Not sure how a Dietitian can help you?

5 Myths About Seeing a Dietitian

1. Dietitians are the Food Police.

This is a really common myth! Patients will often say “You’re just going to tell me everything I can’t eat!”, when the reality is the opposite. My practice philosophy focuses on what we can put into the diet and the nutrient-rich foods which can be consumed. We also work on what is realistic and cutting out food drastically is not realistic.

2. I can the same information online.

A dietitian will ask questions around your living situation, food preferences, food budget, access to food and factor in goals. Online information is often a ‘blanket approach’ and a lot of what is online is not evidence-based or even true! A dietitian is able to personalise nutrition advise to you and ensure that there is enough evidence behind it to ensure it is helpful.

3. Dietitians only work on weight loss.

Weight loss is only one of many conditions we can help with. A dietitian also has the knowledge and skills to work in a variety of areas such as preventing vitamin deficiencies, quality of vegetarian diets, dietary intolerances (such as dairy), performance nutrition for sport and in the prevention and management of diabetes, kidney disease, malnutrition, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies and inflammatory conditions.

4. Making changes to your diet will be hard.

A dietitian understands that everybody likes and prefers different foods. Depending on your goals, a dietitian will recommend some alternatives to your diet ( a different brand of food, foods with specific nutrients or healthier takeaway options) to help you achieve your goals. We make suggestions for sustainable change and these changes can occur as fast or as slow as you like.

5. A dietitian promotes traditional values.

In this day and age, everyone had their own beliefs or opinions about food and everyone comes in different shapes and sizes and that’s okay! A dietitian ‘s goal is to ensure that your diet is nutritionally adequate and that you are healthy, regardless of your body size or if you prefer to ear a certain way. Nutrition is not a ‘one size fits all’ and we are very open to the latest research on different diets and eating strategies.

A dietitian loves food and nutrition too – that’s why we chose the profession. We share the common goal of helping you to be the healthiest you can be and look forward to talking about your diet!!

Lauren Manning
Dietitian at Symmetry Hoppers Crossing