Friday, September 4, 2015

Why You Should Use a Dietitian?


I recently started my Nutrition Business providing education, consulting, and a variety of other services for individuals.  My job is to help people succeed with making behavior changes that will help them reach their nutrition goals.  

Unfortunately there is a lot of misguided information out there concerning nutrition.  Everyone is considered an "expert" in this area and because of that there is a ton of information given out that is not necessarily backed by science.  There are many self proclaimed experts giving information about nutrition, which means you have to be careful where you get your information from.  Some people are in the health industry to make money.  They are trying to find the next big thing in health to advertise to make money.  We see it all the time from fad diets, to exotic foods, to different herbs and supplements that are suppose to be the next big miracle worker.  These things are designed to get you excited and make you spend your money. And most of the time they do not even work.

The truth of the matter is if you want to reach your nutrition goals it requires behavior changes.  A dietitian can work with you to identify what behaviors that need to be changed.  Dietitians are trained professionals who are experts in the nutrition field.  Dietitians were required to go to school, many of which have their Master's Degree in Nutrition.  They had to compete to receive one of a few internships offered for inspiring dietitians which means only the best of the best continue on to become dietitians.  For their internship they must complete 1200 hour in a variety of health settings including the hospital, food service, and in the community. Once they are done with their exam they then must take a board exam in order to become registered and official.  So you can see their knowledge and expertise is not simply telling people to eat vegetables, but they must be on top of their game in the health and nutrition field.  That is the type of person you want on your team to help you reach your fitness goals.    Whether it is something as simple as increasing your vegetable intake by adding one extra side of vegetables at dinner or something more complicated such as identifying the correct formula for a person who must eat through a feeding tube that is pumped directly into their stomach because they are unable to swallow.    

 70 percent of the US is either overweight or obese.  Many of them it is not necessarily their fault but it is a result of their environment, genetics, and lack of knowledge of how to reach their goals.  Many of these people spends hundreds of dollars each year to try to become successful at losing weight. Many people get gym memberships with the idea,  "If I workout, then I can eat whatever I want."  That couldn't be farther from the truth.  80% of your fitness goals is based on nutrition.  You cannot invest time and money just on exercise and expect to get results.  Total wellness means you have to make changes in several areas of your life in order to be a success.



For many people hiring a dietitian is the way to do it.  Having monthly, weekly, or biweekly visits with a person specialized in food has shown to help people stay on track with their nutrition goals.  For my clients that means you will be spending as little as $55-125 dollars a month, about as much as many gym memberships.  Studies have shown that individuals who use a dietitian are more likely to lose weight, reduce their risk of  diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, and improve their overall health status.  Individuals with diabetes have improved their blood sugars when taken the advice of dietitians. Athletes also have shown benefits with the use of a dietitian.  They have found they have more energy, improved lean body mass, and overall improved performance.

So when you are making decisions about your health, I want to encourage you to consider adding a dietitian to your health routine. I provide a variety of services that you can choose from if you choose me as your dietitian.  But whether you choose me or not, I want you to strongly consider adding a licensed and registered dietitian to your health routine.  

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