FORT SILL, OK- A new year is here and with January upon us New Year’s resolutions are always at the front of everyone’s mind. It is the time of year where the gym is extra crowded for several weeks and the dreaded new year’s diet looms in the background. After overindulging during the holiday season nutrition and weight loss are always topics for discussion. Soldiers are no different, and proper nutrition can directly impact their physical and mental performance as well as affect the overall readiness of their unit.
One clinic at Reynolds Army Health Clinic is working to improve the nutrition care of all Soldiers on Fort Sill. Capt. Katharine Long, a dietitian with a focus on sports and performance nutrition, is the chief of the Nutrition Care Division at Reynolds Army Health Clinic. “Here at RAHC Nutrition Care we serve all the Soldiers on Fort Sill and one of the underutilized aspects of our clinic is the performance nutrition services that we offer,” said Long. “When it comes to Soldier readiness the first things that usually come to mind are physical readiness and mental health,” said Long. “I don’t want nutrition to be something Soldiers only talk about as a New Year’s resolution.”
Capt. Long is working with the units on Fort Sill to improve nutrition awareness and ensure leaders are aware of the services available to them and how they can incorporate nutrition into their training calendars. “Our one on one nutrition counseling and consultations are great, but with units we really get more bang for our buck when I am able to go to them and talk to the Soldiers about whatever nutrition concerns they have at that time,” said Long.
Some of the classes that Capt. Long offers for units are Nutrition for Ruck Marching, Optimizing PT sessions, Army Fitness Test Nutrition, Pre/Post Deployment Nutrition Concerns, and Tactical Nutrition For Field Environments.
“Nutrition can be used to improve physical and cognitive benefits, and all of these topics can be covered before or after PT sessions as briefs, or in the form of classes for professional development,” continued Long. “By far the most popular of the classes that we offer is the class on supplements. My aim for that class is to provide Soldiers with science based recommendations of supplements that work, and what to avoid.”
Active duty service members and family members do not need a referral to have a nutrition consultation with the dietitian. “The only time you need a referral from your primary care provider to come see us is if it is for an underlying medical condition such as diabetes or hypertension,” Long said. “We have also been getting quite a few questions about weight loss medication and can answer any questions about those as well.”
To schedule a nutrition class for your unit, call the Reynolds Nutrition Care clinic at (580) 558-8638. Leave your name, phone number, unit, and class request. If you have unique performance goals and want to see a dietitian for a one on one appointment, please call the Reynolds Army Health Clinic appointment line at 833-286-3732 to make an appointment. No referral is needed for performance or weight management appointments.
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Capt. Katharine Long conducts a class on supplements to a group of Soldiers while deployed to Iraq.
(Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Thea Nevadunsky)
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Capt. Katharine Long conducts a field nutrition class.
(Photo Credit: Christina Hernendez)
