A nutritionist is considered to be an expert on nutrition and food. In this role, you help people understand what is the right food for them. You may also educate patients about various foods and help them select menus. As a nutritionist, you work with patients and review their eating habits and dietary needs. With the patient, you work through progress and continue to make adjustments. To be able to do all of these things, you need a nutritionist degree. There are varying levels of this type of degree, such as a Bachelor of Science, a Master of Science, or even a Doctor of Philosophy. Many schools offer online degree programs allowing you to work on your degree while balancing life.
Holistic nutrition is when you heal the body with whole foods and vitamins to provide a person with the best health. A holistic nutritionist still needs a nutritionist degree and is closely related to a non holisticnutritionalist. The main difference is the holistic belief that the body can be healed with food and medicine may not always be needed. Either type of nutritionist works with those who have major medical conditions, such as cancer or diabetes. The main goal of someone in the nutrition field is to help patients find the right food for optimum health.
Once you obtain a nutritionist degree, there is no limit to the opportunities available to you no matter where your interests lie. You can be a nutrition educator and go into schools and businesses to teach people about overall wellness and be an advocate for better health programs. You could be a nutritional counselor where your focus is on nutrition and how it should be used to prevent illness and disease. You may find yourself in nursing homes, medical aid clinics, public health organizations, or hospitals. You may choose to go down the path of a dietitian. These experts look at the science of food and help others understand it. This understanding allows others to make better decisions when it comes to food and general health. In this role, you may work just about anywhere from a large organization to a gym.
You can also work with whole communities in the public health field. This allows you to focus on making changes to policies and systems that make overall health a priority. In that role, you can help guide those who are making decisions about resources for a community. If you have an interest in helping others with their nutrition and health goals, then a nutritionist degree may be the right one for you to pursue.
