FAQs, Answered

Dietitian vs Nutritionist FAQs

·      What does a Dietitian do?

o   Dietitians have a diverse skill set and work across a range of fields including food service, sports nutrition, public health nutrition, policy development, clinical work in hospital/community settings (providing medical nutrition therapy such as enteral nutrition, educations etc), private practice and many more! We are passionate about, and motivated to, optimise nutrition and well being amongst individuals, communities, family/whanau and organisations, using scientific research and evidence based best practice as the basis for our advice and recommendations.

·      What is the difference between a nutritionist and dietitian?

o   In New Zealand, Dietitian is a protected term. We are the only nutrition health profession to be regulated by law and only those practitioners registered by the Dietitians Board can use the title of Dietitian. We are governed by the Code of Ethics and Conduct and meet annual requirements to maintain our Annual Practising Certificate. Click here for further info and to find the register of practising dietitians in NZ.

o   Nutritionist is a term with no legal regulation or control. However in NZ the title of Registered Nutritionist means a person holds a Bachelor degree or post graduate majoring in human nutrition and has minimum 2-3 years professional experience, as determined by The Nutrition Society of New Zealand.

o   So, in short, in NZ, to ensure you are talking with a trusted nutrition professional, a Dietitian or Registered Nutritionist are the people to see! Check the registers at Dietitians Board or The Nutrition Society of NZ if unsure.

Consultation FAQs

·      Do you do meal plans?

o   In certain situations this may be required but generally, no.

·      How much does a session cost?

o   Click here for further info on this

·      How frequently should I see a dietitian?

o   This is a good question to chat with me about on an individual basis as everyone’s situation and requirements are unique. Generally clients start seeing me weekly or fortnightly and this then extends out as we go along.

·      What does a consultation with you look like?

o   Many people see me to improve their relationship with food. They might be feeling confused and frustrated, restrict or binge eat. They might feel stuck in the ‘diet cycle’ or have a diagnosed Eating Disorder. Where ever you are on your journey with food, I meet you there. We step away from diet culture and use Intuitive Eating principals and Non Diet Approach. The sessions are client driven – you are the expert on you (even if you don’t know it yet!). Rather than rigid meal plans and weekly ‘weigh in’s’, we instead look at eating behaviours, food rules, body image, past dieting history, why you eat the way you do and work towards health promoting behaviours including gentle nutrition and movement. Giving you the confidence, support and knowledge to enjoy a lifestyle focused on your health rather than your weight.

o   You gain the tools to become an Intuitive Eater, to enjoy all foods and to feel confident in the body you’re in. A space free of judgement and shaming and full of kindness, care and respect.

o   Others see me for nutrition support around medical conditions such as heart health, diabetes and for weight inclusive general healthy eating and lifestyle support. All work together is from a HAES® (Health At Every Size®) paradigm, including Intuitive Eating and Non Diet Approach.

·      How does Telehealth work?

o   When you book your appointment online, you’ll be sent an email with a link for your appointment. This is what you click to join your appointment at the day/time it is scheduled. There is nothing you need to do to prepare in advance. You may just need to ‘allow microphone and video’ as you click to join the meeting.

It is preferred your video is switched on to provide a virtual ‘face to face’ consult.

If you can’t find the link, or have any issues, send me an email. I can easily re-send the link, or phone and guide you through joining the appointment at your scheduled time.

If you haven’t used tele-health before, and feel unsure about this, please feel free to get in touch. My experience, and that of clients, is that it allows huge flexibility. There is no time wasted driving to appointments and finding car parks. And you can do it from the comfort of your own home, or during a lunch break at work.

I ensure a confidential space at my end, and I do ask the same of you - the less distractions the better. And the more relaxed you can feel, the more we will gain from our sessions together.

·      How do I book an appointment?

o   Click here for more info around appointment types. Prior to an initial appointment, please complete a Client Enquiry Form to ensure we are a good fit to work together.

·      How does payment work?

o   An invoice will be emailed to you at the end of your appointment, for payment via direct debit within 5 days.

·      Will my appointment be covered by health insurance?

o   Check your health insurance policy as some are covered. Regardless, payment prior to appointment will be required and you can then claim costs from your insurance provided as appropriate.

Intuitive Eating and Non Diet FAQs

·      What is Intuitive Eating?

o   It is a client centred, self care eating frame work. You being the boss of you. As Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch (Co-authors of Intuitive Eating) explain, ‘Intuitive Eating is a dynamic mind-body integration of instinct, emotion and rational thought. It is a personal process of honouring your health by paying attention to the messages of your body and meeting your physical and emotional needs. It is an inner journey of discovery that puts you front and center; you are the expert of your own body. After all, only you know your thoughts, feelings and experiences. Only you know how hungry you are and what food or meal will satisfy you. No diet plan or guru could possibly know these things’.

o   There are 10 principals of Intuitive Eating

1. Reject the Diet Mentality

2. Honour your Hunger

3. Make Peace with Food

4. Challenge the Food Police

5. Discover the Satisfaction Factor

6. Feel your Fullness

7. Cope with your Emotions with Kindness

8. Respect your Body

9. Movement – feel the difference

10. Honour Your Health with Gentle Nutrition

·      What do you mean by Non-Diet?

o   Can you think back to a time in childhood when you were unaware of body image, you moved in ways that felt good and you ate in a way where all food was morally neutral – there was no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ food. You ate until you were comfortably full and could then happily leave any food unfinished on your plate. This is non diet. Where diets provide rigidity, good/bad food labels, restriction, rules, deprivation, frustration, guilt, shame, body hating, weigh ins, a Non Diet Approach provides flexibility in eating, self kindness and compassion. It is intuitive, weight neutral (no focus on weight), all foods are welcome and morally neutral, you eat for nourishment and satisfaction. It is enjoyable and is not all consuming of your thoughts in the way dieting can be.

·      I don’t want to diet anymore, but I want to lose weight

o   I hear you and you are not alone! A good question to ask yourself is WHY do you want to lose weight? When was the first time you were told your body was wrong or not enough? These are great questions to dive into in a consultation. I can provide a non judgmental space for you to explore these ideas. We can work on improving health and behaviours that are concerning you. I don’t think it’s ethical practice to focus purely on weight loss but it is ok that you are having these feelings and I do understand the impact that diet culture has on all of us; I invite you to allow me to support you further to explore and understand your feelings about your body.  

·      What do you mean by a ‘weight neutral approach’?

o   The focus is taken off your weight and instead we focus on your health. We can look at your eating behaviours, gentle nutrition, lifestyle, movement without a focus on weight, weight loss or any weight driven goals. There are no ‘weigh ins’.

Disordered Eating FAQs

·      Should I work alongside other health professionals as well as a Dietitian?

o   When someone is working through a diagnosed Eating Disorder (such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder) a psychologist and GP are vital members of your team. This can be very beneficial when working through any disordered eating. The support of a GP will be essential if you are medically compromised or malnourished as a result of disordered eating.

·      My eating feels disordered and I don’t know what to do. I’m afraid of being labeled with an ‘Eating disorder’ but know I need help.

o   Firstly, please know you are not alone; many others experience and recover from disordered eating. Reaching out for help can be one of the hardest and most important steps so please get in touch when it feels right for you.

o   While being diagnosed as having an Eating Disorder can feel stigmatising for some, others find it validating - that they now have a diagnoses that can be worked through.

o   Disordered eating can be anything from ‘dieting’, to a medically diagnosed eating disorder such as Binge Eating Disorder or Bulimia Nervosa. As a clinician, the label is not so important as we treat the person, not the condition. We work together to support you in your journey, regardless of diagnosis.