FAQs

What is the difference betweeen a Nutritionist and a Registered Dietitian?

The term “nutritionist” is not regulated, which means anyone can advertise themselves as a nutritionist, even if they do not have any education or training in the field. Furthermore, there are a lot of organizations that offer so-called “nutrition certifications”. Perhaps you have seen personal trainers at the gym also working as a nutrition coach, or a similar term. Unfortunetly, these certifications are typically easy to obtain as long as an individual pays a sum of money. The term “Registered Dietitian” (noted by RD after one’s name) however is regulated. This title requires formal education and training in the field. Specifically, an RD must: 1) complete a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university’s program that includes specific course work in nutritional sciences, human physiology, biochemistry, food science, and other sciences 2) complete a 1200 hour supervised internship that is accredited by the American Dietetic Association (and in fact only about 50% of individuals who apply for internships are accepted in to one) 3) pass a comprehensive, national examination and 4) participate in continuing education. RDs are also held to a professional code of ethics. Therefore, when seeking nutrition advice it is best to look for an RD and not someone without this credential. To learn more visit the American Dietetic Association’s website.

How do I find an RD?

First determine why you would like to meet with an RD and what your goals are. If you are interested in meeting with an RD that specialize in sports nutrition, wellness, weight management, cardiovascular health, disordered eating and eating disorders, or a variety of other health concerns from diabetes to Chron’s disease, I recommend that you look on the SCAN website. SCAN stands for Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition and is a Dietetic Practice Group of the American Dietetic Association. This basically means that it is a subgroup or Registered Dietitans with further expertise in the areas I mentioned. On the website you can access this search engine to help locate an RD near you. If you are looking for a different specialty, I encourage you to refer to the ADA site, or shoot me a message and I can try to get you in touch with an RD who will meet your needs.

I love the header on your site. How can I make my own?

I also love the header on my site, but I must admit I fairly computer illiterate. It was created for be Colin James Tuttle, graphic designer extraordinaire. If you are looking for someone to help you out with your own blog or website, give him a shout!

What do you eat? Are there any foods you avoid?

A couple of years ago I become a vegetarian and I often flip flop back and forth between being a hardcore vegan (no animal products at all) and a more relaxed pescatarian (meaning I will include fish in my diet). However, I know that eating style is not for everyone and I believe a healthy diet can include animal products or not. Besides that dietary restriction, I just aim to eat a good amount of fruits and vegetables each day and choose whole grains whenever possible. Some of my favorite foods are: peanut butter, broccoli, oatmeal, lentils, and vegan pizzas topped with lots of veggies! However, I certainly do not eat “perfect” all of the time – whatever that means anyway - and my sweet tooth loves ice cream and cookies! I encourage you to find an eating pattern that works for you and allows you to incorporate the foods you love because we are all different and thus there is not one diet we should all be following!

Are you available to provide product reviews?

If you would like me to potentially sample and provide a review of a food or fitness-related product please contact me at tanya@dinedashdeadlift.com. Decisions to review products will be done on a case-by-case basis, since I will not recommend anything to readers that could  be potentially harmful or that I do not fully support.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask in the comment section below or e-mail me at tanya@dinedashdeadlift.com