9/12/25: Have RDs been Social Media Slackers?; Hyperglycemia: Advice from RDs; #Sponsored Soy Newsletter; Lupin Allergy; Is it IBS or Celiac Disease?; Grandma's Advice
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🗣️Speaking Up on Social Media
Recently there have been some posts, namely on LinkedIn, from dietitians speculating about why more RDs aren’t on social media and using it professionally to talk about nutrition or address misinformation. Some even claiming that dietitians have been slow learners when it comes to social media or that the Academy/ACEND should require RDs to learn social media in the internship.
First, just like public speaking, not everyone wants to or needs to be engaged with social media. Being on social media takes time, intention and is not without personal and professional risk. Some workplaces have very conservative policies about employees being on social media if they can be linked to an employer or a business.
Second, Given all of the requirements and competencies during the internship, how would social media would be added? What platforms? What competencies and how would that be measured?
Third, There are definitely resources to learn more about social media and how to engage and promote science-based information. Check with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. We also recommend following Canadian Health Law professor, Dr. Timothy Caulfield who has written books, authored numerous articles and appeared on/in many podcasts and videos on the topic of social media.
Lastly, Before people claim dietitians have been slow to engage with social media —maybe it’s time to see a timeline:
2009 - via AI: “...In 2009, one of the first sessions on social media offered at the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) was titled "Twitter, Facebook and Blogs...Oh My! Social Networking for RDs" - included on the panel were dietitians Melissa Joy Dobbins and Beth Rosen.
2010 - At the 2010 FNCE in Boston, television personality and registered dietitian Joy Bauer presented on her social media strategy during the session "Industry, Ethics, the Profession, and Practice".
2013 - The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics adds information on social media conduct to the ethics policy.
2015 -Today’s Dietitian magazine features an article written by Neva Cochran and Debra King on dietitians engaged in social media specifically calling out dietitians Leah McGrath, Melissa Joy Dobbins, Angela Lemond, and Amber Pankonin. At that time Cochran and King noted: “…The most recent figures show that there are 64,973 dietitians on LinkedIn in the United States and 863 RD bloggers on the Nutrition Blog Network…”.Dietitians on Social Media: Promoting and Protecting Your Work
2016- The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics featured an article on social media by dietitians Janet Helm and Regan Miller Jones: Practice Paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Social Media and the Dietetics Practitioner: Opportunities, Challenges, and Best Practices
➡️Bottom Line: There are definitely RDs on social media. Many may not have hundreds of thousands of followers but many ARE doing great work sharing #factsnotfears on various platforms or just posting comments. Who are some of YOUR favorite RD voices to follow or to refer your patients/clients/friends to on social media?
❓Question: Build Up Dietitians DIABETES Group
Abigail P. “(It’s) not always the person’s fault! I feel like a lot of us, myself included, want to blame the patient themselves! But there are so many things that can cause high glucose levels that aren’t food or “noncompliance” related!”
Kristy P. “…Sometimes it’s just the progression of the disease. Sometimes a med change or dose increase helps….Get up and walk for a few minutes after eating.”
Sharon S. “Take diabetes education classes with CDCES that review what the disease is, behavior management tools (including nutrition and exercise), need for follow-up, etc. Be informed about your needs with this disease.”
Zara R. “Portion control. You don't need to avoid some foods, but having a smaller portion, thoughtfully balanced with other digestible carbs you consume at the same meal, can help control hyperglycemia.”
Barbara R. “… speak to their MD if persistent high, may need more/different meds due to natural progression of diabetes over time.”
🚫Lupin Allergy
What is a Lupin Allergy? from AAAAI.org
“Lupin is a legume that is more frequently consumed and used in the Mediterranean, especially in the form of lupin flour….Lupin may be found in products such as pasta, chocolate spreads, vegetarian sausage, sauces, stews, baked onion rings, salads, lupin hummus spreads, ice creams, antipasto, bread, rolls, biscuits and baked goods (e.g. cookies, cakes). Lupin may be used as a soy substitute in products…Meat and fish dishes may also include lupin. Lupin flour may also be mixed with other flours… Lupin may be a visible ingredient in a product or may be hidden or undeclared on an ingredient label…”.
🤢IBS: Has Celiac Disease Been Ruled Out?
“IBS should not be diagnosed without excluding celiac disease, concluded a study by researchers from the UK and Italy published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology. The study found that 6 percent of those with IBS had positive blood tests for celiac disease.
A second study by Canadian researchers from McMaster University and colleagues published in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology found that a number of people with IBS who think gluten or wheat are harmful are not actually sensitive to these ingredients. Participants who thought wheat or gluten was in cereal bars they ate as part of the study reported symptoms even when these ingredients were absent.” Testing for celiac disease should always be done before an IBS diagnosis | BeyondCeliac.org
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20+ Hacks Your Grandmother Probably Used - by Nicole Prince - Some good ideas/tips like these: