that thinking about vacations, new summer clothes and fun outings can be drenched in privilege, and while many do not have the option to do so, my hope is that this post can speak to everyone!