Viva Vitality: Dietitians – essential partners in your health

By Payge Dirk

March is nutrition month, and there is no better time to highlight how dietitians can work as your partner to improve your health through nutrition. Dietitians use their expert knowledge and skills to provide personal guidance about food and lifestyle that you can trust. No trends or fads!

Eating a balanced diet is unique to everyone, and dietitians can help you find ways to include a variety of healthy foods in your life with solutions that work for you. Dietitians consider your medical history, culture and traditions, budget, food skills, and preferences like taste. Whether you are looking to improve your relationship with food, manage a health condition like diabetes or heart disease, address digestion concerns, or make mealtimes more enjoyable, dietitians can help.

Dietitians are important to make sure that you are getting the best advice and information from a qualified health professional.  

All dietitians in Alberta complete a university degree, finish practical training, and pass an exam to become registered with the College of Dietitians of Alberta. To stay registered, they must follow strict standards and upgrade their knowledge and skills every year. Only people registered with the College can legally work as Registered Dietitians in Alberta. Other protected titles in Alberta are RD, dietitian, nutritionist, or registered nutritionist.

Dietitians work in a number of settings to provide reliable nutrition information. They turn complicated nutrition science into practical solutions and help you find reliable nutrition sources and supports. More than half of dietitians work in a hospital as part of a team of other health care professionals like doctors, nurses, and physiotherapists. Dietitians also work in clinics to provide nutrition counselling, or in supportive living like long-term care centers, as well as community health centres. You can also find dietitians working in public health, government, education, and research to increase access to food, develop health policies, and create key nutrition materials.

You can find dietitians by region or health condition, and many employee benefit plans cover dietitian services. Check with your provider or see how you can access their services for free. You can see a dietitian one-on-one or in a group setting, and most offer services virtually.

Interested in learning more?

To get in contact with a dietitian and find reliable nutrition information visit AHS.ca/nutrition to view classes, counselling, and resources available to you. Visit ahs.ca/811 or call Health Link 811 and ask to speak to a dietitian.

Payge Dirk is a Dietetic Intern with Alberta Health Services, Nutrition Services. For more information on healthy eating, visit Canada’s Food Guide at food-guide.canada.ca or healthyeatingstartshere.ca.