10 Things to Ask Your Nutritionist Before Hiring by Joan Kent, PhD

 

1. Which foods are carbs?

The definition of carbohydrates is complicated and boring. But your prospective nutritionist should know that carbs include vegetables, fruits, and the foods most people call carbs. That means bread, pasta, cereals, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lentils, beans, quinoa, squash, rice, turnips, parsnips and other root vegetables. For clarity, I call them starches.

 

2. Do you recommend low-carb diets? Why or why not?

So how low do you mean? Paleo diets are popular, but not always a good idea. Keto diets were/are trending but not necessarily effective long-term.

 

Low-carb eating may make a poor training diet. Hard workouts demand healthful starches. Refueling with starch plus protein after a tough training replaces glycogen, critical after a workout. Extremely low-carb diets can even trigger cardiac arrhythmias in some people.

 

Appetite control is easier for some people on a plan that includes healthful starches. That has to do with serotonin production and preventing sugar and/or alcohol cravings.

 

3. Is weight loss just about calories in/calories out?

An ideal answer is calories make a difference but are absolutely not the whole story. Hormones – insulin is one key hormone in this – influence weight gain, the 24-hour fat oxidation rate, and more. What you eat influences weight, not just how much.

 

4. Will you work with my lifestyle / frequent business travel / doctor’s recommendations?

The ideal answer is “yes.” Any food plan should be modify-able for those factors. You may need to prepare – say, in advance of travel dates. But the plan should allow for your individual needs, and the nutritionist should have suggestions.

 

5. What should I eat after a tough workout?

The ideal answer is starch and protein in a 3:1 ratio. The 3:1 can be easily calculated using calories or grams, since carbs and proteins all yield 4 calories per gram.

 

Eat no later than 30 minutes following your training. That may mean bringing foods with you and eating in the locker room. Avoid fats in that 30-minute window because they’ll slow the absorption of carbs.

 

Your nutritionist should know all of this, as well as why eating within the 30-minute window is critical.

 

6. I sometimes have mood swings (or feel depressed). Can foods change my moods?

Let’s assume you’ve talked to your doctor about your moods and received a qualified medical opinion about what you do or don’t need.

 

The answer to this question is definitely yes:  foods can change your moods. A vague answer about eating well and feeling better as you become healthier is not responsive, not helpful.

Foods affect moods because they modify brain chemistry. If your prospective nutritionist can’t explain the exact changes you can effect with diet – and if moods are a critical issue for you – you may need to find one who understands.

 

7. Will I ever get rid of my sugar cravings?

The answer to this should be yes. Say you have frequent or strong sugar cravings. A nutritionist who talks about “curbing” cravings or tells you everyone has them is not ideal. If he/she suggests eating a little of what you crave or substituting fruit, that’s a definite red flag.

 

8. Should I eliminate any foods or food groups? Why or why not?

If the nutritionist suggests eliminating carbs, or fats, those fad diets may not work for a variety of reasons. But if she/he recommends eliminating specific types of junk – such as white flour or sugar – that’s good.

 

9. I hate vegetables and always have. Do I really need them, or can I just eat more fruit?

Vegetables and fruits are not equal. They’re certainly not interchangeable. Fruits have nutritional value but are no substitute for veggies.

 

The nutritionist should know this: hating vegetables often indicates a high-sugar diet. The first step is to check that, then check your family history for factors that may make you carb-sensitive, sugar-sensitive, or both. Next would be a plan that modifies brain chemistry and changes your food preferences so vegetables no longer seem unpalatable.

 

10. What’s the difference between stomach hunger and mouth hunger?

These terms are typically used to distinguish real hunger from appetite. But they confuse people. If you ask someone if she ate because of stomach hunger or mouth hunger, she may say, “I’m not sure.”

 

The nutritionist should be able to describe hunger to be sure a client can recognize and feel it. I use “hunger” for real physical hunger – signals that the body needs food. Eating for any other reason is an urge or desire to eat. It’s less confusing.

 

Many nutritionists are available. These questions can help you screen your nutritionist from the wide field and find one who’ll help you do what you need and want.

 

Do you want nutrition support for mood issues, sugar cravings, fueling for workouts without junk? Perfect, that’s what I do. My field is Psychoactive Nutrition, how foods affect mental state by shifting brain chemistry and hormones. I’d love to help you.

 

Just visit www.LastResortNutrition.com and grab your free Power Eating Consult. Find out how a few tweaks can improve your moods, your energy, and your workouts … so you can feel fantastic every day.

 

Brought to you by Dr. Joan Kent, best-selling author of Stronger Than Sugar.