{"id":7819,"date":"2023-10-01T00:39:27","date_gmt":"2023-09-30T17:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=7819"},"modified":"2023-10-01T00:39:27","modified_gmt":"2023-09-30T17:39:27","slug":"why-eating-like-a-dietitian-isnt-always-best","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=7819","title":{"rendered":"Why Eating Like a Dietitian Isn\u2019t Always Best"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"drop-cap text-big text-gray\"> <span class=\"drop-cap__first text-dropcap \">N<\/span>ow, more than ever, you have loads of access to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-eat-healthy\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/how-to-eat-healthy\/\">registered dietitians\u2019 tips for a healthy diet<\/a>. We\u2019re <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/intuitive-eating-dietitians-instagram\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/intuitive-eating-dietitians-instagram\/\">on social media<\/a> and we write articles like this one to share our professional insights. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/healthcare\/dietitians-and-nutritionists.htm\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ooh\/healthcare\/dietitians-and-nutritionists.htm\">Since our profession is growing<\/a>, you may even personally know a registered dietitian in your friend group or family. But that doesn\u2019t mean eating like a dietitian is always best.<\/div>\n<p>Having access to free information from registered dietitians, seeing the behind-the-scenes of their kitchens, and even getting a glimpse at their personal eating habits may impact your own eating habits. While this can be a great way to gain nutrition knowledge, it can also lead to some problematic eating behaviors when taken overboard.<\/p>\n<p>For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-i-eat-in-a-day-videos\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/what-i-eat-in-a-day-videos\/\">\u201cWhat I eat in a day\u201d videos<\/a> are commonly shared on social media, demonstrating, as their name suggests, what the creator eats in a day. You may see these videos created by dietitians and then strive to emulate their eating patterns in hopes of improving your health. Yet, disregarding your own body\u2019s cues to do so may not really be the healthiest thing for you.<\/p>\n<h2>4 reasons why eating like a dietitian isn\u2019t necessarily ideal for everyone<\/h2>\n<h3>1. We each have unique needs<\/h3>\n<p>What you need to eat could be very different from what I do. Despite <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/toxic-diet-culture-habits\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/toxic-diet-culture-habits\/\">diet culture convincing us<\/a> we could all benefit from following the same meal plan and doing the same workout routine, that isn\u2019t necessarily the case. Dietitians are a wealth of nutrition information, but that doesn\u2019t mean eating like a dietitian will meet everyone\u2019s nutritional needs universally.<\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content \" style=\"\" data-module-init=\"related-content\" data-module-immediate=\"\" v-cloak=\"\">\n<div class=\"related-content__wrapper \" v-cloak=\"\" :class=\"{'is-loaded':isLoaded}\">\n<p> <span class=\"inline pr-6 text-seafoam-dark\">Related Stories<\/span> <\/p>\n<p> <related-content class=\"related-content__links\" parent-article-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/eating-like-dietitian\/\" current-title=\"I\u2019m a Registered Dietitian but How I Eat Isn\u2019t Necessarily How You Should\" current-image=\"IMG_2023-09-28-072831-425x285.jpg\" v-on:parsely-posts-loaded=\"onPostsLoaded\" start-date=\"2023-03-30\" tag=\"div\" inline-template=\"\" url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/eating-like-dietitian\/\" secret=\"w5ztterVB03LGZJLfXS0hf3EvQBuFFIWew9hmVQxthU\" apikey=\"wellandgood.com\" limit=\"3\"> <\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"related-content__card mb-[10px] sm:mb-[20px]\" :class=\"{'related-content__card--full':posts.length === 1}\" v-for=\"(post, key) in posts\"> <a v-on:click.prevent=\"trackLinkGA($event, key)\" :href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/eating-like-dietitian\/post.url\" data-url-source=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content__link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"related-content__card--image bg-tan\" :style=\"{ backgroundImage: 'url(' + post.image_url + ')' }\"> <img :src=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/eating-like-dietitian\/post.image_url\" :alt=\"post.title\"\/> <\/div>\n<p> <\/a>  <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/related-content> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Your hunger cues may be different from mine, your friend\u2019s, or your coworker\u2019s. You may do better with small, frequent meals, while I may do better with three big meals and a couple of snacks. You may be fine without any snacking, while I may not. Not to mention that any of these things can vary from day to day. Plus, you may have health conditions that warrant different dietary interventions than dietitians you\u2019re following online.<\/p>\n<p>When things are shared on a mass scale, like through social media, it\u2019s often helpful to take what serves you and leave what doesn\u2019t. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/intuitive-eating-tips\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/intuitive-eating-tips\/\">Building a deep connection to yourself<\/a> can help you to differentiate between the two.<\/p>\n<p>For example, maybe you read an article where a dietitian recommends a certain meal for heart health. Maybe you\u2019re eager to take care of your heart because heart disease runs in your family. Yet, the meal they shared is full of foods you don\u2019t like or you don\u2019t have access to. There are plenty of other <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/heart-healthy-diet\/#:~:text=W%2BG%20Creative-,Protective%20foods,map%3B%20these%20are%20foods%20Dr.\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/heart-healthy-diet\/#:~:text=W%2BG%20Creative-,Protective%20foods,map%3B%20these%20are%20foods%20Dr.\">foods with heart-healthy nutrients<\/a> that you can incorporate rather than just that one meal. Rather than rigidly following the meal they recommended, consider the nutrients in the meal and other ways to get them in.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Context is important<\/h3>\n<p>We each have different day-to-day realities. Oftentimes, you see people trained in food photography posting beautiful meals on social media. They may spend hours preparing this content; however, most people don\u2019t have that kind of time to spend putting together a fancy meal, and even if you prep the same meal, it may not look as beautiful as in the pictures.<\/p>\n<p>For example, maybe you\u2019re a parent constantly driving your kids from one activity to another. Your ability to prepare elaborate, time-intensive meals may be minimal, and that\u2019s fine. It doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t nourish yourself well\u2014it just means there\u2019s a certain context you have to consider that the dietitian you\u2019re following may not. Even if you\u2019re following parent-oriented dietitians, comparing yourself to them won\u2019t do you any good. Remember, it\u2019s impossible for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/dietitian-red-flags-social-media\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/dietitian-red-flags-social-media\/\">someone sharing content with thousands of people<\/a> to cater to everyone\u2019s different realities, and you don\u2019t know what things look like for them behind the scenes.<\/p>\n<p>By reading or watching something online, you can\u2019t tell anything else about that dietitian\u2019s day. You don\u2019t know their activity level, what else they ate that they may not have shown, and if they got seconds or thirds. If you run a marathon that day and the dietitian doesn\u2019t do any activity, for example, your needs will be way higher than theirs.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m definitely not saying that dietitians in the media need to show and share all this information about themselves. What I\u2019m saying is that this context (or lack thereof) is important to consider before you idealize someone\u2019s eating habits based on a small snapshot of their day. Even if they\u2019re showing you everything they eat in a day, you still don\u2019t have the full context of their day or week outside of what they ate.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Your preferences and culture may be different from mine<\/h3>\n<p>Your food preferences and your culture matter when deciding what to eat. In fact, the <a href=\"https:\/\/health.gov\/our-work\/nutrition-physical-activity\/dietary-guidelines\/current-dietary-guidelines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/health.gov\/our-work\/nutrition-physical-activity\/dietary-guidelines\/current-dietary-guidelines\">Dietary Guidelines for Americans<\/a> say, \u201cA healthy dietary pattern is not a rigid prescription but rather a customizable framework of core elements tailored to personal, cultural, and traditional preferences.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The dietetics profession is notoriously non-diverse\u201480 percent of nutrition professionals are white, per the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdrnet.org\/academy-commission-on-dietetic-registration-demographics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.cdrnet.org\/academy-commission-on-dietetic-registration-demographics\">Commission on Dietetic Registration<\/a>. So, especially if you have a cultural background that doesn\u2019t align with that of the dietitians you follow, you may not resonate with the types of foods or preparation methods they share. That <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/eating-from-our-roots\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/eating-from-our-roots\/\">doesn\u2019t mean that your cultural eating practices are bad<\/a> or wrong. Yet, many internalize that idea when their cultural foods aren\u2019t uplifted by dietitians in the media.<\/p>\n<p>For that reason, what constitutes a healthy eating pattern for you may be very different from that of the dietitians you follow. It doesn\u2019t mean you have to give up your cultural foods or other favorite foods. Who knows? Maybe the dietitian has different favorite foods they prioritize in their own diet. It\u2019s just an opportunity to validate and honor your own preferences.<\/p>\n<h3>4. Putting anyone\u2019s eating on a pedestal may trigger or exacerbate disordered eating behaviors<\/h3>\n<p>For both dietitians and the people who follow them, the idea that dietitians\u2019 diets are perfect and should be emulated can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/fit-friend-identity-trap\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/fit-friend-identity-trap\/\">trigger or exacerbate disordered eating behaviors<\/a>. As dietitians, we\u2019re sometimes expected to eat \u201cperfectly\u201d (whatever that means). Some of us may have even chosen this career path because of disordered eating tendencies, or we may have developed some throughout our education.<\/p>\n<p>Dietetics is still a very weight-centric field, and people may be quick to invalidate a dietitian\u2019s expertise if <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/anti-fat-bias\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/anti-fat-bias\/\">they reside in a larger body<\/a>, leading them to pursue intentional weight loss. Also, some people with predispositions to eating disorders may grasp onto dietary recommendations learned in school to the point of orthorexia\u2014commonly defined as an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/disordered-eating-signs-of-orthorexia\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.wellandgood.com\/disordered-eating-signs-of-orthorexia\/\">unhealthy obsession with \u201cclean\u201d or \u201chealthy\u201d eating<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>A few years ago, a study found that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5623148\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5623148\/\">dietitians in the U.S. have a higher prevalence of orthorexia nervosa<\/a> (ON) and eating disorders (EDs) than the general public. Almost 50 percent of dietitians\u2019 self-reported symptoms suggested orthorexia nervosa. These <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/15\/10\/2317\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" data-vars-event=\"body text\" data-vars-click-url=\"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/15\/10\/2317\">high rates of ON and EDs amongst dietetic professionals<\/a> also exist on a global scale, per a recent study.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear whether this is because people with ON and EDs are more likely to choose to go into the dietetics field, or whether the education itself sparks these disordered behaviors. Either way, the ongoing assumption that dietitians\u2019 eating habits should be upheld as the epitome of health can be irresponsible and harm both the dietitians and the people following them.<\/p>\n<h2>There is no such thing as a perfect way to eat<\/h2>\n<p>What\u2019s \u201chealthy\u201d will vary from person to person, and comparing your food choices to a dietitian or to anyone, for that matter, can disconnect you from your own needs and preferences. That\u2019s not to say that you can\u2019t get useful insights and meal ideas from dietitians. In particular, working with a dietitian 1:1 is a great way to get individualized recommendations tailored to your preferences, needs, and culture, but always check in with yourself first. Trust that you know what works for you and that your preferences, needs, and culture are worth honoring.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Now, more than ever, you have loads of access to registered dietitians\u2019 tips for a healthy diet. We\u2019re on social media and we write articles like this one to share our professional insights. Since our profession is growing, you may even personally know a registered dietitian in your friend group or family. But that doesn\u2019t &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":7820,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7819","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7819","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7819"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7819\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7820"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7819"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7819"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7819"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}