Q&A with BC Dietitians
NUTRITION AND DIETS / WRITTEN BY THE CHOICES NUTRITION TEAM
With the start of the New Year, dieting has become quite popular. How do you recommend we focus on health in the New Year?
The most popular New Year goals tend to revolve around weight, diet, and exercise. The messages are popping up everywhere from store promotions to emails to social media, “New Year, New You” – people are exciting for the new year for a fresh start, especially for this year where many people are just done with 2020!
The New Year can be a great time to gain some momentum and make positive changes. We want to remind you to set goals that actually matter to you, not because it’s expected that in the New Years we should “eat clean, lose weight and get fit”. So, we challenge you this year to make meaningful and sustainable changes that will contribute to your health, strength, ability, endurance, happiness, self-compassion, kindness, and self-worth. For a step-by-step guide on how to start feeling amazing for the New Years, please visit: https://www.bcdietitians.ca/blog/4-steps-to-feel-amazing-for-the-new-yearCan you discuss the importance for individuals with nutrition related health concerns to reach out to a Registered Dietitian?
We make about 200+ decisions around food and nutrition everyday. From the moment we wake up, we think about breakfast, lunch, dinner… not only for ourselves but for our family. We think about foods that are nourishing for our body and health. We look online to find inspiration for recipes, meal plans and even do our grocery shopping.
As registered dietitians, we know how important these decisions are for you and your family. We know how complicated nutrition is and how powerful food can be for our body. But we also know how messy it is out there on the internet!
We need to be critical of the nutrition information we hear! Question the source and credibility of information, what is their level of training in nutrition, how are they influenced? Dietitians are regulated health professionals trained to provide nutrition advice.
The titles “Dietitian”, “Registered Dietitian” and the initials “RD” are protected by law in BC. Dietitians are regulated the same way “nurses”, “pharmacists”, “doctors” are under the Health Professions Act and the college.
Registered dietitians must complete:
- a minimum of four years university-level bachelor degree in dietetics
- a one year (~1300 hours) of practicum in acute clinical nutrition care, population & public health nutrition and nutrition management
- passed the Canadian Dietetic Registration Examination
- participate in an annual quality assurance program to keep up with competency
- many have masters and doctorate graduate degrees
Connect with a registered dietitian this New Year to help you reach your nutrition goals!
Find BC Dietitians is an online directory with services, products and events from registered dietitians across BC. We provide quality care by connecting people to a nutrition expert that can support you in achieving your nutrition goals with best practices. Find BC Dietitians also offers convenient online appointments and matches you with a dietitian to help you get started. www.bcdietitians.ca
