Yoga, Fitness, Diet, & Nutrition

19 Ways a Nutritionist Helps You Look and Feel Your Best

A Nutritionist Helps …

The availability and ease of getting information in these modern times is both incredible and exhausting.

We consume nutrition information from search engines that lead to articles, blogs, or credible websites. We peruse Instagram and discover nutrition information from professionals and non-professionals. We watch hours of YouTube to learn how to transform our diet and our bodies.

With the amount of conflicting nutritional advice available, consuming this information can be exhausting. Not only is there a lot of false information being pushed forward, but even good information can be difficult to interpret and apply to our personal needs.

To the rescue…

A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), is certified and educated in Nutrition Science, and can help you sort through the facts and fiction of all those attractive headlines and potentially fad diets.

By consulting a Nutritionist, you are investing in your health, and ultimately providing an investment to yourself. After all, if we don’t have our health in check, what else do we really have?

Here are the 19 Ways a Nutritionist Helps You Look and Feel Your Best

What to do if you’re looking for a “Nutritionist Near Me”

Expands on the basics.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Drink more water. This advice is unlikely something you’ve seen for the first time. You’ve seen it in magazines and blogs, learned it in grade school, and been harped on by your parents for it.

A Nutritionist will remind you of these essential actions while also providing additional information to help you develop a realistic and sustainable eating plan to help you feel your best.

If you haven’t heard it already, a “diet” is not sustainable. Lifestyle changes are. A Nutritionist helps you scope out your lifestyle changes.

Links nutrition with sleep.

Energy is not only sustained with proper nutrition, but is contingent on adequate sleep.

But this relationship goes two ways – proper nutrition also allows the ability to improve sleep duration and quality.

Evidence shows that short sleepers, defined as those who sleep less than 7 hours per night, consume a smaller variety of foods, with lower protein, carbohydrate, fiber, and fat intakes compared to sleepers who report 7-8 hours of sleep per night.

Of the numerous benefits of sleep, it provides beauty benefits such as glowing skin and less puffy eyes, keeping you looking young and fresh.

Identifies what foods are hurting you.

Recently, YouTube star Jasmine Garcia hosted a Registered Dietitian on her channel to address her nutritional concerns. They collectively discovered that the dairy in her diet was causing fatigue, sluggishness and breakouts.

Food sensitivities are on the rise, but can be difficult to identify without expertise.

If you experience similar symptoms that you can’t explain, they may be rooted in foods that don’t jive with your body.

A Nutritionist helps you figure out what foods in your diet are keeping you from feeling your best, by helping you experiment with an elimination diet.

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Here’s how to get the best “Nutritionist Near Me”

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Doesn’t Waste your Money.

All companies have an inherent goal of making money.

Part of the nutrition information overload that we experience on the internet, includes advertisements targeting consumers looking to improve our health.

Name brand diets, supplements, and self-education materials all cost money.

With that cost comes the risk of buying something temporary that does not work for you.

Most businesses don’t have personalized plans that address your very specific needs. Stop wasting your money on temporary solutions, and get advice from a Nutritionist to help you address your needs.

Sets Realistic, Sustainable Goals.

How long does it take to form a habit?

If you have to ask yourself that question, you’re already setting yourself up for something temporary.

Asking how long it will take, inherently assumes it will be a short term endeavor.

If you’re looking to lose weight, gain muscle, or clear up your skin through a diet change, it will require more than a temporary habit.

When establishing changes with your RDN, be sure to ask yourself if those changes are realistic in the long term. Take it one step at a time.

Weight loss, weight gain, weight maintenance.

Regardless of your goals, you very likely fall within one of those three categories.

Looking your best isn’t about achieving your idea of a “perfect” body – it’s about taking appropriate steps toward a healthy one.

If you’re pre-diabetic, you’d likely see a nutritionist for weight loss.

If you’re constantly low on energy and have brittle hair and nails, you may see a nutritionist for weight gain and micronutrient recommendations.

Figure out what your goals are, and let a nutrition professional prescribe you a realistic plan to help reach those goals.

Helps Identify Issues.

Two words – Gut Health.

This isn’t a trend or a fad that will dissipate anytime soon.

Why is it that your grandparents and great-grandparents report eating “whatever they want” without experience nearly the amount of digestive distress that 74% of Americans report having today?

Our ancestors were not exposed to nearly the amount of toxins and processed foods that have altered our gut microbiota over the years, increasing the amount of stress on our digestion.

Meet with your RDN to discover how you can decrease bloating, discomfort, and indigestion.

References Your Physician.

Hippocrates once said that our food should be medicine, and our medicine should be food.

Medication alone does not always address the root cause of your health issue. In fact, it often only puts a band-aid on the problem.

We know that nutrition plays an essential role in prevention and management of leading causes of morbidity and mortality – including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Additionally, be sure to question your physician if you’re immediately prescribed medication without being consulted on your diet.

Discovers Your Mood-boosting Foods.

Researchers have found some fascinating relationships between diet and our mood.

Some examples include fish that contain Omega-3 fatty acids, foods with natural probiotics, and Folate-rich foods. But these recommendations are not a one-size fits all.

A Nutrition helps tailor mood-boosting foods to your dietary needs. If you can alter your diet to make you happier, your confidence will shine through!

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Want a vetted, elite Nutritionist Near You?

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10. Encourages Movement That You Love.

“Exercise releases endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t kill their husbands.”

–Elle Woods.

Young Reese Witherspoon had a point.

While an RDN predominantly gets your diet in check, he or she will consider the amount of activity you’re performing regularly.

If you want to cash in on the additional energy you have from a solid diet, try taking it to the next level with exercise.

Your exercise does not have to be consistently intense.

It could be a 20 minute walk, a Zumba class, or a weightlifting session.

Whether your goal is weight loss, weight gain, or maintenance, movement benefits everyone.

Solves Micronutrient Deficiencies.

Typical blood work identifies what vitamin and mineral levels should be in your body.

A physician reads your numbers and

could tell you if you’re low in B12, Iron, or maybe Vitamin D.

However, the average physician has minimal exposure to Nutrition-specific education.

Take this information to your RDN, and ask what foods you could be adding to your diet to eliminate some of the fatigue you may be feeling.

If you’re not feeling your best, there’s a very good chance you’re missing something in your diet.

Kicks the Strict “Diets” to the Curb.

Why don’t diets work?

Historically, a “diet” has been an endeavor that is temporary and highly restrictive in order to lose weight.

The South Beach Diet, the Atkins Diet, Body for Life, and the Detox diet, are all some examples of temporary attempts that the vast majority of people are able to maintain for an extended period of time.

It doesn’t feel good to restrict yourself, and it doesn’t feel good to have zero control of what you’re putting in your body.

A nutritionist does not aggressively and temporarily alter your day-to-day eating.

Instead, your nutritionist helps you gradually, and realistically, replace and change foods in your diet to align with your goals.

Helps Clear your Skin.

Beauty from the inside out – ever heard of it?

The success of Collagen Proteins, Superfood powders, and green juice are largely attributed to the ease of consuming substances that will plump your skin, clear up acne, and make you glow.

The secret is, you don’t need supplements to have beautiful skin.

Foods such as brazil nuts, leafy green, blueberries, and turmeric, are known to clear up skin.

Ask your Nutritionist to help incorporate these beauty foods into your diet without spending all your hard-earned money on supplements.

Informs You of Supplements.

The ease of purchasing and consuming supplements has reached an all-time high, as we receive 2-day delivery from Amazon with a click of a button.

With that very seductive, uber-convenience comes the risk of vitamin or mineral toxicity, or wasting your hard-earned money on items your body doesn’t need.

If you follow a vegan diet, you’re likely missing B-12.

If you work out 60 minutes a day and are low on energy, you might be low on protein.

These concerns can be resolved with the right supplement, and your RDN can help you discover the right doses and brands.

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Here’s how to get the best “Nutritionist Near Me”

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Helps Create Habits.

Instead of focusing on breaking “bad” habits, why not work to create good ones?

Let’s say you can’t go to bed without eating ice cream first. Your RDN could help you switch this pre-bedtime ritual into a sleep aid, instead of a blood sugar spike.

For example, there is a significant link between kiwi consumption before bedtime and its relationship with sleep quality.

Perhaps you get random cravings throughout the day, but can’t figure out why.

This could be a sign of a nutrient deficiency that your RDN can address with you.

Positively Impacts Mental Health.

As discussed, nutrition plays a role in our physical health and should be also addressed with your physician.

Likewise, nutrition plays a significant role in your mental health as well.

Serotonin, the neurotransmitter that regulates mood, has a direct impact with your emotions as well. And guess what – about 95% of Serotonin is produced in your gut.

A quality diet is known to impact anxiety levels, perception of stress, and overall mental outlook.

If you experience depression, anxiety, or any other cognitive issues, see if your newly prescribed diet can help limit some of those symptoms.

Inspires Lifestyle Changes.

There is no fad diet or magic pill that will facilitate your goals.

At the same time, making changes to reach your goals should not be so difficult that they are not sustainable.

If you’re prescribed a plan that you know you can’t stick to long term, then the plan needs revision.

Lifestyle change requires both knowledge, and action. Your Nutritionist helps you with the knowledge, but you must provide the actions.

Encourages Progress Tracking.

Write things down.

Whether you prefer electronic notes or physical paper, there is evidence that shows you’re more likely to carry out actions in the long term if it’s written down.

By tracking your actions and setting your future actions, you’re much more likely to follow through.

Your Nutritionist helps you by asking you about your progress in follow-up meetings.

Make it easier on yourself by keeping your actions written down and up-to-date.