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When is it appropriate to call yourself a Nutritionist?

This is it. 

The first blog post. 

I have been putting this off for so long, telling myself I'm not ready, that I don't have anything to say yet. At university I'm surrounded by people with more credentials, by people who are confident in their knowledge. Whereas the more I learn, the more I realise there is to know. It's the scary thing about being a student. 

My current conundrum is when do I get to start calling myself a Nutritionist? The word is not protected by law, anyone (including you) can call yourself a Nutritionist right now. No study needed!

I already know more about the human body than a 'Certified Health Coach.' I have surpassed most of the teachings contained in an Advanced Diploma... Ah, who am I kidding? I believe the term SHOULD be protected. I believe that's why we trust Dentists with our chompers, not 'toothologists' working from their bathroom at home. Nutrition should be treated the same way. Get your degree, get your accreditation. I won't co-opt the word until the NSA will accept me as a nutritionist. 

This morning I was linked to the Facebook page of a friend-of-a-friend. She extolled the benefits of this woman's nutritional advice, she proclaimed no fad diets or gimmicks were rooted there. I was excited, genuinely excited. I thought, "yeah, another cool person to follow." But then I click on her page... She's a certified wellness coach with an advanced diploma. She is doing the Whole 30 cleanse and in the middle of 'detoxing' and centring her life. It's the same as the hundreds of other pages from people unqualified to give personalised nutrition advice, yet do it anyway at inflated costs.

I'm sorry, but you won't find that kind of flowery language here. You won't find any #cleaneating #paleo #LCHF #whole30 bullshit. 

What you will find is sound nutritional facts backed by evidence, the occasional rant, the benefits of moderation and a balanced view. 

I picked the name A Rational Fare because I want to counter the rubbish I see from the likes of your Food Babe and Pete Evans-type personalities who claim to have all the answers. Unfortunately I don't think my rational and balanced approach will be the way to amass a million followers and snag a book deal :-/

Signing off, your not-yet-a-nutritionist,

Kelly. 

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