Dietician's Commandments: TOP 5 Rules for Healthy Eating

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Disordered eating, fast-paced life and, as a result, excess weight gain. In addition, vegetarianism, which is now fashionable, influences people very strongly - and not always positively. That is why more and more people are forced to turn to a special branch of medical science - dietetics.

Can it answer the questions that concern us and help us understand what should be understood by proper and healthy nutrition? The burning “dietological” questions are answered by professionals, nutritionists from the Dietology.pro school.

What is dietetics?

Dietetics is one of the most important branches of medicine, the task of which is to organize proper nutrition for both healthy and sick people. It is impossible to imagine the full treatment of diseases without the correct approaches of doctors to the nutrition of patients. Also, the prevention of a number of pathologies, from heart disease to problems with the stomach and intestines, is closely related to food issues.

In modern medicine, it is no coincidence that diet and drug therapy are placed on the same level. Sometimes (for example, in the treatment of liver and gallbladder diseases), nutrition becomes almost the main method of treatment.

Who is a regular patient of a nutritionist? Of course, this is an overweight person who has read a lot of literature on how to effectively and quickly lose weight, but has not received any results. There are different diets: both beneficial and harmful to health, and the individual characteristics of each person’s body can play a cruel joke on us. For example, the Mediterranean diet suited one person perfectly, but for another it turned out to be a harmful and destructive method.

That is why, in order to lose weight, a mandatory consultation with a nutritionist is necessary. He will conduct a series of examinations, analyze your usual diet and help you sort out typical eating habits. Only after this should a suitable diet be selected, taking into account the patient’s gender, age, type of activity, presence or absence of diseases and lifestyle in general.

Of course, the work of a nutritionist is associated with consultations and nutritional correction not only for patients, but also for healthy people who want to eat right and eat healthy foods. In such cases, the doctor helps to adjust the existing diet, thereby taking serious preventive measures. Thanks to them, a healthy person will not get sick, but, on the contrary, will feel even better and increase his life expectancy.

Tests and diagnostics

There is no strictly defined list of products that would be considered a universal lifesaver for everyone who turns to a nutritionist. There are several reasons for this:

• gender, age;
• physical activity;
• existing chronic diseases;
• allergic reactions;
• individual intolerance;
• body needs;
• bad habits;
• features of the geography of the visitor’s place of residence.

A nutritionist must use an individual approach to each person who turns to him for help. During the first visit, the patient must fill out a special short questionnaire and, if possible, bring his medical card. This is necessary so that the doctor learns about the characteristics of the body, the presence of allergic reactions, including to medications, hereditary diseases and genetic risks, if any. Otherwise, if there is no medical record, the doctor is obliged to question the patient in great detail. And only after that he will be sent to undergo a series of additional clinical tests.

Usually everything is limited to a standard set of general clinical tests, including:

• general blood analysis;
• Analysis of urine;
• sugar level test;
• OAM (general urinalysis);
• BAC (biochemical blood test).

If there is any suspicion of a certain deviation, in-depth further examination and instrumental research methods, for example, electrocardiography, ultrasound examination and others, are prescribed.

Experts also insist that the applicant undergo a test for thyroid hormones and sex hormones, even if he has never had any complaints about their functioning before. A huge percentage of all the root causes of obesity lie precisely in the dysfunction of the thyroid gland and hormonal system.

Then treatment will not be limited only to building a diet schedule and active physical activity. You will have to get help from an endocrinologist and, possibly, an endocrinologist-gynecologist, who will prescribe special drug treatment.

Trying to start eating healthy on your own without prior clinical examination is a waste of time, effort, and even risks harming yourself even more.

What are the tasks of a nutritionist?

First of all, this is the selection of the optimal diet, which the doctor prepares individually for each person. In this case, the doctor takes into account several important factors, for example:

• patient's height and weight;
• chronic diseases (yes or not);
• physical and mental stress;
• lifestyle in general;
• the specifics of metabolic processes in the body, etc.

A nutritionist understands the chemical composition of certain products and has knowledge of the technology for preparing various dishes. A nutritionist can help you both lose weight and gain it if necessary: ​​for example, with physical exhaustion after a serious illness.

For healthy people, nutritionists select healthy and safe diets, taking into account the composition of the products included in the diet program, the person’s age, work, eating habits and level of daily physical activity.

What should be in a nutritionist's office

• phonendoscope;
• manometric membrane blood pressure meter;
• medical scales;
• stadiometer;
• measuring tape;
• caliper (for measuring the thickness of skin folds);
• blood glucose analyzer (glucometer), portable express analyzer;
• handheld biochemical analyzer;
• apparatus for studying the component composition of the body (bioimpedancemetry);
• personal computer with software: program for assessing actual nutrition; a diagnostic testing program to identify eating disorders; program for calculating individual diets.

This article is posted for educational purposes only and does not constitute scientific material or professional medical advice.

Are fast foods really harmful? If yes, then what?

Of course, there is definitely no benefit to our body from fast foods. It is known that sandwiches and burgers, beloved by many, contain huge amounts of salt and flavor enhancers. As for French fries, they have an abundance of starch that is cooked in oil. The combination is very harmful, as is the case in lemonade, which contains incredible amounts of sugar. And of course, many of us are accustomed to eating “on the go” or, more precisely, “on the run”. It is better not to eat fast food at all, but instead order a vegetable salad, a meat dish and coffee without sugar in a cafe.

Causes of excess weight

Dietetics studies the causes of obesity. These reasons are divided into external (nutrition, sports activity) and internal (hormones, eating behavior, genetic predisposition). Depending on these reasons, there are only two types of obesity:

• Primary: when the amount of energy supplied exceeds its consumption;
• Secondary: when obesity develops against the background of a disease.

In the first case, a balanced nutrition program can be drawn up by both a nutritionist and a nutritionist, while in the second, treatment prescribed by an endocrinologist is required.

“I want to lose weight, but I can’t do it! What's the matter?"

The structure of our body is such that we accumulate fat deposits quickly and lose weight very slowly. The whole point is in the specifics of fat destruction, and the evolutionary process is “to blame” for it. Regular nutrition has been known to mankind relatively recently - only 4000 or 5000 years. Until this time, people obtained food through hunting and fishing, but they were not always successful. It is unclear whether the next hunt will bring success or not, so prudent nature took care of the human body’s ability to accumulate fat for future use.

Of course, parting with fat deposits is very difficult, since our body “considers” getting rid of fat through unnatural means almost a crime and resists it in every possible way. That is why maintaining optimal body weight is not short-term or periodic diets, but a way of life during which a person should be vigilant and careful in matters of nutrition. If you can’t lose those extra pounds on your own, feel free to seek help from a qualified nutritionist and he will definitely help you find the best way out of the situation.

Workplace

The profession of a nutritionist allows you to work in a variety of medical institutions. Nutritionists work in clinics specializing in weight loss, in multidisciplinary hospitals, clinics, dispensaries, sanatoriums and dispensaries. And also in fitness clubs and sports organizations.

If you have a penchant for research, you can devote yourself to science. For example, at the Research Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences.

A nutritionist who has achieved authority in his field can organize his own nutrition clinic.

Is it true that vegetarianism is harmful?

Since we belong to the animal world, we need animal products, and as for plant proteins, they, alas, are inferior in composition. In addition to meat, you must also consume eggs and milk (dairy products). In principle, a complete refusal of meat as such is possible, but you definitely shouldn’t give up eggs and milk, especially for children, as well as pregnant and lactating women.

There are more gentle forms of vegetarianism that allow the presence of milk and eggs in the diet. As for strict “vegan” restrictions, nutritionists recommend staying away from them in order to avoid serious health problems.

Nutritionology

There is another field of knowledge that studies nutrition on a par with dietetics - nutritionology. She also deals with issues of healthy eating, methods of cooking food, and studies combinations and compatibility of products. The main difference is that a nutritionist deals with the nutrition of healthy people; one might say, his field of activity is the prevention of weight problems, or dietetics for everyone.

A specialist who knows everything about dietetics also provides consultations on questions like “how to lose weight correctly” and “how to eat healthy.” Helps to rearrange your diet so as not to gain weight after a diet, adapts nutrition to your individual sports plan. But in order to determine this, it is first necessary to conduct a diagnosis.

What should your diet be like during pregnancy?

Many books and articles have already been devoted to these questions, and if you try to answer them briefly and clearly, we are talking about nutrition characterized by:

• completeness;
• diversity;
• the presence of vitamins and other useful components;
• limiting salty foods to avoid edema in pregnant women;
• consumption of cereals, bran, vegetables and fruits containing fiber. It normalizes intestinal function.

And of course, pregnant women need to ensure adequate fluid intake.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of a dietitian depend on the place of work. For example, in a specialized clinic he consults patients. In a multidisciplinary clinic, a dietitian may also provide advice to other medical specialists on nutritional issues.

Nutritionists working in sports clubs advise athletes and their coaches. They help organize proper nutrition during major competitions.

The dietitian of a hospital or sanatorium is responsible for organizing therapeutic nutrition for all patients. He keeps documentation: he writes out the menu for the week, taking into account diagnoses and appropriate diets. Monitors the correct preparation of dishes in the kitchen and monitors how food is stored. All these stages are very important to ensure that the patient’s nutrition is truly therapeutic.

How to find out about a lack of vitamins in the body and which ones?

Vitamin deficiency in one quantity practically does not occur. Vitamin deficiency is a deficiency of a specific vitamin group, and its symptoms usually manifest themselves:

• dry skin and flaking;
• cracks in the corners of the mouth;
• dandruff;
• poor hair condition and hair loss;
• brittle nails;
• frequent nosebleeds;
• gingivitis;
• insomnia, etc.

There are laboratory tests that can confirm a deficiency of certain vitamins, but most of the signs of vitamin deficiency are visible to the doctor when examining the patient. In any case, after analyzing the diet, the doctor immediately understands the cause of vitamin deficiency and prescribes the appropriate correction. Taking vitamins on your own is not recommended. It is better to consult a doctor in a timely manner, who will prescribe the drug that is suitable for your particular case.

Where to study to become a nutritionist

When training to become a nutritionist, people who have a higher medical or chemical-biological education have an advantage. If you have the opportunity, you can graduate from medical school and undergo residency training in dietetics. You can also undergo additional professional retraining at other universities where there is such a specialty, or courses of additional professional education.

But people not only with medical education can work in this area. It is enough to complete suitable professional retraining courses. For example, our Sports Dietetics and Nutritionology course can give you all the knowledge you need to work as a nutritionist.

Algorithm for patient management in dietetics

After diagnosis, the specialist creates an individual diet. To do this, he calculates the total amount of daily energy, the amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the diet using formulas.

Treatment table No. 8 (obesity) or No. 9 (diabetes mellitus) is taken as the basis for nutrition in case of excess body weight. These diets have minor differences. They are based on reducing daily caloric intake due to fats and simple carbohydrates. Both diets include adequate protein and high fiber content.

You can read more about creating an individual nutrition program in articles on nutrition, healthy eating and rational nutrition.

Trust real professionals!

Dietetics is a special field in medicine that requires special knowledge. There are a lot of medical centers in Moscow where a nutritionist can see a doctor, but not every one of them can confirm their competence.

Unfortunately, recently many “specialists” have appeared who skillfully take advantage of the popularity of this topic. The value of their recommendations is not much more than the useful component of articles on numerous Internet resources, and they charge a lot of money for admission.

If you decide to sign up for a consultation with a nutritionist in Moscow, the prices for this service at the National Medical Research Center for TPM will certainly please you. We employ certified specialists with extensive experience who will provide you with real help!

How to get an appointment

Doctors with a narrow specialization (gastroenterologist, endocrinologist, surgeon, gynecologist, etc.) can refer you for a consultation with a nutritionist. But in certain cases, the patient can go to him on his own. The following factors may be the reason for such treatment:

• unwanted weight changes;
• spasms and pain in the epigastrium, flatulence;
• unstable appetite;
• elevated levels of sugar and cholesterol in tests;
• swelling and heart rate instability;
• poor condition of the skin, hair, nail plates.

Most often, women who want to bring their weight back to normal or who are experiencing problems conceiving turn to nutritionists on their own.