8 Reasons You Need a Dietician

You are probably familiar with the saying, “You become what you eat.” There is no doubt that your diet impacts your physical, mental, as well as emotional well-being. You may have seen people with poor dietary habits developing complicated health issues, including heart disease and cancer.

Your diet can either energize or boost your brain power or cause to fatigue and crash. It can enhance your performance or impede your progress. It all depends on you which side you want to go with. 

Have you ever got some advice on nutrition from your friends and family? Ever searched for information on your nutrient deficiencies online? You may feel all the nutrition information to be a little misleading or confusing.

A nutrition blog might encourage to go for the whole grains, while a health magazine you subscribe to may tell you to stay away from gluten entirely. What do you do when you have to choose between conflicting pieces of information on nutrition?

Whom Should You Turn to for Advice on Diet?

Whether you are a fitness freak, fighting to keep your cholesterol in check, or just someone with a chronic health condition, a visit to a registered dietician can put you in the right direction toward improving your health. 

While most people consult dieticians when they want to lose weight, they are qualified professionals who can counsel clients in many other areas. They work in hospitals, private clinics, or public health organizations. 

A registered dietician completes a bachelor’s degree in dietetics and nutrition, and then goes on to complete a year-long dietetic internship. They are required to pass an exam to get a license. Once they are done with their formal education and training, they can either work at hospitals or go for some advanced degree with more scope, like master of public health online, which is a great fit for a nutritionist as through the public health degree, they can become a public health nutritionist and influence the nutritional decisions of the community as a whole. 

A dietician first looks at a client’s health status, including their medical history, supplement intake, physical activity, medications, and food allergies, before proceeding to recommending nutritional changes.

That said, though, don’t think that you need to have a condition to visit a dietician. You can get your diet or health assessed by a dietician even if you are seemingly healthy.

So, here are the eight reasons why you should be seeing a dietician:

1- Chronic Illness Symptoms

Chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, high blood cholesterol and blood pressure are closely related to what you eat. Changes in your dietary habits and physical activity can help you keep those illnesses controlled. In case you have pre-diabetes, adopting a healthier lifestyle can prevent it from developing into a full-blown diabetes. 

A dietician will help you set goals and make necessary changes in your eating habits and lifestyle that will enhance your physical and psychological health. Although, dietary adjustments aren’t always the cure-all solution, you should know that it makes up a crucial part of the treatment plan in any number of diseases. Dieticians help you with developing a plan for your food intake and habits.

2- You Want to Lose Some Weight

Do you want to lose some weight? Obesity is a public health epidemic at this point in the United States. An important thing to remember about losing weight is to not feel dejected after trying and failing a couple of times.

Don’t just follow any plan willy-nilly and hope you will lose weight—you might, but at what cost. With the help of a registered dietician, you would be able to get a dedicated meal and diet plan that will be balanced and won’t cause any health complications.

Avoid spending your money on short-term diet methods, such as the grapefruit diet, ketogenic diet etc. Rather, research and go to a registered dietician. 

3- You are Skinny, Need to Gain Weight

Just as dieticians are your best draw for weight loss, they can also help you if are underweight. See a dietician, and you will be provided with specialized plans according to your specific bodily needs.

For instance, individuals with an eating disorder can benefit acting on a dietician’s advice and by continuing treatment at an eating disorder clinic. 

4- Food Allergies

Managing food allergic reactions can be difficult. From mild symptoms like lip swelling and hives to severe symptoms called anaphylaxis, people may experience various symptoms. You may not be sure what foods to eat and which ones to eliminate from your diet if you are allergic to certain foods.

In such situations, a dietician can assist with your diet plans. They will guide you on what you can safely consume and find alternatives for various other ingredients that can cause in you an allergic reaction. 

5- You Want a Vegan Diet

Wanting to switch to an all-vegan diet? If you want to reduce or completely eliminate using animal products in your diet, but are not sure how to begin, you should see a dietician who will help you create the perfect vegan diet that balances all the macros.

Vegans and vegetarians need to be mindful of taking the proper amounts of essential nutrients in their diets. Even without animal products, you should be getting your proteins, and a dietician can help you find the perfect balance in your diet.     

6- You Are Depressed

An inadequate diet will not only lead to physical health issues but can also affect your mental health as well. A poor diet can lead to impaired decision-making, depression, stress, bad mood, fatigue, and forgetfulness.

If you have found that you have suddenly started forgetting things, lack concentration, and feeling depressed, consider scheduling an appointment with a dietician.   

7- You Are Curious about Your Diet and need honest advice

It is not necessary to be riddled with a disease, health complication, or illness to pay a visit to a dietician. You may be curious about your health and want to know if what you are eating is right for you. A dietician allows you to look beyond the gimmicks and fad diets and give you the accurate information on nutrition that you need. 

8- You Are an Athlete

If you are an athlete, you know importance of food as the best fuel source for your physical activity on the field. Athletes often follow an optimized diet, so that they can do what they do with excellence.

Dieticians can tailor your diet to complement your athletic performance. You may want to schedule your appointment with a sports dietician as they specialize in energy needs, dietary supplements, and the best times to take certain nutrients in combination with others.   

Conclusion  

From ketogenic diets to the grapefruit diets, today’s digital world is full of fad diets and quick-and-easy fixes. It seems that there is no shortage of nutritional advice out there as everyone seems to know a bit about everything. If you want to seek expert advice on nutrition, always consult a dietician. Before going on any sort of diet or fasting plan, consult your dietician and get yourself assessed. Instead of damaging your health with plans that promise weight loss and other lofty benefits, it’s better to book a consultation with a nutritionist and get sensible dietary advice and plans, tailored specifically for your body’s needs.