Can Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) change your life? Healthy eating has proven in numerous studies to be the primary determining factor in health later in life. Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is an evidence-based practice that looks to make monumental changes in the lives of patients by improving their dietary health.
Hippocrates once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
More than 2000 years later, we’re still discovering the healing properties of nutrition, through programs like MNT.
Medical Nutrition Therapy is a therapeutic approach to treating medical conditions and their associated symptoms with specific diets, monitored by trained medical professionals. At Dietitians at Home, our registered dietitians use MNT to counsel patients on the behavioral and lifestyle changes required to manage chronic diseases and achieve optimal long-term health.
We all know that healthy eating is essential to healthy living. Documentaries like Supersize Me and Fed Up, and books like Food Rules and Wheat Belly, have shown us that what we put into our body as fuel has a direct effect on our well-being (or lack thereof).
Poor nutrition can lead to massive health problems.
Recent studies have shown that “diet and nutrition are now the biggest risk factors for people's health across the globe.” Eating well is no longer just about losing or controlling weight; it’s a way of addressing and preventing disease, putting Medical Nutrition Therapy at the forefront of health and wellness.
Medical Nutrition Therapy can:
Sounds pretty fantastic, right?
While the name may seem clinical, with the registered dietitians at Dietitians at Home, MNT is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Step 1: One of our trained dietitians will perform a comprehensive nutrition assessment to determine your current nutritional state and any chronic medical concerns.
Step 2: We’ll create a customized plan, using evidence-based nutritional guidelines, to optimize your health and well-being.
Step 3: Your dietitian will monitor and evaluate your progress, making adjustments as necessary to help you manage your health issues and feel your best.
Healthy eating isn’t rocket science; it starts with the basics:
Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. In a recent study, scientists found that a diet that includes 10 portions of fruit and veggies daily is associated with the lowest risk of disease and premature death. The best choices include apples, pears, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables (like chicory and spinach), and cruciferous vegetables (like cabbage and broccoli). When your mom told you to finish your veggies, she was clearly right.
Limit your 3 S’s: salt, sugar, and saturated fat. This article, published by the University of Connecticut, says that if you want to lower your risk of heart disease and improve your health, you need to limit salt, sugar, and saturated fat. What does that look like? The majority of saturated fat comes from animal sources like meat, cream, butter, and other dairy products. Most salt comes from processed and restaurant foods. And the main culprits for sugar are baked goods, dairy products, alcohol, sauces, and sugary drinks.
Eat mindfully. Mindfulness is everywhere these days, and with good reason. Not only can mindful eating help you slow down and pay more attention to your body and cues for when you’re full, but cultivating mindfulness at the table can have added benefits like improved sleep, better focus, and lower stress, all of which will contribute to your overall health.
Aim for balance. While eating an entire box of cereal for dinner may seem like a good (and easy) idea at the time, a balanced diet includes items from all the essential food groups: grains, protein, fruit and vegetables, and dairy. Look for variety, taste the rainbow including foods of different colors on your plate, and try new things. Eating a variety of foods will help ensure your body gets all the nutrients it needs.
These are the building blocks of a balanced approach to food and health. Together with help from Dietitians at Home, they can form the basis of a personalized program that can help you get your symptoms, weight, and lifestyle under control.
Pound for pound, the personalized attention you get with a dietitian is the surest way to reach optimum health; you get an eating plan that focuses on your specific health challenges and your unique lifestyle, for maximum effect. You also get motivation, support, and accountability that will help you stay on track. Because eating is so personal and often requires behavioral change, it's helpful to have a trusted health professional that can help you achieve your wellness goals.
At the end of the day, the shift from the old school “diet” to a new way of eating for life is an important distinction. Diets are temporary, and after a brief period of restriction, people usually revert back to their previous (often unhealthy) ways. But the healthy, balanced attitude to food as medicine that you’ll discover with Dietitians at Home is a long-term, lasting approach. Whether you’re looking to manage a chronic health problem, gain energy, or lose weight, we can help and finally, you’ll understand what Hippocrates was talking about all those years ago; food will be thy medicine and you’ll discover a happier, healthier, more vibrant you.
Contact us today for a personalized approach to a healthier you.
...
.jpg)
Unfortunately, amputation rates are higher in people with diabetes. The good news, though, is that rates have decreased thanks to better foot care and the use of diabetic shoes.
Untreated hyperglycemia leads to serious complications. Signs are hard to identify, but self-monitoring and early treatment lowers these risks and improves quality of life.
