What is Nutrition Counseling?

Nutrition counseling can help you develop goals and tips to start living a healthier lifestyle. A certified nutritionist will take time to listen and understand your concerns and where you are in terms of your lifestyle and current diet. They will also work with you to help you reach your goals and objectives. Nutrition counseling can be done by a certified nutritionist or a qualified dietitian. Both are able to help you take the steps you need to live a healthier life.

Benefits of Nutrition Counseling

Many people benefit from nutrition counseling for different reasons. Everyone’s personal needs are different, therefore their nutritional and dietary needs will be as well. If you’re thinking about making an appointment with a nutritionist, it’s best to see your primary doctor first. Your doctor can help you identify any conditions you have that can be addressed during nutrition counseling.

Specific conditions that your doctor may recommend you address during counseling may include high blood sugar, elevated cholesterol, or blood pressure issues. It’s common for patients to attend nutrition counseling to learn more about how the foods they eat affect their health.

Here are a few conditions that may benefit from nutrition counseling:

• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Allergies
• Diabetes
• Irritable bowel movements
• Celiac disease
• Obesity
• Pregnancy

What You Should Expect

When you see a nutritionist, you will be asked about your current goals and your reasons for coming to nutrition counseling. They will also go over your medical history including past and current medications. Talking about your lifestyle will help to identify your stress levels, sleep patterns, energy levels, and exercise.

It’s always a clever idea to write down everything you’ve eaten in the past 24 hours before seeing a nutritionist. You will discuss your dietary preferences and cooking habits. They will also help develop tips for you to start eating and living healthier.

How Many Appointments Does It Take?

It’s common for patients to only attend two or three sessions. If you’re serious about making lifestyle changes to live healthier, a few visits may be all that you need. However, some people feel more comfortable setting up monthly appointments to make sure they don’t go back to old habits.

If you want to live a healthier life and start eating healthier, nutrition counseling may be exactly what you’ve been looking for. A certified nutritionist can help you identify bad habits and develop tips for you to live and eat more healthily. If you’re thinking about seeing a nutritionist, it might be a good idea to talk with your primary doctor first to make sure it’s right for you.