I can't tell you what to do... I know that's what you feel like you need right now and I wish it would help!
Having good health and a healthy lifestyle is an individualized path. You usually know what to do to take better care of yourself just as much as any health expert. The gap is the action plan. We need intrinsic motivation and steps toward action to get there. We also need guided information- that's where I come in.
It's a process unraveling all the barriers to change and learning what new routines really work. These routines you're working on contribute to lifelong health!
One amazing thing working with a dietitian is learning the process for yourself! You want to become a better caretaker of your incredible body and what it needs to be fueled and work optimally. A predominant barrier I encounter is the negative self-talk that's developed over a lifetime- it's usually a defeated mindset from self-shaming that comes from your history with food and health management. It typically stems from our diet culture which is why I have written exhaustively in my blog about this topic.
Why work with me?
The process I use is called Motivational Interviewing. It seems simple enough but there's a whole lot involved to making changes that come from within.
At one time, I would respond to people who would ask for "quick secrets" on healthy eating. I admit, it's nice feeling like you have the answers and to maybe share meaningful life-changing information to someone seeking better health. However, I quickly learned it doesn't result in anything useful. It more likely just adds to the overwhelm of information we get from public health messages, magazines, influencers and weight loss gimmicks.
In counseling, we work to reveal your goals and why these goals matter! We then get to the how to make changes and which therapeutic diet changes to start on. This is a place where you discover a lot about behaviors that need attention.
We focus on healthy life habits that create long term health and nutrition quality. There are also many facets to a healthy diet I would describe as functional nutrition. This approach is about looking at the whole body and focusing on the causes of health conditions.
In nutrition counseling you can expect to address a large spectrum of different nutrition therapies. Dietitians will look over labs, review health conditions and make assessment of goals and motivations.
Things you will learn about in nutrition counseling are:
Understanding supplements that may benefit you
Filling in nutrition gaps with simple solutions
Determining what kind of diet pattern or "non-diet" you need
Setting up meal plans and making adjustments
Learning about basic food prep or cooking techniques
Understanding and reading your labs
Setting achievable goals
Exploring realistic steps to reach goals
Learn about diet and lifestyle habits that are supported by research
Exercise nutrition and fueling strategies
Meditation and mindful nutrition practices
Sleep hygiene
Intuitive eating principles
Nutrition skills aimed toward addiction or restrictive eating behaviors
Change-talk: a subconscious perspective to making changes
Family meals and supporting children with eating dynamics
Who would benefit from nutrition counseling with a dietitian?
Anyone in any life-stage seeking health can find benefit in working with a dietitian.
A dietitian can support many individuals including:
Those with health concerns such as weight management, elevated lipids or cholesterol, blood sugar management, vitamin deficiency
Exercisers and athletes in training
Those with disordered eating or in need of outpatient eating disorder management
Those who need help with hormone balance including fertility, postpartum and menopausal women
Temporary health stages such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, wound healing and injury recovery
Anyone with a chronic disease or autoimmune disorder needing evidenced based dietary management
We should work together if...
¤ You want an interactive, understandable, judgment-free, and fad-free approach to nutrition ¤ You want help with nutrition knowledge, meal planning, or food-related organization ¤ You’ve been given nutrition advice by a health care professional that you need help putting into practice in a real-life way ¤ You need accountability, support, and coaching to help you reach your goals ¤ You’re ready to make lifestyle changes to reach your health and wellness goals ¤ You want to work with a caring and supportive nutrition professional who is invested in your success