Ask a Dietitian anything

[AFC96]

You spelled "your mom" and "your sister" wrong J/K

srs

Lol if you see he was serious.. there is a white text under it.

notsrs

[pierrson]

oops missed this one.

1) around 69K here in Aus - have been practicing for about 18months. In the Uk the going rate is 18-28 pounds an hour for locum work.
2) As mentioned earlier I have a 2 year working visa for the UK starting July where I plan on doing short locums all over the UK and travelling europe inbetween. This will mostly be clinical work in hospitals I expect. After that I am not too sure... I have considered looking into working in UAE and singapore (Their arent too many other countries that speak english as a main langauge and recognise my degree). The job market in Aus is pretty poor atm due to government and the challenges with private practice. If I return to Aus I like the sounds of Darwin or Perth, somewhere rural with an international airport for holidays. My experience in the UK will determine where I go next I think.
3) I love the working conditions, basically just chatting to clients about food and diet is pretty cruisey, low stress job. It is also a profession that improves your own life - better at communication, creating rapport with people, reading people, obviously you can expect your own health to be pretty good.

I hate nutrition hype in the media, preconceptions about what dietitians do, how everybody thinks they are an expert, poor attendance rates in private practice, that our profession requires very long in depth consults to achieve change where as a physio or other medical professionals can achieve something in 5-10minutes. This means in private practice there are massive restrictions on the threshold a dietitian can earn in a day. (dont even be a dietitan for the money!)

Ur welcome to singapore! we need more dieticians like you as the ones we have now in the hospitals arent really passionate like how you are so keen on helping people, like on here for FREE.

BTW, any suggestions on where in the world i could study nutritional sciences (thats good) to having a job somewhere like yours? i have a dipolma in sports and exercise sciences but im keen on getting a degree or more on something that has a job scope like urs as im passionate about it!

[fitfanatic123]

for someone suffering from IBS looking for answers, causes and relief, would you suggest they go to a dietician/nutritionist or a gastroenterologist?

[deadshotwolf]

for someone suffering from IBS looking for answers, causes and relief, would you suggest they go to a dietician/nutritionist or a gastroenterologist?

As a person who used to suffer from IBS, nutritionists and gastreoenterologists alike should be able to help.
Now what I would do, speaking from experience, is first decrease the acidic levels of your stomach acid (the main problem with IBS). I took prylosec everyday for a couple years, took a probiotic, drifted away from spicy foods and critic foods, and took activated charcoal along with ginger tablets when in unbearable pain.
I would also consult your physician as well

[deadshotwolf]

I started reading up on forskolin after seeing previous posts in this thread about it, and the article in continuous citation seems to be very hard to get my hands on. The article itself, (Badmaev V, Majeed M, Conte A, Parker JE (2002) Diterpene forskolin (Coleus forskohlii, Benth.): A Possible new compound for reduction of body weight by increasing lean body mass. NutraCos. March/April, 6-7), is indeed research sponsored by the company that produces Forslean (a patented version of it). Does anyone have more first hand research about this product? The side effects seem to outweigh the usage of it.

Also, been trying different thermogenic metabolism boosters for a long while now, and was seeing if you recommend any of them?

Last one would be additional information on whey protein. Living in US, where protein saturated diets/foods are everywhere, I have taken it entirely out of my diet. I don't have excess protein, replaced with BCAA, and was wondering what your thoughts were on whey protein in general?

[psalms1441]

Good question, well they are two different questions really.

Carb cycling might have benefit as a way of reducing daily CHO/calorie intake without impacting on your workout intensity. Consistency is some I weight more heavily though.

Calorie cycling or intermittent fasting is an exciting new area of research. It is not really recommended or supported by science for the long term in humans (yet). I sometimes recommend for clients when traditional calorie reduction isn't working. It appeals to some people and impossible for others.

Others may have researched it more thoroughly than me, we certainly did not hear about it through university etc and it is not on any best practice guidelines for weight loss.

Here is some reading on some evidence for intermittent fasting.
http://www.nutrition.org.uk/attachme...estriction.pdf
http://dvd.sagepub.com/content/13/2/68.full.pdf+html
http://www.biomedcentral.com/content...2891-11-98.pdf
http://journals.cambridge.org/downlo...a6c55bf429b91c
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...1.00873.x/epdf

and if you are not really into reading the science an easier read
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/01Januar...diet-work.aspx

If anyone has some other research or evidence they would like to share feel free. I would be interested.

thanks for the readings. How about carb cycling while keeping calories at maintenance? will there be any fat loss benefits to carb cycling with that approach? Im doing an experimental log in the nutrition log section and i will be doing this. just wanted to here your thoughts

[Ash_au]

Ur welcome to singapore! we need more dieticians like you as the ones we have now in the hospitals arent really passionate like how you are so keen on helping people, like on here for FREE.

BTW, any suggestions on where in the world i could study nutritional sciences (thats good) to having a job somewhere like yours? i have a dipolma in sports and exercise sciences but im keen on getting a degree or more on something that has a job scope like urs as im passionate about it!

Thank you

What are expat treated like in your home city?

Ok, well first you really need to decide if you want to commit to being a dietitian or work in the sport and exercise industry. They really are quite different.

To work as a Dieitian you need to study a recognised degree you should contact http://www.snda.org.sg/index.php to see what universities are recognised. You could study abroad in australia, but this would be very expensive.

If you are simply looking for a bit of extra knowledge to compliment your sports/exercise science I would stick to reading up and not bother paying more for certificates.

Maybe you could reach out to this girl if you are interested to know more
https://www.myhealthcareer.com.au/la...ree-bonnie-lau

4 years of study and 30K debt or more is a lot to endeavor in, so just make sure you really want to do it

[Mrpb]

For those that didn't know, the studies that show that intermittent fasting 'works' are done with obese people not engaged in resistance exercise, and then usually only in combination with calorie restriction. The benefits are usually caused by the calorie restriction and not by the fasting.

In a study with healthy normal weight young men no benefits were found to intermittent fasting. In fact 3 meals spread over the day did a bit better than IF, albeit non significantly. Another study found that 4 meals with 20 gram protein led to greater muscle protein synthesis in healthy young men than 2 meals of 40.

As far as I know there isn't any evidence showing that carb cycling works.

Intermittent calorie restriction has some evidence supporting it but again only in obese people not engaged in resistance exercise.

For a more critical look at intermittent fasting, these are well researched articles:
http://www.alanaragon.com/an-objecti...t-fasting.html
http://easacademy.org/trainer-resour...ittent-fasting

[Ash_au]

for someone suffering from IBS looking for answers, causes and relief, would you suggest they go to a dietician/nutritionist or a gastroenterologist?

First see your GP, as they will want to rule out any other causes... things like H.Pylori and more sinister things like chrons, diverticulitis, or ulcerative colitis or bowel ca. Not to scare you but its important to do. Maybe it is something very simple too.. After they ask you a bunch of questions and dont come to any great conclusion, if you think it is food related, ask for a referral to your dietitian.

Take a 1-2 weeks diet history to your dietitian. You could email it prior to give them more opportunity to analyse. In your diet history list all the food and drinks you consume and any GI symptoms (bloating, abdo pain, bowel movements) next to with times.

The dietitian will see if there are any likely food causes. They may want you trial an elimination diet, FODMAPS, changing your fibre intake or take supplements e.g peppermint oil, probiotics etc. Or if it is not obviously food related they will communicate that back to your GP and recommend further investigations. i.e referral to gastroenterologist for a endoscopy/colonscopy etc.

It is a process of elimination to find your cause - there are many tests you can do, antibodies, genetic testing, breath tests, biopsies etc. It is important you get an accurate diagnosis.

If you GP is not too keen on investigating further than giving you a dx of IBS. You could try a quick google search for your city and food intolerance dietitian. Just make sure they are an accredited RD.

Be persistent, it will be worth it when your symptom free.

Don't read blogs/personal recommendations etc or ironically internet forums ;p

[Ash_au]

As a person who used to suffer from IBS, nutritionists and gastreoenterologists alike should be able to help.
Now what I would do, speaking from experience, is first decrease the acidic levels of your stomach acid (the main problem with IBS). I took prylosec everyday for a couple years, took a probiotic, drifted away from spicy foods and critic foods, and took activated charcoal along with ginger tablets when in unbearable pain.
I would also consult your physician as well

Acidic levels? That sounds more like GORD to me. Stomach acid levels aren't the main problem in IBS. This is a good example of not following personal recommendations. Happy you found relief for yourself but it is foolish to think it will apply to everyone else

The main categories of triggers for IBS are food, medications, viruses or stress.

[Ash_au]

I started reading up on forskolin after seeing previous posts in this thread about it, and the article in continuous citation seems to be very hard to get my hands on. The article itself, (Badmaev V, Majeed M, Conte A, Parker JE (2002) Diterpene forskolin (Coleus forskohlii, Benth.): A Possible new compound for reduction of body weight by increasing lean body mass. NutraCos. March/April, 6-7), is indeed research sponsored by the company that produces Forslean (a patented version of it). Does anyone have more first hand research about this product? The side effects seem to outweigh the usage of it.

Also, been trying different thermogenic metabolism boosters for a long while now, and was seeing if you recommend any of them?

Last one would be additional information on whey protein. Living in US, where protein saturated diets/foods are everywhere, I have taken it entirely out of my diet. I don't have excess protein, replaced with BCAA, and was wondering what your thoughts were on whey protein in general?

Oh wow, thermogenics, metabolic boosters, BCAA's and eliminating protein from your diet all in one post! Too much science!

You sir are beyond my help, but lucky you are a

Dietary Nutrition Major

and can probably research all this stuff for yourself.

Maybe make your own thread with your results please.

[pierrson]

Thank you

What are expat treated like in your home city?

Ok, well first you really need to decide if you want to commit to being a dietitian or work in the sport and exercise industry. They really are quite different.

To work as a Dieitian you need to study a recognised degree you should contact http://www.snda.org.sg/index.php to see what universities are recognised. You could study abroad in australia, but this would be very expensive.

If you are simply looking for a bit of extra knowledge to compliment your sports/exercise science I would stick to reading up and not bother paying more for certificates.

Maybe you could reach out to this girl if you are interested to know more
https://www.myhealthcareer.com.au/la...ree-bonnie-lau

4 years of study and 30K debt or more is a lot to endeavor in, so just make sure you really want to do it

well, here in sg its almost foreigners everywhere! nothing much to worry about for you expats

and yes i am really keen on being a dietitian not too much on the sports side but more on health and helping others who really need help as i dont see much point on helping the sports side as they alrd can help themselves but are just lazy to do some research haha.

thanks so much for the help though! i've got 2 more years to look around for a university so im considering all options. cheers

[Yeahbrah333]

Awwwww yiss.

He meant like reaching your minimums every day and from there random macros everyday while getting in the same calorie goal lol.

[Froudini]

So, I've been trying to figure out my macros. I've read some of the stickies to calculate them, but they are so high in carbs. I'm 33 and I've been pretty inactive for the last 10 years. I weigh 105 kg atm and my height is 180cm (5.9). I haven't done any body fat tests, but it's probably in the 25-30% range. I've been doing a full body program 3 times pr week for the last month, and I walk around 3 miles 3-5 times pr week. I usually work out early in the day, so I'm home from the gym around 1-2pm.

Average macros are 250gr protein, 200gr carbs and 80gr of fats (2500 calories) on my lifting days, and around 300 calories less on rest days. But this week I've eaten around 50gr less carbs pr day and around 20gr more fat, and I don't really feel that different, energy-wise. Wouldn't it be more beneficial for my fat loss anyway if I ate less carbs? As long as I'm eating enough proteins and watching my daily calories, does it really matter how the fat/carb ratio is as long as I have enough energy for my workouts? Most of the fat I eat comes from eggs, fish and dairy. Also, am I eating too much protein? My lean mass is probably not that high, considering how inactive I've been for the last 10 years.

[Mrpb]

So, I've been trying to figure out my macros. I've read some of the stickies to calculate them, but they are so high in carbs.

The stickies are wrong in that regard. There is no minimum requirement for carbs. You can eat as little or as many as you like.

[Obscene]

Haha Yes! Or to bait me into an argument

I studied a bachelor of health science focusing on nutrition and dietetics, 4 years with 1 year clinical practicum. I am registered with the UK and Aus regulatory bodies for the profession

Yes I currently work 6 days a week in a variety of health promotion, school education, one-one clinics and private practice. Most of my stuff is management of chronic disease - Diabetes, CVD, Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia. My next plan is to travel the UK doing locum work, fly out July =D

Private practice, corporate health and media don't really interest me at all. I prefer to the pace of community health and government positions, helping people who really need it rather than those who are already in a position to help themselves. I couldnt think of anything worse than being a nutrition blogger!

Any advice for a current nutrition student? Just finished my first year (two to go) and I'm looking to do a masters in dietetics when I'm done.

[Gxp23]

He meant like reaching your minimums every day and from there random macros everyday while getting in the same calorie goal lol.

I was using his comment as an example, lol.

[Ash_au]

Any advice for a current nutrition student? Just finished my first year (two to go) and I'm looking to do a masters in dietetics when I'm done.

You could be a little more specific... advice about what?

Start working or volunteering in a job that will relate to dietetics. Ideally a nutrition assistant in a hospital. Or maybe something like a health promotion business. Having a small bit of experience will separate you from the rest of the new grads. You only need to do one day a week, even for just 6 months.

Work you ass off to please your supervisor on student placements, create good rapport and at the end leave them your contact details for any work that might pop up and get a reference off them.

[iluvwdw]

Hi,
I was just diagnosed in the ER with unspecified diverticulitis. At first they said kidney stones but couldn't find any in the CT scan. However I had an inflamed kidney and crystals in my urine. They didn't do the proper scan on my bowels for diverticulitis and now have to wait till March to see the specialist. After finishing my meds most of the pain is gone. The CT also showed I have gallstones.
The dr didn't tell me what to eat...just said eat light.
About two weeks before my attack in an effort to eat better I was eating GF oats, apples with skins, potatoes with skins, chicken everyday, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, nuts, and salads. THE night before I also had two drinks at Thanksgiving.
Since then I have been eating GF white bread, white rice, bananas applesauce, and poached eggs. Although my tummy and diarrhea are better I look pale as all hell and circles under my eyes. I don't know what to eat and am craving my veggies. I ate some salad and some kale and spinach tortilla chips. Now since eating these i am having softer stools. I am really wanting oatmeal again too.
I just don't know what to eat and don't want to have another attack.
But I realize this is probably from not enough fiber since going gf and mostly dairy free years ago because I had hives for a year which was due to leaky gut which made me react to all foods and have an epi pen. However GF wasn't enough as I have still always suffered with IBS and soft stools.
I am just so discouraged and lost as to what to eat to heal myself but also to be healthy and lose weight.
Can I eat spinach if I blend it in my smoothies? Can I make cauliflower soup if I puree it?
Sorry for being so long...it's been a frustrating journey trying to be healthy.

[ironwill2008]

Hi,
I was just diagnosed in the ER with unspecified diverticulitis. At first they said kidney stones but couldn't find any in the CT scan. However I had an inflamed kidney and crystals in my urine. They didn't do the proper scan on my bowels for diverticulitis and now have to wait till March to see the specialist. After finishing my meds most of the pain is gone. The CT also showed I have gallstones.
The dr didn't tell me what to eat...just said eat light.
About two weeks before my attack in an effort to eat better I was eating GF oats, apples with skins, potatoes with skins, chicken everyday, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, nuts, and salads. THE night before I also had two drinks at Thanksgiving.
Since then I have been eating GF white bread, white rice, bananas applesauce, and poached eggs. Although my tummy and diarrhea are better I look pale as all hell and circles under my eyes. I don't know what to eat and am craving my veggies. I ate some salad and some kale and spinach tortilla chips. Now since eating these i am having softer stools. I am really wanting oatmeal again too.
I just don't know what to eat and don't want to have another attack.
But I realize this is probably from not enough fiber since going gf and mostly dairy free years ago because I had hives for a year which was due to leaky gut which made me react to all foods and have an epi pen. However GF wasn't enough as I have still always suffered with IBS and soft stools.
I am just so discouraged and lost as to what to eat to heal myself but also to be healthy and lose weight.
Can I eat spinach if I blend it in my smoothies? Can I make cauliflower soup if I puree it?
Sorry for being so long...it's been a frustrating journey trying to be healthy.

This isn't WebMD. Talk to your doctor.