Ever find nutrition information confusing and conflicting?
Each year, billions of dollars are spent on food marketing. There are easy access to cheap, high calorie, heavily processed foods in Canada, making it harder to stay on track with our eating to nourish our body with proper nutrition which in turn help us feel good mentally and physical and prevent risks of chronic diseases. Working with a dietitian can help you fast track your nutrition goals, so that you’re getting tailored advice for your unique situation.
Read more to find out why you need to be working with a dietitian, and how to get started through BC Dietitians today!
Why You Need a Personalized Nutrition Plan
From the time you wake up in the morning to the time you go to bed, there are many eating and nutrition decisions you are making that can impact your overall health and nutrition goals. Whether you take your vitamins and/or medications with food, what types of cereal you should choose, what supplements works for you or maybe you’re wondering how many eggs you can eat in a day.
There is no single magical supplement and/or meal plan that will work for everyone. We all have different bodies and different nutrient needs. For example, some of us may benefit from extra vitamin C; while for others, taking vitamin C may increase their risks of kidney stones. How can we make sure that a meal plan and/or supplement regime is right for us ?
Personalized nutrition is when eating and nutrition are tailored for your specific needs based on your genetics, age, weight, height, activity levels, preferences, lifestyle, health conditions and many more factors. As registered dietitians, we typically ask a lot of questions in their initial assessments and this is so that we can have a good understand of some of these factors and how to help you make effective changes that will positively affect health outcomes.
Unfortunately, there is no shortage of nutrition information on the web. Whether you’re getting your info via podcasts, radio, TikTok, Instagram, youtube or even generating your own meal plan through AI, you are likely bombarded with food and supplement ads, people sharing about their own nutrition journey or influencers giving you unsolicited advice. The problem is these advice are not meant for you specifically, so you will find many conflicting opinions and it is hard to shift through the millions of nutrition myths out there to get the right information for you.
The Role of a Registered Dietitian
By working with a specialized dietitian that has a holistic approach, one who understands your life, your challenges, what motivates you, how to keep you accountable, and everything else that matters within your life, you can figure out how to make effective changes that will make sense for your needs and lifestyle.
To practice and work as a BC Dietitian, the dietitian must first complete a 4 year bachelor’s of science program from a recognized university, then go on to complete a 10-month supervised training period (internship or practicum at various settings including hospitals, long term care, specialized clinics, food service). They must then register with the college of health and care professionals of BC (CHCPBC), and must successfully complete an exam for their certification.
Each year that they are practicing, they are also required to update their training and certifications with continuing education, ensuring they are up to date with all the growing nutrition research. Dietitians are regulated under the Health Professionals Act (the same act that regulates doctors, pharmacists, nurses) as well as the CHCPBC. In BC, the only regulated title for a nutrition expert is a Registered Dietitian (RD). Nutritionist is NOT a regulated term in BC – meaning anyone can called themselves a nutritionist.
By seeing a Dietitian, you can ensure a consistent quality of education, training and care. Dietitians are also often covered under your extended benefits plan, meaning you may be reimbursed for some of their services, allowing you easier access to follow up and support through your dietitian. We can even support direct billing to some of these insurance plans.
An unregulated title means that this practitioner is not a regulated health professional in BC. They may have completed their training privately or through a program that varies in length and rigor or may not have any training at all!
What about holistic nutritionists and nutrition consultants?
You will find confusing titles such as Registered Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Nutritional Practitioner, RONP, RNCP, ROHP, RHN, CNP. Many of these used to be trademark names reserved by the businesses to be able to use the titles, they can have different meanings and training requirements (many limited to taking taking a short online course). It’s also worthwhile noting that there was a court case against the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, resulting in these trade-marks to be struck from the Canadian Trademark Register in 2015.
The certification marks at issue were: 1) R.H.N., 2) R.H.N. Registered Holistic Nutritionist, 3) R.H.N. Holistic Nutritionist, 4) R.H.N. Holistic Nutritional Consultant, and 5) R.H.N. Registered Holistic Nutritional Consultant. It was found that all five of the certification marks were deceptively misdescriptive.
The BC Dietitians Approach
BC Dietitians is your go to database for connecting you with a dietitian that is suitable for your specific needs. You can filter dietitians based on your location, the nutrition expertise you are needing help with, languages, payment methods such as if a Dietitian offers direct billing and more.
At BC Dietitians, we believe that a personalized nutrition plan is important because we understand and value that our clients each have their own goals, preferences and lifestyle. Instead of giving you a generic handout and general advice is hard to follow, and leaving it to figure it out on your own, we will provide you a clear path with with that extra support you need, while working together with you to build those habits and keep you accountable.
Comprehensive Directory of Experts
You can use the BC Dietitians directory to find and connect with a local BC Dietitian – you can be sure that all dietitians listed on our website has been vetted that they are licensed practitioners and registered with the college. There are various ways to use the website, such as searching by keyword (such as “celiac” or “meal plans”), exploring all the services available OR search by location if you’re looking for a Dietitian in your area! There are a wide range of expertise available, such as Dietitians that are specialized in Diabetes management, Sustainable weight loss, Sports Nutrition and much more.
Expert Guidance
Dietitians are your go-to source for personalized nutrition education. They ensure that the goals your working towards will be sustainable and fit into your lifestyle. Unfortunately, when we work with plans that are not made to fit us or our lifestyle, it is hard to stick to our goals. We work with you to make sure the suggestions and goals we are making will fit into your life, and we work with you along the way to re evaluate those goals if they’re not working. It’s important for us to look beyond the individual. To treat you, not just your condition. If you’re feeling fatigue, but your iron levels are normal, we want to determine what else might be contributing to your fatigue, even if we can’t see any physical changes that may be contributing to the fatigue.
Exclusive Matching Process
To further simplify the process, we can even match you can with a Dietitian based on your needs here. Take a few minutes to fill out this form and we can match you with a local Dietitian who is available and ready to work with you on your goals.
How to Get Started
Easy Steps to Find Your Dietitian
- Access the Search Feature
On the homepage, enter your keyword or what you’re looking for in the search bar, ie. “diabetes”. - Use the location field and enter in your city ie. “Langley.” Note this is an optional step if you are looking for an online consultation as all dietitians on our website can provide online consultation across BC.
- Browse Results
A list of dietitians matching your search will appear. Click and review the profiles to find a suitable dietitian for you. In the dietitian’s profile, you can view detailed information about their services, qualifications, experiences and booking links. - Connect with a Dietitian
Fill in the contact form on the dietitian’s profile or click the “send message” button to connect with the dietitian directly. - Book an Appointment
On the dietitian’s profile page, look for the “Book Appointment” button or link. Click on “Book Appointment” to proceed with the booking process. - Prepare for Your Appointment
Gather any relevant medical records or information that might be helpful for the dietitian. Prepare a list of questions or concerns you want to discuss during your appointment. - By following these steps, you can efficiently find and book a dietitian through the Find BC Dietitians website.
Conclusion
Start using BC Dietitians today to help meet your goals. A dietitian will help you determine how to continue to eat the foods you love, while meeting your goals. We are not the “food police” and we don’t want you to stop your celebrations because you feel they impact your goals. We want to find a way to work with you to participate in all the great events of life, while meeting whatever goals you may have.
While there is a lot of information online, unfortunately it just isn’t personalized and may not be applicable for you. Working with a dietitian can help you determine how to keep your blood sugars under control, whether it’s around ice-cream season, or any other holidays that you like to celebrate. Your dietitian can help hold you accountable. Habits take time to build, and having someone to check in with your progress is essential for long term changes.
Check out our website and explore the directory or book an online consultation through BC Dietitians to find your Dietitian match today!
References
- Canada, G. o. (2024, July 09). Healthy Eating Strategy. Retrieved from Canada.ca: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/food-nutrition/healthy-eating-strategy.html
- WorkBC. (2024, July 08). Education, Training and Skills Dietitians and Nutritionists . Retrieved from WorkBC: https://www.workbc.ca/career-profiles/dietitians-and-nutritionists#:~:text=Education%2C%20Training%20and%20Skills&text=Dietitians%20require%3A,BC%2C%20which%20includes%20an%20exam
- BC, C. o. (2024, July 08). College of Health and Care Professionals of BC. Retrieved from CHCPBC: https://chcpbc.org/
- BC, H. (2024, July 08). Iron Deficiency Anemia. Retrieved from Healthlink BC: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthy-eating-physical-activity/conditions/anemia/iron-deficiency-anemia
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