Differences between nutritionists, dietitians and naturopaths

Have you ever had a chronic health issue that your doctor couldn’t solve? Or do certain foods ever make you feel bloated, nauseous or lethargic? Are you having trouble losing weight or constantly experiencing pain in your stomach? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it’s likely a friend or doctor might suggest you visit a nutritionist, dietitian or naturopath.
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The question is, which one should you see and what’s the difference between the three professions? Well, we spoke to Accredited Practicing Nutritionist Stephanie Malouf, BOOST Juice Consultant Dietitian Lisa Middleton, and qualified Naturopath and herbal medicine expert, Reece Carter, to find out what their practices involve and how they differ from each other.
Nutritionist
Principles
While the three key principles involved in this profession tend to differ from practitioner to practitioner, these are Stephanie’s top three:
1) Use food as medicine – “Specific foods have the power to accelerate or put the brakes on your body’s natural healing power. Keeping your foot on the break for long periods of time i.e. a poor diet and high levels of stress, puts your body out of balance and triggers inflammation, [which is] the key driver of disease,” she explains.
2) Wholefoods are greater than the sum of their parts – Stephanie believes to fully benefit from a food’s nutritional content, it should be eaten in its “whole and natural state“.
3) Everyone is unique – What works for one person won’t necessarily work for another, as everyone has a unique interaction with food and their environment. As a nutritionist, Stephanie’s goal is to teach each individual how to listen to their body and understand what works for them to achieve optimum health.
Sessions
A typical session with Stephanie will involve an extensive Q&A about medical and family history, lifestyle and dietary habits, digestive and immune function and current health and wellbeing. She might also do a body composition assessment to measure body fat percentage, muscle mass and bone density (if this is applicable). Stephanie then uses this information to figure out which areas are out of balance and puts together a customised dietary plan that outlines the necessary nutrients needed to restore balance.
Issues
Stephanie’s clients come to her for a variety of reasons, however the most common relate to weight loss and digestive upset. She says more often than not, her clients are experiencing some form of “digestive upset such as bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, reflux or abdominal pain.” As a nutritionist, she believes a healthy digestive system is the foundation of overall health and rather than the saying, ‘you are what you eat’, a more accurate phrase is, ‘you are what you digest’. For this reason, most of Stephanie’s treatments will start with or involve some form of “gut healing”.
Dietitian
Dietitian Lisa Middleton tells me the difference between herself and a nutritionist is dietitians undertake “specific university training and are able to be registered to clinically advise individuals and groups on diet for medical or clinical purposes.” She continues, “Dietitians can call themselves either a nutritionist or a dietitian, but anyone who has an interest in nutrition, qualified or not, can call themselves a nutritionist.”
When it comes to the principles of her trade, they are (not surprisingly) similar to those that Stephanie described – finding and tailoring nutrition solutions to assist individuals in “attaining long-term health, wellness and performance goals.” Encouraging clients to eat fresh wholefoods is another main focus for Lisa as a dietitian, along with educating clients on the foods and ingredients with the most nutritional value. A session with Lisa is similar to one with Stephanie, aiming to “understand a person’s background and lifestyle to tailor health and nutrition plans suitable for them."
Naturopath
A naturopath has an additional set of skills when compared to a nutritionist and a dietitian. In his practice as a naturopath, Reece has the added benefit of being trained in herbal medicine, meaning he can “custom mix herbs to assist in the management of a client’s health.”
Principles
Reece outlines his top three principles as a naturopath:
1) Treat the root cause of whatever complaint the client is addressing, and not just the symptoms.
2) Treat the individual, taking into account all aspects of his or her health.
3) Do not harm in the process and minimise side effects. Always choose the smallest intervention that will get the desired result.
Sessions
Similar to a nutritionist and a dietitian, Reece chats to his clients to understand their needs. He asks a variety of questions about how each system in the body is functioning so he can identify areas in which these systems may be impacting each other. “[I might then] order blood, urine, saliva or hair mineral testing; other times I only need to take a little look at physical signs like nail health.” With this information, Reece then gives his client a combination of “dietary advice, lifestyle suggestions and supplementation where necessary” – just like a nutritionist and dietitian!
Verdict
So, essentially all three professions aim to treat an individual’s health issues by changing his or her lifestyle and dietary habits. Dietitians have a specific university degree allowing them to prescribe programs for clinical and medical purposes, while a naturopath has a background in herbal medicine and can prescribe natural remedies for particular ailments. One common (and key) principle between the three trades is that abnormal and unhealthy body issues can be treated through natural remedies – especially nutrition and lifestyle changes.
Have you ever gone to a nutritionist, dietitian or naturopath? What was the session like?
56 Member Comments
I do prefer a natural, organic approach to health, however do natural remedies actually outdo the chemical advancements that is medicine?
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I've seen a few natropaths and they always insisted I was doing so much better under their care while completely ignoring me saying otherwise.
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I need to help myself so I don't think anyone can help me. :)
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I am always amazed at what people are willing to pay for a naturopath and the degree they believe in "natural therapies" compared to modern medicine. If natural therapies do indeed have beneficial effects (which i am not saying that they do not), they have also have the potential risk of side effects. Lots of modern medicine also originated from herbs. All i am saying is, if you want to try naturopath and believe they help, go ahead, but do consult with a doctor for potential interactions with other medications.
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I much prefer to take a more natural approach when it comes to health
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My sister was a dietitian, but went back to school and now teaches nutrition & chemistry in Uni.
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I've seen a naturopath before who suggested some vitamins and minerals to help help with some issues and to improve overall health. I have spoken to a qualified nutritionist who worked at gym. I racked her brain for lots of beneficial info and learnt a lot about gut health. Ultimately you need to have the right mindset to make positive changes and if you follow, good food is definitely good medicine.
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I defintely only trust a dietician. My dietician improves my health and well being sooo much!
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I've been to all three at various times. I really like the idea that food is medicine and have read quite a few books on this topic.
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I don't have any specific issues, I just need to eat better and less junk!
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I’ve seen a naturopath and it did absolutely nothing, and yes I gave it enough time. I have been seeing a kinesiologist and he has been amazing I’m the best I have been in years.
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I would definitely choose the dietitian out of the three. I've been to one before for IBS issues and found it very helpful.
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I have seen a naturopath before but I found that it didn't help much. They wanted to make money more than they wanted to help which seems to be a reoccurring theme with most doctors and health professionals
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For me, it's word of mouth and take a holistic approach that you are completely comfortable with. A natural path takes time, so if this is the route you take, go slowly and gently!
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I would be interested to hear what they each had to say
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Also add a 'food coach' to the list. Naturopaths are good for iridology. If you have type 1 diabetes and kidney issues, a dietician is your best bet.
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Interesting article, I am going to see a nutritionist which appears to be the lowest level here, although her 25years as an expert, numerous publications and skincare and beauty background is what lead me to her over a Dietition. I guess there are many many factors for these and reputation is also a huge one!
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I am very interested in these careers
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Very helpful article as there are big differences here
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Interesting, I have IBD and may have Coeliac disease as well (waiting for blood test results for this) my specialist has said I should see a dietician.
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Good to know.....
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I have often gone to a naturopath, herbalist, acupuncturist etc.
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Looking at checking out a naturopath coming soon to address my ongoing upset tummy issues that have dumbfounded doctors!
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The best is to go by "word of mouth" method when seeking a natural healer. I have seen a Chinese Medicine doctor eons ago when I was ill. Dad's friend highly recomended him (he did wonders with his daughters colon condition! Conventional docs wanted to cut her colon out! And this doc saved her guts and her life! And no more steroids she was talking since little...). He was incredible!
Ask around friends, family, their friends...there is a lot of not so good practitioners. Dietitians/nutritionists won't be able to do much I'm afraid...
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I am a homeopath for 23 years. Certainly, averting surgical removal of organs is something that can't be argued with! Those who dont agree with natural therapies and practitioners can continue to go that way (giving up and having surgeries), but I really see the difference after a couple of decades in the profession.
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