AUGUST 3, 2022 —UNLOCKED EDITION—
Chairman Ritz leads the way as CRN calls on members to #Act4Access
“As professionals in the nutrition industry I believe we have a unique opportunity and even an obligation to act to help close the nutritional gap by providing access to healthy foods and nutrition education,” said CRN Board of Directors chair Barry Ritz of Nestlé Health Sciences.
Ritz highlighted Nestlé’s efforts to #Act4Access with “Grow it Green.” The initiative is comprised of harvesting, washing, and bundling several hundred pounds of fresh produce for the community.
“Hundreds of my Nestlé colleagues are engaged in service activities this entire week, focusing on nutrition access and other service activities everywhere we call home,” explained Ritz. “This activity got me back to my farming roots (thanks Farmer Shaun) and allowed me to get my hands dirty for a cause I am passionate about.”
Ritz joins fellow board member Ben Teicher, president and CEO of Healthy Directions, who we previously reported his experience volunteering with Nourishing Bethesda in his local community and called on others to act. “Unfortunately, there isn’t a single community in this country where there’s not any need. So, please give and do what you can. Everything helps,” urged Teicher.
Join your CRN member industry colleagues in accepting the Chairman's Challenge to #Act4Access. Volunteer or donate to an organization like Convoy of Hope, Feeding America, Vitamin Angels, or one of your own choosing now through September, National Hunger Awareness Month.
Show your leadership in the industry by inspiring other CRN members to take action in fighting hunger. To help you share, CRN's Nutrition Access Task Force asks you to:
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Record a short video message about how you or your team #Act4Access
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Use our social media graphics available for customization via Canva and native InDesign files, or create your own message
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Post to your company social media accounts with the hashtag #Act4Access
Creatine has many benefits for women throughout every life cycle
Creatine supplementation for women is an area ripe for innovation and consumer education, according to Abbie Smith-Ryan, Ph.D., who addressed CRN’s Sports Nutrition Working Group (SNWG) during a recent guest presentation. Dr. Smith-Ryan, with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is a co-author of the Journal of Nutrition article “Sex Differences Across the Life Course: A Focus On Unique Nutritional and Health Considerations among Women,” reviewing data presented at CRN’s 2021 Science in Session symposium.
Women are the largest consumers of dietary supplements, particularly as they age, Dr. Ryan noted. But when it comes to creatine, they’re afraid because of what they may have heard about side effects, leaving them out of creatine’s health benefits specific to women’s bodies throughout the course of their lives.
“I’m a full-time working mom of two little kids and this idea of ‘mom brain’ and the idea of COVID multitasking is the perfect scenario where I see creatine really supporting women’s health in applications outside of [athletic] performance,” said Dr. Smith-Ryan.
“Women are different from men physiologically, and when we think about the application of creatine there are some potentially unique aspects,” said Dr. Smith-Ryan. “We have less muscle, generally speaking, and there is data to suggest that we have lower creatine levels in the muscles and in the brain, as women.”
Bottom line: “The menstrual cycle matters, age matters, oral contraception and pregnancy matters. There are key things in a women’s life that could be supported by creatine,” Dr. Smith-Ryan concluded. “Education and products developed specifically for women are needed, particularly that education piece.”
Go deeper: Watch Dr. Smith-Ryan’s presentation on demand and download her slide deck. Sign up for CRN’s Sports Nutrition Working Group via our self-service portal for future updates from the working group.
See past editions of the CRN Daily Supplement