The Practical Nutritionist, LLC

Audrey J Pellegrino, M. Ed, M.HN,CNW®

Nationally board Certified Nutritional Wellness

Holistic Nutritionist/Educator

603-768-3214

practicalnutrition@gmail.com

www.pnutritionist.com

1. What is basic to know about nutrition?

Everyone should know that nutrition is not an abstract science, it is what we eat everyday and how it reacts within our bodies and the impact it has on our health. All people should understand the basics about proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fats and water and how they can cause, cure and impact health or disease.

2. How are you involved in nutrition?

I work as a nutritional counselor and help people to make changes within their lifestyles that they can use on a daily basis. I teach cooking classes, nutrition classes, hold weight loss, arthritis and diabetes classes as well as family and individual counseling.

3. What caused you to become involved in nutrition?

I have degrees in education, catering/gourmet cooking and nursing. During each of those degrees nutrition was my minor and I decided to combine my love of teaching, health and food into a nutrition degree.

4. What is one vital thing about nutrition everyone should know?

White flour is just as bad, if not worse for you than white sugar. We consume too many empty calories and not enough healthy fats to maintain healthy weight ratios.

5. Why don’t diets work?

Think about it, diet is a four letter word; no one likes to go on a diet and everyone talks about when they are done their diet. Diets usually restrict some component of your diet and your metabolism slows down. When you begin eating a “normal” diet your metabolism is slower than before and your body will hold on to everything you eat. Another reason is that most people lose lean muscle when they diet, not muscle. When they are done with their diet their fat and muscle ratio is imbalanced and they do not have as much muscle to keep their metabolism “humming” along and help maintain their weight loss.

6. What is the worst nutritional mistake the average person makes?

People eat low your body fat foods. When the fat is removed from foods it is replaced with artificial preservatives, flavorings or extra sweeteners. Fats give flavor and texture to foods. Your body knows what to do with healthy, real fats, it does not know what to do with artificial sweeteners and flavorings and will store them in your joints or as fat.

7. How is exercise related to good nutrition?

Exercise helps your body’s metabolism; digestion system and cellular energy perform at an optimum level. If they are working to their optimum ability then they are utilizing your foods and getting the most out of them that is possible (vitamins, minerals and enzymes).

8. How do preservatives, additives, and other chemicals added to enhance food flavor or preserve foods affect the body? Do they have any detrimental effects?

Yuck! Always remember if your grandmother would not recognize it or you cannot find it in nature in that form than your body cannot recognize it. It will then use your vitamins, minerals and enzymes up trying to digest it. Your liver, pancreas and kidneys will have to work harder and then your body will store them as fat or in your joints.

9. The media is beginning to become more knowledgeable about healthy nutrition? Do you envision the average person’s diet changing to include better nutrition? Why or why not?

I believe that people are more aware of nutrition and are making changes (maybe small ones), people are tired of hearing or having all the disease you hear about and being on multiple medications. It is much cheaper to pay more in the grocery store than at the pharmacy. I believe the more the public demands healthier options, the more they will become available and become mainstreamed.

10. How do common drugs and medicines affect a person’s nutrition?

Over the counter medications tax your body’s liver, adrenals, kidneys and affect your metabolism. When your body is trying to assimilate and break down drugs/medication, it is not able to break down your food and get the nutrients you need out of them.

11. I’ve heard that the amount of sleep a person gets affects their appetite (I saw it on a Sixty Minutes special), could lack of sleep jeopardize a person’s weight loss goals?

Your body releases growth hormones during your sleep cycle, they are used to repair your body and clean it of toxins (air pollution, food pollution) that you may have absorbed during the day. If you do not get an adequate amount of sleep they cannot do their job and a build up will occur, your body will work at a sluggish rate, your metabolism will slow down and weight loss does not occur.