How to be a good nutritionist
by Amanda Clary 2010

There are good schoolteachers and bad schoolteachers; there are good police and bad police; and there are good nutritionists and bad nutritionists. Before you set out on a career as a nutritionist, consider these tips for becoming one of the best and most respected nutritionists in your field.

1. Get the right education. Don't be fooled by sub-standard schools offering degrees that are basically worthless. Since the first step in becoming a nutritionist is to earn a Bachelor's degree in dietetics or nutrition, start by finding a reputable schools.

The first thing to check when investigating a school is its accreditation.
To earn a degree that will lead to a successful career as a nutritionist, you need to find a school accredited by an organization recognized by the US Department of Education.

2. Pursue an advanced degree. After you've been working in the field for a couple of years, consider going back to school to earn a Master degree or even a Ph. D. in nutrition. An MS or Ph. D. will broaden and deepen your knowledge, and it will also open doors for you leading to greater career opportunities.

3. Keep expanding your education. Whether you pursue an advanced degree or not, a good nutritionist needs to stay on top of the latest research and nutrition theories.

Since taking continuing education courses is generally required to
maintain your nutritionist's license, take courses that will help you to
continue to grow professionally.

4. Keep an open mind. Science is finding out new things about the human body, the human mind, and the interaction between the quality of life, diseases, and mood with diet almost every day.

As such, the paradigm for what constitutes the healthiest diet, or the
best foods to heal diseases naturally, is changing constantly. Keep an
open mind as you work in the nutrition field, and explore these new ideas so that you can bring what you learn to your clients.

5. Practice what you preach. A great irony in the health field is that
health care workers are notoriously bad about taking care of their own
health.

Respiratory therapists sometimes take cigarette breaks between caring for patients with emphysema; cardiologists are sometimes overweight, even while they advise heart attack victims to change their lifestyle habits.

If you really want to help the clients that you work with, put your own nutrition advice into practice. Then your advice will come from your own experience, and you will be far more likely to really make a difference in the lives of the people you advise.

About the Author

Amanda Clary writes a non commercial blog focused on her experience on helping her family and friends to eat healthy. She is a "Nutritionist for Hobby" and writes on the holistic nutrition certification blog to help people learn how to get certified and learn all the aspects related to this job (Skills, requisites, everyday problems, upgrading, etc...).