Health Coaches with Jacqui Bryan, RN [Podcast]

Health Coaches have become an increasingly popular way in recent years to seek out nutrition guidance and advice. IFIC Foundation’s data shows them as highly trusted, yet science communicators know little about how health coaches work, where they learn about nutrition and how they reach consumers. In this episode of DataDish: Your Trusted Serving of Science, Jacqui Bryan shares her experience and insights as both a health coach and registered nurse. In addition to her 20 years as an RN, Jacqui has a master’s degree in Health Communications from Tufts Medical School and has devoted over a decade of her career to lifestyle approaches to good health. She’s also a Whole Health Educator and Certified Health Coach, teaching her clients how to replace risky behaviors with ones that support a healthier life. Some highlights:  We hope this podcast will help unpack the profession of health coaches. As Jacqui says, “It’s an exciting time for health coaching. I see it growing.”  

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Can Our Diets Be Stress-Free? An Intuitive Eating Expert Weighs In

Many healthcare professionals and consumers either don’t know or don’t fully understand what intuitive eating is, which makes sense because it’s still a relatively new concept. In case it’s your first time reading this series, here’s a recap: Intuitive eating is a style of eating that focuses on listening to your hunger cues, eating a variety of foods for fullness and satiety, respecting your body, and not labeling food as “good” or “bad.” On the surface, this way of eating sounds like wishful thinking and admirable intentions wrapped up in a feel-good message. However, intuitive eating has been shown to be effective — it can help people who have been stuck in the restrict-binge-shame cycle (which has poor health implications) or others who constantly think about their next meal because the one they ate most recently was not satisfying. It’s complex because intuitive eating challenges us to figure out why we have so many subconscious rules and habits around food that may not be healthy or maintainable. Our 2018 Food & Health Survey found that, despite not being very familiar with intuitive eating, people are interested to learn more. So let’s dive into a few important questions. Is intuitive eating science-based? Despite the name, intuitive eating isn’t something we know like the back of our hands — it’s the center of many recent research studies. More and more research is being done to examine the effects of non-restrictive eating in various populations. So far the results are promising: Despite not focusing on weight loss, intuitive eaters often have lower BMIs and better psychological health. Who can you turn to for trusted information about food? It’s no secret that fear-mongering headlines related to food are constantly circulating in the media. We spoke with Rebecca Scritchfield, RDN, EPC, an expert in intuitive […]

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Five Top Takeaways About Today’s Processed Foods Landscape

The dialogue around processed food is noisier than ever, and the constant barrage of media headlines about the purported harms of all processed foods has no end in sight. The International Food Information Council (IFIC) educational webinar, “The Processed Paradox: Consumer Insights Into Today’s Most Controversial Foods,” explores today’s processed foods landscape utilizing IFIC consumer research and insights to highlight what consumers are thinking and doing about today’s most controversial subject in nutrition: processed foods. Here are IFIC’s five top takeaways: 1. Americans care about what they eat, yet how that translates into their eating pattern varies. The vast majority (84%) of Americans say that eating healthy is important to them. Those who make $80,000+ annually and those with a college degree are more likely to say that eating healthy is “Very Important.” One of the ways this priority is expressed is through following an overall eating pattern. Slightly more than half of participants in the 2023 IFIC Food & Health Survey (52%) reported following a specific diet or eating pattern in the last year. High protein (18%) and mindful eating (17%) led the way as the two most popular diets. These were followed by calorie counting, clean eating, and intermittent fasting (each at 12%). An uptick in those who selected mindful eating in 2023 may signal a desire for a more holistic yet realistic approach to eating. Still, almost half (48%) report not following the structure of a specific diet or eating pattern. 2. The Nova food classification system serves as the current, yet incomplete, methodology cited in the scientific literature as well as media stories regarding processed foods, likely impacting consumers’ perceptions. The Nova classification system is the most utilized food classification approach documented in the scientific literature and has recently crossed over into mainstream media, with possibly […]

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Top 5 Takeaways About Fiber, Fruit & Vegetable Consumption & Its Impact On The Gut Microbiome

Over the past few years, the terms “microbiome” and “gut health” have exploded into the public consciousness due to an increase in newly published scientific research, media coverage, health and wellness trends, and food and beverage product innovation. Interestingly, Google Trends data show a steep incline in the amount of people searching for “microbiome,” indicating a steady increase in public awareness and curiosity in what factors impact our gut health. The gastrointestinal tract is home to trillions of microbes, collectively called the gut microbiome. The amount and types of bacteria found in our gastrointestinal tracks and our entire bodies can vary drastically from person to person, and there has been some debate about what makes up a “healthy” human microbiome. Specifically, there is great interest in the health impact of consuming fiber-rich foods, including fruits and vegetables, on the gut microbiome. Researchers focused on the gut microbiome extensively examine how dietary choices can impact the gut microbial profile, including the influence of prebiotics and probiotics from foods and beverages. This new and emerging research field has shed additional light on the fact that eating more fruits and vegetables is important for positive health outcomes. While this connection may not be surprising, it is troublesome when we consider that most people do not consume the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables. The International Food Information Council (IFIC) Expert Webinar, “An Apple A Day? Emerging Research On The Impact Of Fruits, Vegetables & Fiber On The Gut Microbiome,” explored how fiber-rich foods, including fruits and vegetables, impact the gut microbiome, as well as new research on the diverse makeup of prebiotic and probiotic availability in fruits and vegetables and potential positive health impacts. Here are the top takeaways from the webinar, featuring Dr. Katrine Whiteson and Dr. Wisnu Wicaksono (of the Dr. […]

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Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: A Casualty Of Fear-Mongering?

Building healthy eating patterns is core to reducing risk and managing diet-related chronic diseases. As such, supporting healthy food and beverage behaviors among Americans is a key public health tenet. While it is easy for us to encourage people to eat healthier, show them MyPlate, and give them tips for consuming each of the food groups in the recommended amounts, achieving healthy eating patterns is a much more complicated construct for individuals, families, and the population as a whole. Food is at the foundation of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, and eating is fraught with emotion. Dietary behaviors are a product of what the person choosing and consuming the food perceives and feels (consciously and subconsciously), and it can be very difficult to change eating habits that have been established over time. Sadly, a staggering number of Americans underconsume fruits and vegetables. Specifically, 90% do not eat recommended amounts of vegetables and 80% do not consume enough fruit – and this deficit has been pervasive across population groups and persistent over time. With consumers being exposed to recently published lists that propogate misinformation about pesticide use in fruit and vegetable production, we were compelled to understand current knowledge and perceptions of pesticide use and how these may affect produce consumption in our most recent IFIC Spotlight Survey. Pesticide Misunderstanding Jeopardizes Fruit & Vegetable Consumption Habits I invite everyone to read our latest IFIC Spotlight Survey: Public Perceptions of Pesticides & Produce Consumption report and to independently and critically think through the consequences of sensational messaging related to pesticides on diet quality – particularly fruit and vegetable intake. Here is my take on the data: The majority of Americans consider how food is grown when making food and beverage decisions. Food safety and pesticide use are top concerns. For those concerned about pesticide use, nearly […]

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The Salty Truth: Do We Stay The Same ‘Coarse’ Or Have We Been Getting It All Wrong?

Debriefing on the consumer research findings central to this article sparked animated discussion among our staff – dietitians and veteran communicators who have long worked to effectively explain nutrition nuances to consumers, utilizing consumer insights. Salt is special. Inextricably linked to taste, salt can impact all five taste sensations (yes, even bitterness, sweetness, sourness, and umami – depending on other ingredients and amount used!). Beyond taste, salt plays a functional role in food production as a binder, stabilizer, and food preservative. Salt, also known as sodium chloride, is one of the “OG” dietary guidance recommendations (going back to the original 1977 “Dietary Goals for the United States”). Salt is 40% sodium, thus sodium has been a long-standing nutrient of public health concern, a mainstay recommendation for reduction in Dietary Guidelines, nutrition education, and food labeling circles, and fodder for food reformulation. However, American sodium intake remains consistently above the recommendation – with average consumption around 3,400 mg per day compared to the 2,300 mg daily limit. While IFIC’s consumer research is designed to yield answers, our latest IFIC Spotlight Survey: American Consumer Perceptions of Sodium in the Diet raises questions about our approach to providing nutrition information to consumers. Consumer knowledge, feelings, and actions affect our ability to better align behaviors with recommendations and this survey indicated: 1) a dearth of will to restrict sodium; 2) a remarkable lack of consumer knowledge of quantitative sodium recommendations; and 3) inaction among the majority. Is There A Lack of Will To Limit Sodium? Nineteen consecutive years of data from the IFIC Food & Health Survey tell us taste is the number one driver of food purchase decisions. Every year, flavor has edged out price, sometimes by 15 percentage points or more. Healthfulness is next – but has only been a close third […]

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Building Trust In Food & Ingredient Safety In An All Or Nothing World

IFIC has long been an engaged leader and voice of reason in science, media, and stakeholder communications regarding food safety and nutrition. This point of view comes from our study of consumer knowledge and perceptions, as well as regulatory and policy actions, and how these factors, together, can potentially affect consumer behavior. Confidence In The Safety Of The Food Supply Continues To Erode The 2024 IFIC Food & Health Survey brought a disturbing finding to the forefront. Between 2023 and 2024, confidence in the safety of the U.S. food supply dropped significantly, with the percentage of people expressing strong or moderate confidence falling from 70% to 62%. This is despite the fact that the U.S. is widely regarded as having one of the safest food supplies in the world. We commissioned the IFIC Spotlight Survey: American Consumer Perceptions of Food Ingredient Safety to gain greater insight into how consumers consider both the risks and benefits of the foods and beverages they consume. Specifically, we sought to comprehend consumers’ thought processes around particular ingredients, and reported food choices, within our noisy communications environment. Top takeaways and key insights include: Americans are oriented toward food and beverage benefits over risks alone. Almost one in four Americans (23%) say they don’t think about the health risks or benefits of their food and drink choices. Meanwhile, nearly four in ten (39%) consider both factors equally. However, when looking at individual responses, a greater percentage of consumers (30%) report thinking about health benefits more often than health risks (8%). Widely covered food safety subjects are top-of-mind for consumers. Americans express the highest levels of consternation about E.coli and heavy metals, with 32% of consumers expressing concern over E. coli in beef, 29% concerned with lead, cadmium, and/or arsenic in baby food, and 27% concerned about […]

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Food, Health and the Gen X-Factor: A Generation Concerned About Weight and Relationships Between Diet and Disease

Download the full report. (Washington, D.C.)—Generation X got its name because it was considered to be harder to describe or understand—think “planet X” or “the X factor”—than their much-studied Baby Boomer predecessors. With Gen Xers (ages 40 to 55) now in middle age, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, in partnership with the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), released a new survey that examines their food and health attitudes, with a particular focus on their behaviors and perceptions related to diet and cancer risk. Among the findings: American Gen-X consumers are much more focused on weight loss than other age groups, a strong majority believes that lifestyle factors have at least some impact on the risk of developing cancer, and nearly half say their food and beverage purchases are impacted by whether they might reduce the risk of developing cancer. “With middle age comes more attention to our health and what we eat,” said Joseph Clayton, CEO of the IFIC Foundation. “Our research suggests that Gen Xers have distinct ideas about the relationships between our diets and diseases that are manifested in their food choices and behaviors.” The results supplement the IFIC Foundation’s 2019 Food and Health Survey—released in May—of the broader adult population (ages 18 to 80). It follows earlier in-depth looks at Baby Boomers and Millennials. “From our extensive scientific research, we know that around 40% of cancers are preventable and that being at a healthy weight is the single biggest lifestyle step to protect against cancer,” says AICR Director of Nutrition Programs Sheena Patel Swanner. “It’s great to see that the 2019 Food and Health Survey indicates that nearly half of all Gen X consumers say their purchases are impacted by whether a food/beverage might reduce their risk of developing cancer. Now is a better […]

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