Services

Nutrition Services and Counseling

Nutrition Plans Specific to Your Health Needs

At Manatee Physician Alliance, patients can benefit from the care of specialized dietitians and nutritionists. Nutrition services are provided by a registered dietitian. They specialize in adult weight management, bariatric nutrition counseling, and medical nutrition therapy for high blood pressure and diabetes. 

The dietitians can educate and help patients plan for healthy diet changes based on medical conditions, doctor prescriptions and your own goals. Physicians and primary care practitioners may work directly with nutrition specialists to support their patients.

Dietitians can help diagnose and treat illnesses. Through collaboration with doctors, they can create nutrition plans specific to your needs. They can help with meal planning, lifestyle and behavior change. Nutrition counselors provide basic nutrition education to help you gain an overall greater understanding of food and nutrition.   

Manatee Physician Alliance Nutrition Services

Preventive nutrition care

Preventive nutrition care focuses on avoiding or reducing the impacts and complications of diseases. It is especially beneficial for combating heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. For example, heart disease is most commonly caused by fatty plaque building up in the heart’s arteries. Fatty plaque can be caused by high cholesterol. 

The American Heart Association recommends that you should check cholesterol levels every four years. HDL cholesterol, or good cholesterol, protects you against heart attack. However, LDL cholesterol, or bad cholesterol builds up plaque in the arteries. 

One major risk factor for high cholesterol is poor diet. Foods with high amounts of saturated fat and choline results in plaque buildup in the arteries during the metabolism process. To avoid diseases where poor nutrition is a risk factor, nutrition counseling can be useful for patients. You can learn about making healthier choices and create a dietary plan with a dietitian. 

Weight-loss counseling

Weight-loss counseling can be very beneficial for adults struggling to lose weight. According to a study by the International Journal of Obesity, adults who are overweight or obese are about four times more likely to attempt to lose weight with weight-loss counseling.

The goal of weight-loss counseling is to educate patients. Counselors help you eat healthy and consume fewer calories to meet your weight loss goals. They go over eating habits with patients, not only what and how much they eat, but how and when they eat.

While conscious and healthy eating is an important part of a weight-loss journey, counselors also recommend patients exercise regularly. They help you develop a personalized exercise regiment.

Bariatric nutrition counseling

Bariatric nutritionists counsel and aid patients through the weight-loss surgery process. Counseling improves chances of a healthy recovery post-surgery and long term weight control.

Preoperative counseling helps patients considered candidates for bariatric surgery. Counseling influences post-surgery weight-loss by preparing patients for potential side effects. Screening for nutritional deficiencies helps your doctor develop a plan for added protein and vitamin intake in your diet.

Postoperative nutritional counseling consists of follow-up care with a dietitian. Nutritional counseling post-surgery addresses necessary lifestyle changes and difficulties implementing healthy eating habits. 

Meal planning education

Meal planning can make healthy eating and weight control simpler. Dietitians on staff can help you outline a healthy diet that balances the five food groups. Meal planning consists of calorie allowance, alternative ingredients and preparation. 

Calorie allowance can vary from person to person. Writing down what you eat on a day to day basis can help you stay within your recommended calorie allowance. Staying within a healthy range can help keep or lose weight. 

Alternative ingredients can be used in your favorite recipes to make them more calorie conscious. Understanding food labels can help you swap out ingredients high in fat, sodium, cholesterol and sugars. For example, you can swap out whole eggs, which are high in cholesterol, for egg whites in your breakfast meal. 

Meal preparation consists of preparing for future meals. Make a grocery list for the healthy meals you plan to make, keeping your schedule in mind. Planning ahead can prevent you from eating unhealthy fast food.

Medical nutrition therapy

Medical nutrition therapy services are beneficial for patients diagnosed with diabetes or kidney disease. A registered dietitian provides a personalized, nutrition-based treatment. They seek to understand your personal eating habits and how it may affect your health using an in-depth nutritional assessment. They help you establish your care plan, goals and interventions to improve your nutrition. 

The nutrition services department is ready to treat serious medical conditions, including: 

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Chronic kidney disease
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• High cholesterol