Formerly known as The American Dietetic Association

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics was founded in 1917, and is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. ADA is committed to improving the nation’s health and advancing the profession of dietetics through research, education and advocacy.

Mission — Empowering members to be the nation’s food and nutrition leaders
Vision — Optimizing the nation’s health through food and nutrition

Medical Nutrition Therapy is the development of a specific dietary plan of action. It is used for the treatment of an illness, injury or disease condition. Nutrition and diet are an important part of health management for people with diabetes or renal diseases.

The nutrition plan is based on an evaluation of a person’s medical history, psychosocial history, physical examination, and dietary history.

• Medical History – A medical history includes a summary of diseases and conditions. It also includes a review of medications. This is included because medications may interfere with nutrient absorption. Vitamins, minerals, and herbal supplementation can also affect nutritional balance.
• Psychosocial History – A psychosocial history includes a review of a person’s economic status, ethnic and cultural background, living situation, education level, occupation, mental status, and access to adequate food sources. Each of these items is important in order to determine a person’s ability to follow through on specific therapy plans.
• Physical Examination – A physical examination includes an assessment of sex, age, height, weight, body mass index, and arm or wrist circumference. It may also include the physical appearance of the hair, skin, and nails. All of this information together can determine nutritional problems.
• Dietary History  – A dietary history is just a listing of a person’s usual food intake. Any of the following methods can be used to determine this information: a food frequency questionnaire, a twenty-four-hour recall of food eaten, or a three-day to five-day food diary. This information is an important starting point for any nutritional plan.

Planning a career in nutrition consulting?

Perhaps you are just starting out in the field as a new graduate or switching to a new area of practice. This website is designed to help you in almost any aspect of nutrition care and dietetics. You don’t have to feel alone or lost in a sea of  confusion. Explore different sections and categories. Let me know what you may need and I will do my best to post it for you and others.

Consultant dietitians work under contract with healthcare facilities, community organizations or agencies and in their own private practice. They perform nutrition screenings for their clients and offer advice on diet-related concerns such as weight loss and cholesterol reduction. Some work for wellness programs, sports teams, supermarkets, and other nutrition-related businesses. They may consult with food service managers, providing expertise in sanitation, safety procedures, menu development, budgeting, and planning.

The Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RD/RDN) works individually with each client to assess their nutritional needs, implement a tailored plan of care and follows up with the client until the goals of the nutritional plan of care are met. The RDN provides treatment for malnutrition, chronic or acute illness, and education for diet therapy.

I have be very blessed over the years with a great career and wonderful experiences in nutrition and diabetes management so now I felt it is time to give back. Within this portal is a wealth of information, tips, resources and guidance to help in your efforts. All of this costs you nothing.  

MySmartRD.com is a website for anyone interested in becoming more aware of nutrition, exercise and health. Some topics if interest include Nutrition & Health; Weight Control; Exercise and Activity; Menu Planning & Recipes; Healthy Aging; and Smart Shopping. There is access to support and interest groups and links to find a dietitian and diabetes educator.

•         Refer patients, accounts & colleagues

•         Specific information

•         Educational materials

•         Links to valuable information

•         Support and interaction with other patients

•         RD contact link & own email address

Insurance Premiums

–        professional liability

–        disability

–        health

–        auto

–        other

Communication and Interconnectedness

–        phone

–        internet

–        fax

–        cell

•         Spent performing activities

•         Spent traveling to and from location

•         Spent with continuing education, training and professional growth.

•         Allocated to administrative activities (billing, scheduling, misc. like buying supplies, promoting the business, etc)

•         Vacation – time off

•         Word-of-mouth

•         Networking

•         Business cards

•         Targeted exposure

•         Find a…(dietitian, diabetes educator, etc)

•         Social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn)