Nutrition Counseling

We believe nutrition is a fundamental pillar of health and well-being. We know without doubt that poor nutritional status contributes to the gradual breakdown of healthy function that can cause symptoms long before a disease state has developed. Poor nutrition can also be the primary cause of disease. By the same token we know first hand that good nutrition is powerful medicine. The goal of our nutrition counseling is to harness the power of nutrition to correct physiological dysfunction that underlies your unwellness before disease occurs, heal your gut, and meet your health goals.

nutrition counseling Nutrition counseling at Plum Spring Clinic begins with a thorough assessment of your nutritional status and review of your eating habits and lifestyle by Nate Kelly, RD, our experienced functional medicine dietitian. Nate will take the time to listen closely and to understand where you are right now in terms of your lifestyle and diet, and work with you to develop a personalized nutrition treatment plan as part of your overall wellness program path. It will be helpful for you to write down everything you ate in the 24 hours prior to the appointment (or even better, a food diary of two to three days’ worth of meals and snacks). With that guidance, Nate can begin to discuss your dietary preferences and cooking habits, and identify trouble spots, like skipping breakfast or late-night snacking. From there, Nate will develop some initial pointers to help you start eating healthier. In Nate’s work, the optimal diet must not only meet the needs of your physical body but also work within the context of your life.

Our aim is to help you understand how to best meet your unique nutritional needs within our cultural environment where healthy eating is not the default, and fads, misinformation, and even disinformation abound. We support you in overcoming pressures of convenience, confusion, and instability to permanently alter your diet to best align with your preferences, values, and aspirations for well-being and longevity.

Who Can Benefit From Nutrition Counseling?

A lot of people can benefit from working with our nutritionists, for many different reasons–whether you need a complete diet overhaul, are looking to manage a medical condition, want to fine-tune your food choices, or get inspiration for new, healthy recipes. It’s best to book a nutrition consultation after a check-up with your primary care provider. That can help inform whether you have any specific conditions that can be addressed with nutrition, such as elevated blood sugar or cholesterol, or blood pressure issues.

While some patients come in for nutrition counseling to learn more about how their food choices affect their health, others end up in our office at their doctor’s suggestion. The following are just a few of the conditions that can benefit specifically from dietary interventions:

  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Allergies
  • Diabetes and pre-diabetic conditions
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • Celiac disease
  • Obesity or overweight
  • Pregnancy

 

Read more about Nate’s practice:
Registered Dietitian