Food for Thought

In this episode, Nadia and Alyssa welcome registered dietitian Kerry Blair, founder of Food for Fuel and known on Instagram as "The Gymnast RD." The conversation explores nutrition topics including orthorexia, the differences between registered dietitians and nutritionists, gut health trends, and vitamin supplementation. Kerry offers evidence-based insights to help young adults navigate nutrition misinformation on social media and provides practical advice for developing healthy relationships with food and understanding when supplements are truly necessary. Takeaways Orthorexia is a form of disordered eating characterized by an unhealthy obsession with "healthy" eating that leads to restrictive behaviors and fears around food. Social media significantly contributes to nutrition misinformation and orthorexic tendencies, with studies suggesting 25-30% of young adults may be struggling with orthorexia. In the US, registered dietitians have extensive educational requirements (including a master's degree, clinical internship, and board certification), while "nutritionist" is an unregulated title. Gut health is an emerging area of nutrition research, and many trendy gut health products lack substantial scientific evidence to support their claims. Vitamin and mineral supplements should be taken based on individual needs determined by proper testing, as excessive supplementation can cause imbalances and health issues. Chapters 00:00 - 01:41: Introduction and welcoming Kerry Blair 01:42 - 05:04: Kerry’s journey to becoming a dietitian and gymnastics nutrition 05:05 - 08:00: Explaining orthorexia and its prevalence among young adults 08:01 - 10:34: Social media's impact on nutrition trends and diet culture 10:35 - 15:45: Navigating nutrition advice and finding reliable information 15:46 - 19:33: The difference between registered dietitians and nutritionists 19:34 - 23:35: Discussion on gut health trends and probiotic products 23:36 - 33:20: Vitamin supplementation, regulation issues, and third-party testing 33:21 - 35:02: Closing thoughts on advocating for proper nutritional testing