What is Nutrition Counseling?

Nutrition counseling is a term that encompasses a lot of different services surrounding dietary patterns and behaviors. Lots of people can benefit from nutrition counseling, for many different reasons; whether you need a complete dietary assessment, are looking to manage a medical condition, want to fine ­tune your food choices, or get inspiration for new recipes to fit you and your family’s needs. It’s best to book a nutrition consultation after a check­up with your primary care provider so that they can help inform your dietitian whether you have any specific conditions that can be addressed with nutrition, such as elevated blood sugar or cholesterol, blood pressure issues, or other chronic diseases.

While some patients come in for a nutrition consultation to learn more about how their food choices affect their health, others will schedule appointments at their doctor’s suggestion. Nutrition counseling is not just for adults with chronic disease. All ages benefit from consultation with a dietitian to receive customized recommendations and for prevention of future nutritional deficits. The following are just a few of the conditions that can benefit specifically from dietary interventions:

● Eating Disorders & Disordered Eating

● Allergies

● Food Sensitivities & Food Aversion

● Heart disease

● High blood pressure

● High cholesterol

● Diabetes and pre-­diabetic conditions

● Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

● Celiac Disease

● Obesity or overweight

● Pregnancy

● Depression

● Medication ­related complications

Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is individualized dietary instruction that incorporates diet therapy counseling for a nutrition­ related problem. This level of specialized instruction is above basic nutrition counseling and includes an individualized dietary assessment. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist licensed in the state of Illinois can provide these services, which may include an initial nutrition and lifestyle assessment, one­ on ­one nutritional counseling, and follow­up visits to check on your progress in managing your diet. The RDN often acts as part of a medical team, in various practice settings, such as hospitals, physician offices, private practices and other health care facilities. Medical nutrition therapy is covered by a variety of insurance plans, such as Medicare and private insurances. Medicare Part B covers medical nutrition therapy for diabetes and kidney disease. If you have private insurance, check with your insurance plan for specific medical nutrition therapy coverage details or dietitian services. Your plan may cover nutrition counseling for a wide variety of chronic conditions and health concerns, such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Medical nutrition therapy provided by an RDN includes:

● Review of what you eat and your eating habits.

● Thorough review of your nutritional health.

● Personalized nutrition treatment plan.

The first visit with the RDN will take approximately one hour. During the visit, you will be asked about your goals, objectives, and reasons for nutrition counseling. We’ll review your medical history, including any medications and supplements you’re currently taking. We also ask about your lifestyle to get a sense of your stress and energy levels, sleep patterns, gastrointestinal function, and amount of physical activity. It is helpful for anyone new to write down everything you ate in the 24 hours prior to the appointment (or better yet, a food diary of two to three days’ worth of meals and snacks). With that guidance, we can begin to discuss your dietary preferences and cooking habits, and identify areas for improvement. From there, we’ll develop some initial pointers to help you start eating for wellness. After the first session, the RDN will schedule follow­up appointments to check on your progress and see if changes are needed in your nutrition goals and treatment plan. Nutrition counseling can be as flexible as you need it to be depending on your availability. Most importantly, nutrition consultations are partnerships. Dietitians don’t just tell you what to do to improve your diet; they help you set and achieve your health goals. We work flexibly, starting with small changes that will have the most benefit, while incorporating the tools that are the best fit for your lifestyle. The overall goal is to create a plan that puts the client in full control of their choices and in the best position for optimal wellness.