"Longing for Recognition" -- A new and different book on dietetics

This morning while skimming "Gerry's List", I read about a new book on dietetic education and practice -- I admit the fascinating title made me look closely:

Longing for Recognition
The joys, complexities, and contradictions of practicing dietetics

by Jacqueline Rochelle Gingras, PhD, RD

Published by Raw Nerve Books,  York, UK, 1st February 2009,
ISBN 978-0955358654

$25 CAD, $22 USD

Longing for Recognition offers a radical new way of understanding nutritional health practices. In contemporary food culture, the work of dietitians has accrued new and urgent meaning, and Longing for Recognition is addressed to that group of practitioners. The author, herself a dietitian, crafts an autoethnographic fiction that presents a critical and thought-provoking argument for a more self-reflexive, relational, and embodied profession. Her compelling narrative draws the reader into its timely call for rethinking what counts as knowledge in dietetic education. Longing for Recognition will be invaluable for dietitians and other health care professionals who wish to enhance their practice as one that considers first and foremost what it means to be human.

Reviewers' Comments

Longing for Recognition is a landmark nutritional and educational text and a whole new way of mapping the terrain. The book is an urgent, eloquent and compelling journey towards tomorrow's dietetics, and Gingras draws us out from 'safe places' to hold vulnerability up to the light. Engagingly narrated through both a personal and a conceptual lens, her book is a telling and necessary exposition of her discoveries. Lucy Aphramor, RD, Health Researcher, Coventry University, UK

Professionals too rarely address the limits of their training or the strong emotions produced by the dilemmas they face in their work. This richly layered story - compelling in its attention to real people with complex lives at work and at home - treats nutrition educators as accomplished but also fully human practitioners, who struggle to reconcile the realities of everyday practice with their desires to make a better world, for themselves and others. Marjorie DeVault, PhD, Professor of Sociology, Syracuse University, USA

About the author
Jacqueline Gingras, PhD, RD is an Assistant Professor at Ryerson University's School of Nutrition, Toronto, ON. She conducts research into dietetic education and practice. Previous work has appeared in publications as diverse as Feminist Media Studies; Food, Culture & Society; and Educational Insights.

Source of book information.  Author's web page.

I very much like the book's subtitle: it aptly describes my (and maybe your) experiences & emotions when getting and giving nutrition knowledge in a "real-world" setting. Sometimes the process and interactions are joyful: more often, they are complex, and contradictory, with elements of controversy & uncertainty added to the mix. I think Dr. Gingras is correct: a reflective, fully human, honest orientation will enhance our practice & profession.

Congratulations, Dr. Gingras, on this thoughtful book and thank you for it.

Low-Glycemic Meals in Minutes

Fellow dietitian, Laura Kalina, has co-authored a new new book and she has kindly given me permission to feature it on Greens & Berries.

Low-Glycemic Meals in Minutes features over 125 low-glycemic,
easy-to-prepare recipes, complete with menu plan, shopping list and
exercise strategies to help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
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You can read more about Laura's background and the book on the website.  Here's an excerpt and recipe that make me think this book could become a kitchen staple for making fast, healthy, at-home family meals -- what could be better?

The most common concern of today’s busy families is 'not enough time.' Lack of time, combined with the convenience and prevalence of fast food restaurants and prepackaged foods, has led to an unprecedented rise in obesity rates and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Of particular concern is the tripling of childhood obesity in the last decade. This book will make your 'not enough time' concern a thing of the past. It focuses on the 'Quick Prep' method and shows you how easy it is to prepare healthy, well-balanced meals for your family in less time than a trip to your local fast food restaurant.

Tofu Lasagna

Phase 1 • Makes 6 to 8 servings

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 zucchini, chopped
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 jar (24 oz/700 ml) Italian tomato sauce
1/2 tsp each dried oregano and dried basil
1 cup mushrooms, sliced with stems removed
1 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese, grated
1 pkg (300g) soft tofu
1 pkg (300g) frozen spinach, drained
2 pkgs (300g each) extra firm tofu
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1) Preheat oven to 350°F. 2) In a frying pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sauté zucchini,peppers, onion and garlic until onions are transparent. 3) In a large bowl combine tomato sauce, oregano, basil, and mushrooms. 4) In another bowl, mix soft tofu with spinach. 5) Slice extra firm tofu into 1/8-inch to 1/4 -inch slices to act as lasagna noodles.
6)Oil a 9 x 13 inch lasagna pan with the remaining olive oil. Pour a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom. Add a layer of tofu as you would lasagna noodles. Top with some of the spinach mixture and then some grilled vegetables. Sprinkle some mozzarella on top. 7) Repeat until all ingredients are used (you will have 2 or 3 layers). Top with remaining mozzarella and lastly sprinkle with parmesan cheese. 8) Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.