The Saying is True—You Are What You Eat

We have all heard the old saying “you are what you eat.” While you shouldn’t take the saying too literally, the message behind it is true. What you eat has a significant impact on your overall health and how your body functions. According to an article published by Harvard Medical School, your diet even affects your emotions and behavior.

“The burgeoning field of nutritional psychiatry is finding there are many consequences and correlations between not only what you eat, how you feel, and how you ultimately behave, but also the kinds of bacteria that live in your gut.”

— Eva Selhub, MD

According to the article, 95% of your serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for mood regulation, is produced in your gut. The amount of serotonin produced is influenced by the good bacteria in your gut. These good bacteria are found in natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains as well as probiotic supplements.

Initial studies suggest that a diet rich in foods that contain these good bacteria may be able to prevent depression, reduce anxiety, and even improve your perception of stress. Think about it. It makes sense. In order for your body to function at its best it’s important to supply it with nutritious food. 

Though nutritional psychiatry is still an emerging field, it has the potential to change the way we use food. Will health professionals start prescribing specific diets instead of medicine in the future? We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, consider encouraging your patients to experiment with the way different foods make them feel. Small dietary changes could make a big difference.

Health Professionals Weigh in on Print vs. Digital

Living in the increasingly digital world that we do, your patients have access to an overwhelming array of health information. From social media to food bloggers and health websites, the internet is overrun with health information, much of it of questionable validity and value.

That’s why it’s reassuring to know that health professionals remain the most trusted source of health and wellness guidance for consumers. More trusted than websites, social media, and media personalities.

So when it comes to educating Americans about living a healthy lifestyle, we’ve learned to trust health professionals as well, and health professionals tell us—consistently and passionately—that they prefer printed educational materials over digital resources. In fact, in a recent survey of PulseConnect members, more than 7 in 10 health professionals say they prefer sharing printed educational materials with their patients and clients.

Here’s why:

Printed materials last.

A single counseling interaction can provide a patient or client with a lot of valuable and important information. Unfortunately, if they leave the interaction empty-handed or solely with the hope that they’ll later visit a website, they may not have that important information when they need it most. Whether that’s the next day or a month later. Printed materials ensure that your patients and clients leave their counseling interaction with the information they need in hand.

Printed materials are customizable.

PulseConnect members tell us that as health professionals, they like to customize the information they share with patients and clients. One size does not fit all. Printed educational materials enable them to personalize guidance by making notes on, adding to, or subtracting from the information being shared. The added benefit of this approach is that customization increases retention by patients and clients since the material is now specifically focused on their needs.

Printed materials are convenient.

Given the pace and intensity of the healthcare environment these days, health professionals don’t have time to sort through dozens of websites for the right information or the resources to download and print web-based materials all day. Unlike many office workers, health professionals don’t spend the day sitting at a computer connected to a high-volume printer. Ready access to quality printed educational materials better meets the needs of health professionals than any URL can.

Do digital resources have any place in face-to-face interactions between health professionals and the patients and clients they advise? Of course they do. The reach and impact of the digital world is undeniable, and new technologies are emerging every day that will enhance Americans’ healthcare.

But when it comes to the basic building blocks of education, print remains not only the preferred format for health professionals, it’s the superior choice for delivering valuable and actionable health and wellness guidance.

We’re working with brands every day to provide all kinds of health professionals—dietitians, nurses, nurse practitioners, pediatric professionals, and more with printed patient education materials to use during their conversations with patients and clients. Not receiving our materials yet? Join PulseConnect!

The Changing Face of Health & Wellness at the Grocery Store

As living a healthy lifestyle has become more and more important to a growing number of Americans, consumers have turned to a wide range of sources for guidance. Health professionals remain the most trusted source, but grocery retailers are investing more dollars in an effort to become a bigger part of the health & wellness equation.

Just how much are retailers investing? More than you might think. The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) regularly conducts surveys among food retailers to understand how they are contributing to health and wellness. Their 2017 survey delivered some interesting—and surprising—results:

• Food retailers have accelerated their investments in health & wellness. 89% stated that they have an established health & wellness program for customers and employees. For comparison, only 54% of retailers had these programs in 2014.

• They’ve hired experts. 71% have a dedicated health & wellness team, while nearly 90% have dietitians on staff at the corporate, regional, or store level.

• They’re providing in-store resources. 81% offer store tours focused on healthy eating. 

• They’re supporting the in-store experience with online resources. 93% have websites dedicated to health & wellness, including healthy recipes, educational content, and nutrition Q&As.

• They’re partnering with trusted health professionals. 79% have plans to partner with local hospitals or healthcare networks within the next year.

• Investment in health & wellness is only going to grow. 96% stated that they are committed to expanding health & wellness in their stores.

These health & wellness programs are all designed to reinforce and support the efforts of health professionals like you. Though each retailer is different, there are a few common trends that stand out. How can your patients and clients benefit from these trends? Keep reading.

Good-for-You Products

Food retailers are making a conscious effort to offer good-for-you products. This includes offering healthier prepared foods too. Not only do food retailers offer these good-for-you products in their stores, they also help customers identify them. In-store signage, front-of-pack labeling on private label products, store tours, and shelf call-outs are just a few ways retailers are making it easier for shoppers to add healthy foods to their shopping carts.

Shopper Engagement Activities

Retailers are doing more than simply providing their customers with healthy foods. They’re also showing them how these healthy products fit a healthy lifestyle through weight management programs, food safety education, and cooking classes. Many retailers also provide healthy recipes, developed by dietitians, for shoppers to prepare on their own at home.

In-Store Health Professionals

Many food retailers have in-store dietitians and pharmacies. According to the report, 32% of retailers have invested in in-store clinics as well. These in-store clinics and pharmacies serve as a convenient way for patients to receive immediate care for simple, routine wellness procedures such as immunizations and health screenings.  

There’s no doubt that food retailers are taking their investment in health & wellness seriously. These initiatives serve as an excellent resource for both you and your patients, but many people aren’t aware of all that they entail. Educating your patients and clients on the health & wellness value to be found at the neighborhood grocery store is a great way to enhance your conversations and help them take small steps toward better health. After all, there’s no one-stop-shop for health & wellness.

Food Waste Is Costing Americans $1,500 a Year

If Americans weren’t confused enough by the Nutrition Facts label, it appears they are equally confused by food expiration date labels. According to this recent Food Navigator article, confusion over food date labels costs the average American household nearly $1,500 every year. That’s a lot of waste over a simple miscommunication.

Members of the Consumer Goods Forum, which is made up of food manufacturers from around the world, have recognized the prevalence of this issue and want to do something about it. Their plan is simple: create a standardized labeling system. Perishable items would indicate a set “use by” expiration date, while non-perishable items that typically have a much longer shelf-life would utilize a “best before” food quality indicator system.

“Simplifying food date labels is an important step forward in preventing food waste, and will help end the confusion related to ‘sell by’ dates.”

— Maria Fernanda Mejia, Kellogg's Senior Vice President

Of course, even if all goes well, a change of this magnitude would take years to implement. In the meantime, a bit of basic education about the difference between “sell by,” “use by,” and “best before” could save your patients and clients some of their hard-earned cash.

Why Aren’t We Talking About Nutrition?

Nutrition is an essential part of overall health and wellness, but according to a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association just 12% of office visits include counseling about the patient’s diet. If proper nutrition is so important, why aren’t more health professionals talking about it?

According to the article, only 25% of medical schools offer a dedicated nutrition course. As a result, many physicians feel as though they have inadequate nutrition information. Additionally, time constraints during office visits make these conversations difficult.

““Physicians report inadequate nutrition knowledge and low self-efficacy for counseling patients about diet. In addition, time pressures, especially in primary care, limited opportunities to counsel on nutrition or address preventative issues beyond patients’ acute complaints.””

The importance of nutrition education is becoming more apparent, however, and additional emphasis is being placed on nutrition during a physician’s training and in their practices. Community resources are also becoming more widely available to help combat physicians’ time constraints.

We can help too. At Pulse, we understand the importance of conversations about nutrition. That’s why we’re working with brands every day to provide all kinds of health professionals—dietitians, nurses, nurse practitioners, pediatric professionals, and more with resources to help start and guide their conversations about nutrition with their patients. Our programs are centered around these specific conversations and they provide professionals with educational tools and materials they can share with their patients and clients.

Nutrition is a key aspect of overall health and wellness, one that should play a key role in a physician’s counseling interactions.  What’s the first step to making this happen? Simply starting the conversation.

This content brought to you by PulseConnect.

Marketers of Healthy Brand-Name Products: Take Advantage of Your Advantage!

Picture this: A consumer is walking up and down the aisles of the grocery store doing her weekly shopping, and she stops to grab a product off the shelf. There are two choices. One is a brand-name product, and the other is the store's generic equivalent. Both products have the same ingredients and nutrition facts. Which one does she choose? According to the 2017 IFIC Food and Health Survey, she's more likely to choose the brand-name product. 

Why does the brand-name product have a perceived halo of health? Maybe the consumer thinks the ingredients, though the same, are of a higher quality. Maybe she assumes it was made with greater levels of safety and oversight. Or maybe she's just loyal to that particular brand-name product.

No matter the reason, one thing is for sure. Brands should take advantage of this advantage!

Three ways to build trust with a brand-name halo

Brands have an advantage when it comes to health perception, yet consumers are still skeptical about what they say about their healthy eating. In fact, according to the IFIC survey, food brands are consumers’ least-trusted source of information on which foods to eat or avoid. Healthy brands have a clear opportunity to build trust and relationships with consumers. This can be done three ways:

• Communicate directly with consumers
• Earn professional recommendations  
• Position your products as part of a healthy diet 

Direct communication

Sure, brands have invested significant resources in social media and online presences that are helpful or humorous, but that’s not how you build trust and credibility. Rather, brands should be transparent, relevant, open, and honest. 

Professional recommendations

While food brands are consumers’ least-trusted source of information when it comes to which foods to eat and avoid, health professionals are their most-trusted source of information. When professionals recommend a specific food brand, they are communicating to their patients and clients that they approve of and trust the brand they are recommending. It is, essentially, a tacit endorsement. If healthy brands want to build trust, there's no better way than through an already-trusted source. 

Product positioning

Consumers already perceive name brand-name products to be healthier than their generic versions, but be careful how you position yourself. Emphasize your brand's role as part of a healthy diet—just one player in a larger game—instead of suggesting you're the silver bullet for health.

Brands, you have a huge advantage that you should be capitalizing on. Consumers already perceive your products as healthy. Now it’s time to use that advantage to gain their trust as well.  

Nothing is Complicated About Healthy Eating

It's actually quite simple. But with new studies coming out every week about healthy eating, it’s easy for consumers to get distracted and confused by the latest and greatest information.

It's easy for publishers, too: No one wants to keep reporting the same healthy guidelines (because no one wants to read them). That's the point of a recent Atlantic article,  which argues that the so-called "new" data isn’t all that new and often makes healthy eating appear more complicated than it is.  

“Eating in ways that are good for our bodies isn’t conceptually complicated. It’s complicated by money and time and access—but eating based on scientific findings is not.”

— James Hamblin, MD

New studies will continue to emerge, but the basic guidelines for healthy eating will remain the same: lots of fruits, beans, seeds, vegetables, and whole grains, and few refined carbohydrates and sugar. 

Are Frozen Fruits and Vegetables Just as Healthy as Fresh?

Health professionals sure seem to think so. We were curious about the conversations happening around frozen foods, so we reached out to nearly 200 health professionals in our PulseConnect network to learn more. When asked, 87% of health professionals indicated that they believe frozen fruits and vegetables to be nutritionally equivalent to fresh. Some even believe them to be more nutritious than fresh, as frozen fruits and vegetables are picked and frozen at peak ripeness. 

Frozen fruits & vegetables recommended weekly

Health professionals are recommending frozen fruits and vegetables. In fact, 88% of health professionals surveyed indicated that they are recommending frozen fruits and vegetables at least on a weekly basis. 

Among those recommending frozen fruits and vegetables, 34% are doing so when talking to their patients and clients about eating a heart healthy diet. Health professionals emphasize that frozen fruits and vegetables are convenient, cost-effective, and nutritionally equivalent to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Health professionals recommended frozen fruit & vegetable brands

All frozen fruit and vegetable brands are perceived by health professionals as being healthy options, but some receive more recommendations than others. Want to know what health professionals are saying about your brand? That’s where we can help. 

What Consumers Really Want When it Comes to Healthy Eating

Whether it’s eating gluten free, following the Mediterranean diet, or being an adherent of Whole30 or Paleo, there is a seemingly never-ending supply of eating patterns and diets to meet every need or desire. While there’s no shortage of eating patterns and diets, few consumers are actually attempting them. In fact, according to the 2017 IFIC Food and Health Survey, a mere 14% of Americans followed a specific diet or eating pattern in the past year.  

Given how much attention these eating patterns and diets receive in the media—both traditional and social—this might come as a surprise. It shouldn’t. These eating patterns and diets get lots of attention, but they’re often perceived by consumers as being hard to follow, intimidating or simply unsustainable in the long-run. 

With the exception of fad diets that are highly restrictive or based on questionable science, following a set eating pattern or diet is a good thing. Even something as simple as reducing the consumption of processed carbs or added sugar while increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables could be considered an eating pattern—and a good one at that. So what’s standing in the way of consumers and a healthy eating pattern or diet to call their own? 

Approachable and realistic guidelines

When eating habits are extremely restrictive, eating healthy can seem nearly impossible, but healthy eating isn’t complicated—and shouldn’t be made to seem like it is. Rather than completely cutting certain foods out of their diet, like some diets require, it’s more realistic for consumers to make small changes to their eating habits. In fact, most of them are already doing just that. According to the IFIC survey, 80% of consumers said they have already made small changes to achieve an overall healthier diet. 

These small changes are easiest to implement if they come in the form of simple guidelines that are easy to follow and flexible. Guidelines such as drinking more water, reducing sodium intake, eating more fruits and vegetables, eating more foods with whole grains, and consuming smaller portions are both approachable and realistic. They’re so approachable, in fact, the IFIC survey found that over half of all consumers are already taking steps to incorporate these changes into their eating habits.

Small changes and simple guidelines that consumers can follow get them moving in the right direction, build momentum through early successes, and put them on a sustainable path toward their desired health goals. 

Educational information from a trusted source

So where can consumers get these guidelines? The internet is filled with information about eating patterns and diets; however, far too much of that information is inaccurate and has the potential to leave consumers confused, misinformed, and overwhelmed. When adopting healthier eating habits, consumers need to make sure they’re getting their information from a trusted source, such as a health professional. 

Not only are health professionals the most trusted source of consumer health information, they are also experts in their fields and are not easily swayed by trends or fads. Health professionals can provide much-needed context and present consumers with the basic guidelines they should follow in an understandable and actionable way.   

Will consumers ever fully embrace all-encompassing diets and eating patterns? Probably not. But just because most consumers aren’t taking on a complete diet overhaul doesn’t mean they aren’t taking steps toward healthier eating, they just prefer small steps. When it comes to healthy diets and eating patterns, consumers need guidelines that are approachable and realistic that come from a trusted source.

Are Health Professionals Recommending Frozen Entrées as a Healthy Option?

As we mentioned in last week's blog post, we wanted to know if health professionals are recommending frozen entrees, so we reached out to nearly 200 health professionals in our PulseConnect network. The survey results show that they are recommending frozen entrees on a regular basis. But, of course, they’re not recommending every brand. Here’s what we found.

Frozen entrées recommended weekly for weight management

Sixty-three percent of health professionals surveyed indicated that they are recommending frozen entrées on a weekly basis. 

Among them, 50% are doing so when talking face-to-face with their patients and clients about losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight. Health professionals emphasize that frozen entrées are convenient, portion-controlled, and easy to prepare. 

Frozen entrée brands favored by health professionals

The most frequently recommended frozen entrée brands include  Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Kashi, and MorningStar Farms. Though these brands are among the most well-known, they are not necessarily perceived to be the healthiest options. 

Smaller brands like Luvo and Evol actually out-rank most of the better-known brands when it comes to perceived healthfulness. In fact, Luvo and Evol are viewed by health professionals who are aware of them as being among the top three healthiest frozen entrée options. They simply lack the awareness needed to be more frequently recommended.

We have data on 16 frozen entrée brands. Want to know how your brand stacks up? That's where we can help.