Certified Nutrition Specialist – What Should They be Able to Do for Me?
The job title of nutritionist is nothing new, but it’s only in more recent years that you may have seen people with a CNS degree, that indicates that they are a certified nutrition specialist. This type of professional qualification prepares a person to give advice about your diet. If you have been feeling run down and sluggish, or are concerned that you are not getting all of the vitamins and nutrients that you need for a healthy and active lifestyle, then you might be a good candidate to go in and see a specialist about this.
Before you choose the best certified nutrition specialist for your needs, it’s a good idea to ask to see their qualifications. Not everyone with nutritionist in their job title has actually gone to school for this specific field of study. A qualified CNS will have received a master’s degree or higher in diet and nutrition, and will have passed the board exams proving that they are capable of instructing others about these areas. There are a number of reasons why you might be interested in seeing a CNS, including weight loss, to treat a specific health problem that involves a restricted diet, or even just to be sure that you are feeding your children an adequate diet.
For all of these reasons, you should make an appointment with a certified nutrition specialist. During your visit, you can expect to answer questions about your lifestyle that go beyond just what you eat. It’s important for a nutritionist to take into account your physical activity levels, for example. This might change your ideal caloric intake in a day. They will also need to know about your basic health history, and about any concerns that you have.
Before you go in to meet with a specialist, it’s a good idea to keep a food diary for a couple of weeks, so that you are able to show them what you already are eating in a typical day. This will help them analyze your current nutrition situation, and determine what changes will work the best with your lifestyle. A specialist might also be able to give you advice about taking in various vitamins or herbal supplements to help guide you on the right path to a more holistic way of living. The number of visits that you need with a CNS will depend on why you are visiting him or her.