Nutrition counseling In Schaumburg

Nutrition counseling is an ongoing process in which a health professional trained in nutrition works with a patient to assess his or her usual dietary intake and identify areas where change is needed. Nutritional counseling entails the provision of information, educational materials, support, and follow-up to help patients make and maintain needed dietary changes.

The purpose of nutritional counseling is not only to asses a patient’s diet but also to help them set up realistic dietery changes that take into account each unique patients lifestyle and health. In addition to helping patients make nutritional changes, nutrition counseling helps patients maintain those changes. At Health First Wellness our goal is to help patients make permenant changes in diet and lifestyle to help patients enjoy a fuller, healthier life.

What to Expect:

1. Assessing Dietery Habits

Nutrition counseling usually begins with an interview in which the counselor asks questions about a person’s typical food intake. In some cases, the nutritionist will ask you to fill out a week long or three day diet diary. This information gathered from the diet diary is used as a baseline. The nutrition counselor also uses the diet diary to analyze actual energy and nutrient intake.

In some instances patients may undergo food sensitivity testing. This type of testing is used to detect food intolerances or insensitivites. Anecdotal evidence shows that in some individuals certain symptoms such as headache, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, eczema (and certain other skin disorders), asthma, wieght gain/obesity, fibromyalgia, arthritis and certain autoimmune disorders are linked to food intolerances or insensitivities. Food sensitivity testing involves drawing a patients blood and exposing the blood to various different foods and antigens in order to monitor the patient’s white blood cell response to various foods. After testing is completed patients recieve a detailed summary of foods that should be excluded, avoided and included in their diet. Food sensitivity testing helps the nutrition counselor tailor a diet that specifically meets your body’s needs.

2. Assessing Body Weight

Body weight, body mass index and/or body fat % will be measured. In some instances cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar measurments may also be taken. These assessments provides the practitioner with a baseline. The measurements can then be used to monitor patient progress.

3. Identifying Changes Needed

Sometimes a person already has a good idea of what dietary changes are needed, but may require help making the changes. Other times the nutrition counselor can help educate a person on the health effects of different dietary choices. The nutrition counselor and client work together to identify areas where change is needed, prioritize changes, and problem-solve as to how to make the changes.

Making dietary change is a gradual process. An individual may start with one or two easier dietary changes the first few weeks and gradually make additional or more difficult changes over several weeks or months. For example, an easy change for a person might be switching from 2% to skim milk, or taking time for a quick yogurt or granola bar in the morning instead of skipping breakfast. More difficult changes might be learning to replace high-fat meat choices with leaner ones, or including more servings of vegetables daily. In making dietary changes, each individual’s situation and background must be carefully considered.

4. Identifying Barriers to Change

Once the needed changes are identified it is important to overcome the barriers to change. Some common barriers to changing eating habits include: inconvenience, social gatherings, food preferences, lack of knowledge or time and/or cost.

Nutrition counseling can help you achieve a variety of health goals, including weight loss, increased energy, improved digestion, and better management of chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. By assessing your current diet and lifestyle habits, I can create a personalized nutrition plan tailored to your unique needs and goals.

5. Setting Goals

The nutrition counselor and client set behavior-oriented goals together. Goals should focus on the behaviors needed to achieve the desired dietary change, not on an absolute value, such as achieving a certain body weight. Our nutrition professionals will work with you to identify your nutritional goals and develop a plan to achieve them. This plan may involve changes to your eating habits, such as reducing your intake of certain foods or increasing your intake of others.

6. Finding Support

Patients are encouraged to bring family members to counseling sessions. Having the understanding and support of family members and friends makes success more likely. During a nutrition counseling session, we’ll discuss your current diet and lifestyle habits, as well as any health concerns or goals you may have. Based on this information, I’ll create a personalized nutrition plan that may include dietary recommendations, meal planning, and lifestyle modifications such as exercise and stress management techniques.

7. Maintaining Changes

The challenge for the nutrition client lies not in making the initial dietary changes, but in maintaining them over the long term. Self-monitoring, realistic expectations, and continued follow-up can help a person maintain dietary changes.

If you’re looking to improve your overall health and wellness, nutrition counseling can be an excellent tool for achieving your goals. By working with a physical therapist who specializes in nutrition counseling, you can receive expert guidance and support in achieving optimal health. Contact us today to schedule your first nutrition counseling session.

Dana Sivak

Dietitian Nutritionist

(MS, RDN, LDN) Hi there! Inspired by my many years spent being mindful of nutrition as a figure skater, I completed my Bachelor’s of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of Delaware. Continuing my pursuit of my dietetics career, I graduated with my Master’s of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Northern Illinois University and obtained an additional Graduate Certificate in Eating Disorders and Obesity.

My approach combines holistic and functional nutrition, as I have had extensive experience working to improve nutrition with patients suffering from a variety of health concerns including, butnot limited to: cardiovascular health, diabetes, digestive health, eating disorders, metabolic health, pain management, sports nutrition, and weight loss.

My patient-centered care recognizes the importance of an individual’s health and lifestyle as avenues for behavior changes related to nutrition, while promoting one’s overall health and wellness. I believe, as T. Colin Campbell once said, “Good nutrition creates health in all areas of our existence. All parts are interconnected.”