Weight Loss Without Dieting, Drugs, Packaged Meals – My New Year’s Resolution To Incorporate Nutrition Counseling into Your Practice During A Recession That Focuses on Whole Foods!

As a practicing clinical and sports nutritionist for 20 years I am experiencing a substantial increase of patients from varied backgrounds seeking nutritional counseling. Individuals with a very basic nutritional understanding are coming in as a result of side effects from prescribed medications or abnormal lab results from a recent blood test and are being told by their doctor to change their eating habits. Usually they are handed a generic diet sheet and require more guidance.

A significant segment of our practice also, consists of professionals, athletes and perfectionists that are working harder than ever to achieve success are also turning to food for stress reduction, comfort or reward and because of “long hours” and because they have obsessive-compulsive behavior (OCD) are looking for the “optimal” diet. Often their personal relationships or business affairs are in disarray so they turn to food and /or exercise for control.

These patients are highly motivated to learn what to eat and are spending close to $800 – $1,000 out of their pockets (credit cards) for nutritional counseling. Which is significantly less expensive than commercialized programs. Do not let these patients slip by in your practice by not having screening tools such as surveys and a program that addresses how to eat whole healthy foods that are adaptable for each patients back-ground, food preferences, and lifestyle based on their metabolic, nutritional and medical needs. By providing a program that focuses on food you can offer a less expensive counseling program that is 50% the cost for most commercialized programs that are not medically supervised.

The American Psychological Association found that more than half of America’s population actually eats a lot more whenever they are feeling stressed. Most comfort foods are high caloric items like Grandmothers apple pie, which most people remember eating during happy times.. Hershey’s and Cadbury’s sales are up and according to the industry experts candy store sales are at a record high. Clients report “sugar is comforting” because there is a small temporary increase in serotonin and dopamine which are relaxing neurotransmitters. MC Donald’s & Burger Kings’ report their sales are up. In my practice the average stress eater gains approximately 20-30 pounds and many are being told by their doctor they need counseling for high blood sugar or pre-diabetes.

Research conducted at California State University, shows that when stress levels are increased, so does their craving for carbohydrate rich food. Cortisol increases insulin and insuline resisitance which is associated with metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes. In a stressful situation, the body does not stop producing cortisol and that is when a person starts to crave carbohydrate dense food in order to replenish their energy. A recession is a long term event and people are under stress for days, weeks and even months at a time. As a result many individuals turn to counting calories, and can become obsessed with food and are generally always hungry, regardless of whether or not they have eaten.

You constantly advise your patients, to lose weight, lower their cholesterol, eat more fiber or cut out the unhealthy sugars or fats. But, as a busy physician, you don’t have the time to put together a personal nutritional plan or review diet sheets put together by pharmaceutical companies for each of your patients. As a result, patient compliance is poor.

•   Weight Loss, Weight Gain & Weight Maintenance
•   Cancer, Diabetes, Coronary Diseases, Hypertension, High Lipids, Hypoglycemia, Hypothyroidism, Fatty Liver Disease
•   Sports Nutrition, Anti Aging, Wellness, Disease Prevention, Muscle Gain, Hunger & Craving Management
•   Pain Management, Arthritis, Oxidation, Inflammation
•   Digestive Disorders, GERD, IBS., Colitis
•   Menopause, Pregnancy, Excessive Weight Gain During Pregnancy, Gestational Diabetes, Lactation Meal Plan, PCOS
•   Immune Disorders, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Hepatitis, MS
•   Chemotherapy, Malnutrition, Weight Gain, Poor Eating Habits

The answer is to teach your assistant how to provide a custom program that allows the patient to create their own program of food so that whether you are a Californian vegetarian or an Alabama meat eater, the patient will learn a system or program of eating to lose weight, control blood sugar, decrease insulin resistance and manage or prevent disease.   Meal Plan Examples & Info

The Lifestyle Nutrition Program® provides customized individualized nutritional programs for each patient without pushing (selling) the nutritional products and food restrictions. The customization of the program to the patient’s metabolic rate, age, height, weight, lean mass and activity level assures getting the clinical results without hunger or fatigue. The program is based on education, and long-term behavior modification techniques – It’s a Lifestyle …Not A Diet!! ® our slogan is the basis for long-term compliance, without deprivation. The patients find the program to be a positive uplifting experience and as a result client word of mouth referrals usually produce significant revenues into the practice.

Managing blood sugar and cravings while raising metabolism. WITH FOOD is the key to increases in lean mass, body fat reduction and increases in energy level!!! Patients and physicians are seeking an effective Non-Restrictive Food Program or system that allows a medical staff member to implement in the office without focusing on diet sheets and nutritional products.

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