Registered Dietitians (RDs) in Ontario are trained food and nutrition experts. They are recognized experts in translating scientific, medical and nutrition information into practical healthy meal plans and helping individuals, their families and communities to access nutrition for health. They cited from the College of Dietitians of Ontario. See this site for more details: https://www.collegeofdietitians.org/public/about-registered-dietitians.aspx

Let’s put it this way: a dietitian is the expert that will ask about what you actually eat each and every day. Your dietary information, along with your medical history, family history, medications, supplements, blood work, social history, etc. and your own priorities will help the dietitian give you recommendations and set personal goals. No professional should be giving you detailed nutrition advice, without assessing what you actually eat, along with all the other relevant information.

Overall, dietetics is a very versatile field and dietitian may work anywhere from intensive care units in the hospital and primary care clinics to policy development, research, writing, product development, academia, media and communications and much more.

A registered dietitian is a provincially protected title, which means it has a regulatory body- the College of Dietitians of Ontario, just like physicians, therapists, physiotherapists and other registered providers do. (The term nutritionist is also protected in Nova Scotia, Alberta and Quebec.) What this means for you, is that a Registered dietitian is a regulated health professional that has undergone rigorous academic and practical training. In short, the College of Dietitians of each province ensures all dietitians meet the standards of practice through a variety of practices. Currently, all registered dietitian undergoes a 4-year accredited university program, followed by 1-2 years of internship/practical training often with a Master’s Degree and finally they write the registration exam with the College of Dietitians.

Find more here: https://www.collegeofdietitians.org/public/about-registered-dietitians.aspx

These titles are often used by individuals who have completed privately owned training programs, which vary in length and rigor. They are not provincially regulated by any college (this means no protection for you if an issue was ever to arise.

The initial appointment is one hour long. Follow up appointment can vary between 30 minutes and an hour and are based on your needs. Appointments can be 2-6 weeks apart. Once you feel confident in moving forward, infrequent appointment or no appointment may be necessary.

The cost is based on time. I charge $130 per hour and $65 for half an hour.

Like many providers, I don’t want cost to be a barrier. If someone is in needs of this service, but does not have the resources, we can talk about a sliding scale.

Of course! Just make sure that your insurance package covers the services of a registered dietitian.

Packages are available and are flexible based on your insurance, number of appointments you may want and need, etc.

All of appointments are offered virtually at this time, via zoom or phone. Under special circumstances, in-person appointments may be possible.

The first 3-4 appointments are usually 2-4 weeks apart. Later on, you may need appointments less frequently or not at all. The number of the appointments needs really varies depending on the reason you are seeing me.

Absolutely! Whether it is for joint pain, sleep, migraines or digestive health, I recommend supplements for a variety of issues, based on your diet, health concerns and symptoms.

This question always warrants a more personal discussion. I would like to say that the Body Mass Index or BMI, is not a particularly useful tool in determining “where” you feel most comfortable and healthy. The BMI healthy ranges are really vast and the tool itself is mediocre at best, as it does not take into account gender, body frame, body composition, age or really any factors outside of height and weight. Some more helpful outcome measures may be:

• having no digestive symptoms
• having no joint pain
• feeling comfortable in your own body/skin
• fitting into your clothes comfortable
• ability to move around comfortably, do the sports you want to do or reach peak performance
• body composition with which you are more comfortable (think waist circumference rather than weight)
• good mood, good sleep
• positive relationship with food and self

Think of all the factors that are truly important to you rather than just the number on a scale.

Absolutely! Generally, I offer a variety of counseling styles and techniques based on each individual’s needs and preferences. Having said that, the end goal is always a positive relationship with food and self, rather than reliance on calories or scales.

Yes, I offer 10-minute “meet and greet” sessions if you would like to get to know me better before making a decision.

I offer services in Russian and Spanish.