That's one small step for dietitians...

     People don’t listen to registered dietitians for good, solid, nutrition advice.  Nope.  They prefer to heed the recommendations from health food store owners, unlicensed nutritionists, gym owners, Dr. Oz, next door neighbors, anybody.   Of course, since I’m a registered dietitian, I believe that RDs are your best source for information regarding what to eat for health or to treat your disease.  I’ve been a RD for 30 years and there has been absolutely no improvement in the dietitian’s status as a healthcare provider or promoter.  

     What threw me over the edge earlier this summer was my spinning instructor’s advice to the group while we were stretching after the workout.  He told us to eat eggs for protein and to have eggs with either spinach or black beans.  And if we choose the black beans, he recommended that we add cheese since the beans are an incomplete protein and the cheese protein will make this meal ‘complete.’  Well, I have some issues with this.  First of all, he’s wrong.  But no one knows that he’s wrong, and spinners are hanging onto his every word.  I checked his background.  Nutrition?  Nope.  He has a college degree in a foreign language and has no advance credits or certification in the field of nutrition.  But dang if he isn't a delightful guy with a great body and a full-time smile to boot. He sounds like he knows what he's talking about.  So people listen.

     I did approach him after class to ask why we need cheese at all with the eggs since the eggs are the best source of protein, and complete at that.  He kinda just reiterated that the cheese has protein to complete the beans.  I double checked with another spinning instructor who happens to be a RD and she agreed with me.  (Dietitians do stick together).  But the point is that the great body guy is giving out nutrition advice willy nilly.  And dietitians are left in the dust.  Here he is promoting saturated fat and sodium in cheese, when, in fact, it's not needed at all.  Heck, just eat the eggs.  Personally, I wouldn't think of adding black beans to eggs but if you want to do it, then fine.  No problem there.  Skip the cheese though.

     The following week the not-nutrition guy told everyone to eat 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate for its antioxidant benefits.  The class was really happy to hear of this tidbit.  Did you know that 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate has about 450 calories?  I can think of better ways to get antioxidants.  But I'm sure lots of people left the spinning class and went to get the Hershey's Special Dark Bar that was suggested.  And to make matters worse, the spinning instructor told the guys in the class not to eat soy because it lowers their sex drive.

     I go back up to him again.  I didn't even bother to speak about the chocolate but I did tell him that I've done research on soy and the rumor that it lessens a man's sex drive is unsubstantiated.  As suspected, he held firm to his recommendations, stating that this information was in "research" that he had reviewed.  When asked about the "research," he cited Gentleman's Quarterly and Prevention Magazine.  Hah!!  Now, did I tell him that I'm a RD?  Nope.  Because he had already said that someone in another class had a comment about one of his suggestions and he lamely mentioned to the class that "she was a registered dietitian."  I didn't wish to be ridiculed.

     BUT, and here's the big but (pun intended)...Who are people listening to?  Not me, that's for sure.  I'm no PhD or researcher, but I've been a clinical practitioner for a long time and read loads of evidence-based articles about food, nutrition and general health.  I don't know everything, (nutrition is an ever-changing science) but I do know what's in the research and I only promote well-studied nutrition information to my patients and co-workers.  But the guy on the lead spin bike is reading lay magazines and then spewing back awful advice that people accept as gospel.  

     For many years there has been a campaign to get NJ dietitians licensed so that we would be the only ones, by law, allowed to dispense nutrition information.  That bill has yet to pass the NJ Assembly.  There has been great opposition, with lobbyers better than the dietitian's groups, allowing anyone (and I do mean anyone) to speak about nutrition and get away with it.  I'm now too old and too unmotivated to continue to fight for my profession.   But RDs are well-educated in their field, have to pass a national exam and maintain continuing education credits.  The guy on the bike--he just has to be super friendly, read a supermarket magazine and spit back the information.  It's frustrating.  And even more frustrating that he puts down a dietitian and I don't have the guts to take him on.  So here it is--I should tell him that I'M the nutritionist and that he's giving inaccurate advice and should stop!!!  Shame on me for not doing this.  THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH ME AND WITH DIETITIANS IN GENERAL.  We're too meek and non-confrontational.  I pledge to do better next time.

     So go ahead and eat eggs. You can even safely eat an egg every day.  They're not the culprits for raising your blood cholesterol.  They have a wonderful protein content, a bunch of vitamins and minerals and are inexpensive.  Just skip the cheese and butter--that's where the saturated fat is that will affect your blood cholesterol.  Eat soy--it's safe.  Limit dark chocolate to one SMALL square (about a half ounce) daily.  Trust me.