The term “nutrition” derives from the Latin word “nutrire”, which translates to English as “feed” or “nourish”.
According to the dictionary, nutrition is “the sum of processes by which an animal or plant takes in and utilizes food substances”.
A “nutritionist” is someone who teaches about nutrition.
A “nutritionist” is different than a “dietician”.
In the USA, the term “dietician” is reserved for individuals having received a degree as a “Registered Dietician”, or RD, through a state approved program.
A “nutritionist” on the other hand, is simply someone who gives advice about the care and feeding of the human body.
Dr. Oz is a nutritionist.
Any doctor, nurse, researcher, author, or other informed individual is considered a “nutritionist” if they counsel people about food and diet in regards to health. (Andrew Weil MD, Michael Pollan, David Perlmutter MD, Gary Taubes, Dr. Mercola, Christiane Northrup MD,..all “nutritionists“.)
If your Primary Care Physician gives you advice about food and diet, they are a “nutritionist”.
I am a Doctor of Chiropractic who graduated in1985 from a “broad scope” school; Western States University, in Portland, Oregon.
“Broad scope” means the school teaches its doctors a wide variety of skills. Although I was accepted to several other schools, I chose WSU because I wanted to acquire as many skills as possible.
I give my young self a pat on the back for that wise decision.
Not only did I get an amazing education in clinical nutrition, human physiology and chiropractic,..I also was trained in gynecology, proctology, hematology, and minor-surgery.
Even though the scope of practice in California precludes me from doing gynecology, proctology, blood-draws, and surgery, it does allow me to provide nutritional advice to my patients.
Therefore: I am not only a Doctor of Chiropractic, I am a NUTRITIONIST!
Sadly, because of the way our insurance system is stacked, only Registered Dieticians can generally bill insurance for their advice. It doesn’t matter if I’m a primary care doctor with 35 years of experience who specializes in metabolic nutrition; insurance companies will not pay me for the service I provide.
You might think this is unfair, and it is. (Lots of things in life aren’t fair!)
You might find this puzzling,..but when you “follow the money” the reason becomes crystal clear.
The Registered Dietician Industry
-has been funded by the factory food industry for a long, long time. Many of these industry giants have deep connections to pharmaceutical companies, corporate healthcare facilities, and insurance companies.
https://www.foodpolitics.com/2013/01/new-study-big-foods-ties-to-registered-dietitians/
These industry behemoths want their message preserved and reinforced by the “experts” giving out nutritional advice to the public.
Unfortunately, a lot of this “expert” advice has helped keep people sick.
You may want to believe that factory food producers, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and the corporate health industry have your best interests in mind, but I am convinced you would be sadly mistaken.
They have their financial bottom line in mind and their financial bottom line is based on the ongoing existence of human fear, sickness, and suffering.
People are healthier when they eat whole, unprocessed foods and use whole food medicines and herbals for metabolic support and healing.
If people are healthy, are they going to need drugs, procedures, hospitalization, and health insurance? Not so much!
There are nutritional reasons we are seeing epidemic levels of obesity, diabetes, heart-disease, anxiety/depression, and other chronic disease in our population and the “party-line” advice has been part of the problem.
http://www.eatdrinkpolitics.com/2012/10/15/how-did-my-professions-conference-get-hijacked-by-big-food/
Talk about a conflict of interest!!
Nutrition is my passion
Thankfully I have no allegiance to an ethically compromised professional community.
In the 62 years I have been alive, and the 35 years I have been in practice, I have observed the effects of food on health.
I have also informed myself through countless hours of reading, research, and professional seminars with brilliant doctors from around the world.
The results I see with my nutritional patients are consistent and amazing!
To watch people climb out of the abyss of compromised health and walk away energized and empowered lights me up!
I find great honor in being a “nutritionist” and look forward to helping everyone I can during the course of my life on this beautiful, troubled planet.
I also encourage my patients to share what they have learned with their family, friends, and community members promoting a ripple effect…creating more and more grass-roots “nutritionists”!
