Today, on National Registered Dietitian (RD) Day, we celebrate all dietitians near and far that help others live healthier, happier lives! In honor of National RD Day, we want to give you a secret look into what a dietitian actually does…
First off, what is a dietitian?
Before I go into what a dietitian is, I first want to cover what a dietitian is NOT.
A dietitian is NOT…
-The food police
-Someone who supports calorie restriction
-Someone who supports deprivation
-Someone who supports the scale as an accurate measure of health
-Someone who supports cutting out food groups or specific foods
-Someone who shames/guilt people for the food choices they make
-Someone who eats only salad or vegetables
A dietitian is….
-Someone who supports FUELING the body
-Someone who supports listening to hunger and fullness cues
-Someone who knows that ALL foods can fit into a healthy lifestyle
-Someone who believes in moderation and balance
-Someone who accepts all body shapes and sizes
-Someone who knows that a person’s self-worth is not found on the scale
-Someone who loves food (ALL food)
-Someone who enjoys moving their body
–Someone who supports increased energy levels
-Someone who supports better digestion
The more I work with clients throughout the years, the more I see the unfortunate repercussions of “diet culture” ….everything a dietitian is NOT. Countless people stroll into my office barely eating, afraid of food, and looking for me to give them permission to eat. I, my friends, hold no power for the permission to eat. YOU HAVE PERMISSION to eat any and all foods that cross your path. I don’t care if it is blueberries, donuts, pizza, kale, rice, or eggs…all of these products will be broken down into carbs, proteins, or fats and used by the body in some way or another. Food is nourishment that our body needs to survive. You do not need permission to eat…you NEED to eat to live.
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Unfortunately, we live in a world that is surrounded by diet culture. Scroll through Facebook or Instagram, turn on the radio, turn on the TV, read through a magazine, read a book by Dr. Oz, listen to the latest fad diet your best friend did that had her drop 30 lbs. in one month…you name it and there is some form of media that is subconsciously trying to pull you into diet culture. News Flash: all of those sources are most likely #fakenews. Today, we celebrate the registered dietitians (AKA nutrition professionals) who bust their butts to go to a university to get a Nutritional Sciences degree, go through over 1,200 hours of supervised practice in a clinical/community/food service/out-patient settings, and sit for a national board to gain that RD credential. CHEERS to all of our favorite RD’s (girls and guys) out their doing their thing…hold up your glass of wine real high (that is a serving of fruit….right?!)
