hello, I’m Michele Dudley

A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist is someone who has met the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s (CDR) requirements to earn the RDN credential.These requirements are:

• Earn a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Dietetics in a program approved by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).
• Complete 1,200 hours of an ACEND-accredited supervised internship or practice program in a hospital, healthcare facility, community agency and/or foodservice corporation.
• Pass the Commission on Dietetic Registration national examination.
• Maintain registration status by completing professional educational requirements every 5 years.

A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist is trained to provide Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) to people with certain health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, digestive disorders, kidney failure, amongst many others. Many dietitians hold advanced degrees and certifications in specific areas, such as Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES).

A Nutritionist provides more general advice on healthful eating, weight loss and other areas, and they are not always certified or licensed. There are certain organizations that certify nutritionists, but training can vary. Certain States require Dietitians and Nutritionists to have a License to practice. It’s always a good idea to seek someone that’s not just certified by an accredited agency, but also holds a license as this ensures that this person has the qualifications necessary to practice.

A CDCES is a credential administered by the Certification Board for Diabetes Care and Education (CBDCE), a national, independent, not-for-profit certification organization. This certification can be held by Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, Registered and Advanced Practice Nurses, Pharmacists, Physicians, Physician Assistants, and other healthcare professionals who provide diabetes care and education. The requirements to become a CDCES are:

• Qualifying health professional license/registration including, but not limited to: RDN, RN, NP, RPh, PA, amongst others.
• At least two years of professional practice experience in their license/registration field.
  1,000 hours of diabetes education within 4 years prior to application.
• 15 hours of diabetes-related continuing education within 2 years prior to application.
• Pass CDCES examination.

To maintain status:

• It is necessary to continue to hold the license or registration for the same discipline held when initially certified.
• A minimum of 1,000 hours of professional practice experience during the five-year certification cycle.
  Complete 75 clock hours of continuing education in diabetes related content during the five-year certification cycle or pass the initial examination again.

Many healthcare facilities require the CDCES credential to work with patients with diabetes.

When necessary and with the client’s permission, I contact their doctor to discuss what the client is working on and see if there are any areas of concern that need to be addressed.

Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, fatty liver, digestive disorders, general health and wellness, amongst others.

I do not believe in “cookie cutter” programs or diets, every person is unique and everyone has different areas and challenges to work on. I do provide meal samples and recipes. We also discuss how to change habits that are affecting your health in a negative way. The main goal is to teach people how to make decisions on a regular basis that will impact their health in a positive way.

That all depends on what your goals are. Some people who are just looking to lose weight might start seeing results the first week of making changes. However, for someone who is diabetic and is trying to lower their A1C, or someone with digestive disorders who needs to make changes a bit slower, it will take longer.

The short answer is yes! However, I try to make meal preparation easy by teaching how to plan ahead and use foods that are easy to prepare.

Yes, in fact it is one of the services I recommend the most! With hands-on easy to follow virtual classes you can learn a lot more than just reading an article or a recipe. I also add and update resources on my website and social media to show people how to cook and prepare meals.

First, I will send you a questionnaire to learn more about the foods you currently eat, your general food preferences, and a list of foods to choose from that you would like to learn how to cook. Based on that, I put together a menu and send you detailed instructions on what to purchase, and what tools and foods to have ready in advance. During the class you will be able to see me and in another camera you will see the food prep area in detail so you can follow along. It is very important that I am able to see you as well, so I can give you tips and instructions as we go.