A registered dietitian is a regulated healthcare professional. That means they are required by law to deliver competent, ethical and professional services, and are accountable to the public through their college. A registered dietitian must complete an accredited 4-year undergraduate degree, a 1-year internship program, pass a national registration exam and register with a provincial regulatory body in order to practice. Therefore, dietitians are experts in food and nutrition and trusted sources of evidence-based nutrition information.
At City of Lakes FHT, the dietitian works closely with you and your doctor to reach your health care goals. The dietitian provides education, advice, and counselling about food and nutrition. They play a role in health promotion, acute care, and chronic disease management and prevention. The dietitian appreciates how difficult it is to change your habits and does not judge you or make you feel guilty when you are struggling. They turn science into practical solutions you can apply while taking your values, abilities and circumstances into consideration. The dietitian is not the food police and does not expect you to be perfect. They want to help you develop a positive relationship with food and eat in a way that you can enjoy and sustain. Instead of meal plans, fad diets, and supplements, the dietitian uses a whole-food, non-diet, and goal-oriented approach to focus on behaviours instead of outcomes.
If you want to change the way you eat to improve or maintain your health, talk with your doctor about a referral to the registered dietitian.
Our Craving Change program focuses on the important question of why we eat the way we do. It will help you to understand why it’s hard to change your eating, identify your personal triggers, teach you to respond to your triggers differently, and maintain these changes. Craving Change is a how-to program for changing your relationship with food. Understand why you eat the way you do, comfort yourself without food, and change your thinking to change your eating.