If you are trying to change your diet or improve your nutrition, you may have considered seeing a registered dietician nutritionist (RDN). Luckily, there are many benefits to working with one of these professionals, and they can help you achieve your health goals. Here are five reasons to give an RDN a try:
- You will get expert, personalized nutrition information from a qualified professional.
If you’ve ever set foot in a gym, someone has likely told you to eat more protein or cut down on sugar. But when people tell you something like that, it’s hard for them to know what is best for your body.
Registered Dietitian Nutritionists are the most qualified nutrition professionals because they have received extra training in college and passed a certification exam after graduation. RDNs can provide personalized advice and guidance based on your individual needs.
- A nutrition professional will help you set realistic goals.
They will help you set goals that are within your reach. They will also help you develop challenging but not overwhelming plans. A good goal should be SMART, meaning it should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, a dietician nutritionist might be able to help a client lose weight by assisting them in making smarter food choices on an ongoing basis with the use of portion control and exercise tips to meet the goal of losing one pound per week for 12 weeks straight without gaining any more than two pounds in total over those 12 weeks (which is about 8 ounces).
This can all sound like common sense – but many people struggle with knowing where to start when setting out on their health journey or when trying to lose weight because they don’t know what’s realistic for them individually.
- RDNs can make sure your diet is healthy and balanced.
RDNs are experts in food, nutrition, and how diet affects the body. They can help you understand what foods are good for you or not so good for you, as well as what kinds of food combinations work best together to provide a balanced diet. RDNs can also help determine if your eating habits are leading to health issues such as weight loss/gain or chronic diseases such as diabetes or hypertension.
In addition to this knowledge of food, an RDN will likely have experience with counselling clients regarding their dietary choices. This means that they know how to make recommendations that will help people reach their goals while still being realistic about what changes will be needed on an individual level. This includes ensuring clients understand why specific changes need to be made (for example, cutting out processed foods) and offering helpful advice on how those changes might affect their daily lives (such as suggesting grabbing something from home instead of buying fast food).
- They can help you navigate the confusing world of nutrition for a specific medical condition you may have.
Registered dietitians are trained to help you navigate the food and nutrition world, especially when it comes to medical conditions. An RDN can help you figure out what foods to eat, what foods to avoid, and what supplements may benefit your situation. This can be especially helpful if you have an allergy or intolerance that makes it difficult or impossible for you to eat certain foods without experiencing symptoms such as pain, vomiting or diarrhea.
Registered dietitians use their knowledge of basic science and human physiology to analyze how various nutrients interact with one another in the body (e.g., carbohydrates with fats or proteins) as well as how they affect health conditions on both a short-term basis (e.g., blood sugar levels) and long-term basis (e.g., cardiovascular disease).
- They’re armed with the latest research knowledge, so no fad diets!
A Registered Dietician Nutritionist has the latest research knowledge, so there is no need to worry about going on fad diets! They can help you understand why specific diets are not suitable for you, and they can help you know which diets are safe and effective. They also have access to quality information that’s easy to understand and apply in your everyday life.
Regarding nutrition, there’s a lot of information online that seems credible but may not be accurate or up to date. If your RDN tells you something is bad or good for your health, they have evidence from valid scientific studies supporting their nutrition conclusions.
Conclusion
Your health is critical, and we strongly urge you to consider all the reasons for seeing a registered dietician nutritionist above. Whether you have a medical condition that needs nutritional help or wants to improve your overall wellness and feel better about yourself, an RDN can get you there. Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments about what you think about Registered Dietician Nutritionists and if you would ever visit one. What might stop you from making the decision to visit one?