The human body is an amazing machine.
The combination of over 37 trillion cells and trillions more microbes influencing from your gut, your body is an incredibly complex organism. And while we all share similar parts, no two human beings in the history of mankind are quite the same.
The uniqueness of our bodies is quite evident in modern medicine. Now more than ever, doctors have the ability to make a series of decisions and recommendations unique to you. Whether it’s pharmaceuticals, medical devices, or specific surgeries or treatments, it’s no longer a “one-size-fits-all” approach like it’s been in year’s past. Medicine can be tailored to your unique conditions, your unique genetics, your unique history, your unique composition. All of these can be factored into making a decision about the best way to treat your unique body.
Why? Because even with all our shared cells, our bodies are still unique from one another. And thus, the best way to ensure good health is to create programs tailored to our individual genetics, metabolism and lifestyle.
Now, this isn’t just true for medicine. It’s true for the way we fuel our bodies as well: food.
While medicine can help us after something has gone wrong, a healthful diet and nutrition can stop problems before they even begin. But much like medicine, proper nutrition is unique to each individual. That is why now more than ever, it’s important to verify that your own nutritional needs are being carefully crafted by a Registered Dietitian (RD).
RD’s are trained nutritional professionals. In fact, the path to becoming a RD is quite arduous, with Canada requiring individuals to obtain a 4-year university degree with a focus on food and nutrition, complete a supervised practical internship, and complete the application process with their provincial dietetics organization, which monitors safety, continuing education and ethical practice to protect you – the patient.
All told, the path to becoming a Registered Dietitian in Canada often takes 6-7 years’ worth of education and training.
Why is there such rigorous training involved with becoming an RD? Because a RD must be able to understand the complex science about how a body uses food as fuel. And more importantly, they must understand how to tailor this science to each unique individual they serve. RD’s are trained to combine the science of nutrition with the art of treating the whole person, including physical and emotional health, relationship to food, and how to make behavior change stick. Just as no two people are exactly alike, no two diets should be alike either. What is healthy for a 22-year-old male athlete may be harmful for a 45-year-old woman who just finished cancer treatment.
RD’s use their robust background and training in science and nutrition to develop programs and strategies that are tailored to your specific needs as a person. Much like a racing team would work to determine which octane fuel maximizes the performance of their unique race car, RD’s work with each individual client to identify the perfect mix of fuel for their own unique bodies.
The end result? A person that looks, feels, and performs better than ever before.
With 37 trillion cells to fuel, proper nutrition is a vital component for living a healthy life. Be sure you’re getting the right nutritional advice for your needs by finding a qualified Registered Dietitian in your area, and working with them to build a program that’s just right for you.
