The end of a very long day...

My day started a wee bit early @ 4 AM as I woke up and prepared to drive to Nashville for the Tennessee Dietetic Association meeting this morning. I arrived by 8:30 {after dealing with some Nashville traffic} just in time for a bite of breakfast and the first speaker of the day.

Today I learned a lot of things.

I learned to prioritize my life based on my values. I learned that healthy relationships oxygenate life, while unhealthy ones take your breath away. I learned that listening to music with 60-84 beats per minute is energizing (I think I'll ask Mr. Maestro to hook me up with some of this music so that I can test this theory), because this is the typical beats per minute of the human heart.  Chere Bork, a self-proclaimed health and life balance enthusiast {and registered dietitian} helped us to examine our daily schedule and look for energy highs and lows. She also told us to take a nap - I can buy into that!

I  learned that PCOS (poly cystic ovary syndrome) effects 1 of every 10 women and that is the most common endocrine disorder in premenopausal women. I learned that by the age of 30, 30% of women with PCOS will have type II Diabetes and that by the age of 60, 60% of women with PCOS will have it!  I also learned that nutrition therapy can have a very real effect on the treatment of this disorder!  If you, or someone you know suffers from PCOS, you need to check out this site: PCOS Nutrition Center

I learned about the obesity epidemic in Tennessee - and what the Tennessee Department of Health and the Tennessee Obesity Task Force is doing to make a healthy lifestyle easily accessible to the general population. This involves making communities more "walkable," introducing real grocery stores into food deserts, and changing policies to make health promotion a priority. To check out what's happening and become a member of the Tennessee Obesity Task Force go here: eatwellplaymoretn.org

One of my favorite presentations of the day was from Janet Helm - a registered dietitian and author of the Nutrition Unplugged blog.  She gave practical advice on using social media like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs as a tool for distributing sound nutrition advice to the general public.  She really had some cool things to say - and some suggestions of things that I plan to do to make this blog more valuable to you, dear reader!  In fact, I was so inspired by her presentation, that I created a Twitter account on the spot! Follow me @sweetomatopie {P.S. - I am [obviously] a Tweeting rookie - so please be patient!}

Perhaps one of my favorite parts of the day was catching up with some old friends. One of the gals I got to see today is Sarah-Jane Bedwell, also known as Nashville's Nutrition Expert. Sarah-Jane and I graduated from Harding University in the same class and our careers as RDs have taken us in very different directions. I am so inspired by her! She is truly a nutrition entrepreneur and is really making a name for herself speaking all over the country, on her monthly TV spots, with her own nutrition private practice, and through various other speaking and media engagements.  You go girl!

Oh yeah, I also won a little award. :)