The new year is just around the corner! What will your resolution be this year? If it is to make healthier lifestyle choices and lose weight, a registered dietitian (RD) can help! RD’s are the nutrition experts! We all have earned a four year nutrition degree, completed an accredited internship, passed a national exam and participate in continuing education credits each year to maintain our RD credentials. Also, 50 percent of RD’s hold higher level degrees.
There are many people out there willing to give nutrition advice: celebrities, Internet bloggers, diet websites, your neighbor… However, they are likely not qualified to do so. While a “quick fix” or “miracle” carb /fat burning diet may sound appealing, the likelihood of it actually working or staying on it for very long is just not attainable. So, stick to the facts. A diet is not a quick fix. Eating healthy is a lifestyle change and may take years to turn bad habits into good ones.
Some people may have the wrong idea about RD’s as we are often times referred to as the food police. Trust me, we dislike lecturing you about your food intake as much as you dislike hearing it. Times have changed. We all have to look at food in a new way, and somehow change our relationship with it. My philosophy is all foods can fit. However, some foods are better eaten less often and in smaller portions.
An RD can help pinpoint some troublesome areas in your diet and help guide you to make better choices. We will work with you to make an individualized meal plan that will work for you. Our goal is to help you meet small attainable goals vs. turning your diet upside down the minute we meet you. Once you have achieved your initial goals, we work with you to set new ones! If you have not considered working with a registered dietitian in the past, it may be time to reconsider!
If you would like to schedule a counseling session with a registered dietitian at Noble Hospital, please call 413-568-2811 ex: 5671 for more information.
Allison Walker RD,LDN, is the Clinical Nutrition Manager at Noble Hospital.
