You’ve probably heard of Registered Dietitians (RD) and nutritionists and might be wondering what the difference is.
A Registered Dietitian has completed:
- 4 year bachelors degree in the field of human nutrition or dietetics
- an accredited internship that usually takes 6 months up to 2 years (depending on the program)
- and passed the registration exam for dietitians
- 75 continuing education credits every 5 years to remain registered
- and maintains a states license required in most states
A nutritionist is not necessarily licensed nor has gone through any formal training. With that said, there are many nutrition programs and certifications available online and through different institutions. Some of these are pretty good, in my opinion.
If you are looking into whether a RD or nutritionist is right for you, I encourage you to research first. Find someone who is a fit for what goals you are trying to attain. If you have a medical history I suggest finding a RD with a clinical background. Why? Clinical RDs have extensive knowledge in medical nutrition therapy and can develop an intervention to address your nutritional needs based on your medical background.
My goal is to combine my clinical background with a functional and integrative approach to explore the root causes of disease. With this approach I aim to use a whole systems approach to attaining optimal wellness. I will discuss functional and integrative nutrition in a later post.
If you still have questions regarding this, please shoot me an email or call and we can discuss further!
Nourish 