Several pathways established for SMHP accreditation as a Metabolic Health Professional with the right to display the credentials MHP.
The SMHP has established several pathways leading to SMHP accreditation as a Metabolic Health Practitioner, all with the right to display the credentials MHP. Accreditation certifies that the practitioner has met The SMHP™ standards (demonstrating the understanding of concepts; showing proficiency in practice) adopted by SMHP for diet and lifestyle practices that address metabolic health.
Professionals accredited by The SMHP™ may offer nutrition and lifestyle education and coaching in line with SMHP guidelines for improving metabolic health, but only medical professionals may dispense medical advice. Education and coaching should not be misconstrued as medical advice or treatment. Furthermore, non-medical practitioners may not diagnose, prescribe, or medically treat any individuals seeking their services; instead, they should direct all clients to seek medical advice for health conditions from an appropriate medical professional—ideally, one that is familiar with, and supportive of, the use of carbohydrate reduction and lifestyle modifications to improve metabolic health.
At this point we need to introduce the concept of Continuing Metabolic Health Education (CMHE) credits. A number of organisations offering CMEs, CDPs and CEUs have been identified as acceptable to qualify for CMHE credits on a one-to-one basis, unless otherwise specified. As described below, a certain number of these credits are required for initial accreditation and then annually on a continuing basis.
Accreditation Pathways (Please Make Sure You Read ALL The Instructions)
- All Applicants must be active members of the SMHP with their account in good standing.
- All Applicants are required to complete the Ethics Module from the Nutrition Network.
- All Applicants are required to have attained a minimum of 30 CMHE credits from any of the SMHP-approved CMHE providers in the year preceding the application. Furthermore, an additional 30 CMHE credits are required each year (based on the anniversary of accreditation) in order to maintain accreditation in good standing. Credits from Nutrition Network modules that are not part of the core module requirements submitted for the initial accreditation process can be submitted to meet the CMHE requirement as well.
- Once you have met all the requirements for a particular pathway, you need to upload all the certificates and required documents to your user profile and then select the 'Apply for SMHP Accreditation' from the Accreditation Menu Dropdown and fill in the form and submit it to the Review Committee.
- Non-Practitioner and Members-In-Training will be required to upgrade to regular membership at this time.
Training Pathway
An additional 30 CMHE credits are required for each of the Training pathways. To ensure adequate immersion in the field, a minimum of 20 credits should date back at least to the year prior to the date of the application submission.
Nutrition Network Path
Complete one of the following professional trainings:
* The Ketogenic course replaces that old Professional Training course but anyone who has already started the Professional Training course should continue with that and it will be accepted for their Accreditation application.
(Note: If you are a non-medical professional, you are required to complete the Advisor Training module first, before you are free to complete any of the other training modules above.)
Once the Ketogenic: The Science and Practice of Therapeutic Carbohydrate Restriction module is completed, you are then required to complete the 3 modules of the LCHF In Clinical Practice course.
Finally, you need to complete the Ethics course to complete the core module requirements for this pathway.
So, in summary you need the following:
- Advisor Training (if you are not a clinician)
- Ketogenic: The Science and Practice of Therapeutic Carbohydrate Restriction OR LCHF for Dietitians
- LCHF in Clinical Practice
- Ethics
- Accumulate 60 CMHE credits (credits for core modules above do not count)
* The Ketogenic course replaces that old Professional Training course but anyone who has already started the Professional Training course should continue with that and it will be accepted for their Accreditation application.
The Nutrition Network has bundles of all the core modules required for the Clinician and Non-Clinician pathways offering up to a 23% discount.
Remember you need to accumulate 60 CMHE credits from an approved CMHE provider. If you use Nutrition Network modules for some of these CMHE credits they cannot come from any of the core modules above. So, for instance, the 10 credits from the Reversing Diabetes module would count towards your 60 but the credits from the Ethics module would not.
The last two virtual LowCarbUSA events (https://www.lowcarbusa.org/
National Association of Sports Nutrition (NASN) Path
For sports trainers and nutritionists:
- Complete the NASN Metabolic Health Professional training.
- Complete the Advisor Training Course from the Nutrition Network.
- Complete the Ethics from the Nutrition Network.
Clinical Experience Pathway
Clinical Practice Path
- This pathway is for Clinicians who have completed at least 2 years in a practice focused on carbohydrate restriction and lifestyle medicine.
- Submit an essay (by uploading it to your SMHP User Profile) following this template outlining your decision to choose this form of practice over the traditional practice model. Describe, also 3 cases of successful implementation and 3 cases of failed or challenging implementation of these lifestyle changes.
- Complete the Ethics from the Nutrition Network.
The SMHP Review Committee will decide on the appropriateness of the experience for SMHP accreditation by majority vote. Their decision is final. If declined, applicants will have the opportunity to submit a new essay and case reports for review.
Academic/Research Pathway
For the Academic/Research Pathway the candidate is additionally required to complete the Advisor Training Course from the Nutrition Network.
Published Paper Path
- Submit (by uploading it to your SMHP User Profile) a minimum of 3 peer-reviewed research papers (full-text versions) in the field of carbohydrate restriction and metabolic health published in recognised scientific journals.
- Submit (by uploading it to your SMHP User Profile) an essay following this template detailing the nature and extent of the research as well as any findings and conclusions.
- The SMHP Review Committee will decide on the relevance of the content and the acceptability of the journal it Is published in by majority vote. Their decision is final. If declined, applicants will have the opportunity to submit additional papers for review.
- Complete the Ethics from the Nutrition Network.
Research Project Path
- Present proof (by uploading it to your SMHP User Profile) that that the Applicant has been involved in conducting Research Projects or Trials focused on carbohydrate restriction, ideally in the context of lifestyle medicine for a minimum of 2 years.
- Submit (by uploading it to your SMHP User Profile) an essay following this template detailing the nature and extent of the research as well as any findings and conclusions.
- The SMHP Review Committee will decide by majority vote on the appropriateness of the experience for SMHP accreditation. Their decision is final. If declined, applicants will have the opportunity to submit new projects for review.
- Complete the Ethics from the Nutrition Network.
Fellowship Pathway
- Provide proof (by uploading it to your SMHP User Profile) of successful completion of an on-site clinical fellowship or internship with a Metabolic Health component of at least 500 hours of training on the treatment of metabolic conditions using lifestyle interventions including carbohydrate restriction.
- Furnish a letter of attestation (by uploading it to your SMHP User Profile) from the fellowship/internship director confirming at least 500 hours of training the treatment of metabolic conditions with lifestyle interventions including carbohydrate restriction must accompany the application.
- Submit (by uploading it to your SMHP User Profile) an essay following this template detailing the nature and extent of the research as well as any findings and conclusions.
- Complete the Ethics from the Nutrition Network.
[A number of Metabolic Health Fellowship Programs Are Under Development. Check Back Here Regularly as We Will Post Them as Soon as They Are In Place]
Honorary Pathway
The SMHP Board of Directors may, at their discretion and by majority vote, award accreditation status to an individual based on lifetime achievement that demonstrates competency in the research or practice of lifestyle interventions that incorporate carbohydrate restriction for metabolic health.
Individuals considered for this pathway are still required to complete the Ethics Module from the Nutrition Network and meet the same CMHE requirements as other accredited practitioners. These documents should be uploaded to your SMHP User Profile.
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