Just a few of the nutrition myths I come up against every day 🫠. What else would you add? 1. Low iron levels cause very real and even debilitating symptoms. Your doctor passing these symptoms off as “in your head” or telling you your iron levels are “fine” when they’re not, shows that they’re not up to date with the evidence on this subject. 2. If you’re not celiac, the chances are that gluten is not the cause of your gut symptoms (even though your symptoms may improve when you cut gluten out). Once you’ve given up gluten, the blood test for celiac can give false negatives and then we can’t tell if you truly need to cut it out or not. 3. What does this even mean? What are the diagnostic criteria? Your symptoms are real but these diagnoses are not. 4. Which hormones are we targeting? How do we know they are out of balance? Which direction are we trying to balance them in? There just can’t be a one size fits all approach to something as complex as hormones. 5. There is no blood test which diagnoses food intolerances. You can’t have a food intolerance without any symptoms. Food allergies can be diagnosed through medical tests but intolerances can’t.

Just out here being a Dietitian, encouraging women to accept their bodies, feed themselves with joy and not actively try to restrict themselves for the sake of “beauty”. What else would you add to this list?

I’ve been seeing so many babies lately being diagnosed with reflux and put on medication and I just had to put this out there. Human babies evolved to be carried upright. The gastroesophageal sphincter is not fully developed until after age 1. Putting babies to lay down on their back all day will cause reflux symptoms. This is a case of pure evolutionary mismatch. A very small percentage of babies actually have GERD which requires medication. Antacid medications are effective but they are not without risks and in my opinion, they are overprescribed. If your baby has reflux symptoms, please try holding them more, carrying them more, baby wearing them more. It’s so good for their development in so many ways and it might just mean the difference between needing medication and not. Also, if you have tried all the things and your baby truly needs medication, please use it. Modern medicine is amazing and we are so lucky to have it. Have you been told that your baby has reflux?

Because in a world which teaches us to restrict, control and micromanage every inch of food intake, We want to show her that she doesn’t need an external authority to tell her what or how much to eat. Because we trust her and we trust her body to know when it’s had enough. Because we want to foster her own trusting relationship with her body. Because we want to help her to learn to listen to her body instead of listening to arbitrary rules from others. So this is how it went… I was eating a piece of chocolate. She asked “mama what are you eating?” I said “chocolate. Do you want some?” “Yes” I give her a block of chocolate and she eats it. Then she asks for another block. I say “sure”. She takes the 2nd block, has a bite, and makes a disgusted face. I say “Has your body had enough chocolate maybe?” She ignores me and takes another bite or two with more disgusted faces. Then I tell her “if you’ve had enough, we can put it away for later. It’ll be there when you want it again. You don’t have to finish it now.” She takes another small nibble. Then shakes her head and says “enough” and hands the rest of the piece over to me. She never asked for the rest of her piece again. This is how we teach self-regulation. This is how we encourage interoception. This is how we teach a healthy relationship with food. This is how we teach trust in our bodies and their signals. This is how we learn to truly listen and honour our bodies. Not through restriction or rules or removing autonomy.

Our new burnout guide is available on the website. Click the link in bio to learn more. #burnout #burnoutnutritionist #burnoutrecovery #burnoutnutrition

Spoiler: She survived. Because I knew her symptoms weren’t just IBS, food intolerances, inflammation, a leaky gut, dysbiosis or anything else that I could help with. I picked up that something medical was going on and asked her to go see her doctor. I didn’t mislead her or try fix her symptoms with diet, supplements or lifestyle. She got diagnosed quickly and got the treatment she needed promptly. And, thank goodness, she survived. This is part of what Registered Dietitians are trained to do and this is why we warn against anyone selling you anything that might lead to harm. Please be careful who you trust with your health. If you need trusted nutrition guidance, head to the link in our bio to book a consult.

This is part 4 of our four part series on Probiotics🦠 Did you know that not all probiotics work the same? Not every product on the shelf is designed for the same purpose. ✨ The 3 main types of probiotics: Bacteria-based – the most researched, often used for specific digestive concerns. Yeast-based – naturally more resistant, but does not colonise the gut well. Spore-based – very hardy, but does not colonise the gut well & research is still limited. ✨What matters most is the product STABILITY and ability to SURVIVE digestion to impact the gut. ✅ Non-liquid bacterial-based supplements with protective technologies achieve this best. 🙋If you’re unsure which probiotic is right for your needs, speak to your dietitian and rely on reputable, evidence-based resources rather than marketing claims. Thank you for joining us for this series, stay tuned for more educational content! #TheGreenDietitian #GutHealth #Probiotics #NutritionEducation #DietitianApproved #DigestiveHealth #Probitec #sponsored

1. Your iron deficiency probably isn’t caused by your plant-based diet. It’s caused by excessive iron losses (heavy menstrual bleeding, pregnancy, blood donation, etc.) 2. You don’t need overpriced genetic tests to know how to eat for your body. Nutrition and health can be as simple as eating a variety of whole foods and listening to your body. 3. Your chronic fatigue isn’t caused by “high cortisol”. But it is real and stress and burnout is a big contributing factor. 4. Your gut symptoms aren’t caused by “candida overgrowth.” You don’t need another cleanse or restrictive diet. Guts thrive on abundance and variety. 5. Fruit and vegetables alone won’t give you enough dietary fibre. Fruits and veg only have 3-5g of fibre per serving. We need a minimum of 30g of fibre per day. 6. You don’t eat nearly enough beans and legumes. They’re the number 1 dietary predictor of longevity, are filled with fibre, protein, zinc, iron, prebiotics, antioxidants, polyphenols and resistant starches. 1 serving per day is the minimum. 7. You shouldn’t be spending R3000 per month on supplements just to be “healthy”. The supplement and wellness industry are predatory. They’re great at marketing and selling you products but spending that amount of money isn’t necessary for true health. 8. IgG antibody panels do not diagnose food allergies or intolerances. 🤡 The gold standard test for food allergies is clear clinical symptoms upon eating that food. 9. If your doctor is diagnosing all of your gut symptoms as “IBS” and not doing any baseline lab testing, they could be missing something important. 10. Seed oil fear mongering is the same as the “all carbs are evil”/ “fat makes you fat” messaging. Nutrition science is nuanced and there isn’t one food group which is to blame for all evil. All this to say, remember to work with an RD for evidence-based nutrition advice. We still have availability for 2025. Head to the link in bio for bookings.

There is so much marketing noise around probiotic supplements, and it’s completely understandable to feel overwhelmed by all the claims, labels, strains, and numbers out there. Here’s the real truth: ✨ Natural does not always mean better ✨ The right strain matters more than the number of strains ✨ Probiotics are not a cure-all ✨ Not everyone needs to take a probiotic supplement ✨ Marketing claims can be misleading. Focus on the science, not what the company claims. ✨ Delivery technology, shelf stability and manufacturing technology are important for effectiveness. You don’t need to know all the details, you just need to ask and stay curious. And remember you never have to figure this out alone.If you’re unsure, confused, or just tired of guessing, speak to a dietitian. The right probiotic can help, the wrong one is usually just expensive poop. #TheGreenDietitian #GutHealth #Probiotics #IBS #IBD #NutritionEducation #DietitianApproved #DigestiveHealth

Had to jump on this trend because it’s 2025 and medical doctors still be telling patients that their fatigue, hair loss, dizziness, restless legs, poor recovery, etc. can’t possibly be due to iron deficiency “because you’re not anaemic”. Yet we know that iron deficiency is clinically significant and causes clinical symptoms even in the absence of anaemia. Anaemia is the final stage of iron deficiency and is completely preventable if iron deficiency is diagnosed and treated timeously. If you suspect you are iron deficient: 1. Get that ferritin and transferrin saturation tested. 2. Get a knowledgeable healthcare provider to interpret the results for you. 3. Don’t let anyone gaslight you into thinking your symptoms aren’t real because you’re not anaemic. 4. If your ferritin/ trans sat are low, seek professional help with getting them up. We offer blood testing services and interpretation of results as part of our consults and are diagnosing and treating iron deficiencies every single day. Reach out if you need help via the link in our bio.

#sponsored Part 2: How to Choose a Probiotic - Understanding Strains Today we’re unpacking the complex world of probiotic strains - because not all probiotics are created equal! 💡 Each strain has specific benefits, and research shows that certain ones work best for certain conditions. We’re covering the top 6 conditions where probiotics are most studied and effective: ✨ Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) ✨ Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) ✨ Traveler’s diarrhoea ✨ Antibiotic recovery ✨ Gastritis caused by H. pylori ✨ Lactose intolerance There are many more! Remember: always check the strain name on your label, not just the species. And if you’re unsure, ask your dietitian which probiotic is right for you. 💚 Stay tuned for Part 3, where we’ll bust common probiotic myths! PS. We may be working on a cheat sheet to help you cut through the noise. Let us know in the comments if this would be helpful to you. #TheGreenDietitian #GutHealth #Probiotics #IBS #IBD #NutritionEducation #DietitianApproved #DigestiveHealth