March is about a lot of things. It’s American Red Cross Month; it’s Music in Our Schools Month; it’s National Women’s History Month.

It’s also a time to be thinking about the foods we put in our bodies: National Noodle Month, National Peanut Month, National Sauce Month — and, most importantly, National Nutrition Month. Yes, March truly is a month in food.

Forget the food pyramid — follow My Plate, the USDA’s new nutrition guidelines.

Now more than ever, nutrition should be front and center in our minds. The Centers for Disease Control reports that 35.7% of U.S. adults are obese, and according to the American Diabetes Association, there are currently 25.8 million people in the U.S. living with diabetes. Approximately 11.3% of adults have diabetes, with even higher incidence among African Americans (12.6%) and Hispanics (11.8%). Obesity has also been linked to heart disease and increased risk of stroke.

Not surprisingly, the financial costs of these diseases are through the roof. Medical costs associated with obesity exceed $100 billion each year, meaning that someone who is obese pays, on average, $1400 more each year than a person of healthy weight. Fortunately, adjustments in diet can make a measurable difference in the prevalence of chronic disease. Yes, good nutrition can save thousands of dollars and add years to an individual’s life.

Whether you are a nursing student, a parent, or just someone looking to stay healthy, check out the following resources to learn more about nutrition:

Public Web Resources

• Nutritional information from the Centers for Disease Control, including the basics of protein and fats, the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables, and food safety.
• Tools, resources, and ideas for better eating from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Topics and materials  include healthy eating on a budget, sample menus and recipes, and The SuperTracker, an online app to help you track your progress.
• A printable brochure about healthy eating from the USDA.
• East-to-follow printable tip sheets from the USDA on topics like choosing proteins, budgeting, and planning healthy food for parties and gatherings.
• Educational materials from the Department of Health and Human Services on healthy eating, diet, and exercise.
• Let’s Move! Michelle Obama’s fitness and nutrition initiative.

Open Access (Free) Online Journals

• The Open Nutrition Journal by Bentham Science
• Nutrition Noteworthy and Nutrition Bytes by the University of California
• The Nutrition Journal by BioMed Central
• Nutrition and Diabetes by Nature Publishing Group
• Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition by Springer
• Journal of Community Nutrition and Health by the Rural Research Institute of Physiology and Applied Nutrition
• PubMed by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health

Books from Trinity

• Preventive nutrition : the comprehensive guide for health professionals / edited by Adrianne Bendich and Richard J. Deckelbaum
• Nutrition: Concepts and controversies / Frances Sienkiewicz Sizer, Ellie Whitney
• The complete book of alternative nutrition : powerful new ways to use foods, supplements, herbs, and special diets to prevent and cure disease / by Selene Y. Craig, Jennifer Haigh, Sarí Harrar, and the editors of Prevention Magazine Health Books
• Doctor, what should I eat? : nutrition prescriptions for ailments in which diet can really make a difference / Isadore Rosenfeld
• The end of overeating : taking control of the insatiable American appetite / David A. Kessler
• Why we eat what we eat : the psychology of eating / edited by Elizabeth D. Capaldi
• True nutrition, true fitness / by Jerrold Winter

Journals and Databases

• American Journal of Health Education (available in print in the library)
• Nursing Research (available in print in the library)
• Public Health Reports (available in print in the library)
• CINAHL with Full Text (online database)
• ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health Source (online database)
• ProQuest Psychology Journals (online database)
• JSTOR (online database)
• Visit the library’s list of Science and Nursing resources for more options

Live Health Events

This month there are two live events you can attend to learn more about fitness, health, and nutrition:

• Health Expo at the DC Armory (March 14-15)
• NBC4 Health Expo at the Convention Center (March 16-17)