Last month I praised Dr. Oz and his excellent new TV show for providing helpful, practical health advice. I’d be remiss if I didn’t follow up that praise with some accolades for a local Connecticut health expert – Dr. David Katz.
I was lucky enough to meet Dr. Katz years ago (2003?) when I interviewed for a part time position analyzing nutrition data for studies he was conducting at the Yale Griffin Prevention Research Center. In meeting him, one of the things that really struck me was how incredibly down-to-earth he was. As a renowned researcher and educator at one of the nation’s most prestigious schools (Yale University) I never expected he would give me the time of day. Since I possess an RD but not a Master’s degree I worried that I didn’t stand a chance of working with the PRC, but Dr. Katz allayed my fears by saying “we have more than enough titles around here.”
Since then, I have seen Dr. Katz over and over – just not in person. Instead I have followed his sage nutrition and health advice on TV (VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club), in magazines, and on blogs. I feel especially lucky to have access to his weekly column via The New Haven Register. His articles are always a pleasure to read because they take the latest health issues and provide the most no-nonsense approach to their application.
Dr. Katz has also been lending his expertise to a new food rating system that will help take the guess work out of choosing healthy foods. This system, NuVal, is based on a sophisticated algorithm that analyzes a foods health benefits and negatives to provide an overall score. It has the power to make grocery shopping a breeze. Since it takes me over an hour to complete a shopping trip with all my label reading I hope to see it in grocery stores soon!