Minnesota is different from most states because, while it provides for the licensure of dietitians, and nutritionists, there is a separate “safe harbor” complementary and alternative health care practices law. (Chapter 146A, Section 146A.01.4)
One can practice nutrition with the supervision of a licensed dietitian or licensed nutrition. This includes:
- Anyone pursuing a degree in dietetics, provided that person holds a title indicating status as a student or trainee
- Anyone fulfilling the professional experience requirements needed to obtain licensure, provided that person holds a title indicating status as a student or trainee
- Anyone working in a program supervised by a licensed dietitian or nutritionist
If someone is a home economist with a baccalaureate or graduate degree, they can practice dietetics.
The law also allows any person who is recognized in the community as a provider of nutritional advice according to or based on traditional practices to do so. The law does not elaborate on “community” or “traditional.” Traditional could apply to religious, cultural, or historical practices.
One can market or distribute food, food materials, or dietary supplements and further explain how to use or to prepare those products.
Under Minnesota law, an unlicensed complementary and alternative health care practitioner may provide a varity of nutrition and wellness services so as long as they do not provide a medical diagnosis or recommend discontinuance of medically prescribed treatments. It specifically identifies an unlicensed, complementary and alternative health care practitioner, as someone who “is not licensed or registered by a health-related licensing board or the commissioner of health…” (CHAPTER 146A)
The law further defines someone who is an unlicensed complementary and alternative health care practitioner as someone who:
Is engaging in complementary and alternative health care practices; and (those practices listed here in statute); or
Is providing complementary and alternative health care services for remuneration or is holding oneself out to the public as a practitioner of complementary and alternative health care practices.
This is important because it means you can charge for your services. It then goes on to list specific areas of complementary, and alternative help which qualify under the safe harbor, the the state keeps it open-ended and does not limit this list. Some of those specific areas that protect holistic practitioners are bolded.
(1) acupressure;
(2) anthroposophy;
(3) aroma therapy;
(4) ayurveda;
(5) cranial sacral therapy;
(6) culturally traditional healing practices;
(7) detoxification practices and therapies;
(8) energetic healing;
(9) polarity therapy;
(10) folk practices;
(11) healing practices utilizing food, food supplements, nutrients, and the physical forces of heat, cold, water, touch, and light;
(12) Gerson therapy and colostrum therapy;
(13) healing touch;
(14) herbology or herbalism;
(15) homeopathy;
(16) nondiagnostic iridology;
(17) body work, massage, and massage therapy;
(18) meditation;
(19) mind-body healing practices;
(20) naturopathy;
(21) noninvasive instrumentalities; and
(22) traditional Oriental practices, such as Qi Gong energy healing.”
NOTE: Practitioners wishing to utilize the safe harbor law to provide nutrition and other wellness services should provide these specific disclaimers and language to clients found here.
Source: Chapter 148, Section 148.632