National Nutrition Month 2024 – Week 2: Meet with a Registered Dietitian
Why is it important for someone to meet with a dietitian? What benefit does it bring? Most people know the basics of healthy eating, right?
To that, I would answer: yes, AND…
There are a lot of nuances when it comes to nutrition. It can be hard to filter out best practices for things that are best for YOU in your life.
A major benefit of meeting with a dietitian is that they help you find the HOW of eating for a way that works for your unique circumstance.
I’ll discuss some points for this week that our professional society, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, brings up.
Ask your doctor for a referral.
For many insurance plans, you don’t actually need a referral. However, there are a few that do require referrals, either in general or for specific concerns/ length of treatment. It never hurts to get one. If you’re on good terms with your PCP, you might even be able to just message them through their portal and request a referral. (In case you were wondering, I’m in-network with Anthem/Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare/ UMR, Cigna, and Aetna.)
Find a dietitian who specializes in your unique needs.
This can be super important. For example, I work with a lot of insulin resistance, PCOS, and gut issues. If a dietitian works primarily with endurance athletes (someone training for a marathon or an iron man race) and you asked them to determine the tubefeeding needs of a critical care patient in the ICU, it might take a while for them to remember exactly how to do it. If someone came to me wanting help with a renal diet… Well, it’s not that I couldn’t provide any information, but looking for a dietitian who specializes in renal nutrition and works with that population every day would likely be a much better bet for that person.
And the flip side of that is the fact that people don’t live in a vacuum. Maybe someone who is coming in for PCOS also has some kidney concerns. That is totally fine! Just getting those expectations lined up for both myself and my client is super important.
Receive personalized information to reach your health goals.
Yes, that’s definitely a benefit to working with a dietitian. We ask very in-depth questions to make sure we have a good understanding of your lifestyle, sleep, stress, family dynamics, and other aspects of life BEFORE discussing nutrition advice at all. One of the biggest frustrations my clients mention is that there is SO MUCH nutrition info available online, but they don’t know how (or if) it applies to them. Experienced dietitians can see the forest through the trees and help clients focus on the choices that will be the most beneficial for them.
It’s like me watching the Super Bowl. I’m sure like many others, this year’s Super Bowl was one of the first I’ve watched in years. Because I don’t know anything about football, it was amazing when I heard my husband making comments on the plays. He saw things that I didn’t catch at all! That’s because he has experience with football. Since dietitians are talking about food all day long, it really does help us notice what is typical or less typical, a healthy choice vs a red flag.
Learn about ways dietitians can help people live healthier lives.
This of course is one of the most nuanced of all. Yes, dietitians have the training in both nutrition and physiology to help people be their most physically healthy. We know what foods to prioritize or limit to help with either general health or XYZ specific health concern.
But dietitians can also help people improve their mental health. While most dietitians, including myself, aren’t mental health counselors or therapists, I’ve found that many clients hold a lot of stress when it comes to food choices. Voicing their concerns to a dietitian can help to alleviate their mental load. You might find that you’re doing better than you think you are, learn that many others struggle in the same way you do (which can help decrease shame), or you might find out that many people maybe don’t have the same concern as you and that it was really important that you sought help (hopefully, also helping to reduce shame).
So whether you’re dealing with a new physical health diagnosis or you’re emotionally struggling with food, meeting with a dietitian can help.
The most important thing that a dietitian does is help a client make small and SUSTAINABLE changes to help clients improve their eating habits and mindset around food.
There are so many meal plans and diets online, but there is a reason that dietitians are sought after. While every person has their WHY of wanting to make a diet or nutrition change, the human element of a dietitian in addressing the HOW of eating is vital for success.
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If you live in IL or MO and would like some personalized nutrition guidance OR if you struggle with food or eating in a way that fuels your life and keeps you energized for all of your passions, please contact me.
Until next time!