Below is a collection of health and nutrition books that discuss diets for specific medical conditions. Topics of these books include diets that reduce the risk, alleviate symptoms, or treat specific conditions including diabetes, pre diabetes, Alzheimer’s, IBS, Pregnancy, Cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia, Crohn’s, Celiac, Gluten sensitivity, Digestive disorders, anxiety, depression, inflammation, poor immunity, and poor gut health.
I hope you have found this series an invaluable resource of nutriton information.
This is the fourth post in the series…
Best Books Written by Registered Dietitians
(Note: At the top of each post in this series, I have provided a description of what a dietitian is; therefore, if you have read any of the other posts in the series, you may want to skip down to the list portion.)
You may be asking…
So what exactly IS a Registered Dietitian, and why do I want to take note when a health and wellness book is written by a Registered Dietitian?
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A registered dietitian, by definition, is considered the expert in the field of nutrition science. The term Registered Dietitian is actually different than a nutritionist. In fact, the term nutritionist is not a regulated term and has a more general meaning. The term registered dietitian, however, is regulated much like the terms doctor or lawyer. In other words, you are not allowed to call yourself a doctor unless you are a doctor, and you cannot call yourself a registered dietitian unless you have completed all the academic and professional requirements.
Requirements for Registered Dietitians
So what are the requirements? Is there some kind of certification you need to be a registered dietitians?
Actually, you cannot just get a certification to become a registered dietitian. Whereas there might be certifications available for nutritionists.
To become an RD you must:
-
Complete a Bachelors Degree at a college accredited by the Commission of Accreditation of Dietetic Education. Some of the required courses generally included are:
- Microbiology
- Medical Nutrition Therapy
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Anatomy and Physiology
- Evidence Base Nutrition
- Human Nutrition and Metabolism
- Nutrition Counseling
- and more
2. Complete 1200 hours of a competitive internship (The internship is usually completed in hospitals, community service agencies, medical clinics, etc)
3. Pass the CDR Exam
Just like a lawyer can’t practice law without passing an exam, an RD cannot become a registered dietitian without pasing the CDR.
4. By 2024, all register dietitian will be required to have a master’s degree as well. Many RD’s already do.
5. Complete Continuing Education Units throughout their career to keep their registered dietitian credentials.
So you can see why it is a plus when a health and nutrition book is written by a registered dieitian. I want to preface here that just because an RD is considered the expert, doesn’t mean you can’t get great nutrition information and advice from non-dietitians. People who have a passion for nutrition or people who have discovered something that works for them can write insightful nutrition books.
Many health and wellness enthusiasts have done extensive research on their own and have valuable information, but if you are getting advice from non-dietitians, I would recommend looking for the following:
- Are they getting their information from a Registered Dietitian? Are they seeing what multiple registered dieitians have to say about the topic before giving advice?
- Do they know when it is time to refer their clients to a registered dietitian? Many informed people have general nutrition knowledge, but when a client or customer needs medical nutrition therapy; then, a dietitian may be needed. Dietitians are trained in nutrition as it relates to diseases, drug-food interactions, tube feeding, enteral nutrition (nutrients through the veins), and various other medical conditions. These topics can get complicated and even be dangerous if incorrect information is given.
For example, someone may tell a client to eat more bananas because bananas are healthy, after all, BUT if a person has kidney failure and is on dialysis, too many bananas could put someone in the hosptial or worse!
One Final Note..
So one final thought before we move on to the book lists. If a book is written by a non-RD, you may want to see if a registered dietitian has written a review about the book, recommended the book, or even written a forward for the book.
Nutrition books written by non-dietitians are not a deal breaker, by any means, but you can see why seeing that RD beside an author’s name in a nutrition book is a plus.
Okay now for the good stuff…
The third post in this series is…
Nutrition for Specific Conditions: Books by Registered Dietitians
Prediabetes: A Complete Guide: Your Lifestyle Reset to Stop Prediabetes and Other Chronic Illnesses
This is an excellant book for anyone who has been diagnosed with prediabetes! The book includes everything from meal planning, eating away from home tips, recipes, and even grocery lists! Yes! This is definitely a complete guide for anyone with pre diabetes.!
The Essential Thyroid Cookbook: Over 100 Nourishing Recipes for Thriving with Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s
Thyroid issues are a problem for many so I am so glad this very specific cookbook is available. Did you notice that this book has over 100 recipes!!!! Wow, that is a lot of awesome recipes!
PCOS: Cookbook
I am so thankful that there is a book written by a dietitian available for women wiht PCOS. PCOS or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, is characterized by irregular or no periods, weight gain, and acne. Women with PCOS may find it harder to get pregnant. This helpful book includes 100 recipes, meal plans, and shopping lists!
Expect the Best: Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, and After Pregnancy, 2nd Edition
I love this book because it is a nutrition guide for not only during pregnancy but also for before and after pregnancy as well.
The Essential Cancer Treatment Nutrition Guide and Cookbook: Includes 150 Healthy and Delicious Recipes
I acutally included this book in my cookbook as well because this book is a cookbook for a specific condition. This book not only includes 150 recipes but also provides a nutritional guide as well.
DASH Diet For Dummies (For Dummies Series)
The next book written by dietitians is part of the well known “For Dummies” books. This book has all the details and recipes for one of the healthiest diets around, the DASH diet. The DASH diet can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and may be just the diet for people with heart disease.
Pumping Kids: Step by Step Guide to Insulin Pumps
This is a perfect book for children with diabetes who use an insulin pump. This book is a step-by-step guide on how to use the insulin pump!
Yoga and Diabetes: Your Guide to Safe and Effective Practice
This is another great book for people with diabetes. What makes this book unique is the yoga aspect of the book. Yoga can benefit someone with diabetes by calming the nervous system and improving circulation throughout the body. Yoga (like any exercise) can increase insulin sensitivity and improve glycemic control as well.
Gluten-Free, Hassle Free, Second Edition: A Simple, Sane, Dietitian-Approved Program For Eating Your Way Back to Health
If you have Celiac disease or are gluten sensitive then this is the book for you. This book is full of information and includes easy meal plans and over 140 recipes!
Crohn’s and Colitis Diet Guide: Includes 175 Recipes
This book is for people with Crohn’s and Colitis and has over 175 amazing recipes for you to try.
If you have IBS or other digestive disorders, you may want to give the FODMAP diet a try, but you are going to need some help. That is where the next three books come in. All three of these books are full of helpful information. And talk about fantastic recipes! With these books you will be able to still enjoy amazing meals while on the FODMAP diet!
The Low-FODMAP Diet for Beginners: A 7-Day Plan to Beat Bloat and Soothe Your Gut with Recipes for Fast IBS Relief
The Nourishing Meal Builder
Created by a registered dietitian, The Nourishing Meal Builder and the included Nourishing Meal Builder Cards take the stress out of cooking nourishing, healing meals! Motivated by her son’s illnesses and her own symptoms, Lacy Ngo (that’s me!) became passionate about providing an easy strategy that busy families could use to implement research-based nutrition into their daily lives.
After incorporating these strategies into my own life, I was even more convinced that nutrition can change lives:
-My mood improved
-My seasonal allergies no longer developed in the fall and spring
-My energy improved
-My acne resolved
-My son’s behavior and anxiety improved
What’s included in The Nourishing Meal Builder?
-Lists of nutrients and foods that boost mood; promote cognitive function, focus, attention, alertness, and memory; support the immune system; aid in weight loss; and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, joint pain, and even seasonal allergy symptoms
-A simple Meal Plan Checklist
-A faith-based mindfulness and mindful eating guide
-Printable Meal Builder cards
The Low-FODMAP Diet Step by Step: A Personalized Plan to Relieve the Symptoms of IBS and Other Digestive Disorders–with More Than 130 Deliciously Satisfying Recipes
Healthy Gut, Flat Stomach: The Fast and Easy Low-FODMAP Diet Plan
The MIND Diet: A Scientific Approach to Enhancing Brain Function and Helping Prevent Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Did you know that certain foods can enhance brain function and reduce the risk of Alzheimers and dementia? How wonderful is that! This book includes a list of brain-healthy foods as well as a list of foods that are not so healthy for the brain. “The Mind Diet” includes Brain-healthy recipes too!
Anti-Inflammatory Eating for a Happy, Healthy Brain: 75 Recipes for Alleviating Depression, Anxiety, and Memory Loss
Did you know that there is a connection between gut health, brain health, immune function, and inflammation? So since it’s all related, eating gut healthy foods could reduce the risk of memory loss, reduce inflammation and pain, reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia, improve your mood, alleviate depression and anxiety, and promote a healthy immune system. This research truly is astounding and so is this book!
The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Beginners: A No-Stress Meal Plan with Easy Recipes to Heal the Immune System
Just like the book above, an anti-inflammatory diet can benefit your body in multiple ways. Poor gut health can cause inflammation AND inflammation can cause poor gut health! Moreover, a healthy gut can improve immune function as well. There is also a link between cronic inflammation and conditions like diabetes, heart disease, Crohn’s disease, some cancers, and IBS. See how it is all related? Because it is all related, many of the same foods can prevent or alleviate symtoms in multiple conditions. The recipes in this book and the ones above include many of these amazing foods!
The Anti-Anxiety Diet: A Whole Body Program to Stop Racing Thoughts, Banish Worry and Live Panic-Free
Here is another fact that may surprise you. What we eat could affect our mood! And guess what? The gut is related as well!!! So gut healthy and anti-inflammatory foods can help with anxiety!!!! I can’t even begin to describe the detailed information provided in this book, but I can tell you that along with vast information, the book includes a big collection of delicious recipes too!
Health Takes Guts
Okay one more gut health book recommendation. I actually included this book in my “Healthy Living Books Written by Registered Dietitians” post as well. As I said in that post, I devoured this book in two days! What a fascinating read! This book is a detailed explanation of nutrition as it relates to gut health, mental fatigue, IBS, Diarrhea, Constipation, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune diseases, inflammation, mood, fatigue, immunity, and many other medical conditions. This is definitely worth the purchase!
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