Registered Dietitians (RD) receive extensive education and training in almost every medical condition. Some people just think dietitians exist to help people lose weight, but that couldn't be further from the truth. A dietitian's job goes well beyond giving you a list of foods. Dietitians can assist with any condition involving food and hydration and it just so happens that food affects every process in the body in some way. Your heartbeat, metabolism, red blood cell production, sleep, hormones, and literally everything else in your body can only function properly with the proper input (ie food). So even though a doctor may diagnose a condition and prescribe medicine, complete your care, properly manage your condition, and improve the quality of your life by seeing a dietitian next.
A dietitian can assist with...
Eating disorders, disordered eating patterns, or a history of yo-yo dieting
Gastrointestinal disorders such as Chron's disease, ulcerative colitis, IBD, and gastritis
Pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding women
High blood pressure
Type I, II, or gestational diabetes
Autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Celiac's disease, lupus
Cancer
Food allergies
Busy lifestyle
Conditions of the kidneys or liver
Hormone/endocrine disorders
Before and after surgery
Recovering from any injury including sports or orthopedic injury
Performance and sports nutrition
Underweight, overweight, or anyone struggling to find a healthy weight and improve body image and energy levels
Osteoporosis
Mental health conditions and unhealthy relationship with food
Finally, know that most doctors receive very limited nutrition education during their schooling. So if they give you a packet of information and say "eat this; not that" after your appointment, you will want to see a dietitian to properly understand that information and safely implement it in your life.
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