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Has anyone ever been to see a nutritionist?
My wife keeps on at me to go and see one as she thinks it will help improve my immune system and general well being - but I'm sceptical.
If anyone has, what was it for and did it do any good???
Eating healthy does help but so is laughing and genetics.
Malnutition? eating junk? well a healthy diet will help but it is not the solution.
so are you always ill? whats up?
Don't go to a nutritionist, it's quackery masquerading as science.
If you think your diet is a problem see a Dietician. They're trained, qualified and regulated.
...and if you're ill, see a doctor.
What's wrong with your immune system and general well being? If you can ride a mountain bike there can't be much wrong with you. Just eat a balanced diet.
Personally I think you might as well visit a witch doctor but if you must take it further then see a dietician as any charlatan can call themselves a nutritionist.
The title ‘dietitian’ is protected by the Health Professionals Council (HPC), meaning that dietitians must be fully qualified and registered with the HPC in order to use the title dietitian, and must also demonstrate that they have kept up to date in order to provide safe, reliable and evidence-based advice to the public.
Seem to exercise and then get ill more easily than I used to. Fatigued a lot more from a lot less exercise tham 2-3years ago
It just sounds like you're older and less fit. Join the club.
This is worth a read:
[url= http://www.badscience.net/category/complementary-medicine/nutritionists/ ]http://www.badscience.net/category/complementary-medicine/nutritionists/[/url]
The rest of the chapter on nutrionists in Ben Goldacre's book, Bad Science, is very informative. As mentioned above, unregulated quackery.
[i]Seem to exercise and then get ill more easily than I used to. Fatigued a lot more from a lot less exercise tham 2-3years ago [/i]
Could be a whole host of things: overtraining, stress, undertraining (ie not doing as much as you used to and your body going into meltdown when you try and exercise!), some sort of infection which hasn't fully gone away. Has your diet changed over the last few years, have you put on or lost lots of weight? I'd go to the doctors first tbh - if you do go and see someone about your diet make sure it's a properly qualified dietician, as mentioned above any fool can call themselves a nutrionist (probably the best example is "Dr" Gillian MacKeith, who bought her PhD online...)
Been to see doctor and nothing wrong - did some tests. Doctors too busy though to do anything about or spend time chatting to understand how much exercise I do when compared to normal.
I eat very well but my wife thinks I might have a food allergy or a deficiency in something.
[i]....if you do go and see someone about your diet make sure it's a properly qualified dietician, as mentioned above any fool can call themselves a nutrionist....[/i]
And most fools can't actually spell either dietitian or nutritionist 😉
There are many 'properly qualified' nutritionists :waves hand: but although (unfortunately) the profession is currently unregulated (soon to change) there are professional bodies for nutritionists who will help you find qualified and insured practitioners in your area.
The principle difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian (assuming both are 'properly qualified') is that a dietitian primarily works with people suffering from an underlying medical condition (or recovering from one) and the chronically overweight whereas a nutritionist mainly works with 'healthy' people who want to optimise their diet for a particular application.
As for 'should you see one' well I'd visit your GP if you're feeling run down or chronically fatigued as there are many physiological or even psychological factors that could be contributing.
If you're diet is poor you really only need common sense to put it right - there's plenty of basic info on healthy eating at http://www.nutrition.org.uk together with details on how to find both dietary and nutritional therapists if you feel you want professional help.
🙂
Johnners - I disagree that its just down to being older - I look at friends who are less or more fit than me and they don't seem to get ill or run down as much as I do.
As a qualified (although not practicing) dietitian, I'd pretty much agree with hilldodger's statement. I've met quite a few nutritionists who really know their stuff. Unfortunately, there're also plenty who don't.
As for food allergies/intolerances , it's very unlikely (although not impossible). As most people have suggested, perhaps start by being really honest with yourself about the quaity of your existing diet and address any imbalance that may present itself. Reflecting on the balance of your overall lifestyle is a good thing for us all to do now and again, but particularly if you're not happy. Basic stuff, really.
As for dietician/dietitian, dietician with a c is an American spelling, and most dietitians get quite irritated by it (in my limited experience).
Hope you feel better soon.
See the problem is I eat weel, don't drink too much, get good amounts of sleep and take suplements to boost if there are any deficencies.
So I'm at a loss as to why my immune system isn't functioning as well as I'd expect (and I don't think I'm expecting too much)
Barnaby, try 100% Aloe Vera gel, makes you feel loads better, would recomend..
Might give that a go - has a rather unique taste if I remember correctly
You are very right there....i wont go any further!....but sure does make you feel good.
Where do you get it from?
You can buy it, at www.aloeproductsonline.co.uk they are based in Stroud.
I was in the same position three years ago. Always tired, got a cold every 6-8 weeks. I was eating a balanced diet, plenty of lean protein, fruit and veg etc. Went to see a properly qualified nutritionist and she just tweaked bits of my diet and put me on some supplements short term aimed at boosting my immune system. The result is that I feel loads better and now get around one cold every ten months.
The thing is everyone is different and if I ate the same diet as Mr "just eat a balanced diet", my body wouldn't necessarily absorb the same nutrients and vitamins as him. My body may also require more of certain things than him for lifestyle or genetic reasons.
So it's got to be worth a try, just do some research first and get a properly qualified one, not just a quack.
On the subject of supplements, it's not a good idea to pick'n'mix from a selection of high street and mail order products.
If you're worried (which it sounds like you are), find a qualified practitioner (whether they call themselves a dietitian or a nutritionist) and get some advice specific to your situation
www.dietitiansunlimited.co.uk will give you a list of all dietitians registered with the HPC and http://www.nutritionsociety.org.uk/register/ will give you nutritionists registered with the UKVRN
boriselbrus - cheers for the post - perhaps this is the key. Crazy name!
Has anyone hear of Sally Whitman http://www.blackberrynutrition.co.uk/
She is local and seems to know her stuff.
I studied with the Institute for Optimum Nutrition (founded by Patrick Holford)
Avoid - the Holford bloke is a notorious quack.
Her website also has dodgy stuff like "how to boost your natural immunity against swine flu" - part of the reason for the hoo-hah over swinbe flu is that it's a new strain of virus and you don't HAVE any natural immunity to it. I'm sure you would get some common sense advice in amongst the voodoo bullshit (go to bed early, eat more greens, etc) but you'd be paying through the nose for it, and if Patrick Holford is anything to go by, some of it could even be dangerous.
Are we really living in a society where normal, healthy people need to ask 'specialists' what to eat?
Really?
..and those of you who think your immune systems are broken, yet can be repaired by eating 'special' stuff really need to get a grip.
If your immune system was a problem, you'd be dead.
A couple of colds, even flu doesn't mean you have a problem, it means you are human.
If your immune system was a problem, you'd be dead.
apart from the host of nonfatal autoimmunity disorders...
Yes dear..
Crikey - I'm with you in that I don't think it would benefit me, but the way I get run down just doesn't seem to be right and I'm willing to explore all avenues.
I monitor when i get ill and how much exercise I do (have done for years - sad I know but that's the joy of Polar HRMs) and I am getting ill more often than I used to