(Because it actually makes perfect sense!)
One of my clients (a very healthy person!) is a 22-year-old woman who recently moved out of her family home to move in with her boyfriend.
She soon noticed how much she was spending on groceries and how much she was throwing away because the food she bought never eventuated into a meal. It was rather apparent how little she had been preparing meals and snacks to take with her to work.
She didn’t like the situation she had found herself in – and so came to me for help.
After she contacted me and booked in to see me, she was excited for a new change with nutrition and meal preparation, that she told her family and colleagues at work.
She was quite surprised at her colleagues’ reaction when she told them that she’d been to see a dietitian – because she was young, slim and healthy, they were really puzzled as to why she would need to. Their comments made her feel as if she was being challenged and force to justify being proactive about looking after herself.
It made me think how, unfortunately, many people assume that dietitians are there only to provide advice once a person ‘needs to lose excess weight’ or ‘needs help with managing a disease.
Here’s why my client, a healthy person, was really wise in choosing to see a dietitian.
She took control of her future health.
Dietitians aren’t just about putting people on diets. I huge amount of the work I do within my consultations revolves around helping my clients create a plan which they can take going forward – one which optimises nutrition, is realistic and suits their lifestyle.
My client was struggling to come up with meal ideas that suited both her and her boyfriend, and was really keen to reduce food waste and save money. Going to see a dietitian for help with this makes perfect sense!
It’s really no different from servicing your car!
While many people go to a qualified auto electrician when something has already gone wrong with their car, there are also a lot of people who take their cars for a regular service to prevent something going wrong.
It’s quite bizarre that it’s unusual for people to think to regularly service their own body, especially when we live in it each and every day! Seeing a dietitian can make sure that a healthy person is keeping their body in great condition.
Dietitians can contribute greatly to optimising a person’s nutritional intake, no matter what life stage they are at.
I think it’s wonderful how people are being proactive about their health (and I am seeing more and more of this lately!) and willing to address the areas in their life that they feel could improve.
Dietitians are qualified and equipped with scientific based knowledge and can offer practical strategies and changes to further improve/optimise a person’s nutritional intake, as well as providing dietary advice for managing diseases for all life stages.
I’m really proud of my client for getting help in creating a healthy lifestyle which will hopefully take her forward in good health for years to come.
I hope you’ve found this article useful. I absolutely love helping people create realistic, healthy eating habits so don’t hesitate to book in for a consultation with me to see how I can help you if meal planning and food shopping is something you’re struggling with.
Find me on social media!
Check out my Facebook and Instagram pages for the latest news from Essence of Eating.