On nutrition: "Academic nourishment"

It's been four days of "academic nourishment" (to borrow from one of the speakers) at the American Dietetic Association's Food and Nutrition Conference in Boston. And along with 10,000 other nutrition professionals who attended this program, it will take me a while to digest it all.

But here are some highlights:

"Give Peas a Chance." I read it on a green (of course) T-shirt worn by a registered dietitian at the meeting. And I heard researchers confirm over and over that plant-based foods contain substances that help prevent the inflammation and "oxidative stress" that can lead to heart disease, cancer and other diseases. I also heard that our intake of vegetables and fruit continues to be "woefully low."

I was encouraged by the launch of a new program to help families and professionals attack childhood obesity in our country. "Kids Eat Right" (www.kidseatright.org) provides practical information on how to shop, cook and eat to improve the health of our nation's kids. Check it out.

I had my share of health nuts. Walnuts from California. Pecans from Georgia. And the reminder that "49" is the number of pistachios in one serving. Nuts — we were reminded — are rich in "healthy fats" and other substances that have been shown to benefit blood pressure, heart health, and maybe even keep our weight under control.

Muscle health was a hot topic, especially as we learned that we begin to lose muscle mass and strength around age 50. Ouch. Besides exercise, more than one speaker suggested many adults need about 20 grams of protein per meal (the amount in about 3 ounces of meat, fish, chicken or meat) to best maintain muscle strength.

Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University Medical Center gave an entertaining presentation on vitamin D "the D-Lightful vitamin for health." One reason many of us may be deficient in this made-primarily-by-the-sun-on-our-skin vitamin, according to Holick: If you draw a line across the United States, Americans living above Atlanta cannot make vitamin D in the winter. He expects the new recommendations for vitamin D intake — due out any day now — will increase.

Holick also busted an apparent myth about vitamin D supplements: "vitamin D-2 is as effective as D-3 to raise blood levels of vitamin D," he told us.

I learned a new acronym: SoFAS (Solid Fats and Added Sugars), which are the main parts of our American diet we need to eat less of, according to the newest 2010 report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. And here's a scary statistic: We Americans drink 500 times as many soft drinks today as we did 50 years ago.

There was "the great fat debate" featuring Dr. Walter Willette from the Harvard School of Public Health. Bottom line: Polyunsaturated fats (such as omega 3's in fish and the unsaturated fats in vegetable oils and nuts) are good for you. Don't load up on sugar and unrefined starches. And whatever you eat, keep your weight in check.

Last, we heard many researchers confirm that whole food — not supplements — have the most influence on our health. As one speaker said, "It's the whole package of nutrients in the diet that exerts the most powerful health effects."

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Barbara Quinn is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula in California. She is the author of Diabetes DTOUR Diet, Rodale, 2009. Readers may send her e-mail at bquinn@chomp.org.