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Barbara Gordon, RD
Expert Guru
For more than two decades, BJ Gordon has written about health, nutrition, and food. She is a seasoned medical writer—skilled at translating complex medical concepts and technical research findings into plain language. For samples of BJ’s work, check out health magazines, hospital web sites, trade newsletters, and health education materials. Trained in instructional design, she also offers curriculum, presentation, and script development expertise.
BJ produces award-winning work, including more than 50 awards for creative excellence and superior program management (e.g., National Institutes of Health (NIH) Excellence in Plain Language Awards, Best Consumer Resource Awards, and Best Large Installation Health Promotion Program).
BJ is a Registered Dietitian and Focus Group Moderator. She holds a Bachelors of Social Work (Distinction) from Catholic University, Bachelors of Science in Food and Nutrition (Honors) from Simmons College. Social service, health care, education, government, and nonprofit experience is paired with training from Harvard University (Executive Management Program) and Johns Hopkins University (Master of Business Administration).
Interview
What books have most influenced your life? Gift from the Sea (Anne Morrow Lindbergh) Reading Lolita in Tehran (Azar Nafisi)
Who are your favorite music artists? Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Patsy Kline, Joni Mitchell, and Corinne Bailey-Rae are my favorites—some of the world’s best female lyricists.
What are your favorite websites and why? News and health sites. My company’s site (www.healthcommsolutions.com) includes links to the news and resource sites that I frequent. For a quick scan, google is my default. I also like www.metasearch.com for a broader sweep.
Where else can people find you on the web? For more information about my background and skill sets, see: www.healthcommsolutions.com. Check out www.nih.gov (health information), www.vimo.com, and www.e-wisdom.com for work samples.
What are your professional highlights? — Web content for 100-plus hospitals and health plans (10 years) — Health, nutrition and food articles for regional and local newspapers (5+ years) — Health and science publications for the National Institutes of Health (20 years) — Low literacy publications for the American Diabetes Association (3+ years) — Health curriculum—weight loss, healthy cooking, and active lifestyle (10+ years)
What advice do you have for the journey of life? A good belly laugh takes the edge off of a dismal day.
What are you most passionate about in life? A strong desire to make a difference in the world drives me. Health literacy concerns me—and through writing I hope to help others better understand health and nutrition and more easily navigate our complex healthcare system.
What ticks you off? Rudeness and lack of consideration for others ticks me off.
Any thoughts or ideas on living a greener life? We all need to pitch in—every little bit helps. Look for simple ways to leave a lighter foot print: recycle, conserve water use, reuse shopping bags, reduce vehicle emissions.
What would people be surprised to know about you? I am not a real Colorado cowgirl. A recent transplant to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, I only recently traded my stilettos for a Stetson.
Philosophy
"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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3 Tips from Barbara Gordon, RD
Good cholesterol—bad cholesterol: How do I remember what’s what?
Two types of cholesterol influence your heart health—one in a bad way and the other in a good way. LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol (think “L” as in lousy) and HDL cholesterol is the good cholesterol (think “H” as in healthy).
Lousy LDL cholesterol is the primary source of blockage of the arteries. LDL collects on the inside of arteries the same way plaque builds up on the outside of teeth. This build-up makes it harder for your heart to pump blood. The strain on your heart increases the risk of a heart attack.
Healthy HDL cholesterol counters the effects of LDL by keeping cholesterol from building up in the arteries and reducing the risk of heart disease. To increase plaque-fighting HDL and heart health, exercise regularly and drink a glass of grape juice or red wine daily.
Do Vienna Sausages hail from Vienna, Austria?
Mention of Vienna, Austria, prompts images of towering Alps, Mozart sonnets, and Bavarian villages. Contrast that with pictures of pre-cooked meat scraps, mechanically-cut shapes, and mass-production lines used to make Vienna sausages. Do these mini-sausages really hail from charming Vienna?
According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, the name Vienna sausage is synonymous with wiener. And, an Austrian sausage maker created wieners or weinerwursts—translating to Wien (Vienna) and wurst (sausage). This places the origin of Vienna sausages in the city of their namesake.
One of the oldest prepared foods, sausages date back to 3000 BC. Thrifty butchers stuffed intestines with salted organs, blood, fat and other edible animal scraps. In the 18th century, France introduced the first method for mass producing canned meats. England patented the use of metal containers one hundred years later. Production of sausages in canning factories dates back to 1890. Canning processes continue to evolve. In 1984, General Foods patented a new process for shaping Vienna sausages.
Today the typical tin of Vienna sausage contains finely-cut, salted, and spiced meat (chicken, beef or pork). The production cycle includes smoking in a long casing, cutting sausages into 2-inch lengths, packing in water or brine, and commercially canning. However, order a Vienna sausage in Austria and a thin frankfurter in a sausage skin, known as the “Viennese” sausage, appears!
Fruits and vegetables—Quick and easy ways to get your recommended servings
Many of us find it challenging to eat the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. The effort of cleaning and preparing fresh fruits and vegetables poses a deterrent for some. Others don’t instinctively snack on fruits and vegetables.
To reduce the risk of certain cancers and chronic diseases, dietary guidelines advocate seven servings per day for women (3 fruits, 4 vegetables) and nine for men (4 fruits, 5 vegetables). One fruit serving is ¾ cup fruit juice; ¼ cup dried fruit; one medium-size piece of fruit; or ½ cup raw, cooked, frozen or canned fruit. A vegetable serving is 1 cup raw, leafy greens; ½ cup cooked beans or peas; or ½ cup raw, cooked or frozen vegetables.
Here are some quick and easy fruit and vegetables servings:
— Snack fruit cups. Available in a variety of fruits (apples, mandarin oranges, peaches, and more), these 4-ounce cups don’t require refrigeration. Store a 6-pack in your desk or stash a cup in your lunch bag or purse.
— Dried fruits. Grocery stores now carry an array of dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, blueberries, pineapple, apricots). Toss them into breakfast cereals or deli salads (chicken, tuna or pasta).
— Frozen vegetables. Stock up on frozen vegetables and add them to canned or dried soups, or microwave them for a quick and nutritious addition to a meal.
— Tomato-based soups. One cup of tomato soup equates to one vegetable serving and offers a rich source of Vitamin C and A. Add low-fat milk to boost your calcium intake.
— Pre-cut vegetables and salad mixes. No need to spend time chopping and cutting—pick up a tray of pre-cut vegetables or a pre-made salad.
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