Download Maybe Eating More Kale Isn`t the Whole Answer

Maybe Eating More Kale Isn’t the Whole Answer
Science Is Way Ahead: There’s a Gap Between “What We Know” and “How We Live”
Nutrition research has yielded many insights regarding what our bodies need nutritionally. In fact,
nutrition research has yielded so many insights that until now it has been virtually impossible for
individuals to incorporate into their daily lives. Good Measures has developed a first-of-its-kind
personalized approach to delivering Registered Dietitian services that addresses this costly gap
between “what we know” and “how we live.”
We are all inundated daily with a wide variety of scientifically sound nutritional advice…advice
about calorie targets related to gaining or losing weight; advice about the importance of
consuming a healthy mix of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fiber; advice about getting enough
calcium, Vitamin D, and other key nutrients; and, advice about avoiding too much saturated fat,
sodium, cholesterol, etc.
The Cost? Nutrition-Sensitive Conditions
Paying attention to 2 or 3 different nutritional goals is burdensome, but doable. Keeping track
of the 30 nutritional goals for which there is now enough evidence for researchers to set is
impossible. Simply stated, until Good Measures developed its approach there was a big gap
between “what we know” and “how we live.” This gap contributed to the development of…and the
poor management of…a wide variety of costly nutrition-sensitive conditions such as:
Excess weight
Pre-diabetes/diabetes
Heart disease
Hypertension
High cholesterol
Arthritis
Osteoporosis
Many cancers
Celiac disease
Infertility
© Copyright 2015 • Good Measures, LLC • 60 State Street, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02109 • 888-320-1776
The Good Measure Approach
Supportive Encouragement and Expertise of Registered Dietitians
The Good Measures approach combines the supportive encouragement and expertise of
Registered Dietitians (and Certified Diabetes Educators for those with pre-diabetes or diabetes)
with the convenience and computational power of the Good Measures Digital Platform, including
a breakthrough app (available on the Web and on popular smartphones). Support is provided by
phone, email, text, secure video, or in-person when an individual needs it – daytimes, evenings,
and weekends. Along with the support provided by experienced professionals, the app provides
individuals with practical meal and snack suggestions 24/7. These highly personalized suggestions
are based on nutrition science, highly individualized nutrient needs, AND foods that the individual
likes to eat.
The Good Measures Index (GMI)
Good Measures generates meal and snack suggestions using a powerful construct called the
Good Measures Index (GMI), a single number that reflects how well a given set of meals and
snacks addresses an individual’s many nutritional needs. Good Measures Index (GMI) of 100
means that the individual has done a good job meeting his/her nutritional needs in the last few
days. Good Measures Index (GMI) of 24 means that the individual has not done a good job
meeting his/her nutritional needs in the last few days. Importantly, Good Measures Index (GMI)
construct is also used to assess how well various potential meal and snack choices address an
individual’s near-term nutritional deficits and excesses. This capability underpins the process by
which Good Measures generates highly personalized meal and snack suggestions.
The Journey Is a Personal One
Frustrated with a “one-size-fits-all” approach to managing his own nutrition, co-founder and
CEO, George Bennett, a change management expert and successful entrepreneur, was motivated
to help people understand what they could do, within the context of their own lives, to make
“optimal” food choices.
Co-founder, Stefany Shaheen, was also driven to
find a contextual approach to nutrition after her
oldest daughter was diagnosed with diabetes
and they struggled to find practical, easy-to-use
tools that would help her make food choices and
monitor her nutrient needs and exercise.
Stefany Shaheen, Elle Shaheen, Amanda Kirpitch, R.D
© Copyright 2015 • Good Measures, LLC • 60 State Street, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02109 • 888-320-1776
People Who Use Good Measures See Results
Participants Experience Increased Energy, Lower Cholesterol, Lower Blood
Pressure, Weight Loss, Better-Managed Blood Glucose Levels and More
“Good Measures has helped me in bringing my cholesterol down to levels not seen in 9 years--and without
the use of medications! Thanks to my increased awareness of the GMI ranking of my foods, I have been
working on modifying my eating habits. In 7 months, my total cholesterol went from 218 to164, LDL from
127 to 94, and triglycerides from 214 to 110.”
— 35-year-old female with family history of high cholesterol
“My HgA1c was up to 7.4, the highest it has ever been. With the help of the Good Measures application
and their dietitians, I had my goals customized and started to keep better track of what I ate. I discovered
that my normal eating habits had too many carbs and not enough protein. I changed what I ate. I watched
everything including the macronutrients and things like potassium and sodium and fiber. My Good Measures
Index began to climb as I used the suggestions for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I also began to lose
weight, even though that was not a specific goal. I have lost 10 to 15 pounds. At my most recent semiannual checkup, my blood results were excellent — the HgA1c was down to 5.7. The doctor reduced my
medication dosage. If the HgA1c continues to be normal, he will reduce it further.
— 60-year-old male who has diabetes
“I found myself making better food choices because of the impact they would have on my GMI. GMI is not
the end in itself. Rather, it’s a means to an end, which in my case was losing 15 pounds. I also lowered my
cholesterol level by 40 points. Given that we make many many food decisions each day, this tool has had an
enormous impact. It has changed the way I eat.”
— 42-year-old female
Early feedback from observational studies and from randomized trials is consistent with this kind
of strong anecdotal data. Additional research is underway.
Clinical and Other Organizations Stand Behind the Value of Good Measures
Numerous world-class organizations, including the Tufts Health Plan, Dartmouth Hitchcock
Medical Center, and the Joslin Diabetes Center, are integrating Good Measures services into their
patient care. Feedback from leading clinicians and researchers includes comments such as the
following: “This approach will change the way we support patients living with diabetes,”
Osama Hamdy, MD, PhD, FACE, Medical Director of the Obesity Clinical Program at Joslin
Diabetes Center, Boston.
In addition, Good Measures is exploring other uses for the new
approach in non-traditional clinical settings, like retail medicine
locations, and in non-clinical settings such as working for
pharmaceutical firms to support patients taking prescription
drugs who need nutritional support.
© Copyright 2015 • Good Measures, LLC • 60 State Street, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02109 • 888-320-1776