Nutritional Counseling - Louisiana Internal Medicine & Pediatric Associaton

Individual Nutritional Counseling

Nutrition is the most important aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. During nutritional counseling, individuals receive personalized information and the guidance they need to cultivate healthy habits. A nutritional counselor will help each patient examine their current lifestyle and create a plan to achieve personal success.

A Game Plan For Your Health

The purpose of nutritional counseling is to develop a safe, nutritional plan tailored to suit your specific health goals, which also compliments your lifestyle. During each consultation, the counselor will focus on progression, wellness, and designing practical solutions to ensure success.

Nutritional counseling can help patients achieve a variety of goals including boosting energy levels, building stamina, developing a healthy relationship with food, losing weight and more. Every individual responds differently to diet changes.

Nutritional counselors will perform regular assessments to appropriately plan new additions or adjustments to the patient’s diet.

ABOUT OUR CLINIC

A concise nutritional game plan is key to maintaining a healthy life. At LIMPA, we conduct rigorous tests and examinations in order to personally develop you the right plan suited for your lifestyle. Get on the right track with our health and let our professionals lead you to your goals.

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Individual Nutritional tips

Individual nutritional counseling begins with a meeting between a healthcare professional and the patient. The counselor will ask the patient to describe their typical food intake. Many professionals start with the 24-hour method, which requires the patient to recall all the foods they’ve consumed within the past 24 hours. The patient may also be asked how often they consume certain food groups, such as fruits, vegetables, grains or dairy products. Counselors may assess the individual’s body weight. During the initial meeting, the counselor is seeking to create a full nutritional profile of the patient’s current dietary intake, in an effort to develop the most appropriate nutrition plan.

The initial assessment provides the basis for identifying negative behaviors and habits. Next, the nutritional counselor will work with the patient to implement the necessary changes. The counselor will help the individual pinpoint any barriers to change. Common challenges include food preferences, planning around special events, and cost. Once these factors have been carefully considered, the nutritional counselor will share simple suggestions for the patient to implement to ensure they reach their goals.

Together, the counselor and patient will set behavior oriented goals. Each goal will focus on positive behaviors needed to incite dietary change. Counselors tend to avoid setting absolute goals, such as achieving a particular body weight. In some cases, family members and friends are encouraged to attend counseling, especially if they share responsibility for food selection and preparation. Throughout the patient’s journey, their counselor will continue to examine their diet to ensure they are maintaining their changes over time. Counselors ask that patients practice self-monitoring, and address any nutritional struggles they face between meetings during their next session.

FAQ

What is nutritional counseling?

Nutritional counseling is a process in which a healthcare professional works with a patient to assess their diet and identify patterns of unhealthy eating. During counseling, healthcare professionals focus on helping the patient begin implementing and maintaining necessary dietary changes. The counselor will provide the patient with informational material, nutritional planning, and support to ease the process.

How do I know if nutritional counseling is right for me?

If you’ve been struggling to lose weight or meet specific dietary requirements, nutritional counseling may offer the guidance and details you need to reach your goals. Healthcare professionals teach patients dietary strategies specific to their nutritional needs. With the support of your group and counselor, you’ll be able to appropriately plan your dietary intake and ensure nutritional success.

What are the benefits of nutritional counseling?

What’s the difference between group nutritional counseling and individual counseling?

Unlike individual nutritional counseling, group counseling involves meeting with a small group of people with similar dietary goals. The motive of the group can be broad (i.e., weight loss) or specific (i.e., decrease blood pressure). The group’s counselor will act as a facilitator for all discussions. One of the greatest benefits of group nutritional counseling is social support, which is helpful for maintaining changes and accomplishing goals.