FitSugar

Dietitian vs. Nutritionist

FitSugar — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 09:30:00 PDT

A dietitian is an expert in food and nutrition. They give dietary advice, help promote healthy eating habits, develop specific diets for people, and participate in nutrition research. In the U.S., nutrition professionals include the registered dietitian (RD), and the dietetic technician, registered (DTR). They are regulated by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). They must meet strict educational and professional prerequisites and pass a national exam before they are registered dietitians.

Nutritionists are health specialists who are interested in food and nutritional science, preventative nutrition, diseases related to nutrient deficiencies, and the use of food and nutrients to cure disease and ailments.

They also are not regulated. They have varying degrees of education in nutrition – some have very little and some have a masters or phD. Since the term "nutritionist" isn't regulated, anyone can call themselves a nutritionist and dispense nutritional information without having any education whatsoever - they even write books.

Fit's Tips: If you want advice on your diet, food, or nutrition, I'd see a dietitian unless a nutritionist could prove to you how much education they've had.

Source

Dr. Ornish on the Power of Love, Chocolate, and Snacking

Lauren Turner — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 11:59:25 PST

We had a chance to chat with Dr. Dean Ornish, founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, over the weekend at the Sundance Film Festival. He's a featured health expert in the new documentary, Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare, which examines the current state of our health care system and provides hopeful solutions based on lifestyle and dietary changes. A big proponent of chronic disease prevention through healthy habits, Dr. Ornish offered up some sound advice and simple changes we can all make to improve our health - chocolate included!

FitSugar: What do you think is the most simple, overlooked thing people can do for their health?
Dr. Ornish: Love more. What you eat, how you respond to stress, how much you exercise, whether or not you smoke, how much love and support you have. But of all those, probably the love and support. Study after study has shown that people who are lonely and depressed are 10 times for likely to die or get sick. You're more likely to smoke and abuse yourself if you're lonely and depressed. It's not enough to just work at a behavioral level and give people information; you have to work at a deeper level.

FS: Everyone has days where they don't want to exercise, how do you motivate yourself on those days?
DO: If I really don't want to, I don't, and then I'll do more the next day. What matters is your overall way of eating and living. So if you don't do something one day, do a little more the next. If I don't have time to meditate for an hour, I'll do it for a minute. It's not all or nothing at any age, and it's really up to you.

FS: People like to stick with their daily habits; how do you get individuals to change their behavior towards healthier choices?
DO: It's about helping people connect the dots between what they do and how they feel, and giving them the tools. Fear is not a sustainable motivator. You can scare people into changing for a few weeks, but not for very long. When you make changes, most people find that they feel so much better so quickly, it reframes the reason for changing from fear of dying to joy of living, and that's what makes it sustainable. Also, to realize that it's not all or nothing. Instead of saying this is good food and this is bad food, and don't ever eat meat, be a vegetarian - I never tell people that. I used to a long time ago and then I realized I was actually not only not helping people, but making it worse. It turns people off because even more than being healthy, people want to be free, so when you tell people what to do they stop listening. If you eat meat five times a day, eat it three times a day or have a meatless Monday and see how you feel. If you don't exercise one day, do a little more the next. Then you start to feel better and then it comes out of your own experience, not because some doctor or some book told you.

To find out Dr. Ornish's surprising favorite indulgence and his take on snacking just read more.

3 Common Hair Dilemmas Solved

Guest Writer — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:00:00 PST

Tabatha Coffey, the star of the much-loved series, Tabatha Takes Over, is known giving the most spot-on hair advice around. And over the next few months the talented hairstylist is sharing her top tips and tricks right here on BellaSugar. We're thrilled to present to you her first post! Take it away, Tabatha.

Hi everyone,
I got so many emails and questions on the below topics after I appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, I thought it would be great to write about them in my first blog. Here are some of my favorite products and tips for combating the hair-problem blues. See more when you keep reading.

6 Weekend Weight-Loss Tips to Slim Down

Shape — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 03:44:06 PDT

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Shape here on FitSugar.

After a week of spartan lunches, rigorous workouts, and sleep-depriving presentations, it's easy to feel you've earned a happy hour margarita and a plate of cheesy nachos. But topping off a tough week in this way can undo all your hard work and even pack on the pounds. According to a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, women consume about 115 more calories on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday than they do on weekdays. "Those extra 300 to 400 calories can leave you nine pounds heavier by the year's end," says Barry Popkin, Ph.D., the study's lead author. Fortunately, when armed with the right advice, it's possible to avoid the most common dietary traps while savoring that delicious downtime. And you may even wake up on Monday a little slimmer. Not a bad way to start the week!

FRIDAY

Overdoing It at Happy Hour
Alcohol isn't only high in calories, it also diminishes resolve - making it harder to keep your hands out of the pretzel bowl.

Keep reading to see the solution to this and many more weekend dilemmas!

Labor Day Travel: Golden Rules For Houseguests and Hosts

Guest Writer — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 05:00:39 PDT

Editor’s note: The following guest post was written by Robert Reid, the US travel editor for Lonely Planet.

This will be my final blog post for you all! And this is your last chance to download any of our 15 free mini-guides off our website so go now and collect them all before they go away on September 5th.

Since this weekend is Labor Day, I’m sure many of you already have your travel plans set. Thus, I won’t give you new suggestions for where to go but rather give some advice that you can perhaps use this weekend, and for years to come.

With rising airfares, hotel costs, and gas prices, people fortunate (and unfortunate) enough to live in destination-friendly places often get a double-dose of cousins and friends dropping by to set up camp for a few days, or more.

But being a good host or guest isn't easy, so how do you make sure you're still friends at the end of the stay, and maybe even have plans for doing it all again next year? We need rules! So, we polled the Lonely Planet staff, and came up with a set of rules for hosts and house guests alike.

Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler was one of the first to offer a rule for house guests: "The oldest line is still the best - guests and fish begin to smell after three days. Or, like fish, guests should go off after three days." There you have it - Rule #1: Three days max, even for family. If you're staying longer, get a hotel.

A general rule everyone should follow: have fun, but remember to play fair.

For house guests:

If you borrow your hosts' car, fill up the tank.
Contribute to food: assist in shopping or offer money for groceries. Or replace things like milk and toilet paper as they are used. If you have dietary restrictions, bring your own food. Do the dishes. Or take your hosts out to dinner.
Send a hand-written thank you note. It's a nice touch.

Read on for more house guest rules.

DrSugar: How Much Salt Is Too Much?

DrSugar — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 09:30:42 PST

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions.

Dear DrSugar,
I am a vegetarian and when I first started cutting meat out of my diet I still craved it. I ate a lot of "fake meat" products, which I understand are highly processed. I will still eat Morningstar and Quorn products on occasion, but rarely. How bad are these products for you? I noticed that they have a lot of salt in them. What does all this salt do to you exactly? Also, how much salt per day is OK? When I search for daily salt intake, nobody can really give me a clear answer. Thank you!
- Salty Gal

Thank you for your great question, as I too worry about my daily consumption of salt given the fact that my nutrition seems to come second sometimes to daily patient care. One of the major life lessons I learned in medical school is that physicians should "eat when you can and sleep when you can" and I must say that I often find myself just grabbing whatever is quickest in the hospital cafeteria in the short period of time I have between patient care duties. Unfortunately, this does not lead to eating the most well-balanced, healthy, and lower sodium diet. So, I am very glad you asked this question regarding salt intake and if you want to learn more, please keep reading!

DrSugar Answers: Dieting and Calories

FitSugar — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 09:30:11 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health related questions.

Dear DrSugar,
I am trying to lose weight by dieting and know I should eat fewer calories than I am burning daily. I am wondering how big the calorie deficit should be to still be safe. I am trying to exercise (using the elliptical) a couple of days of week for at least a half an hour. Also what is the minimum amount of calories I should be eating daily?
-Dieting Gal

First of all, I’d like to commend you on your health and fitness goals! Also, I am delighted to answer these questions because they focus on healthy and safe weight loss, which is extremely important. There are a lot of fad diets and exercise regimens out there that, while effective in the short term in terms of quick and noticeable weight loss, may not be healthy or safe. To learn more about tips for safe weight loss, keep reading!

DrSugar Answers: Are Expensive Vitamins Better?

FitSugar — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 05:50:15 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions, like this one submitted in our Ask Anything group.

Q: Does it matter which brand of vitamins I take? Are the more expensive ones better for you?

A: This is a great question to ask because I'm sure many of FitSugar's readers, including me, have become perplexed and overwhelmed when at the health food store or vitamin store shopping for a daily multivitamin! I think it's great that you are taking a multivitamin, as vitamins have been recommended for years because they help you get the key nutrients your body needs if your diet is low on fruits and vegetables. To learn if high price equals high quality in vitamins, keep on reading.

DrSugar Answers: Vitamin D Dosage?

DrSugar — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:00:28 PST

DrSugar is in the house, and she's answering your health related questions.

Dear Doc Sugar,
I have heard from multiple sources (my kids’ pediatrician, an osteopath, an acupuncturist, etc.) about the importance of taking a vitamin D supplement. Coming from multiple sources has convinced me to start taking a supplement, but I am confused about how much to take. I just read from a Dr. Weil newsletter to take 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily, but other sources recommended 1,000 IU, and I have also read that the recommend amount is as little as 200 IU. So I am confused about how much to take. Can you tell me the proper daily dosage?
- Vitamin Popper

This is a fantastic question to discuss, as there is much debate even in the medical literature about what the adequate daily intake of vitamin D should be. Thus, you are not alone in your confusion regarding the proper daily requirement of vitamin D for adults! Read my answer when you

read more. First, some background information on vitamin D. The primary function of vitamin D is to maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus. Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium, which helps to form and maintain strong bones. Recently, research also suggests vitamin D may provide protection from osteoporosis, hypertension (high blood pressure), cancer, and several autoimmune diseases. Therefore, the advice given to you about the importance of vitamin D was correct! Very few foods in nature contain vitamin D. Fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel, is a good source of the vitamin and small amounts are found in eggs and fish liver oils. Fortified foods such as milk and some brands of orange juice and yogurt provide most of the vitamin D in the American diet. The sun also contributes significantly to the production of vitamin D. According to the National Institutes of Health, most people meet their vitamin D needs through exposure to sunlight. But they also advise that despite the importance of the sun to vitamin D synthesis, it is prudent to limit the exposure of skin to sunlight and UV radiation from tanning beds. Adequate daily intake levels have been established by the US Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. Recommendations for all adult individuals under the age of 50 including males, females, and pregnant women are 200 IU (International Units) daily. Some researchers have questioned whether the current recommended adequate levels are sufficient, particularly for individuals deprived of regular sun exposure.The upper limit of vitamin D has been recommended at 2,000 IU daily due to toxicities that can occur when taken in higher doses. Obtaining sufficient vitamin D from natural food sources alone can be difficult. For most people, consuming vitamin D-fortified foods and being exposed to sunlight are essential for maintaining a healthy vitamin D status. Additionally, dietary supplements might be required to meet the daily need for vitamin D. As detailed above, there is a range of acceptable daily intake of vitamin D, and adjusting your diet, sunlight exposure, and supplementation to fall within that range is the best idea. But, if you are at all concerned about vitamin D supplementation, talk to your primary care doctor regarding what dosage is right for you. Have a question for DrSugar? You can send to me via private message here, and I will forward it to the good doctor.

DrSugar's posts are for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Click here for more details.