Well this is exciting. This is my first blog on my new site. I will be transferring some of my info from before but this is a fresh start with a new base. I think what I would like to chat about today is how difficult it must be to find your way through the maze of nonsense out there. May be its best to give you a whistle stop tour of what to look for if you do feel you need to take up some nutritional advice. How do you know that you are dealing with a professional? How do you know that what is being advised is based on fact not fiction?
Here are some easy to follow steps to guide your choice of advisor.
1. Look for a Registered Dietitian. A Registered Dietitian holds at minimum, a BSc degree, has been at university for at least 4 years and is duty bound to maintain his/her knowledge through ongoing training throughout his/her career. The title DIETITIAN is a protected title in law. You cannot legally call yourself a Dietitian if you have not earned that title through study. A Dietitian will assess the situation, diagnose the problem and treat as appropriate. A dietitian knows that she or he has to work within their areas of expertise and will refer on to the appropriate professional if, and when, required.. A Dietitian will work within many fields and will deal with individuals, groups, classes and different bodies in varying arenas, NHS, public, private, commercial, corporate, education, research and within TV and media.
A nutritionist may also be highly qualified and many are, but, there are many pseudo experts who adopt that title NUTRITIONIST, because it is not a protected title in law and ANYONE can call himself a nutritionist with no training, no knowledge no expertise.
2. Beware the celebrity expert. From the Reality TV star spouting advice to the press releases based on "the very little fact and no truth" formulae.
3. Sharpen your "Bull...." antennae. If it's too good to be true.. well it's too good to be true. There is no magic tea, pill, grain or drink that will reduce your weight. YOU need to do that. One day of course there may be something that really does help speed up the process. That day is yet to come. When it comes we will all know about it, it will be the answer to the biggest threat to health that we have in the western world and the most expensive drain we have on the NHS in Britain. Don't be suckered in by celebrity endorsement, there are no detox diets that do that job. Our liver takes care of that very nicely thank you. Be smart don't wast your time and money.
4. Key indicators that what you are about to read is tosh!
Intense claims based on specific foods or behaviours around foods... Like The cabbage diet. Coconut oil benefits spanning every aspect of life. Banana diet, Raw diet. pH diet. Blood type diet. Extreme fasting diets, Deprivation diets. Diets that remove a whole food group. like dairy, wheat, gluten when there is no disease process diagnosed.. Combination diets, only having protein with fruit or carbohydrate with dairy or any such combination. Elimination diets, completely removing a food or foods for no medical reason.
Extreme claims.Lose a stone in a week. Look younger by cutting out wheat. Shakes that contain ketones to burn thigh fat. Shrink your tummy in ten days.... drink this!
Magical thinking. Esoteric cures and potions to break down stubborn fat deposits in specific areas.
Detox claims, I must say this is my bug bear I can set my watch and wait to see the usual run out of tosh come every January by the same celebrity, no doubt being paid a fine fee to talk nonsense.
Physical interventions with little or no evidence. Colonic irrigation.. Kinesiology, allergy testing, sensitivity testing, aura reading, hair and nail analysis, pooh analysis. Pressure to buy into a long term commitment to these practises or to the follow up literature drivel.
There are a good few areas that I have not included in great detail that do require a closer look. I think I will leave that for another day and go and get myself a cup o' tea. Back soon.
