What’s Included in Nutritional Counseling?
The internet makes it easy for you to get answers to almost all of your questions. However, when it comes to health and nutrition, your internet search may leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Instead of finding the answers you need, you may find yourself asking: Is fruit bad for me? Do I have to stop eating before 6 pm? Am I not getting enough protein?
At MS Family Medicine Health Care PC, with New York City offices in Rosedale and Garden City, we consider nutrition one of the key components of wellness and preventative care. However, we also know how hard it can be to figure out what to eat when to eat, and how much to eat.
That’s why our medical director, Michele Reed, DO, FAAFP, and the team of compassionate health care providers offer nutritional counseling. Here, we want to share with you what you can expect from our health-promoting service.
About nutritional counseling
Your diet choices affect your health, weight, mental clarity, energy, and quality of life. Poor nutrition is one of the key lifestyle habits that increases a person’s risk of developing chronic health conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.
Despite having access to a plethora of information about nutrition, many people struggle to put it all together.
Nutritional counseling is a form of therapy provided by health professionals who have advanced training in nutrition science. These health professionals understand how food affects health.
They also know that there are many factors that influence food choices and no single “diet” strategy works for all.
What to expect
Like all of our primary care services, we customize your nutritional program to match your health concerns and goals. Before we make any specific recommendations, we first conduct an initial nutrition assessment.
In addition to reviewing your medical history, we also ask detailed questions about your diet and eating habits, as well as your health concerns and goals. We may also ask you to keep a food diary for a few days to help us get a better idea of the nutrient composition of your usual diet.
After your initial nutrition assessment, we develop your personalized nutrition care plan, which may include:
- Meal recommendations
- Tools to help you make healthier food choices
- Tips for meal planning
- Nutritional supplements
Your nutritional counseling may also include specific recommendations to address your health needs. For example, to help lower your cholesterol, we may recommend adding more fiber to your diet.
More than a diet
When you come in for nutritional counseling, our goal is to teach you how to make better food choices that lead to better health. We don’t hand you a “diet” and send you on your way.
With nutritional counseling, we help you create simple and healthy habits you can follow for the rest of your life.
With wellness and preventative care, we provide you with the tools and support you need so you can actively make lifestyle choices that lead to better health.
To learn how nutritional counseling can help you, book an appointment online or over the phone with MS Family Medicine Health Care PC today.