As I start the dietetics program in August, I thought it would be appropriate to write about the “why” behind my choice to go into this field! Oftentimes when I tell people I am a dietetics major, they are confused or uncertain what that entails. Explaining some reasons for choosing dietetics may clear up some of that uncertainty and hopefully inspire others to consider choosing nutrition as a career!
 
Since middle school, I knew I wanted to go into healthcare. At first I thought I wanted to be a dermatologist, but soon realized medical school was not the path for me. The summer before my senior year of high school, I was dead-set on physical therapy and got a job as an outpatient therapy aide, which had me cleaning and stocking equipment at a clinic here in Columbia. But being exposed to therapists and what they did on a daily basis caused me to change my mind. I realized I did not want as much direct patient contact. During senior year I became interested in nutrition and started looking into options. I had originally thought I wanted to be both a physical therapist and a dietitian (oh, my naïve high school mind!). Once I learned about Mizzou’s Coordinated Program in Dietetics, I realized that becoming a dietitian was more demanding than I expected, causing me to focus on earning one degree instead of two. When I found out I could get my bachelor’s and master’s degree in 5 years, I was hooked! I applied to Mizzou and the rest is history.
 
Now that you know a little bit more of my background, let’s talk about some of the reasons dietetics stuck out to me. As someone who wants to work in healthcare but doesn’t love some of the icky parts that can come with, I struggled to find options where I could have interpersonal patient contact while keeping physical contact to a minimum. In dietetics, I could work in a hospital environment with critically ill patients while also catering to my more office-minded side. A second reason for my interest in this career is the flexibility. Dietitians can work anywhere (think schools, grocery stores, hospitals, nursing homes, private practice, etc) and have the ability to be salaried or hourly workers. I could easily work part-time hours when I have a family.  Lastly, I take a strong interest in dietetics because I find the science of nutrition fascinating, as well as the effect food has on our physical and mental health. As a dancer and a Jazzercise instructor, I know that I perform better when I am fueling myself well, and I want to help others find a balance that works similarly for them.
 
I am ecstatic to be starting the dietetics program this August, and can’t wait to graduate in a few years and start practicing as a registered dietitian. If you are interested in nutrition and want to make it a career, I highly encourage you to look into dietetics. Nutrition is still a young science, and we are learning more about it every single day. I look forward to being a part of that growth in knowledge, and who knows, maybe even spearheading advances in  nutrition science someday!  

Hello everyone! I hope you have all been enjoying your summer and spending time doing the things you love. This blog post will be slightly unconventional as I will be focusing less on the topic of nutrition and more on sharing with you all how my experience competing at the Miss Missouri competition was! 

​As many of you know already, this blog was born in January of 2020 as I was competing to win a local title that would qualify me to compete at the state competition for Miss Missouri. My social impact initiative, Healthy Nutrition for a Stronger Generation, is the name of this blog site and what I have spent time developing and promoting since the beginning of my Miss Missouri journey!  

On June 13th, I arrived at the Missouri Military Academy to stay in the dorms and experience one roller coaster of a week! The candidates competing had rehearsals all day Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, and our first night of preliminary competition was Wednesday. The week was filled with luncheons, cocktail parties, learning opening/closing numbers, and of course the actual shows themselves! After all of the preparation I have put in over the past year and a half, I can confidently say that I showed the judges every piece of my personality and my mission to highlight the importance of nutrition shined through in each phase of competition.  

After competing in private interview, evening gown, talent, and social impact initiative pitch/onstage question, I am proud to say I was called in the Top Ten contestants, earning me a $1500 scholarship and memories that will last a lifetime. Through this organization, I have learned the life skills of professionalism, public speaking, and stage presence that I will carry with me forever. I also gained some unique friendships that I look forward to maintaining for years to come! I have included the social impact initiative pitch I gave onstage below, which I feel is a great summary of my goal to educate others about nutrition through this experience: 

"The new American Heart Association guidelines call for less than 6 teaspoons of added sugar per day for children aged 2-18. But the average teenager consumes more than 28 teaspoons of added sugar every single day! One bottle of ketchup is 25% sugar, and no, that doesn’t count towards your child’s daily allowance of vegetables. As a dietetics student with a strong passion for nutrition, I am excited to educate others on what a proper plate of food looks like. Youth of today need to know what a healthy diet consists of, and childhood nutrition needs to be revamped with better choices. Join me in advocating for healthy nutrition for a stronger generation!”  
 
To conclude, I want to say this: if you are considering stepping out of your comfort zone to have an opportunity to grow and build on important skills-do it!  I am so glad I took that step with the Miss Missouri Organization, and I look forward to carrying what I have learned into my future career as a dietitian. And of course, if you are thinking about competing for Miss Missouri, please reach out! I would love to talk to you about it and share my tips and tricks for success! As for this blog, I will continue writing about nutrition topics that are close to my heart, but this time without the crown!  

​Thank you for joining me on my journey! 

-Ashley Voeller; Miss St. Charles County 2020/2021

   I’m sure you have all heard of my social impact initiative, “Healthy Nutrition for a Stronger Generation”, which I created originally for my involvement with the Miss Missouri and Miss America Organization. After all, it’s the name of my website! My purpose in writing this blog is to give you a general overview of my main objective and vision for Healthy Nutrition for a Stronger Generation, so you are able to understand it yourself and maybe even pass it on to your friends/family!
 
   Back in the summer of 2019 l watched Simone Esters win the Miss Missouri competition and decided it was something I wanted to pursue myself. Every candidate has a social impact initiative, so with some brainstorming and the help of my mom Teresa, Healthy Nutrition for a Stronger Generation was born. My inspiration stemmed from my passion to pursue dietetics at Mizzou (fast-forward almost two years and I am starting the Coordinated Program in Dietetics this fall!), but my platform wasn’t fully developed quite yet.

    It took competing in a couple local pageants to understand what I wanted to convey in my message, so I started a website and began blogging about why I wanted to do Miss Missouri, different recipes I enjoyed, and any topic related to nutrition that interested me. Over the past year-and-a-half as a local titleholder through the Miss Missouri/Miss America Scholarship Organization, I have come up with one sentence to describe what I want Healthy Nutrition for a Stronger Generation to be both now (for the state competition in June!) and for my future career as a dietitian:
Healthy Nutrition for a Stronger Generation is an initiative to educate children and adults from all backgrounds on why nutrition is important and how it can fit into their everyday lives both simply and affordably. Now that you know my main objective, let’s dive a little deeper into this concept of nutrition education.
 
  Since I have become interested in dietetics, I have learned so much about society’s outlook on nutrition and what is/isn’t common knowledge when it comes to food and fueling our bodies. There are so many factors that affect nutrition, but one that comes to mind immediately is socioeconomic status. This can be a huge barrier to having access to education about food and the ability to buy simple groceries. Many people live in areas called “food deserts”, which are neighborhoods and even whole cities that are in a location lacking a fully stocked grocery store. Those living in these areas oftentimes must rely on convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, and occasional food pantries to meet their nutritional needs. Unfortunately, places like these almost always fall short. Helping people understand what a food desert is and how they can help with this problem is so important!

    Another huge issue is learning how to shop affordably. Many people I talk to have told me that eating healthy is too expensive, and it’s easier to choose prepackaged foods that are quick and cheap. This is where education comes in. It is so important that people understand how to navigate the produce section without getting overwhelmed by all the labels for “farm fresh” and “organic” options that don’t necessarily provide you with anymore nutrition than regular brands, but cost twice as much. Teaching people how to shop smart and look for in-season produce can make all the difference.

    I will talk more in later posts about the different aspects of nutrition education, but to keep this blog from being too long I’ll stop with this: I plan to continue making Healthy Nutrition for a Stronger Generation a reality even after my involvement with Miss Missouri/Miss America has come to an end (whenever that may be!). As a future dietitian, my career will be centered around nutrition education and I am so excited to continue this journey towards making this generation (and the ones that come after!) as healthy as they can be!

           
   Family meals…why are these important and how can it change our perspective of nutrition and the purpose of food?  Many people these days say they haven’t had a family meal in a long time, and rarely eat with others or on a regular mealtime schedule. This is becoming an increasingly common behavior and has long-term consequences that many of us don’t even realize!
   Busyness is a common theme amongst American families these days. With work, school, and extracurricular commitments, there ends up being a lot more rushed meals in the car on the way to soccer practice than sitting around the dinner table. Regardless of whether you live in a one or two parent household, family meals can be beneficial physically, relationally, and developmentally.
    The study I am basing this blog post off of is a peer-reviewed article from the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. This is a long but very intriguing article that I encourage you to read if you have further interest in this topic! The main finding of this research is as follows: sharing meals with family results in better dietary outcomes across the lifespan than those that eat alone. Let’s explore this more.
           
           
1.Physically: It is well known that eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins and dairy products are good for our health. Eating meals together as a family oftentimes means that more meals will be cooked at home, and home-cooked meals are generally lower in sodium, sugar, and saturated fat than fast-food or takeout. Cooking meals at home can be a fun way to explore new ingredients and recipes with your loved ones that you otherwise may be hesitant to try on your own. Implementing a variety of nutrient-dense foods can be critical in reducing our risk for developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. Who doesn’t want that?

2.Relationally: Sharing meals together as a family allows time to have a conversation about each others day, which especially provides an outlet to children and adolescents to vent their frustrations in a healthy and supportive environment with trusted adults. Knowing that you can express your feelings to someone else who has taken the time to listen and respond is extremely comforting and can  create  a strong bond between you and your child, roommate, significant other, or whoever you are sharing a meal with.

3.Developmentally: Focusing on children, family meals can be a defining factor in their development relating to food. As we have seen in previous blog posts, having a healthy relationship with food is crucial to becoming an intuitive eater who views food as a positive thing and not something that creates anxiety. When children are able to see adults demonstrating healthy eating patterns and conversation around food, they are encouraged to imitate the same behaviors. Of course, starting at a young age can make a huge difference in teaching children to trust their bodies to respond to food in a way that is healthy and nourishes them best.
 
   If you are having trouble finding ways to create space for family meals in your life, start with baby steps. Can’t cook from home? That’s okay! Picking up food from a restaurant and taking it home to eat at the dinner table is one way you can cut back on preparation time while still being able to have quality time together as a family. This not only helps support restaurants during the pandemic, but also helps you eat mindfully instead of sitting in front of the TV and grazing after a long day. This may be one habit you want to keep from having extra time at home due to the pandemic. Start where you can and be aware of areas that you can improve upon for the benefit of you and your whole family!

  This may come as a surprise to some of you, but my life does not solely revolve around nutrition! Although I love food and the science of how it affects our bodies, I wanted to write a post on incorporating movement into your life as well.
           
  Notice how I am using the term “movement” here rather than “fitness” or “exercise”. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using the terms fitness, exercise, working out, etc. In fact, I use those the majority of the time I talk about the topic of movement! However, for the purpose of this blog I have chosen to use the word movement. Here is why- oftentimes people say they do not have the time or energy to incorporate a workout routine into their day-to-day lives. I completely understand this! America leads a busy lifestyle and adding another thing to your growing plate can be stressful and intimidating. Fitness/exercise can often cause feelings of anxiety in people when they hear it, making them think they have to do a super intense, 60-minute workout every day to be considered “active”. This is far from the truth. When I use the term movement, I am referring to the entire spectrum of things you can do to stay active- from hitting the gym for a lifting session to taking your dog for a walk outside and everything in between. I find that busy people have a more positive reaction to this term because it does not imply they have to make a huge life/schedule change to make it happen.
           
   The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that the average adult get “at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination each week.”  This is a good way to estimate just how much you should be shooting for on a weekly basis, but what is aerobic activity?

• Aerobic means “requiring oxygen” (learned that one from my biochem course!), and in relation to activity the purpose is to strengthen your cardiovascular system so it can absorb and transport oxygen more easily.
  
• Aerobic movement is what we can think of as “cardio”- running, jogging, walking, dancing, swimming, etc. whereas anaerobic movement is activities like lifting weights, sprinting, HIIT training, etc.
  
• Incorporating movement into your life strengthens your muscles, bones, and cardiovascular system, and releases neurotransmitters such as epinephrine that give you that post-workout “high”. Another benefit is that is lowers our stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol, making you feel less worried after getting that movement in!

 
  Enough exercise education, how can I make moving my body feel good and not like something I have to do? Well, the first thing to do is change your mindset:

• Just like diet culture lies to us by saying we “can’t” eat certain foods, it also proclaims the false message that you are obligated to do a certain length and intensity of workout in order to be accepted. This is stupid! Moving our bodies is something we get to do, and it is such a blessing to be able to make progress and appreciate your body for everything it does to transport you places and perform the tasks you need to get done.
  
• Realize that movement is joyful and is a part of keeping our bodies and minds healthy and running like a well-oiled machine.

           
  The second thing to do is find activity that you really enjoy:

• For me, I have found happiness in clogging, Irish dance, and Jazzercise (which I HIGHLY recommend if you haven’t tried it out already!). Don’t force yourself to be a runner if you like weights more, and don’t tell yourself you have to be a yoga person if swimming is calling your name. The important thing is finding movement, there are no “one size fits all” exercise plans.
  
• As Americans, many of our schedules don’t leave much time for activity. Try incorporating smalls things like taking the stairs (especially if you only live/work on the third floor!), going for a short walk during your break, or taking your dog out right after getting home from work or school. If you don’t have a dog, take a walk with a friend or family member!
  
• If you are a college student, check out your campus REC center. You are likely already paying for it with your campus fees anyway, and you never know what classes or activities they offer. I recently discovered that mine has a rock-climbing wall, thanks Mizzou!

 
   The most important thing to remember is that movement should be a positive thing in your life. If it is causing you stress, anxiety, or pain, please reconsider what you are doing and choose something that feels better physically and emotionally! Just like intuitive eating, intuitive exercise is something that should be a sustainable, natural, and beneficial part of your life!
 
 

Hey there! My name is Amanda Lewis and I am Miss Spirit of St Louis 2020. I am lucky enough to be one of Ashley’s sister queens! As we have spent the last year together, we have realized that we are both passionate about the same things. Ashley is studying to be a dietitian with goals of working in the eating disorder field, while I am a strong advocate for eating disorder recovery. 2 years ago I spent a month in residential treatment for anorexia. Since then I have started a blog, an Instagram and Facebook page, and an advocacy campaign. I hope you enjoy an interview between Ashley and I about my story and some common eating disorder stereotypes!  
 1.How did you realize you were struggling with anorexia?  

• Eating disorders love to convince people that they are “not sick enough.” No matter how bad things may be, the eating disorder always wants to keep going. You can have everyone around you tell you how worried they are and how sick you are, but the eating disorder will dismiss all of it. I knew that things weren’t going great, but I wasn’t that concerned because I thought things could always get worse. For some reason my eating disorder said that I wasn’t sick because I hadn’t passed out. I don’t know why that was the deciding factor, but eating disorders are weird. Hearing the anorexia diagnosis for the first time broke me. I wasn’t surprised to have an eating disorder, I knew that. But finally having someone give it a name broke my heart. It was one of the hardest things I had to hear. You’d think that would be enough for me to seek treatment, but eating disorders don’t work that way... 

 2. If you yourself didn’t realize it right away, who in your life became aware that you were struggling and encouraged you to seek help?  

• Everyone that was close to me knew I was struggling. Usually eating disorders are very secretive, but I have such strong relationships with those around me that I was able to let people in. I started seeing a therapist in October of 2018. I enjoyed it, but things really didn’t improve. Quite the opposite actually. In December my therapist quit. By a miracle of God, I ended up hearing from a therapist I had been put on the waitlist for months ago, and she had an opening. The end of January/ beginning of February is when things really took a turn. I started seeing a dietitian and doctor for the first time, and saw the new therapist. In those 3 appointments, each one said I needed a higher level of care. That changed things for me. If these 3 professionals believed the same thing after an hour appointment with them, maybe they were right. I couldn’t focus in school, I wasn’t happy, I was exhausted, the list goes on. In February of 2019, I started looking for treatment centers.  

 3. What was treatment like and how are you taking steps every day to continue your recovery?  

• I was admitted to residential treatment at Timberline Knolls on February 26, 2019. There are so many things to say about residential treatment, but the best way to sum it up is that my time in treatment was the hardest but most important month of my life. Treatment had to start with the re-feeding process, which was brutal. But the mental side of recovery could not come without the nutritional side first. Each day was spent in different groups, individual appointments, and having lots of meals and snacks. There are so many things I learned at treatment, but one of the biggest takeaways is that how I feel is much more important than how I look. Check out my blog for more insider stories from treatment, I have written about it a few times!  
• A large misconception in eating disorder recovery is that you hit “recovery” and then it’s over. In reality, recovery is something you have to choose every day. I am 2 years out from residential treatment and still see a therapist, dietitian, doctor, and psychiatrist. The appointments are less frequent, but still necessary. When I wake up each day, I have to consciously choose to make recovery focused decisions all day. I still have a meal plan and I am still challenging food rules and eating disorder thoughts. The difference now is that recovery is the priority, and the eating disorder thoughts is no longer in charge.  

 4. What do you see as the most dangerous thing about eating disorders that people aren’t aware of?  

• One of the most dangerous things about eating disorders is that they affect so much more than just nutrition. Eating disorders affect memory and concentration and usually come along with anxiety and depression. Many people think that an eating disorder is just “not eating.” That’s not true at all. That may be a part of it, but they are much more complex than that and are different for everyone. They are so dangerous because they can affect everything in your life and cause lifelong problems.  

 5. What are some signs that someone may be struggling with an eating disorder and how can we as their friend, family, etc. address that and seek help for that individual?  

• There are so many stereotypes surrounding eating disorders that the majority of people believe. One of the biggest lies is that someone has to be losing weight to be struggling with an eating disorder. Eating disorders don’t have a “look.” There are a few signs to watch for. If you eat with them often, watch for things like restricting portions, cutting out foods they used to enjoy, eating really small bites, or avoiding meals entirely. Other signs can be things like loss of focus, withdrawal, increased depression and anxiety, and increased discomfort with body image. If you believe someone is struggling, you need to address them one-on-one. Do not say anything in public. Get them alone and truly ask them how they are. Don’t assume, don’t accuse, don’t blame. Let them know they are loved, and ask them how you can best support them in this moment.  

 6. Why is NEDA Week especially important to you?  

• I didn’t know about NEDA week until a few years ago, but it will always have a place in my heart. The first day of NEDA week in 2019 was my first day of residential treatment at Timberline Knolls. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into or what was coming. I just knew that I had to do something to save my life. I left my family and friends, my technology, and everything that I had known to be placed in a new town at a new place with new people. I found out that it was NEDA week and went to the opening ceremony. While listening to the speakers, I found a new sense of hope. I felt like I could recover. All week we had special NEDA week themed activities and special events. Now whenever NEDA weeks comes around, I am reminded of my time at TK and the true beginning of my recovery journey.  

 7. How will you continue educating people on the dangers of eating disorders throughout the rest of your life?  

• Suffering from an eating disorder was one of the hardest things I have had to go through. With that, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Beginning my recovery journey is what inspired me to become an advocate. Once I started sharing my story I had kept in hiding for so long, I knew that it was what I was meant to do. I know I want to go into the mental health field, and I would love to work specifically with eating disorders at some point in my career. The biggest way I will continue educating people on the dangers that come with eating disorders is by being completely transparent and vulnerable. When I share my story, I share every detail. There is not a question I won’t answer because the best way to learn is from someone who has been there and has made it to the other side.   

 8. What is your best advice on learning to love your body as it is and find peace with food regardless of the pressures that diet culture puts on women and men everyday? 

• Learning to love your body is a process. It is not something that you can wake up and feel. As much as it stinks, the longer you’ve struggled with body image, the longer it will take to get to a place of love. But here’s the thing: you don’t have to love your body. Of course that’s the goal, but it’s ok to not be there yet. If loving yourself is too hard right now, focus on neutrality. You can’t just jump from hate to love in one day. To work towards neutrality, focus on appreciating your body. Every day, think about something your body does for you that you are grateful for it. It could be your legs for taking you places, your arms for hugging a friend, anything. The more you can learn to appreciate your body, the closer you can get to loving it, even if it takes longer than you would hope.  
• Diet culture is the worst! The best way to stop believing the lies of diet culture is to remove yourself as much as possible. Unfollow negative accounts, stop reading tabloids, do whatever it takes to fill your mind with positivity. Like body positivity, beginning to accept food is a long process that can start with neutrality. Remind yourself that food is not “good” or “bad.” Food is food. Any food can be a part of a balanced diet that makes you feel good both physically and emotionally. Diet culture has ruined the idea of eating food for pleasure. No matter what you eat, you are fueling your body and that should be celebrated!  

 Thanks for tuning in to a short segment of my story! You can find out more at my blog, https://chooseharmony.home.blog, as well as an interview I did with Ashley, or follow my Mental Health Instagram @choose.harmony and Facebook page Miss Spirit of St Louis 2020-Amanda Lewis.  
Thank you so much Ashley for letting me be a guest author on your blog and I am beyond excited to keep advocating for eating disorder awareness with you! 

​           Hello all! I hope this blog finds everyone safe and healthy. As you all know, I am preparing for the Miss Missouri competition as Miss St. Charles County. My social impact initiative- Healthy Nutrition for a Stronger Generation, seeks to educate youth on what a balanced diet looks like and the importance of it in their everyday lives. As we have all had to stay home over the past month, I have had to get creative with ways to share this initiative!
            This week, I had the opportunity to prepare and distribute craft kits to the Boys and Girls Club of Columbia. These kits came with instructions and materials for the kids to build their own “MyPlate” based off of USDA guidelines. Sponsored by Hyvee, I was able to create 150 of these! I can’t wait to make more, but for now I thought I would share this craft with you all so you could try it out for yourself. This is perfect for teaching young kids to get excited about nutrition!
 MyPlate Craft: How-To
Materials:

• Paper plate
• Glue (a glue stick is perfect for this-and for keeping little hands clean!)
• Scissors
• A magazine or grocery store circular with an assortment of food pictures to choose from

Step 1. Review the USDA MyPlate guidelines
-30% grains (whole grains are best!)
-40% vegetables
-10% fruit
-20% protein
MyPlate also shows a small circle for dairy products, you can choose to add this too if you want!
Step 2. Cut out your foods
Take your magazine or circular and start looking for foods that meet these requirements. The more color the better!
Step 3. Paste these foods onto your paper plate according to the MyPlate proportions
If you are anything like me, your artistic skills may not be the most organized, but we aren’t striving for perfection here!
Step 4. Print off the MyPlate Pledge certificate and take a picture with your plate! Then, send me the photo on social media @Miss St. Charles County 2020 and I will post it with the hashtag #MyPlatePledge. 
 
I have really enjoyed doing this in the classroom with kids and although I am sad that I can no longer do it in person, but I am so excited about creating these kits for people to take home and enjoy! If you know of any clubs or organizations that would like some of these kits, please contact me and let me know. Even though our normal lives have been put on pause, it’s still important to find new ways to complete our goals. This is such a fun activity for kids to teach them how to build a balanced plate. Parents, I hope this craft will be a good use of some of that extra time at home and gives you an idea of how to teach your kids about nutrition! Now get crafting and have some fun!

-Ashley Voeller is a college student, future dietitian, dancer and blogger
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