Frequently Asked Questions
Registered Dietitians (RD or RDN) are the food and nutrition experts. We are professionally credentialed and licensed to make nutrition recommendations and provide nutrition education, as well as specific nutrition therapy (Medical Nutrition Therapy or MNT) for those with chronic and acute illness. We can counsel those who may have abnormal eating patterns or dietary restrictions due to chronic disease, such as diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, obesity, and many other conditions. We are the pharmacists of the food and nutrition world – we can write a nutrition prescription based on unique individual needs.
Our goal with nutrition counseling is to help you succeed in meeting your goals, conquering your challenges, and ensuring you are prepared to make and sustain lifestyle changes. If you suffer from a chronic disease or illness, such as diabetes, kidney disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, stomach conditions/disorders, or food allergies, we can help you manage symptoms, improve quality of life, and reduce your risk of other diseases through Medical Nutrition Therapy (or MNT).
Nutrition counseling and Medical Nutrition Therapy services may be covered by a wide range of insurance plans. We are currently contracted with Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Presbyterian Health Plan, Cigna, United Healthcare and will be contracting with additional insurers soon. All plans & policies are different so please call for details and coverage for your specific plan.
Calorie needs vary dramatically based on age, weight, gender, body composition, exercise level, genetics and even hormones. We can help you figure out exactly how many calories your body burns each day using body composition analysis and metabolic testing to develop appropriate calorie targets.
In the United States, nutrient deficiencies in vitamins and minerals are pretty rare, although it does happen. In 2012, the CDC’s Second Nutrition Report found that 9 out of 10 Americans are getting enough of important vitamins and minerals. Deficiencies are usually well documented and have characteristic signs and symptoms, so if you suspect a deficiency, talk to your doctor. While we cannot diagnose a medical deficiency, we can help identify signs and symptoms of a deficiency. If you do have concerns, we will carefully examine your typical diet pattern and identify areas where you could potentially be deficient.
Everyone’s health goals will be different, so the specific approach to eating and food will also be different and individualized. We all have specific food preferences, dietary restrictions, desired health outcomes, and nutritional needs and we can help you develop a healthy eating pattern that fits your individual goals.
Your body is made of water, protein, minerals, and fat. Your body is divided into fat mass and fat-free mass. Fat-free mass consists of bones, organs, muscle tissue, connective tissue, blood, and water. While having too much fat is not healthy, we do need to have a certain amount of essential fat to survive, as it provides insulation and protection for organs and bones. Our body composition analysis will give you precise percentages of body fat, body water, and lean tissue (bones, muscle, etc.). With follow-up appointments, you’ll be able to see how your body is physically changing over time as you make lifestyle adjustments.
The best way to answer this question is to find out what your metabolism is and determine how many calories your body burns simply resting. You can do this using metabolic testing with our MetaCheck. Once we get your results, we will create an individualized plan to help you meet your weight loss, gain or maintenance goals.
Yes! If you have a chronic disease and are struggling with how to eat for your condition, we will provide you with individualized medical nutrition therapy. We understand that having a chronic disease makes eating challenging and we want to help make these difficulties easier and more manageable.