| RD’s Corner
By Richard Doscher, RD
Nowadays, no matter where you look—supermarkets, TV commercials, news programs—we are constantly being flooded by claims and expert opinions on nutrition-related health facts. Have you ever watched television between midnight and dawn? It seems that there are always new weight-loss supplements, energypacked multivitamins, antioxidant-rich juices, and other supposedly ‘good for you’ products being made available to consumers every day. How can you be sure which really are good for you? How can you protect yourself against ones that are no better for you than a sugar pill, or, worse, that might actually harm you?
Well, that’s where I come in.
I’m a registered dietitian at a level-1 trauma center in Queens, New York. As a registered dietitian (RD), it’s my job to be up-to-date on evidence-based nutritional information so I can pass that along to you.
My background is diverse, but not limited to the field of nutrition. I started out working at a German butcher shop and worked my way through the catering market to privately owned restaurants, and big-name hotels. I attended Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, where I received my associates degree in culinary arts and bachelors in culinary nutrition. After interning at six New York metropolitan area hospitals, I successfully completed a national exam with the American Dietetic Association for certification as an RD. We tend to think there’s a conflict between the chef’s purpose in life, to create meals people actually want to eat, and the dietitian’s, to promote healthy eating. In fact, it is just as important for an RD to understand cooking and creating meals as it for a chef to understand nutrition.
So you may be asking yourself, what is an RD and what is the difference between an RD and a nutritionist? Well for starters an RD is a healthcare professional who practices medical nutrition therapy (MNT). MNT is the development and provision of a nutritional treatment or therapy based on a detailed assessment of a person’s medical history, psychosocial history, physical examination and dietary history. It is used to treat an illness or condition, or as a means to prevent or delay disease or complications from diseases. RDs practice in inpatient settings such as hospitals, rehabilitation centers, long-term facilities such as nursing homes, but also in outpatient medical clinics, dialysis centers, private practices, sport teams, gyms, food manufacturers and more.
In order to become an RD, one must minimally earn a bachelors degree in dietetics, complete a 6-12 month supervised practice program, successfully pass a national examination for the RD credential and complete 75 continuing education credits every five years. A nutritionist may or may not hold a degree in food and nutrition sciences, may have a certification but not from a nationally recognized or accredited agency and not backed by science, education or experience and may not practice or provide recommendations based on scientific-based evidence. Most nutritionists that I have encountered mean well with their recommendations and care about their clients’ health and knowledge, but they tend to be more theoretical than evidence-based in their approach to nutrition information.
Nutritionists may also lack the basic knowledge of the disease state and process that they are counseling their patients about. As always it is important to seek the opinion of a trained medical professional. You wouldn’t go to a chiropractor if you developed flulike symptoms or a respiratory infection, would you?
Now that we have the introductions out of the way, I would like to give you an idea of what you can expect from this column. I will be looking at health issues like obesity, osteoporosis, pressure ulcers, constipation and many more as they relate to spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D). Other topics I’ll cover include artificial sweeteners, modifying your recipes, stocking your pantry, guidelines for dining out and for increasing certain nutrients highlighted in the discussion with each column.
However, this column is not limited to what I choose to write about. I am also open to suggestions for writing on any topic readers suggest (and will be able to answer questions via e-mail), which you can send to action@unitedspinal.org. What you will not see is any solicitation to buy or purchase any products, endorsements from outside companies and non evidence-based nutrition recommendations. So please be on the lookout for RD’s Corner.
I look forward to sharing with you my knowledge and experiences and the opportunity to share information that may benefit your health and prevent many of known complications associated with SCI/D.
As I leave you for now, keep in mind this following quote from Victorian-era British statesman Edward Stanley, the 15th Earl of Derby:
“Those who think they have not time for healthy eating, will sooner or later have to find the time for illness”
Richard Doscher, RD, is a clinical dietitian in New York City.
