Registered Dietitian Nutritionist vs Nutritionist

So I have been running my blog now for over a year and have been talking about nutrition, health tips and sharing recipes, but I have not explained the difference between a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and a Nutritionist. To many people, these titles are interchangeable and mean the same thing. However, that is not the case at all! There is a huge difference between what an RDN and a nutritionist is. So, I made up a handy chart to explain the differences and help you to better understand who you can trust with your nutrition advice and those who you cannot.

Here is a detailed descrition of the difference between RDNs and Nutritionists!

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Nutritionist

-Has a degree in Nutrition and Dietetics (bachelors or masters) from ASCEND accredited institution- the accrediting body of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics -Completed a mandatory internship of 1200 hours from an ACEND accredited internship program -Has passed the national licensing exam in     order to achieve the credential of RDN -Must maintain credential status by ongoing learning credits -Considered a nutritional professional -Is trained in and licensed to perform Medical Nutrition Therapy (an essential, cost-effective, component of the comprehensive nutrition care of medical diseases and conditions) -Provides food, nutrition and related services -Protects the public, community and populations from wrong information -Enhances the wellbeing of patients/clients -Delivers quality products programs and services, including Medical Nutrition Therapy across all focuses -Assesses and Diagnoses nutrition related health problems, plans an Intervention to correct the problem and Monitors and Evaluates the patients/clients outcomes -Can work in hospitals, assisted living homes, acute care facilities, schools, food service, private practice, sports, institutions, corporate venues, etc -Follows Standards of Practice, a Code of Ethics and Scope of Practice set in place by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

-No qualifications or classes or degree needed to be called a nutritionist -Self-proclaimed title- anyone can call themselves nutritionists due to not needing a credential or license -Not legally considered a nutritional professional -Not legally able to make sound nutrition advice due to the lack of appropriate training

Gut Health and Dairy!

Last week I attended a seminar put on by the American Dairy Association North East at my university. Every year they sponsor a speaker to come and talk about hot nutrition topics and how dairy is tied in with them as well. Topics in years past have been Sports Nutrition and Farming and Agriculture. This year's topic was Gut Health and Dairy. Before attending this seminar, I knew very little about the microbiome, probiotics and prebiotics; but after this session my knowledge and interest has grown exponentially. So, this week I decided that I wanted to share a little bit of this new knowledge with you!

Let's start with the Microbiome
- There are 10-100 trillion microbial cells in the skin, gut, mouth and feces. These cells have differ from person to person, and can vary depending on what environment we live in, as well as what type of environment the cells live in. Cells that live in the gut and are constantly exposed to gastric acids and juices are different from those that live on the skin or in the mouth. We actually get some of these  microbial cells from our mothers when we are born, and there are 3 points within our lives in which the microbiome changes. First, when we start being breast fed, second is when we first develop a sickness that requires an antibiotic, and lastly is when we begin to eat solid foods. Some other things that can effect the gut microbiome is diet, exercise, stress, where you live, gender, age, and whether or not if you have a pet.

Microbiome and Health
- Studies have been able to show a connection between obesity, cognitive function, immune health, autoimmune disease, diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, and the microbiome. One study showed that those who are obese have a significantly smaller amount of microbiomes in the gut than those who are at a healthy weight. They put the overweight people on a diet high in fiber and probiotics and saw that they experienced a loss of weight, as well as a more diverse microbiome. Another point I found interesting was that a study was done with children who were genetically at risk for developing Type 1 Diabetes. The researcher followed these children for 3 years and tested their mircobiome weekly for changes. After 3 years, 4 of the 33 children followed developed Type 1 Diabetes. The researcher saw a trend in the children that developed diabetes, they saw that one year before the onset of diabetes, there was a significant change in the microbiome which could help them predict the development of diabetes.

What are Probiotics?
- Probiotics are live cultures intended to have health benefits. Probiotics are part of the microbiome which can help with digestion, inflammation and disease prevention, by eating foods with probiotics we can make our microbiome more diverse.

What are Prebiotics?
- Prebiotics feed probiotics. They have been shown to be able to reduce inflammation, reduce diarrhea associated with antibiotic use, and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Where can we get prebiotics and probiotics?
- Dairy is a great source of pre and probiotics, yogurt being one of the best of them. Kefir (shown above), which is a cultured milk product also is a great source of probiotics (shown to have 150-950 billion different probiotics) . It produced fewer symptoms of lactose intolerance than normal milk does, while containing the same amount of lactose. This is because Kefir contains cultures with the lactase enzyme in them. Some other sources of pre and probiotics are fermented foods, fruits and vegetables, kimchi, saurerkraut, miso, kombucha and tempeh


Next time you're at the grocery store in the dairy aisle, check the yogurt container and see if it says "Contains live cultures", if so, you're helping to increase and diversify your microbiome!

Myth Busting-Dark Chocolate

Chocolate has always been known as a rich and decadent treat that we should not overly indulge in. But what if I told you that chocolate, specifically dark chocolate, has some benefits to you and your health. Here are some dark chocolate facts I bet you didn't know!

1. Dark chocolate has more cocoa and less sugar that milk chocolate and white chocolate, making it the more nutritious choice than the rest. Excess sugar in the diet can be stored as fat.

2. Dark chocolate has a large amount of antioxidants in it. Antioxidants prevent free radicals from forming in the body which can help us to prevent diseases like cancer and other cardiovascular diseases.

3. Dark chocolate is full of heart healthy fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which can aid in the reduction in the rish of cardiovascular disease.

4. Dark chocolate has a high amount of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. When we have an adequate amount of amino acids in our body, the easier it is for our bodies to build new muscle.

5. Dark Chocolate contains dopamine, a neurotransmitter. When dopamine reaches the brain, the pleasure centers are stimulated causing you to feel good. Thats why some people get a wash of good feelings after eating chocolate

Next time you're reaching into the pantry for chocolate, grab the dark chocolate for a tasty treat that has nutritional benefits as well. Just remember, everything in moderation! Eating a whole bag of Dark Chocolate morsels doesn't mean you will wipe out your risk of heart disease and cancer! You will probably just get a really bad stomach ache!

Put Your Best Fork Forward!

March is National Nutrition Month in the U.S! And, actually tomorrow is National RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist) Day! So, you may be reading my articles to learn more about healthy eating, finding some recipes, or learning more about your body, but I wanted to take this week's post and talk about what a Dietitian is, a little history of nutrition and dietetics, and why you should visit a dietitian!

Let's start with a little history first

National Nutrition Month first started as a week long celebration of nutrition and encouraging people to eat healthy in 1973. Due to the great amount of interest that came with the week celebration and increasing public interest in nutrition, in 1980 it became a month long celebration. 

Careers in dietetics started around 100 years ago, with a focus in family and consumer sciences. From that point, dietetics has grown into it's own degree and now is becoming a master's level position in the near future. There are around 100,000 credentialed dietitians and Diet Techs worldwide, with the academy being the largest organization dedicated to food and nutrition professionals. Dietitians are now in hospitals, long term care facilities, out-patients clinics, pharmaseutical companies, wellness facilities, gyms, colleges, sports teams, etc. Dietitians can work in almost any field!



What is a dietitian? 

one concerned with the promotion of good health through proper diet and with the therapeutic use of diet in the treatment of disease. The dietitian may work in a variety of settings, including hospitals and other health care agencies, schools, hotels,and other commercial institutions where duties include both food service administration and therapeutic nutrition services, ormay choose to enter the fields of education and research. Some dietitians practice independently either as consultants orprivate practitioners in the area of therapeutic dietetics.

Why should you see a dietitian/what can they do for you?

Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, but only those with degrees from an accredited institution and completed the mandatory 1200 hour internship can be called a dietitian. A dietitian has credentials, a nutritionist does not! Dietitians have formal training and need to pass a very hard exam to be called a dietitian, a nutritionist does not. 

A dietitian can give you the highest level of nutrition counseling, they can give personally tailored advice to help you and your lifestyle, they can help you manage chronic diseases like hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol, they can give guidance for those with food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities, and they can give you a real weight-loss program that will actually work! We work with athletes and pregnant women too! Skip the silly programs and yo-yo diets, and get a program that will actually work! Dietitians work for you and want to help you! 

Want to find a dietitian near you? Heres a link to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website to find a Dietitian http://www.eatright.org/find-an-expert

Want to learn more about Marywood's nutrition and dietetics program?

https://www.facebook.com/Marywood-Student-Academy-of-Nutrition-and-Dietetics-SAND-705079016259746/

Whole Grain Pasta Treat!

Looking for a little spice from a pasta recipe but not feeling marinara sauce? Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles have a great little kick and have color from vegetables. I whipped this up for the week last Sunday so I could snack on it all week. The sauce is just peanut butter, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, cayenne and vegetable oil. The longer you let the sauce sit before you put it on the pasta and vegetables, the spicier the sauce will be! This salad is great warm or cold and a perfect to pack in your lunch. Use Whole Wheat pasta to get in some of your whole grains for the day.

Cut up some of your favorite vegetables to add a little crunch to this dish too! I added yellow bell pepper, snow peas, and scallions for color and texture.





Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce

1/3c Peanut Butter
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
3 Tbsp Rice Vinegar, distilled White Vinegar or White Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1/4 Tbp Cayenne, or more to taste
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Large Garlic Clove, Mashed, Smashed and Finely Chopped
8 to 12 oz Noodles

In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients expect the pasta. With rubber spatula or wooden spoon, work together until smooth and mixed. Let stand for at least 4 hours. Use to dress

 8-12 oz of chinese pasta or italian style pasta. Makes 2-4 servings