What is a Dietitian?

A dietitian is an expert in nutrition. They are qualified to provide treatment, education and support to people requiring nutrition information and advice to promote optimal health and wellbeing outcomes. To practise in New Zealand, by law a dietitian must be registered with the Dietitians Board and hold a current annual practising certificate, work within a specified scope of practice, participate in a continuing competency programme and adhere to the Dietitians Board Code of Ethics. Due to the unique educational and Board registration requirements, all dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are dietitians. The team of nutrition professionals at Active⁺ are all Registered Dietitians and university qualified nutritionists.

What can a Dietitian can help you with? 

A dietititan can help you out with any concerns you may have about the impact of food and nutrition on your health and wellbeing. Our team of dietitians can work with you to provide tailored nutrition support and advice about:

• Weight concerns including disordered eating,
• Specific health and medical issues such as heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, stroke, cancer, gout, autoimmune conditions, epilepsy, food allergies or intolerances, wound healing, enteral feeding
• Women's health -nutrition to support fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding, PCOS, endometriosis, PMT, menopause
• Family nutrition - infant, toddlers, children, teens, fussy eating  
• Lifestyle nutrition - vegetarianism, veganism, 
• Sports nutrition - pre-, during, post training and competitions

What to expect during your consultations with a dietitian

Your initial consultation is where we will learn more about you and what makes you tick. We will complete a thorough nutrition assessment with you, while taking a holistic approach - we understand that sleep patterns, work, family and living situations and stress can all impact your food choices. Once we have an understanding of your needs and what’s important to you, we will work together to develop a set of personalised goals and strategies, based on your individual nutrition and health needs. 

 We believe ‘slow and steady wins the race’, with small and gradual changes being more sustainable in the long-term. We will work with you to break big goals down into smaller, more achievable actions and to develop a set of nutrition strategies to help you reach your goals. We will also provide you with education about the importance that nutrition plays in various health conditions. 

 During your follow-up appointments, your dietitian will provide more in-depth nutrition education and give you additional help and support to help you reach your goals. These sessions can be practical, and may involve heading along to the supermarket for a shopping tour or doing cooking demonstrations in your home.  The pace you work at with your dietitian is entirely up to you - you can have as many or as few consultations as you feel you need.

How can I access a Dietitian?

Some of our ACC and insurance company-funded servcies include the use of a dietitian. You can speak to your case manager or Active⁺ lead provider to see if this is possible under the service you are having with this. We also take referrals for privately funded dietitian services. 

Click on the 'Let Us Connect You' button on the top right and we can connect you with a dietitian nearby.