Posts Tagged ‘science’

Just finished new BOOK: “Vegetarian and Vegan – An Introduction” (267 pgs)

Food for Life distributes food on an internati...

Celeste Healthy Living - BOOK: Vegetarian & Vegan - An Introduction (267 PGS)

April 26, 2012:
BOOK: VEGETARIAN & VEGAN – AN INTRODUCTION” (267 pgs) click here.

Editor: Celeste Hudson, MBA, PhD

Preface

There is a growing trend toward being vegan or vegetarian. Famous vegan personalities are featured by the media, like Bill Clinton, casino mogul Steve Wynn, Pamela Anderson, Shania Twain, William Shatner. Many recognizable celebrities, past and present, have chosen this lifestyle – Ellen, Deepak Chopra, Albert Einstein, Gloria Steinem, Bob Marley, Mark Twain, Leonardo da Vinci, Charles Darwin, Alec Baldwin, Benjamin Franklin, Mike Tyson, Plato, Socrates, Twitter Co-Founder Biz Stone, Pink and Michael J. Fox.

Proof of the trend can be found in grocery stores. Where Heinz used to be the only vegetarian baked beans available, now there are several on the shelf, there are aisles or entire stores dedicated to organic, vegan and vegetarian foods. Businesses supply what customers want – a recent Gallup Poll reported that 20% of the population looks for a restaurant with vegetarian items, a third of the public would order non-meat items if they were listed on the menu. This 20-30% has changed businesses’ and health care professionals’ need to add vegetarian items to menus or address this choice when offering patient care.

It is the position of The American Dietetic Association (ADA) that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.

Included in this book are the Basics, Trends and Resources that show how scientific data suggest positive relationships between a vegetarian diet and reduced risk for several chronic degenerative diseases and conditions, including obesity, coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and some types of cancer. Enjoy.

Sincerely,

Celeste Hudson, MBA, PhD

Celeste Healthy Living – BOOK: Vegetarian & Vegan – An Introduction (267 PGS)

Many US states now cover medical nutrition therapy under Medicaid/Medicare – making dietetics a more lucrative profession

Nutrition

Nutrition (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I thought you might find the following interesting (policy changes are making having an RD more lucrative):  

 

Consultant dietitians

Consultant dietitian is a term sometimes used to describe dietitians who work under contract with health care facilities or in private practice, such as used in Canada and the United States.[2][7] The term ‘consultant’ in this case should not be confused with the identical title reserved for certain medical doctors in countries such as the United Kingdom and Ireland. Consultant dietitians contract independently to provide nutrition services and educational programs to individuals and health care facilities as well as sports teams, fitness clubs, supermarkets, and other health and nutrition-related businesses.

Required qualifications and professional associations

In most countries, competent performance as a dietitian requires formal training at a higher educational institution in food and nutritional science, nutrition education, dietetics, or a related field.[1] Their education in health science involves scientific based knowledge in anatomychemistrybiochemistrybiology, and physiology.

While the specific academic and professional requirements to becoming a fully qualified dietitian differ across countries and jurisdictions, as these are adapted to the needs of the individual countries and the opportunities available,[8] common academic routes include:

In addition, dietitians may be required to undergo an internship to learn counseling skills and aspects of psychology. The internship process differs across countries and jurisdictions.

Associations for dietetics professionals exist in many countries on every continent.[8]

United States

In the United States, nutrition professionals include the dietitian or registered dietitian (RD), as well as “dietetic technician” or “dietetic technician, registered” (DTR) (see below). These terms are legally protected, regulated by the American Dietetic Association (ADA) which registers and confers professional credentials. The ADA also recognizes and certifies certain specialty areas, such as in Gerontological Nutrition.[17]

Dietitians are registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration (the certifying agency of the ADA) and are only able to use the label “Registered Dietitian” when they have met specific educational and professional prerequisites and passed a national registration examination. Besides academic education, dietitians must complete at least 1200 hours of practical, supervised experience through an accredited program before they can sit for the registration examination. In a coordinated program, students acquire internship hours concurrently with their coursework. In a didactic program, these hours are obtained through a dietetic internship that is completed after obtaining a degree.[18] In both programs the student is required to complete several areas of competency including rotations in clinical, community, long-term care nutrition as well as food service, public health and a variety of other worksites.

Once the degree is earned, the internship completed, and registration examination passed, the individual can now use the nationally recognized legal title, “Registered Dietitian”, and is able to work in a variety of professional settings. To maintain the RD credential, professionals must participate in and earn continuing education units (often 75 hours every 5 years).

In addition, many states require specific licensure to work in most settings. For instance, the California Business and Professions Code Section 2585-2586.8,[19] states that:

Any person representing himself or herself as a registered dietitian shall meet one of the following qualifications:

  1. Been granted, prior to January 1, 1981, the right to use the term “registered dietitian” by a public or private agency or institution recognized by the State Department of Health Services as qualified to grant the title, provided that person continues to meet all requirements and qualifications periodically prescribed by the agency or institution for the maintenance of that title.
  2. Possess all of the following qualifications:
(A) Be 18 years of age or older.
(B) Satisfactory completion of appropriate academic requirements for the field of dietetics and related disciplines and receipt of a baccalaureate or higher degree from a college or university accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges or other regional accreditation agency.
(C) Satisfactory completion of a program of supervised practice for a minimum of 900 hours that is designed to prepare entry level practitioners through instruction and assignments in a clinical setting. Supervisors of the program shall meet minimum qualifications established by public or private agencies or institutions recognized by the State Department of Health Services to establish those qualifications.
(D) Satisfactory completion of an examination administered by a public or private agency or institution recognized by the State Department of Health Services as qualified to administer the examinations.
(E) Satisfactory completion of continuing education requirements established by a public or private agency or institution recognized by the State Department of Health Services to establish the requirements.

In addition: It is a misdemeanor for any person not meeting the criteria… in connection with his or her name or place of business, the words “dietetic technician, registered,” “dietitian,” “dietician,” “registered dietitian,” “registered dietician,” or the letters “RD,” “DTR,” or any other words, letters, abbreviations, or insignia indicating or implying that the person is a dietitian, or dietetic technician, registered or registered dietitian, or to represent, in any way, orally, in writing, in print or by sign, directly or by implication, that he or she is a dietitian or a dietetic technician, registered or a registered dietitian.[19]

As recent studies have shown the importance of diet in both disease prevention and management, many US states have moved towards covering medical nutrition therapy under theMedicaid/Medicare social insurance programs, making dietetics a much more lucrative profession due to insurance reimbursement.