No fad diets. No bogus nutrition advice. Real information based on science. A reputable source of reliable nutrition tips from a university trained registered dietitian.

Enough is enough! Gluten-free, high-protein, low carb, Atkins, South Beach, Paleo, organic and the most recent and bizarre trend, the feeding tube diet. WHAT?! Knowing how to eat healthy and lose weight has become a major challenge. Not to mention who to listen to for sound advice. Er..umm…your personal trainer, without a four-year college degree in food and nutrition and 1000 hours of supervised practice is NOT the expert in healthy eating and weight loss. My apologies to all my personal trainer friends. Sorry guys, but you don’t hear me calling myself an exercise coach.  This blog will be a reliable source of nutrition information from a trained Registered Dietitian.

So what does it take to become a dietitian?

College classes include but are not limited to:

Psychology, Nutrition Biochemistry, Nutrition at the Cellular Level, Medical Nutrition Therapy, Research in Food and Nutrition, Food Science, Experimental and Functional Foods, Applied Nutrition, Nutrition in the Life Cycle, Organic Chemistry,Inorganic Chemistry, Anatomy and Physiology, Food Service Management, Microbiology (click the lilac link above to see the full program requirements).

All education and training must be accredited by the Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics. After an extensive supervised practice program, you are eligible to sit for a rigid registration exam. Once you pass that exam, you get to call yourself a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. But, you don’t get to stop there. You have to keep up your study of dietetics by participating and reporting in 75 hours of approved continued education every five years, pay a fee for registration with the Commission on Dietetic Registration annually and then to legally practice dietetics, you must also pay a biannual licensure fee for every state within which you intend to practice and report 30 hours of approved continued education to that state.

There. I said it, or written it rather.  A speech I can never manage to recite to someone who asks me if I “just tell people what to eat”.  I often freeze, in shock when one asks me if I “just write menus”.   The worst insult is when the dietitian receives the report, “you guys’ sandwiches are soggy” during an administrative meeting.  I can write menus and I can tell someone what to eat.  

What dietitians really do

In a hospital setting is help manage diseases like high cholesterol, diverticulitis, heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease.  We educate and advise on food allergies and label reading.  Working directly with nurses, physicians, pharmacists, Food Service Directors, patients, and family members is critical for supporting patients on tube feeding and IV nutrition.  A familiar skill in which many Registered Dietitians specialize, is custom weight loss.  Deciphering between food trends and evidence based information is a task dietitians visit in every facet of their careers.  We assist with wound healing, eating disorders, inborn metabolic disorders, cachexia, cancer patients, and much, much more.

What I would like to do for you

I’m not extreme. I don’t think it’s realistic. Completely eliminating entire food groups for one is excruciating. Do you really want to give up all carbs? Uh, I don’t. Not only is that diet concept too severe for any normal person to follow but, it won’t produce more desirable results than a healthy diet including a proper amount of carbohydrate. I explain that in more detail here.

I want this blog to serve as clarity in a world of health confusion.  I’ve often commented that healthy eating isn’t rocket science.  Conversely, the more erroneous posts and publications I’ve encountered, the more I now realize that people need help!

Everyone looks for fast results and a simple plan that’s easy to stick to requiring minimal planning.  We live in a fast-paced world. We tap our fingers on the counter impatiently, wondering why our microwaves can’t nuke any faster. I can’t promise that eating healthy is thoughtless and requires no planning.  Above all, my goal is to provide a reliable source of nutrition information from a trained Registered Dietitian.  My dream is to help you decipher between fact and fad so you may begin making informed decisions about a healthier lifestyle.

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