4 Heart-Healthy Swaps for Your Diet
Learning how to eat healthy can be one of the most challenging tasks to master, especially if your go-to snack is decadent or salty. Read on for some healthy swaps to get started on a healthier you.
The Benefits of Nutrition Counseling
You’re probably familiar with the expression “you are what you eat.” Nothing could be truer, but it’s not really that simple. While there’s definitely a link between how you fuel your body — namely what you eat and drink — and just how healthy you are, there are other aspects like your activity level and medical history that factor in, too.
When you start talking about nutrition and food, dieting and weight loss treatments may come to mind. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control almost half of all adults in the United States tried to lose weight from 2013 to 2016. This shouldn’t be too surprising because an estimated 40% of all Americans are obese.
Getting to a healthy weight is always important, but what you eat in the context of its nutrient value has equal importance. Have you taken a good look at food labels lately? Short of getting a degree in biochemistry, is there a good way to figure out whether you are eating the foods that can fuel a healthy you?
That’s where nutrition counseling comes in. In this blog, our highly skilled providers at Cardio Metabolic Institute share their thoughts on the benefits of nutrition counseling.
What is nutrition counseling?
When it comes to nutritional counseling, the first thing to get a handle on is terminology. Typically a registered dietitian (RD) or registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) performs nutrition counseling services. These health care providers earn a bachelor’s degree in a special program that trains them on the ins and outs of food and nutrition. They must complete clinical training and also pass a national test.
Here at Cardio Metabolic Institute, our registered dieticians provide comprehensive nutrition treatment plans by first taking a deep dive into your health goals and learning more about where you’re starting from. During a nutrition consultation, they ask you about what you eat, daily lifestyle factors like how active you are, and, of course, your health and family medical history.
Personalized treatment just for you
Using this data, your dietician creates a customized nutrition plan that calculates what your ideal nutrient intakes should be. Featured in the plan are a variety of services and tactics that as a whole will help you reach your health goals.
Nutrition counseling is often part of the health coaching services we provide at Cardio Metabolic Institute.
Depending on your unique needs, nutrition counseling can include things such as exercise planning, meal plans and tips for healthy cooking, as well as portion-control counseling.
Lowering risk for chronic conditions
If you walk down any aisle in the grocery store, you’re bombarded by product boxes and labeling marking some items as heart healthy. This isn’t a coincidence or simple marketing ploy. The food you eat combined with lifestyle choices and how active you are play an important role in lowering your risk for developing chronic conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.
Nutrition counseling not only helps you lower your risk for developing these conditions, but it also helps you manage them if you already have them. At Cardio Metabolic Institute, we offer special programs like Healthy Hearts to get you on track to living healthier. Our dieticians also provide individualized cardiac rehabilitation or cardiac maintenance programs.
Boosting energy levels
Being healthy is a reward in and of itself, but perhaps one of the best perks of nutrition counseling is that when everything comes together — you’re eating the right food, exercising, and avoiding harmful habits like smoking — your energy level rises and you just feel better.
Why is that? Easy. Every cell in your body relies on getting the right combination of nutrients to do its job. Whether it’s healing from an injury or illness, losing weight, or boosting your metabolism, your body can’t function optimally without the nutrients and vitamins it needs.
If you’re ready to start a journey to a healthier you and want to learn more about nutrition counseling, contact Cardio Metabolic Institute in Somerset, Monroe Township, or East Brunswick, New Jersey, for a consultation. Click or call today for an appointment at the office nearest you. It’s never too late to get healthy. Get started today.
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