Putting my dream into action

For so long I've been dreaming of helping people with nutrition. I've had a lot of bumps and road blocks to push through. I graduated with a B.S. in Nutrition and then I was told that's not enough. I became a straight A student who couldn't get into a Dietetic Internship. I applied for 3 years straight with no luck. But maybe that happen for a reason. Working at WIC made me realize I possessed a wonderful gift in counseling. I obtained a true passion for helping those who needed guidance with getting their life in order. Not just with healthy eating, but financial, housing, jobs, education, family planning, etc. This is what I enjoy and this is what I plan to do in the future. Going back to school to get my MSW is a great move and will help me reach my goal, I know it. Until then I realized that I can still do some small work on the side until I graduate. And so I brainstormed and came up with this:

Providing general non-medical nutrition information

What I CAN do for you:

1)      Cooking demonstrations

2)      Provide info on recommended amounts of essential nutrients for a healthy individual (Dietary Guidelines for Americans)

3)      Provide information on healthy eating and healthy snacks

4)      Discussing carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water as essential nutrients required by the body

5)      Providing non-fraudulent information about nutrition contained in foods/supplements

The nutrition info I can provide is non-medical and based on scientific recommendations for a healthy population.  Clients with medical conditions will be referred to a licensed dietitian/nutritionist or other medical professional. 

That's pretty much the bones of it. Still need a name and a title for myself. I can't legally call myself a nutritionist once I leave my job at WIC (which is this coming friday!!! WOOOO!!!). I don't like that rule, but the good ol' state of North Carolina told me I can't. Coming up with a job title is going to be difficult. Can I call myself a food coach? If I can, that'd be freaking awesome. I like coaching and I like food. Let's see what I can come up with on the title "Food coach".

According to U.S. News I can, but they bring up a good point. There are so many people calling themselves a nutritionist, food coach, or whatever and giving people stupid and very false information. You have to give them the science of it, especially if you're not an RD. If you're not an RD you can ONLY give information from scientific publications and studies such as the one I listed, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The NC board of Dietetics/Nutrition says you're in compliance when, "The person provides nonfraudulent nutrition information which is based on scientific reports and studies, or not false or misleading, and is safe." When I do start working all of this out I will continue to stress that I AM NOT A REGISTERED DIETITIAN and I CAN NOT GIVE OUT NUTRITION ASSESSMENTS. I refuse to get in trouble with any board of dietetics/nutrition from any state. 

So just to clarify:

DO NOT ask me to count your calories

DO NOT ask me for a weight loss plan

DO NOT ask me for a meal plan or counseling for any type of disease (diabetes, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, etc.)

There are a couple more things I can't do, but I don't want to focus on that. I prefer to think about the things I CAN do for people. 

Research in progress....

Some things still haunt me...

It's hard to shake some things off and erase them completely from your memory. All you can do is be thankful for second chances and work towards a better future. For those of you who can honestly wake up and not think about it even once and be happy....you're unreal.