As a self-proclaimed “date driven person”, Dr. Ivanic uses marketing analytics, statistics and experimental research to come to a general understanding of what influences an individual’s nutritional choices. In her line of research, Dr. Ivanic wants to understand “through a marketing lens, what can firms do in order to help people make better food choices”, while understanding the nuances of race and ethnicity and how they affect those choices.

Her work undermines misconceptions about marketing as simply a creative and ad driven field, stressing the importance of data and numbers for successful marketing projects.

At the very heart of Dr. Ivanic’s research is the concept of empowerment. She says that “when people feel empowered, they tend to make good decisions”. Her aim is to understand how marketers can empower people to make better nutritional choices by instilling affirmation and confidence. In her experimental research she asks subjects to reflect on their race and ethnicity in order to come to an understanding of whether or not they feel empowered with the necessary tools to make these decisions or not. She also gauges “nutritional literacy” in these groups in order to understand where there is a lack of knowledge and information about nutrition which could ultimately empower or disempower specific subgroups of individuals.

Dr. Ivanic chose to become a board member at the Skinny Gene Project because her professional and personal goal of empowerment aligns with the organization’s. Both the Skinny Gene Project’s work and Dr. Ivanic’s research take into consideration how race and ethnicity are two imperative factors for making sweeping changes in nutrition, health and diabetes.

Dr. Ivanic was recently tenured at USD, and hopes that this opportunity will give her time to work even harder on her research and projects. In the near future she hopes to focus her research on epilepsy and stigma, ultimately hoping to understand how social issues and disease are intertwined.

Photography by: Samantha Combs

We’ve had the opportunity to work with an inspiring mother-daughter duo.  The mother, Rosalvina, was on a mission to not only create a healthy home for her family, but to also bring back one thing her daughter seemed to have lost – hope for a healthy future.

When we began, Erika was only 12 years old but had been diagnosed with a health condition that usually means heart disease and type 2 diabetes are just around the corner.  Rosalvina and Erika looked for someone to help them with weight loss, but their efforts just left them feeling more frustrated and discouraged. That was until she found the Skinny Gene Project through her local Copley YMCA.

Initially, Erika was hesitant to come to the Skinny Gene Project “Boost Your Metabolism” classes with her mother.  In the past, she felt like the doctors who were trying to get her to lose weight did not see who she was on the inside.  All they saw was an overweight preteen.

After her mother brought her a sample of the food provided at the first class, Erika had a feeling that this weight loss class would be different. So, despite her previous negative experiences, Erika changed her mind and decided to risk attending the Boost Your Metabolism class with her mother.

When asked what made her want to improve her health, Erika said, “What motivated me the most was seeing other kids being able to run around non-stop.  And me having to stop after 20 minutes and then I’ll be all tired out.”

Creating healthy habits is a family affair.  Rosalvina makes almost all their meals at home in order to provide healthy choices.  She also exercises 5-6 days per week and models good habits for her daughter.   Rosalvina teaches her daughter how to live a healthy lifestyle, simply leading by example -making Rosalvina the perfect “Mommy Mentor”.

Rosalvina and Erika’s hard work definitely paid off. Erika’s goal at the beginning of the program was to lose weight before she started 7th grade in the fall.  With Skinny Gene’s help and her mother’s support, Erika started exercising regularly and making small consistent changes to her diet.   She was able to exercise more without getting tired. By attending our Boost Your Metabolism classes and practicing what she learned at home, Erika started feeling more confident in her ability to have control over what she puts in her body. All of these small positive lifestyle changes led to big weight loss.

After being in our program for just 3 months, Erika and Rosalvina have become the first mother-daughter duo at Copley YMCA to become a member of the Skinny Gene 5% club.

The Skinny Gene 5% club is an honor given to recognize the people in the Boost Your Metabolism program who made significant positive lifestyle changes and lost 5% of their body weight.

Studies show that losing just 5% of your body weight can have significant long term health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease (e.g. lowers bad cholesterol and blood pressure) and preventing type 2 diabetes by at least 58% (i.e. 4+ years)

We are excited to announce that at the end of the 3 month period, Rosalvina lost 5.7% of her body weight and Erika lost 8.8%

After losing the weight Erika said, “I have all this energy stored up now!”

Rosalvina has helped Erika to start down the path to a healthy and happy future, and the mother-daughter team plan to continue working on their lifestyle changes with the Skinny Gene Project to continue on this path.

Although we, the Skinny Gene Project are happy about the weight that these two lost, we are more excited about what they gained- improved health and renewed hope for the future.

Have you ever met someone who seemed a little close-minded? Or perhaps a picky eater? Well, this month I came across something very interesting that I thought I’d share with you.

 Early in October, I started to prepare for our Skinny Gene Project Halloween Party (otherwise called the “sugar presentation”) for my patients. It’s always exciting to get everything ready for our group events. We want our members to really enjoy themselves.

 When the day came, I had prepared healthy food for them to eat at the party, as well as healthy treats to take home – our “Skinny Gened” version of a trick- or-treat bag.

 As the patients began to arrive, I told them to help themselves to the food while we waited for our other guests. One of my patients came in with her husband and two children and sat in the back so they could see what was going to be served for dinner. When the husband saw the spinach salad I prepared, he automatically hesitated. He kept saying “I don’t like it”. His wife said with embarrassment, “you haven’t even tried it” and put a small amount of salad on his plate.

As I began giving my presentation, I could see him out of the corner of my eye, eating the salad and commenting to his wife.  I thought to myself, could it be that he actually likes it? When I finished with the presentation and moved on to the sugar demonstration, I actually saw him go back to the table and serve himself more salad! I couldn’t believe my eyes. Only 30 minutes ago he was so hesitant and confident that the salad would be something he wouldn’t like, but as it turns out… he came back for seconds. J

I wanted to share this with you because oftentimes people set their minds to believe something negative, or take “appearance” too much into consideration, that they don’t give themselves the opportunity to try new foods. So next time you come across a “healthy” food you think you won’t like… Go for at least “one bite.”   Is that too much to ask? You didn’t know you liked cupcakes until you tried them! Trying new foods help lead to a lifetime of healthful eating!

By Eye so green

By Nancy Juarez, Skinny Gene Bilingual Nutritionist

During  the course of our lives, we go through many stages, whether it is childhood, adolescence, or the transition to becoming an adult. But there is one thing that NEVER changes – the love and support from our FAMILY.

Over these last several weeks, I have encountered different ways in which I affect the lives of not only these wonderful individuals I have the pleasure of working with, but their families as well. For me, this is a way of giving a piece of myself to make the world a better place. Keeping it true to the saying “even the smallest things can make the biggest difference.”

At each appointment, I have the chance to ask every patient how their week went. I enjoy these opportunities to get to know a little more about each of them and gain a better understanding of what’s going on in their lives.  During my normal chat with Alice, I learned something interesting. Something I’d like to now share with you.

From the very beginning, Alice has done extremely well in the program. She’s shown her dedication to improving her family’s health in addition to her own. Her family consists of herself, her husband, and 6 children. As you may know, this is quite a handful!

Alice makes the time to continue with the program and apply what she learns at home. Creating a healthy home is particularly important for this family of 8. Her son has suffered from high blood pressure since he was small. Alice had been to many doctors to try to find an answer to this problem, since the main contributing factors (which are weight and heredity) are not an issue in her family.

This week she came in extremely happy. She was happy to report that her son has had his blood pressure controlled during these past few months, solely based on what she had taught him!

Alice’s son isn’t the only one in the house that is benefiting from Alice’s healthy lifestyle changes. Her mother, who has had an extremely difficult time losing weight in the past, is amazed by her own weight loss. Even Alice’s husband slimmer waistline is feeling the effects of this new healthy home. It’s apparent, that in this house anyway, health is contagious!

It makes feel so accomplished to know that Skinny Gene is not only making positive changes in Alice’s life, but also her family’s.

And it brings me to want to share this quote with you from the Dalai Lama “With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.”

This makes me feel that not only am I helping an individual person, but we are helping make the world a healthier place one person at a time.

What More???

Meet Nancy

Lose a little, Gain a lot

Your Body’s Talking, Are You Listening?

Great Things Happening for Skinny Gene in TX

MEET RACHEL

Rachel has been gaining weight for the past 3 years due to a thyroid problem. Doctors told her since this is very hard to control; she should monitor her weight for the years to come. When Rachel first met with me she was so discouraged, she would tell me, “I don’t want to continue gaining weight. My legs and back hurt. I want to play with my daughter while she is still young.”  As her daughter grows up, Rachel wants to be able to keep up with the normal physical demands of being an active mom.

She was skeptical about being part of the Skinny Gene Program; she didn’t want to get her hopes up about losing weight. Her husband had just been diagnosed with diabetes and had been having very high blood sugar levels. I encouraged her and assured CHANGE was going to occur and for the better. She began to change her eating habits radically, and began exercising everyday encouraging her husband to do the same as well. The other day I received a phone call from Rachel and as I answered I heard “Nancy! I am at a clothing store and I now fit into a smaller size!”  Having completed one month of the program, Rachel has now lost 6 pounds and has dropped 1 clothing size! Not only is she motivated, but as a result of her making healthier choices her husband has now been able to cut back on insulin since his blood sugar level is now under control. Rachel and her husband are now beginning to walk 3 miles each day at the park, while their daughter plays nearby. Not only is Rachel feeling better about herself, but her family is adapting to this new lifestyle by not only making a change, but starting to make it a habit.

MEET JESSICA

Jessica is an older woman, who has recently been diagnosed with diabetes. Her doctor told her that if she controlled her blood sugar levels (which she has at 250 and 300); she might be able to get off insulin. During our first appointment, she was really depressed about being diagnosed with diabetes, which was a huge life changer for her. During the following weeks she began telling me, “I feel better every morning I wake up, knowing I am doing something for ME.”  She had spent the last 30 or more years of her life concentrating on just working but not taking care of herself and what she needed. Jessica has been in the program for a month as well, she has lost 10 pounds and her blood sugar levels have dropped! If she continues with this progress, she will be able to get off insulin sooner than she’d thought! Jessica has been following the nutrition plans and has incorporated a little more walking into her daily lifestyle.  This last appointment she told me, “I feel so much better; I have more energy throughout the day, and can finally accomplish my everyday tasks from start to finish.”  She will continue to go to the doctor regularly and I will keep you updated on her progress.

These are only two of the stories of the marvelous people I work with, but I will keep you posted about each milestone that each of them reaches, or just comments or facts they have found interesting! But for now as the song says “I Feel Gooood!”

By Nancy Juarez- Skinny Gene Bilingual Nutritionist

Related posts:

Meet Nancy

Your Body’s Talking, Are You Listening?

Great Things Happening for Skinny Gene in TX

EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT AND SPECIAL IN THEIR OWN WAY

At the Skinny Gene Project, we provide a personalized approach to helping others live a healthier lifestyle. Each person in our program is special to us. We pride ourselves in getting to know each person (from stay at home moms to successful businesswomen), understanding their needs, and giving them the individualized attention needed to live a healthier life.

Our personalized approach to positive lifestyle change is particularly important when it comes to the wonderful group of people we’re serving in San Antonio.

Here’s a glimpse into the work we are doing in Texas.  

Every two weeks, I meet up with my patients for about an hour to talk to them about how to make little changes in their diet that can really make a BIG difference. This particular time, I began to teach each person how to listen and understand their body’s needs.

LESSON 1: LISTEN TO YOUR BODY

Previously, I had given each patient a task of completing a 7-day food log, to see what, when, where, and how much food they ate on a daily basis. I then compared their food diary to what their body REALLY needed. We generally refer to process as a nutrition analysis.

Now… knowing what a person needs to change, and explaining it to them are two completely different things. Some my next step was to give each person a personalized presentation on “Understanding And Listening To Your Body.”

As the presentation began, I started explaining different metaphors on how the body works. For example, comparing our bodies to a car. Much like how a car requires fuel to run, our bodies need food to function. Our body sends us signals when its fuel source is running too low or too full. We also talked about the body’s “fuel gauge”. So when our body is hungry, or may be close to (E) empty, we begin to experience symptoms such as dizziness, headaches, or grouchiness.  When the body can no longer take any food, just like when cars have reached (F) full, we may begin to feel symptoms such as being bloated, gassy, or tired. These metaphors make it easier to understand how the body works when compared to everyday life.

What we need to learn TODAY to have a healthier TOMMORROW  

After discussing how our metabolism works, I  began showing each person (individually) their total nutrition needs (calories, fat, sodium, carbohydrates, etc). Every patient was in SHOCK when they realized that what they had been eating was so harmful to their body, in comparison to what their body truly needs!  They were surprised about what they had learned, but they were also pumped up and knew they wanted to make some serious CHANGES in their lives.

APPLICATION: EATING BREAKFAST

After the presentation, each patient was weighed. They were given a diet that contained their specific caloric intake needs and their weight loss goal! Their main objective for the week was to concentrate on eating BREAKFAST— I taught them that it is the MOST important meal of the day!  I showed them examples of healthy breakfast options, whether they had time to cook or were on the go.  I also had the opportunity to go through a shopping list, which ranked foods from levels 1- 4; level 1 being foods you could eat several times a day, and level 4 foods you should eat very infrequently and with extreme caution.

Each patient was asked to bring any additional nutritional labels that they would like to be included in their special Skinny Gene grocery list for the next appointment. I really stressed the importance of drinking more water and trying to make exercise a daily habit. They left the clinic motivated and excited to start using the information that we provided to them.

Each of them wants to become a new person; they want to look good and feel good, on the inside and out. To make this transformation, they’re ready to start living a better and healthier life!  

By doing this I am helping them have a better understanding on what they need to do TODAY to have a healthier TOMMORROW.  

I am really excited to see my patients next week!

Stay tuned for more updates….

By: Nancy Juarez-Skinny Gene Bilingual Nutritionist

See more post about our program in San Antonio:

Great Things Happening For Skinny Gene in TX

Meet Nancy Juarez

Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving low income and uninsured families that would not qualify for federal or state programs that would provide such care. MHM invests well over $30 million annually to provide quality healthcare to the communities surrounding their 3 primary clinics. The Skinny Gene Diabetes Prevention Program will be implemented in two of these facilities, Wesley Health and Wellness and Dixon Clinic.

The Wesley Health and Wellness Center provides care for one of the most under-served populations in San Antonio. The area has nearly 100,000 individuals (90% Hispanic), of which more than half are 185% below the federal poverty guidelines. The Dixon Clinic provides medical and counseling services to a community on San Antonio’s east side, which has a large African-American population.

In 2009, Kevin Moriarty, President and CEO, expressed to the Skinny Gene Project his great concern for the growing obesity and diabetes epidemic that was affecting their communities. MHM has excellent programs in place to help their patients control their diabetes, but they realized a more aggressive approach would be needed  to fend off this disease. To better serve their communities, Kevin decided to take it take it one step further and implement a program that focuses on diabetes prevention.

As of April 2010, we are proud to announce that the Skinny Gene Diabetes Prevention Program is successfully being implemented at MHM. Over the next 12-months, our bilingual nutritionist (Nancy Juarez), under the supervision of our Senior Registered Dietitian (Emily Barr,MS,RD,CNSC), will be working one-on-one with a total of 15 patients to help them adopt healthy lifestyle changes and prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes.

Here are some of the new members of our Skinny Gene Family, San Antonio!

We’ve asked Nancy to share her experiences with us. Here’s what she had to say….

Methodist Healthcare Ministries (MHM) is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving low income and uninsured families. Their first and utmost interest is to provide the best quality healthcare they are able to offer to their patients. They provide medical, dental, and social services, along with a variety of activities, for the families they serve. They provide after-school care for children, whose parents work late, as well as computer and fitness classes for various ages ranging from children up to seniors. In the short period of time that I have worked in the MHM facility, it has opened my eyes to many possibilities and shown me the kind of help this organization can provide to its patients. Not only is there a sense of community, but there is also a real sense of family. A considerable number of families that benefit from MHM’s services are extremely grateful. If it wasn’t for MHM, these families wouldn’t have access to essential medical care, as well as the expensive medicines required to treat significant conditions and diseases. MHM has top-of-the-line equipment, which makes it possible for them to provide the best quality of care to each of their patients.

As a Skinny Gene nutritionist, I have been very lucky to have been given the opportunity to work with MHM. Since diabetes is a huge issue affecting millions of Americans in South Texas, this program will help these families by teaching them to make better food choices in order to achieve a longer and healthier life. We are currently making a difference in the lives of 15 individuals who are a part of our inaugural program at MHM. I am personally working with each of these wonderful people who are all grateful to Methodist for putting our Skinny Gene Diabetes Prevention Program in their lives. Each patient has an immediate family member or relative that has been diagnosed with diabetes, and after seeing the impact the condition has on their lives, want to prevent it from affecting them or their children.

Prior to this program, these patients (all at-risk of developing diabetes) had never been instructed by a personal nutritionist or dietitian on what they should or shouldn’t eat to lead a healthy life. Having the opportunity to have a nutritionist to guide them along the way to attain their goals is a dream to them.

All of these wonderful people are extremely motivated and excited to make very good use of what is being taught to them.

I have something in common with most of these patients—we come from Mexican descent.  As a bilingual nutritionist familiar with their culture and customs, I am able to communicate to them in a way that is meaningful and relevant to their lives. I am very pleased with the progress we have made in the short time we’ve had, but in time the difference will be noticeable and we will have paved the road for a healthier life.

As a mother of a fun and feisty 3-yr old daughter (named Nyiah), I might even venture to say that my perspective on motherhood changes daily.  What my child learns from me, what I learn from my child, what I learn from others- it’s like a constant graduation through life.  

During the last 30 days, I have had the opportunity to experience multiple aspects of motherhood from other mothers’ eyes.  I found that when a mother protects, inspires, and honors her children, she also impacts everyone around her.

Protect– On April 14^th, we launched a 12-month Skinny Gene Diabetes Prevention Program in San Antonio, TX.  We have the honor and privilege of working with these beautiful mothers over the next year. Each woman has a strong commitment to family (and community) and the determination to give her kids a chance to live a healthy, diabetes-free life. (Read More)

Inspire– In the last 30 days I also found Mary (Fit Factor Kids) who is fighting childhood obesity and inspiring children to take the steps towards living an active life. In addition to her kids fitness videos, she launched a walking challenge, “Walk the Tworld” (T stands for Twitter) to encourage families to walk 100 million step in the month of May.  I thought this was awesome, so I wanted to help… (Read More)

Love and Honor: Last month, I took the opportunity to walk in the San Diego March of Babies, in honor of Henry- a precious little boy who knew his mother’s love, although he was never given the chance to see her face.  

With Team Henry walking in Chicago, I thought I’d arrive in San Diego’s Balboa Park and be the sole representative for Team Henry. Boy was I wrong! The thousands of participants weren’t just walking in honor of their “miracles” and “angels”,  but for all babies and children- even our beloved Henry.

As I walked, I was reminded of a few important things that day:  

No matter what the situation is…when you have support, you are never alone.

AND  

There is no strength like the strength of a mother, and there is no love like a mother’s love.