Dietitian Shares 3 Tips For A Healthier Lifestyle And What To Avoid

HUNTERSVILLE, NC — Registered Novant Health dietitian Carolina Garrison specializes in weight management and wants to help patients navigate a healthier lifestyle that lasts longer than any new fad or trend.

"I help people make healthy lifestyle changes, and working with a dietitian really kind of digs into the nutrition and a lot of the misconceptions of common nutrition practices out there to help patients lead and live a healthier and more sustainable, happier lifestyle," Garrison told Patch.

That goal doesn't always come easy, but that's what many fad diets and weight loss trends promise.

"Those diets are set up for, for patients to fail on, none of them are meant to be long term successful ways of living. So, you know, a lot of a lot of patients I get are very, very discouraged," Garrison explained.

One of the things that frustrates Garrison is the common misconception that a severe calorie deficit is the answer.

"For some reason, 1200 calories is out there, like the ideal number for weight loss, when really that's about the calorie amount that most toddlers need. So, and that's a big eye opener for a lot of patients," she said.

Some of the trends include replacing meals with shakes, which Garrison says is a short-term option that does not often yield long-term results.

"I do see that fairly often, I think it's, it's enticing, because it's quick, it's easy, there's really no thought behind what you're going to have for this meal or that meal if you're just grabbing a supplement," she explained. But just because a label promises nutrition, doesn't mean it's going to work.

"You're not going to absorb any nutrition as well as you are through food," said Garrison.

A lot of people are glued to apps that track calories, steps and heart rate as well, which she says can be helpful in moderation.

"It can be helpful with how much are you eating just because we see a lot of eating habits bits that are kind of all over the place. But I think it's a definitely a fine line with with tracking your food, there's a time where it becomes a little obsessive and more harmful than it is helpful," said Garrison.

She says that's also not a long-term solution, but it can be helpful in the beginning to identify issues.

"I always recommend using a tracking app as more of a tool to kind of help guide your journey with making these lifestyle changes, not necessarily to stay tied to it forever and tracking day in and day out," she explained.

She says small changes are key to making a new life, like adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, or drinking more water.

"Once you start making those lifestyle changes. I always encourage people to really tune into how they're feeling and that's, that's really a good motivator. A lot of times, once you realize 'I've cut out all of the soda and the extra sugar and I feel so much better throughout my day,' you have more motivation," said Garrison.

She recommends consulting a dietitian to begin identifying your unique challenges and how to tackle them.