Dietitian's Corner: Dieting? Facts vs Fads

Have you ever tried to lose weight and just aren't able to do so?  OR maybe you lost weight following a "fad diet", only to simply regain the weight because you weren't able to sustain a restrictive diet?  Guess what?   You're not alone.  In the last decade, I have interviewed thousands of people with weight loss goals - not one of my patients reported sustained weight loss following a fad diet.  Not sure what I mean by "Fad Diet?"  Here are just a few .... 

Keto, Paleo, Whole 30, Gluten Free, Jenny Craig, Carb Masters, Carb Free, Fasting, Intermittent fasting, South Beach, Raw Food Diet, Atkins - Is your head spinning?  Mine sure is ... 

Gone are the days where you had two choices, Weight Watcher or Jenny Craig - Grab a spandex leotard and neon sweatband to add in a little Jazzercise while you're at it?  (Can you tell I am a child of the 80's?) 

Here is the "secret" to weight loss.  It's simple.  Its science. 

Energy In must equal energy out.  Know how many calories your body needs a day - yes, you will need a dietitian for that!  Begin paying attention to the calorie content of the foods you are eating.  If you're gaining weight or have gained weight, it will be evident the number of calories you are consuming is often greater than the number of calories your body needs to sustain itself.  And what happens when we consume excess calories - yep, you got it - they are stored as fat!  

Weight loss happens when you meet with a dietitian and get a personalized weight loss plan.  A plan that fits your lifestyle, budget, and food preferences is the plan that will lead to sustained weight loss.  It will take work on your part - but with willingness, small behavioral changes, and sound health coaching - you CAN lose the weight!

If you're ready to gain awareness of the calories you're consuming on a daily basis, I recommend downloading the Calorie King App or My Fitness Pal - And get started, friend!  

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Lauren Henrich, RDN, LD, CDE is a Registered Dietitian with the ARcare Positive Connections program.  She is available for nutrition consultations to clients enrolled in the Ryan White program.  She may be contacted 

Positive Connections is a program at ARcare connecting the community to HIV prevention, treatement and empowerment.  We believe in a future vision with zero new HIV transmissions and where every person living with or affected by HIV can thrive.  You can learn more about the Positive Connections Program 

Staff Spotlight: Meet Jeanette

Tracy (L) and Jeanette (R) welcome guests to
a recent community HIV education event.

Jeanette originally took courses to be a pharmaceutical rep, but somehow made her way into our Positive Connections team and we couldn’t be happier about it!  As a coordinator for our South Central AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC) program, Jeanette spends a lot of her day arranging lectures and education opportunities with medical teams around the state.  Typically, she coordinates education sessions for others to present. But earlier this year, Jeanette began delivering lectures on Ending HIV in Arkansas and PrEP herself.  “I thoroughly enjoy it,” she says. 

Her favorite ARcare memory so far is the first HIV symposium that AETC put on in Arkansas a few years ago.  “We were all stressed and scrambling to pull it together, but we had over 80 people participate and when several of the attendees told us how much they got out of it, that made it all worth it.”

In her spare time, she likes playing games on her phone.  “Merge Dragons” is one of my favorites.  Family is also very important to Jeanette and she spends a lot of her free time outside of work enjoying it with her husband, daughter, mother, and prized pooch.

Fast Facts About Jeanette:

Jeanette's "pupper", Lexi lou

Famous person you’d most like to meet (living or dead!):  Fred Astaire, he’s pretty, whimsical, and multi-talented

Something that many people don’t know about you:  My closet is color-coded and divided by season.

Greatest fear: Losing someone I love

Weirdest job you’ve ever had:  Making fudge at a Candy Factory

The one thing you cannot resist:  My “pupper”, Lexi Lou

Your top travel destination in the US:  Boston! I’ve been to Boston a handful of times. I love the harbor and the ships.  And I love seeing the Navy men in uniform—I actually wanted to be in the Navy once upon a time.

Something you’d like to learn how to do:  Ride a motorcycle. I tried it once, but my bike got stolen!

When asked to describe Positive Connections in three words, Jeanette said “wonderful, patient-centered, and compassionate.”  Well we think you are pretty wonderful yourself, Jeanette, but we may be just a bit biased!  

Thank you, Jeanette, for keeping our patients at the center of ARcare’s HIV education and training program.

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Jeanette is a Coordinator for the ARcare Positive Connections South Central AIDS Education and Training Center (AETC).  The AETC program provides quality HIV training and education for healthcare professionals in Arkansas through lectures, technical assistance, virtual programming, and more.  Jeanette may be reached here.

Positive Connections is a program at ARcare connecting the community to HIV prevention, treatment and empowerment.  We believe in a future vision with zero new HIV transmissions and where every person living with or affected by HIV can thrive.  You can learn more about the Positive Connections Program here.

Dietitian's Corner: Simple Gardening Tips for Healthy Living

Gardening can be a great way to relieve stress
and help you save money at the grocery store.

Do you love fruits and vegetables?  Are you thinking of starting your own garden, but just aren’t quite sure where to start?  Well guess what!?  Help to get your garden off to the right start is at your fingertips. 

The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service employs an agricultural agent (aka plant expert) for every county in our state.  The Cooperative Extension agents share their wealth of knowledge not only with farmers producing large crops, but also with individuals interested in producing smaller crops to feed their family!   Not only is gardening a great way to relax, it also can save you a bundle at the grocery store.  

To contact your local agent, click here.

A little low on cash to get your garden started?  Here are a few tips!  Rather than purchasing pots, call your local nursery and ask for their left-over plastic containers.  If you receive SNAP benefits find your local farmers market ASAP!  You can double your SNAP bucks at any farmer’s market that takes debit cards, purchase seeds and any edible plant.  

For more information on using SNAP benefits to grow your own food, click here.  

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Lauren Henrich is a Registered Dietitian with the ARcare Positive Connections program.  She is available for nutrition consultations to clients enrolled in the Ryan White program.  She may be contacted here.

Positive Connections is a program at ARcare connecting the community to HIV prevention, treatement and empowerment.  We believe in a future vision with zero new HIV transmissions and where every person living with or affected by HIV can thrive.  You can learn more about the Positive Connections Program here.

Staff Spotlight: Meet Shannon

Shannon provides HIV testing
at an event in Jonesboro.

Shannon is a Service Access Specialist in Jonesboro and is also a District Supervisor for our Ryan White team.  She works with clients to connect them to care and community resources available through the Ryan White program and offers HIV testing at events throughout the year.

Shannon has always been interested in studying people.  She graduated from Ohio State with a degree in sociology and, after working for over a decade in retail management, she jumped at the chance to work with those living with HIV and put her degree to use.  “I have loved it ever since,” she said.  

In her daily work, Shannon meets with clients, makes phone calls, schedules appointments, and makes sure her staff has what they need.  To describe a typical work day in her own words, it means “being a superhuman.”  Shannon is inspired to become that superhuman through remembering her mother’s perseverance: “My mom was a single mother who raised two kids while completing a college degree and working full time. She started out as a dispatcher and worked her way up to district manager in a cable business. She can do anything and she knows everything.” 

Shannon joins our PrEP Coordinator, 
Kyle, at an outreach event for the
Hispanic community called El Centro.

She also finds support from connections to those around her. The Positive Connections team has experienced significant loss over the past few years, especially with the passing of two coworkers with whom Shannon had a close working relationship; Vonda and Christy.  When asked what her favorite memory from work was, she says “driving to our annual retreat with Vonda and Christy. We could talk for hours about anything.”

As a hobby, Shannon loves to cook.  She says that if she were not working as a case manager with ARcare, she’d want to be a chef.  When she has 30 minutes of free time, she’s watching cooking shows or on social media learning and sharing about cooking.  In fact, Shannon regularly shares photos and videos of her adventures in cooking on Instagram. You can check them out here: @fat_girl_chef.  

When she isn’t busy working or cooking, she also likes to travel.  She says that New York is her “favorite place on earth. I love the history, the people, and attitude…and the bright lights.”

For fun, Shannon shares
cooking photos and videos
with her Instagram followers.

Quick Facts about Shannon:

Weirdest Job: Truck Broker

One Thing She Can’t Resist:  DIET COKE

Greatest Fear:  That I have no purpose. I’m just here taking up space and not contributing.

Favorite Movie Line:  “Son, you have a panty on your head.” –from Raising Arizona

One Thing She’d Like to Learn:  How to sing

Famous Person She Would Like To Have Met:  Eleanor Roosevelt

When asked what words she would use to describe Positive Connections, she said “helpful, supportive, knowledgeable.”  

Thank you, Shannon, for the support you offer to our clients and patients at ARcare Positive Connections.

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Shannon is a Service Access Specialist in our Jonesboro Service Access Center.  She participates in outreach and testing activities in and around the Jonesboro area and is available to meet with people living with HIV to connect them to care and support available through the Ryan White program.  Shannon may be reached here. 

Positive Connections is a program at ARcare connecting the community to HIV prevention, treatment and empowerment.  We believe in a future vision with zero new HIV transmissions and where every person living with or affected by HIV can thrive.  You can learn more about the Positive Connections Program here.

A Message From Our Vice President: Thank you, Nurses!

As I'm sure you all know, 2020 was designated the "Year of the Nurse" by the World Health Organization.  Shortly afterward, nurses everywhere were put to the test and asked to step up and save our country from the largest pandemic of our lifetime.  I want to say thank you to all of the nurses in Positive Connections and recognize all that they have done to help flatten the curve and lessen the impact in their communities. 

Knowing that we work with patients who are already immuno-compromised, our medical case management staff immediately took action and started to put processes in place to help protect our clients from this deadly virus. With their hard work and dedication we averted an untold number of tragedies and devastating events, so thank you to each nurse on our team for all that you have done and will continue to do. 

To our nursing staff, we say Happy Nurse's Day!  Thank you again for all you do to help our clients live the best possible life they can.  

-Steven Crowder, MBA

Senior VP of Operations

Positive Connections

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Steven Crowder is the Senior VP of Operations for the Positive Connections program at ARcare.  Steve may be reached here.

Positive Connections is a program at ARcare connecting the community to HIV prevention, treatment and empowerment.  We believe in a future vision with zero new HIV transmissions and where every person living with or affected by HIV can thrive.  You can learn more about the Positive Connections Program here.