A person with the title of ‘nutritionist’ may be a qualified nutrition scientist or biochemist; or they may not have any university qualifications in human nutrition at all as there’s no government body regulating the term nutritionist.

A qualified dietitian has an Honours or Masters university degree (4-5 years) in human nutrition and dietetics and has received clinical training to prescribe special diets for medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, PCOS, irritable bowel syndrome, coeliac disease and food allergy.

Dietitians also work with people who are perfectly well but seeking expert advice in sports nutrition, vegetarian eating and stages of the lifecycle such as pregnancy.

The term ‘Accredited Practising Dietitian’ can only be used by members of the Dietitians Association of Australia which is a highly regulated government body.

Our Dietitian can personalise an eating plan to fit your lifestyle for any of the diets listed below & more:

• an anti-inflammatory diet high in omega 3 for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• a dairy free diet if you have an allergy or intolerance to dairy products
• the new DASH diet proven by research to lower high blood pressure
• a low GI or Mediterranean-style diet proven to manage diabetes and reduce insulin resistance
• a dietary pattern to bring relief from the indigestion caused by gastro-esophageal reflux
• a healthy diet to better manage gout pain and joint swelling
• the new FODMAPS diet clinically shown to control symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome
• a low GI diet for insulin resistance and PCOS
• a high phytoestrogen diet to assist with menopausal symptoms
• a high antioxidant diet to help prevent and slow down the progression of age-related macular degeneration – the leading cause of blindness

Research shows that regular reviews with a qualified dietitian help people maintain their new habits and better achieve their goals, compared to doing it alone.

By having regular follow up appointments you will be empowered with all the critical information and practical strategies needed to change unhealthy lifestyle habits. Our approach here at The Fit Lab is to build on the information you are already familiar with and offer as much support as you require according to your motivation level, so the frequency of your visits will depend on your needs.

Initially, many of our clients prefer to come fortnightly to keep up the momentum while they are adjusting to making lifestyle changes. Once they have made key improvements, most people can usually manage to extend their visits to fortnightly or even monthly, especially if they have a good level of support at home.

For the long term, if you have a chronic condition you would greatly benefit by visiting us every 3 to 6 months to ensure you retain excellent control of your condition and avoid the need for additional medication.

You can claim a rebate on our professional fees if you have private health insurance cover for extras such as dietetics. As health funds vary, please check with your health fund to confirm your level of cover and specific rebate. Some funds pay 80% of the fee while others pay set amounts for the initial and review consultations.

To save you time queuing up at your health fund, we offer HICAPS. This means we can claim on-the-spot from your private health fund on your behalf and you only need to pay the gap. Please be sure to bring your private health fund card with you to enable us to do this.

Absolutely.

Dietitians see plenty of people who are well, not just those with medical conditions. We can teach you about menu planning, how to stock a healthy pantry, understanding food labels and how to makeover your favourite recipes so you can optimise your wellness and keep disease at bay!