Any of you out there a registered dietitian? I know the definition of a nutritionist is a little more vague, but anyone out there who is a nutritionist/have a degree in nutrition?
I thought this would be the best place to post to reach the right people.
The reason I ask is because my daughter is being worked up for a very rare metabolic disorder, which will require a very strict diet free of fructose and other sugars for the rest of her life, if the diagnosis is confirmed via testing. If the tests do confirm it, we will be meeting with a dietitian and will begin working with them on our diet.
The problem is - I'm concerned that we will be pressured to accept a way of eating that I don't necessarily believe is healthy. I do know that with this condition, many people just end up eating a ton of grains and starchy carbs in place of the fruits and vegetables, and I am more of a traditional foods/minimal grain/somewhat raw food type of gal - this diet has been working well for our family as many of us are gluten sensitive.
Anyway, there's no question that things will have to be adjusted and I'll need to learn a new way of doing things and what the options are. So I'm actually considering possible pursuing either a masters in nutrition, or taking some classes and going through the steps to become dietitian myself, as I feel like it would be good to have a better understanding of everything and how to best help my daughter given our own personal philosophy regarding nutrition. I have a BS in biology, so already have some of the foundation in place for this type of study - just wondering what the difference would be between the two options...
I feel like a degree in one of these two areas would not only help me to develop a safe and healthy diet for my family, but also calm the fears of those around me who question some of the more uncommon food choices we have. There are other reasons, too, (like future career opportunities/helping others with this condition) but those are two of the big ones.
I thought this would be the best place to post to reach the right people.
The reason I ask is because my daughter is being worked up for a very rare metabolic disorder, which will require a very strict diet free of fructose and other sugars for the rest of her life, if the diagnosis is confirmed via testing. If the tests do confirm it, we will be meeting with a dietitian and will begin working with them on our diet.
The problem is - I'm concerned that we will be pressured to accept a way of eating that I don't necessarily believe is healthy. I do know that with this condition, many people just end up eating a ton of grains and starchy carbs in place of the fruits and vegetables, and I am more of a traditional foods/minimal grain/somewhat raw food type of gal - this diet has been working well for our family as many of us are gluten sensitive.
Anyway, there's no question that things will have to be adjusted and I'll need to learn a new way of doing things and what the options are. So I'm actually considering possible pursuing either a masters in nutrition, or taking some classes and going through the steps to become dietitian myself, as I feel like it would be good to have a better understanding of everything and how to best help my daughter given our own personal philosophy regarding nutrition. I have a BS in biology, so already have some of the foundation in place for this type of study - just wondering what the difference would be between the two options...
I feel like a degree in one of these two areas would not only help me to develop a safe and healthy diet for my family, but also calm the fears of those around me who question some of the more uncommon food choices we have. There are other reasons, too, (like future career opportunities/helping others with this condition) but those are two of the big ones.
