Dietitian Cassie

So you’ve ditched the restrictive low-fat, low-calorie diets, embraced healthy fats like butter and coconut oil, and adapted a fresh, real food approach to fueling your body. As a result you’ve shed pounds without feeling deprived, your energy levels have soared, and your cravings have been suppressed. But… you still feel slightly uncomfortable about telling your doctor the good news.  Discussing your nutrition program with your doctor can be, but isn’t typically an easy task. As you’re thinking about having this conversation with your doctor, I would encourage you to take the following tips into consideration and step into your next appointment confidently and at ease, excited to share the healthy changes you’ve made with your doctor.

My Top 10 Tips for Talking to Your Doctor About Your Nutrition Program:

Have realistic expectations. Change rarely happens in a day.  Chances are you won’t change your physician’s opinion in one or two appointments, so keep your expectations realistic. Acknowledge they may be skeptical and probably won’t jump onboard right away, and that’s okay.  All you can ask for is their support as you run your own race.

Set the stage for a friendly chat. From the very moment you walk into the office, be intentional about keeping a smile on your face and a light heart. If you’re already in defense mode when you step foot in the door, then you’ve already put a negative stamp on the potential conversation. But, if you’re in the right mindset and have the right attitude, then go for it! Be excited about starting a respectful conversation with your doctor about the new nutritional approach you are taking and the positive changes you’ve already seen. It’s a good idea not to assume from the get-go that they are completely stuck in the mainstream way of thinking. You may even be pleasantly surprised to hear they are familiar with the positive benefits of eating more fat and less carbs or that they may have had other patients follow a similar PFC approach. Try not to accuse them of not being onboard or get defensive if you don’t need to. Even mainstream medical doctors may be more open-minded than you think.

Invite your doctor to the party. By inviting your doctor to the party you are allowing him or her to celebrate your health victories WITH you. Remember that you both have the same goal: improving your health. If you feel resentful or frustrated that they didn’t give you a more natural approach in the first place or maybe because they’re skeptical about the way you are eating, that’s okay. Acknowledge your feelings but don’t let them get in the way of the excitement you feel for reaching your health goals.

Be your own proof. You matter! When your acne clears up, your weight goes down and your blood sugars stabilize —that speaks wonders. There is nothing more powerful than a testimony. Show your doctor proof and explain your experiences and the positive results you’ve seen in your life. If your doctor gets defensive, back off a little. Being genuine and transparent will go a long way in making this a good experience for you both.

Come prepared.  If they don’t believe you, then refer them to someone they might believe! Some doctors may not be interested in seeing the research, but some might. If you’ve come across studies or have books that reference studies that can support your approach to nutrition, bring them with!

Keep in mind that your doctor is likely not a nutrition expert. Out of the long, many hours of medical school, a very small amount of these are spent on nutrition education, if any. In fact, NO nutrition classes are required to get a Harvard Medical degree and not many other programs do. Many doctors will admit they have a nutrition certification from a weekend seminar at most. Chances are high they didn’t become nutrition experts in the course of a weekend and you can bet the information they obtained at said seminar drilled the low-fat, lean meat, whole grain message. Because of the lack of nutrition knowledge required to be a doctor, you can’t expect them to be a nutrition expert. This isn’t the case for all doctors; some might have a passion for nutrition and its effect in their own lives, and there is an emerging community of holistic, primal-minded docs that are fantastic, but if yours does not fall into this category, don’t hold it against them. Give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they have your best interest at heart. Your doctor is likely doing the best job he or she can with the limited knowledge of nutrition they have.

Focus on the positive. Instead of listing the foods you no longer eat, emphasize the foods you DO eat that make you feel great. Maybe healthy fat has significantly improved your mental clarity and taken away your cravings. Maybe eating protein more frequently gives you more energy. Perhaps avoiding artificial sweeteners improves your digestive function. Perhaps eliminating grains clears up your sinuses.

Don’t ask for permission. Your health is in YOUR hands and only YOU have the power and authority to choose what you eat. Regardless of what your doctor says or believes, ultimately you are the one responsible for making your own choices. Be confident in your beliefs and stand by them.

Don’t challenge their authority.  Ask for their help if you can. Ask what it will take for you to come off a certain medication or if they’ve seen the research supporting health benefits of saturated fat. But flaunting what you “know” in most cases causes more harm than good.

You get to choose your physician. If you get to the point where you are overwhelmed with frustration, remember you can always find a different doctor. Just like you are in charge of what goes into your body, you also have the choice of which doctor gets to see you.

Be Healthy!