Contact

Please email me with questions or comments at Janet.HelmRD@gmail.com or leave a comment below and I’ll respond.

{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Amy Colton 02.14.09 at 10:33 am

Wow – Janet, this is a terrific site! Nicely done and I look forward to being a regular reader!

2 Lisa Carlson 02.14.09 at 1:00 pm

Janet–This is great, and so packed with good info. Love the graphics, too. Lisa

3 Carolyn Westcomb 02.14.09 at 9:06 pm

Janet, congrats on terrific site….loved the piece on deceptive foods since I am now focused on making sure my daughter gets the right foods/nutrients.

4 Rebekah Kreutz 02.16.09 at 5:05 pm

Congrats on the new site, Janet…it’s great! I hate those “Sneaky Chef” cookbooks! I’m lucky that my girls eat their vegetables pretty happily but it took some time. They might not be their first choice, but they eat them without me having to beg. Meat on the otherhand is where we struggle…they aren’t canivores (yet) like their parents! Will continue to read…congrats again.

5 Molly Steinkrauss 02.16.09 at 7:35 pm

Great blog, Janet – I’ll be a regular for sure!

6 Janet 02.18.09 at 5:21 pm

Thanks so much Molly! Help me spread the word. Appreciate!

7 Janet 02.18.09 at 5:22 pm

Thanks Rebekah. Glad you agree about the sneaky approach.
Great to hear from you!

8 Janet 02.18.09 at 5:23 pm

Thanks so much! So great to hear from you.

9 Sharon 02.22.09 at 11:59 am

Wonderful blog. Love your writing in newspapers, magazines and your own personal blog. Congratulations.

10 David Fuentes 02.27.09 at 12:19 am

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11 Caitlin 03.20.09 at 9:51 am

I just found your blog after seeing your email from the NEdpg listserv. I’m a student member, working towards my RD and MS right now, and from the list of your publications, you are doing exactly what I hope to do one day. If it is ok, I would love to email you privately and pick your brain sometime about how you got to where you are. Your blog is great too, I look forward to reading more!

12 Melissa Joy Dobbins 04.07.09 at 2:13 pm

Great blog! Looking forward to hearing more from you and not having to wait for articles in the Trib. I love your approach to food and educating the public.

13 Joanne Murray 04.08.09 at 9:19 am

Janet,
What a wonderful website. Congratulations! I have just started as the Health and Wellness Manager at Topco Associates and know that this will be so helpful. I have been receiving it at my home e-mail – Murrayfam@aol.com but would like to switch it to my new work e-mail jmurrary@topco.com
Thanks so much.

14 Joanne Murray 04.08.09 at 9:20 am

Sorry just noticed that I made a mistake in my new e-mail. Should be jmurray@topco.com

15 Jacquie 06.02.09 at 10:08 pm

My friend Regina recommends your site highly and I can see why! I only wish I’d connected with you at the Food Technology Summit when I was in Chicago…I’m now a subscriber – thanks for the refreshing perspective.

16 Ruth Lahmayer Chipps 07.10.09 at 3:54 pm

Hi Janet,
Thank you so much for your time and effort on your blog—it truly is my favorite.
I also really appreciated your bold review today of “The Donald” and his nutrition pyramid scheme. Right on!

Take care,
Ruth

17 Janet 07.11.09 at 7:59 am

Thanks so much Ruth. Glad you’re a regular reader, and thanks for your comments on The Donald. I really hate to see him putting his name to these products and this type of business. It’s really a shame.
Keep reading,
Best, Janet

18 leslie harris 09.25.09 at 4:55 pm

I can see your point , but I have a child that gags everytime he eats a vegetable. so just what is your suggestion for that? So I will continue to do what I think is best for my 4 children. Don’t bother me with your anecdotes.

19 Janet 09.28.09 at 5:55 am

Leslie,
Sounds like you have a specific case that may need to be addressed best by a pediatrician and supported by individualized counseling from a registered dietitian. I’m talking about an overall approach to encourage vegetables, but of course you must do what you think is best for your children. Sorry if you were bothered by my post. This was my opinion as a dietitian….and I know quite a few of my colleagues agree with me. But certainly didn’t mean to bother you.

20 Darla Barclay 10.25.09 at 11:42 am

Your article on Trump Health was so timely! I bought into the scheme, ordering the $500 starter pack, and luckily tried the foods and read the labels before selling to anyone else. What a bunch of junk! The foods are terrible, the drinks gagworthy (I had to brush my teeth for 10 minutes to get rid of the disgusting taste), the vitamins have less nutrients than One a Day cheap brand at the drugstore. And he claims the diet program is not really expensive because “remember it replaces your normal foods.” Really? How many single people spend $1325 per month for food? It’s hard to believe with all his money he didn’t try the products first and refine them. As is, there is no way they can get repeated business – who in the world would pay so much to get such hideous products amd then . . . keep doing it (re-ordering)? That leaves the only true reason to do this at all – multi-level earnings. As my upline manager said to me “we’re really selling the opportunity, not the food.” Isn’t that the very definition of Ponzi? Don’t you have to sell the product first to escape that legal label? Sorry, Donald, this time YOU”RE fired!

21 Janet 10.25.09 at 3:37 pm

Darla,
Thanks so much for your message. Appreciate your honesty. I sure wish others who are buying into this nutrition ponzi scheme could get your message! It is all about the earnings, not the product. It’s the advancement, not the advice. Worried about people’s pocketbooks, and their health!

22 Susan Rapley, RD, LD 11.07.09 at 9:04 pm

Nope, Stier is wrong. Obesity is not as simple as “calories in versus calories out”. Our bodies are not simply calorie “buckets”. If that were true, dieting would work. I know better, and if he is interested, he can contact me.

23 Megan Hart 12.08.09 at 12:44 pm

Wonderful presenation today! Look forward to becoming a follower of your great blog!
Megan Hart MS, RD

24 The Healthy Apple 12.20.09 at 9:55 am

Your articles and site are incredibly interesting and well written…I’m looking forward to your recipes and posts in 2010. Happy Holidays.
Best,
The Healthy Apple

25 Maria 02.04.10 at 5:15 pm

Hi Janet,
Your website is so well done and, though I am not a registered dietician and can not accurately comment on your nurition content, I’m assuming it’s well-founded and researched information and advice.
Unfortunately, when you stray away from your area of expertise as you do in criticizing multi-level marketing, you demonstrate the “credibility damaging” practice of speaking to that which you have clearly not researched. As the saying goes “how you do one thing is how you do everything”. Your comments related to Mr. Trumps method of distribution for his new product venture does harm to your credibiltiy when you make statements that have nothing to do with fact and everything to do with lazy reporting and blatant personal bias.
I have no idea whether or not Mr. Trumps nutiritional products are any good (nor do I care), and would be inclined to go with a registered dietician’s opinion on that one. However, what I do know is that I’m far less inclined to give any weight to your judgement on that or any of your other content after your demonstration of biased and uninformed reporting. Reading your bio, my impression is that you are likely an excellent nutritionist. Stick to what you know, and research what you don’t. This practice will not only avoid driving potential customers away from your site, but will likely reveal benefits to you in every area of life.
To your success,
Maria

26 Janet 02.04.10 at 8:10 pm

Maria,
Thanks for visiting, and thanks for your positive comments. I do strive to serve up science-based information, and provide readers with the facts about nutrition.
If you read my article again about the Trump Network, it’s talking about the PRODUCTS. I don’t care how they’re sold. It’s the products and the claims that are being made that disturb me. Even if they were sold only in health food stores, I would have the same concern. They just happened to be sold via MLM. I’m not criticizing the entire MLM business model, but it does concern me that unqualified dealers are dishing up nutrition advice to sell these products. I don’t think these comments go beyond my scope of practice. I think it’s important for people to realize that the truth about these products and about the tests that are recommended. Sorry, but I’m sticking to what I know.

27 Jeni Tackett 02.22.10 at 2:49 pm

What a fantastic blog! You really do cut to the chase and help to clear up the confusion over fads in nutrition. I love it!

28 Rob 03.27.10 at 8:52 pm

I read your article on Trump Network and found it to be a bit biased, one-sided and lacking in credibility. While I respect your knowledge about nutrition and your opinions (you have very right to your own opinions as we all do), I felt the need to respond to the article. The MLM/network marketing business model is not that much different from a standard profit oriented company. Let’s get real – all companies produce products that are marketable to produce profitability. Whether the products are sold via network marketing or directly on line or via a store (health food store, etc.), there is a wholesale value, a retail value and everyone along the way makes profit. That is the capitalist system. I have found many of the MLM/Network marketing products superior to what can be purchased in stores, most likely to reduced advertising and packaging costs, so more money is allocated to product quality. As far as the MLM structure, a similar structure exists in most traditional companies – just take a look at an organizational chart and you will see a pyramid compensation plan. Enough about MLM’s.
Mr. Trump is not a nutritionist and does not claim to be. He became involved with a company whose products have been helping people for over 10 years and whose products were designed by nutritionists, dieticians, MD’s, Ph’d’s, etc. Personally, I am not impressed with credentials as much as I am about the way individuals use them. After all, the dieticians and nutritionists who decided on our children’s public school lunch menus in my opinion prove that credentials mean nothing, if not used appropriately. I agree with you that everyone’s primary source of nutrition should be real, unprocessed food. However, in the real world, supplementation and even once in a while processed foods fill a need. I don’t need a nutritionist to tell me that I don’t need supplementation – I know my body and know that I feel better overall, have more energy and am healthier with high quality supplements, despite my otherwise balanced and healthy diet. In fact, there is quite a bit of evidence to support the fact that most people are wise to supplement. As far as TumpNetwork products, the vitamins are customized based on metabolic testing through a well respected lab – Metametrix. Your lack of knowledge regarding the lab’s testing and the basis for determining the customized formulation is misleading. I recommend that you investigate the lab’s work and the science behind the testing. Urinalysis testing cannot measure the nutrient content in your body, it can measure how effectively your body is metabolizing and using the nutrients you ingest. Please do your research. As far as the products are concerned, after trying many types of protein bars, snacks, etc., including the ones my family eats, the products are of excellent quality and tastes great.. Perhaps the higher price is based on the ingredients, especially the higher amounts of protein in each serving of diet and children’s snack products. In the practical world, although eating real food is preferable, our children and many adults are endangering their health with all the junk food available in the stores. As a transitional option, it would make sense to consider great tasting snacks w/more wholesome ingredients and more protein. Do you really think you are going to get Doritos, potato chip and candy eaters to instantly switch to carrots, apples and nuts? My son tested the children’s snacks and gave them a thumb’s up. I’ve witnessed other children do the same. I prefer their protein/diet bars to any that I’ve found on the market. So rather than fire Trump as the nutritionist he never claimed he was, I’d congratulate him for partnering with an established company that creates great products. Thank you for creating this site and I look forward to investigating what seem like healthy dietary choices! And Darla, I respect your opinion on the products, however many people do like them. When a pair of MD’s who scrutinized and analyzed the ingredients of the weight loss products as well as all the science behind them, prior to introducing them into their practice, informed me on now the products have helped their patients, I tend to believe it. Your comparing these vitamins to a one a day is absurd. The Trump custom vitamins have medicinal grade nutrients, including minerals, amino acids, digestive enzymes and phytonutrients in a whole food base. The products have proven to be highly bioavailable – significantly more than junk vitamins like one-a- day. These vitamins and others of high quality are more efficiently absorbed by the body.
You can feel the difference. Finally, the fact that they are customized makes sense, since a standard one-a-day type is one size fits all. Too much of a nutrient can be just as harmful as too little of one, based on what your body needs. So a higher level of nutrient in a one-a-day does not necessarily mean it’s healthier for you. Finally, you don’t need as much quantity in a nutritional product whose ingredients are of better quality and whose formulation more bioavailable to your body! Thank you Janet for this forum and for a site that appears to be filled w/great tips on eating healthy!

29 Lori Rowell 03.31.10 at 2:34 pm

Hi Janet!
I love your blog! Very excited to keep up with this. Look forward to seeing you next week at Building a Healthier Chicago! My best!
Lori

30 Mark 04.26.10 at 4:12 pm

janet,

i was raised on Kombu-cha, and not familiar with the definition of it except for:

Kombu-in Japanese means kelp
Cha-means tea
Konbu-cha, kelp tea, which taste more like sea water but in the same time very good for you.

31 Dave 05.09.10 at 9:13 am

I hope it’s OK to contact you here, We came across your blog and We’d like to invite you to appear on our Foodie site – Foodierama. Have a look at http://www.foodierama.com and send us a note on our contact form or through the email in this comment if interested. Thanks and sorry to intrude , Dave

32 John 05.18.10 at 6:36 am

I read your article on Trump Network and found it to be a bit biased, one-sided and lacking in credibility. While I respect your knowledge about nutrition and your opinions (you have very right to your own opinions as we all do), I felt the need to respond to the article. The MLM/network marketing business model is not that much different from a standard profit oriented company. Let’s get real – all companies produce products that are marketable to produce profitability. Whether the products are sold via network marketing or directly on line or via a store (health food store, etc.), there is a wholesale value, a retail value and everyone along the way makes profit. That is the capitalist system. I have found many of the MLM/Network marketing products superior to what can be purchased in stores, most likely to reduced advertising and packaging costs, so more money is allocated to product quality. As far as the MLM structure, a similar structure exists in most traditional companies – just take a look at an organizational chart and you will see a pyramid compensation plan. Enough about MLM’s.Mr. Trump is not a nutritionist and does not claim to be. He became involved with a company whose products have been helping people for over 10 years and whose products were designed by nutritionists, dieticians, MD’s, Ph’d’s, etc. Personally, I am not impressed with credentials as much as I am about the way individuals use them. After all, the dieticians and nutritionists who decided on our children’s public school lunch menus in my opinion prove that credentials mean nothing, if not used appropriately. I agree with you that everyone’s primary source of nutrition should be real, unprocessed food. However, in the real world, supplementation and even once in a while processed foods fill a need. I don’t need a nutritionist to tell me that I don’t need supplementation – I know my body and know that I feel better overall, have more energy and am healthier with high quality supplements, despite my otherwise balanced and healthy diet. In fact, there is quite a bit of evidence to support the fact that most people are wise to supplement. As far as TumpNetwork products, the vitamins are customized based on metabolic testing through a well respected lab – Metametrix. Your lack of knowledge regarding the lab’s testing and the basis for determining the customized formulation is misleading. I recommend that you investigate the lab’s work and the science behind the testing. Urinalysis testing cannot measure the nutrient content in your body, it can measure how effectively your body is metabolizing and using the nutrients you ingest. Please do your research. As far as the products are concerned, after trying many types of protein bars, snacks, etc., including the ones my family eats, the products are of excellent quality and tastes great.. Perhaps the higher price is based on the ingredients, especially the higher amounts of protein in each serving of diet and children’s snack products. In the practical world, although eating real food is preferable, our children and many adults are endangering their health with all the junk food available in the stores. As a transitional option, it would make sense to consider great tasting snacks w/more wholesome ingredients and more protein. Do you really think you are going to get Doritos, potato chip and candy eaters to instantly switch to carrots, apples and nuts? My son tested the children’s snacks and gave them a thumb’s up. I’ve witnessed other children do the same. I prefer their protein/diet bars to any that I’ve found on the market. So rather than fire Trump as the nutritionist he never claimed he was, I’d congratulate him for partnering with an established company that creates great products. Thank you for creating this site and I look forward to investigating what seem like healthy dietary choices! And Darla, I respect your opinion on the products, however many people do like them. When a pair of MD’s who scrutinized and analyzed the ingredients of the weight loss products as well as all the science behind them, prior to introducing them into their practice, informed me on now the products have helped their patients, I tend to believe it. Your comparing these vitamins to a one a day is absurd. The Trump custom vitamins have medicinal grade nutrients, including minerals, amino acids, digestive enzymes and phytonutrients in a whole food base. The products have proven to be highly bioavailable – significantly more than junk vitamins like one-a- day. These vitamins and others of high quality are more efficiently absorbed by the body.You can feel the difference. Finally, the fact that they are customized makes sense, since a standard one-a-day type is one size fits all. Too much of a nutrient can be just as harmful as too little of one, based on what your body needs. So a higher level of nutrient in a one-a-day does not necessarily mean it’s healthier for you. Finally, you don’t need as much quantity in a nutritional product whose ingredients are of better quality and whose formulation more bioavailable to your body! Thank you Janet for this forum and for a site that appears to be filled w/great tips on eating healthy!
+1

33 Doo Dilly 05.19.10 at 3:51 pm

Good grief, Charlie Brown, the MLMers are persistent, aren’t they?

But back to nutrition, I’m surprised you let your colleague’s comment slip by without any comment. (Ms. Rapley) Is she referring to Jeff Stier, the Associate Director of ACSH? Why does every respected authority, such as the Mayo Clinic, discuss exercise, healthy eating, different types of foods, etc., but conclude essentially that it eventually boils down to calories in/calories out? (I’m sure there are some exceptions, but diets mostly don’t work because people don’t change their eating habits.) Or am I completely off base here?

Could she have an ulterior motive?
http://www.bluebonnethealth.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=26

Dr. Kalia, a reputable board certified pediatric nephrologist at UT Med Branch also offers weight management classes in Texas, along with personal consultations– I wonder if he does them them via telephone or e-mail?

34 Dave WIld 05.31.10 at 9:32 pm

Hi
I am so glad these lawsuits are happening maybe america will wake up and stop taking this crap. It’s loaded with stimulants like caffeind, gauanna, taurine etc… People need to stop looking for the “magic pill” and take responsibility for what the eat and do. Her products are the result of her on the show and the almighty dollar-SHE IS AN FN SELLOUT- like Jake Steinfeld of body by jake crap fitness products. Where is he now? I carry several certifications and a degree in Corporate Fitness/Wellness with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology. What does she carry but PR and on a show. The people on the Biggest Loser get low cal healthy foods, trainers and workouts that 99 percent of us do not have access to or can afford. These products she endorses are for her pocket book and I know she does not help in its creation or know or more importantly understands what is in it. She should be sued and so should a lot of other fitness products and equipment that lay unrealistic claims. But when she said on the Biggest Loser show that “she is the worlds best trainer and everyone wants to hire her” arrogance like this will be her downfall and now look at her. People like her give the fitness industry a bad name and unsafe products a push all for money.

35 Dr. Annemarie Colbin 06.14.10 at 3:07 pm

Dear Ms. Helm,

I was delighted to read your recent Chicago Tribune article, “Make this Recipe and Call Me in the Morning,” as it addresses many of the issues that I deal with on a daily basis as the head of the Natural Gourmet Institute (NGI) in New York City.

NGI was founded on the principle that what we eat significantly affects our physical, mental and spiritual well-being and we offer myriad classes to train our graduates to embrace this ideology in their professions as personal chefs, caterers, healthy-food entrepreneurs, and authors.

While I agree with Dr. Eisenberg that it is of paramount importance that Americans start learning how to cook healthful, whole foods, as it will drastically improve their health and quality of life, it might be unrealistic to expect our busy medical practitioners to spearhead this important revolution.

Why not turn instead to those who are already trained to prepare healthy food using only the highest quality ingredients — those who have studied the connection between food and health, as well as correct culinary techniques for plant-based cuisine? At NGI, the graduates of our Chef Training Program specialize in health-supportive cooking and would be the perfect candidates to lead this charge and support the physicians in their new mandate to help patients improve their health through well-chosen, well-prepared meals.

Sincerely,
Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D
CEO and founder of the Natural Gourmet Institute, author of “Food and Healing,” “The Natural Gourmet” and “The Whole-Food Guide to Strong Bones.”

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