Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is a Nutrition Therapist?

A Certified Nutrition Therapist (CNT) is trained to assess, implement and monitor the nutritional status of an individual, family or community. A CNT is dedicated to the promotion of long-term health through nutrition education. Certified Nutrition Therapists work within their communities promoting holistic healing education and dietary direction on the whole.

Nutrition therapy uses whole foods and functional supplements to balance the body’s systems; including the hormones and brain chemistry of individuals-the core of optimal wellness.  It is the science of supplying the brain and cells with the right mixture of nutrients.  Adjusting the diet, eliminating junk foods and ingesting the proper doses of essential vitamins, minerals and amino acids, can correct the chemical imbalances of disease.  This is the basis behind nutrition therapy.

 

Nutrition and Diet Therapy Overview

Nutrition and diet therapies educate people about the connection between food and health. Nutritionists promote good eating habits to help prevent disease and to treat preexisting conditions.  Proper nutrition also helps regulate behavior, increase energy and boost mood.

In therapy, nutritionists work with a patient's unique biological makeup to plan a diet regimen that will facilitate their return to optimal health.  They may educate those with high blood pressure about restricting salt intake, encourage diabetics to take vitamin E supplements to prevent complications and help restore low serotonin levels in alcoholics and patients suffering from drug addiction.

Though many of us are aware that a healthy diet can prevent disease, not enough of us know about the healing power of food.  With the right vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and amino acids, people can begin to fight all sorts of conditions from cancer to drug abuse.

For example, vitamin C can be used to help relieve the withdrawal symptoms that drug addicts suffer. And the amino acid tyrosine can be used to treat cocaine addiction. Other foods can provide a boost in daily functioning: oatmeal helps enhance memory, blueberries can heighten motor skills and salmon can improve cognition.

 

Applications of Nutrition and Diet Therapy

Nutrition Counseling
Nutrition counseling helps a patient assess his daily dietary intake and identify areas where change is needed. If a certain food, for example, is aggravating a patient's condition, a strategic menu may be designed to restore necessary nutrients. To further help the patient, information, support and

follow-up are also part of nutrition counseling.

 

Diet Therapy
Diet therapy alters a patient's diet to treat conditions such as obesity and diabetes. This therapy looks into conditions that are triggered by ingesting certain foods.  For example, some children who are unable to process synthetic petroleum-based food additives may show impaired learning.  Children with ADHD have similar learning impairments.  Experts have found that changing their diet may alleviate the condition.

 

Medical Nutrition Therapy
Medical nutrition therapy follows the evaluation of a patient's nutritional status. Assessment may include a review and analysis of the patient's past medical and diet histories. Therapy can range from minor changes in diet, such as the restriction of fat intake for those with cardiovascular disease, to the use of intravenous or feeding tubes—injecting vitamin C to relieve the withdrawal symptoms in morphine addicts, for example.

 

Weight Management
Being overweight or underweight can prohibit cardiovascular functioning and endanger vital organs. Nutritionists have designed weight-management programs that assist patients in all aspects of losing (or gaining) weight—including self-control, psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral treatment.

 

Nutrition Education
There are numerous health campaigns seeking to educate people about health, portion control, vitamins and tips on recommended daily intake. Nutritionists spread the word in schools and community health programs.

 

What is “Functional Medicine” and Holistic healthcare?

Holistic Nutrition and natural healthcare is aimed at treating the disease at the root and not just the symptom.  Nutritional protocols generally do not have the harmful side effects that many pharmaceutical drugs often have.  Pharmaceuticals are also designed to suppress symptoms, not cure disease.  Which method would you rather use?

 Benefits of Nutrition Consultation

• You have diabetes, cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure. Nutrition is an integral part of your health-care program by helping you to change your eating plan without compromising flavors.
    
• You have digestive problems. Nutrition therapists will work with your physician to help fine-tune your diet so you are not aggravating your condition with fried foods, too much caffeine or carbonation.
   
• You’re pregnant or trying to get pregnant. Nutrition therapy consultation can help make sure you get nutrients like folate, especially during the first three months of pregnancy, which can lower your newborn’s risk for neural tube or spinal cord defects.
    
• Your teenager has issues with food and eating healthfully. A nutrition therapist can assist with eating disorders-anorexia, bulimia, and overweight issues.
   
• You’re struggling with weight issues and need to gain or lose weight. A nutrition therapist can provide healthy calorie sources for healthy weight gain or a healthy low calorie eating plan-accompanied by regular physical activity-while still eating all your favorite foods.
   
• You’re caring for an aging parent. A nutrition therapist can help with food or drug interaction, proper hydration, special diets for hypertension and changing taste buds.
   
• You want to eat smarter to stay fit.  Nutrition consultation can help you sort through misinformation and get you on a healthy eating plan. You can learn how to read labels at the supermarket, how cooking healthy is inexpensive, how to eat out without ruining your eating plan and how to resist all of the office temptations.
   
• You want to improve your performance in sports. A nutritionist can help set goals to achieve high performance whether you’re running a marathon, skiing, or jogging your dog.

Benefits of Exercise

• Help you lose weight, especially fat – improve your physical appearance
• Improve and support brain function and memory
• Increase your level of muscular strength and endurance
• Maintain your resting metabolic rate to prevent weight gain
• Increase your stamina and ability to do continuous work
• Improve fitness levels or your body's ability to use oxygen
• Provide protection against injury
• Improve your balance and coordination
• Increase bone mineral density to prevent osteoporosis
• Lower resting heart rate and blood pressure
• Lower Body Mass Index (BMI) -- your fat-to-height ratio
• Reduce triglycerides, bad cholesterol (LDL), raises good cholesterol (HDL)
• Enhance sexual desire and performance
• Reduce heart disease risk and stroke
• Reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer
• Increase insulin sensitivity -- prevents type 2 diabetes
• Reduce your level of anxiety and help you manage stress
• Improve function of the immune system
• Improve your self-esteem and restore confidence
• Help you sleep better, relax, and improve mood

 

Why not just follow the latest diet plan?

Ideally, you should get all the nutrients you need from a balanced, healthy diet.  Unfortunately, the speed and stresses of modern life encourage the consumption of foods that inhibit rather than optimize your health.  The result: the inability of your body and mind to function at its highest potential.  This inferior level of wellness, as minor as it might be, often leads to mood disorders, fatigue, lowered immunity, chronic health problems and debilitating illness, as well as unnecessary hormonal imbalances and weight management issues.  Many people try diets and supplements recommended in books or magazines, but they still do not feel any better, sometimes they even feel worse. This is because each person's nutritional needs are different. 

Understand that the foods that you eat today have a direct correlation to the level of health and the quality of life that you will have tomorrow. 

 

What is a Food Journal and why do I have to complete this?

You will be asked to complete a 4-7 day food journal which will be analyzed by the Nutrition Therapist. From this information and additional research, an individualized program will be developed for the client to follow.

 

Can children benefit from nutrition therapy?

Understanding how food and lifestyle affects one's health is imperative and is very beneficial to install healthy habits at a young age.  However, this is sometimes not so easy.  Nutrition therapy can help with picky eaters, food sesnsitivities as well as many behavior and developmental concerns, such as hyperactivity, aggression, autism, and attention and focus issues.  It is often imporatnt to have the whole family involved with the treatment plan of children to ensure program compliance and consistency.

 

How do foods affect my moods?

The health of the brain is integral to the health of the body and its affects on mood and behavior.  The brain needs amino acids, vitamins, minerals, oxygen, protein, carbohydrates (glucose) and fatty acids to function properly.  What it does not need is refined sugars, saturated fats, hydrogenated fats, alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, medications, and other “recreational” drugs.  These non-nutrients actually rob the brain of its vital nutrients and alter the balances of many of the essential components for healthy brain function. 

 

What can I expect at my initial fitness consultation?

 

Payment Options

Earth and Water Wellness, LLC currently accepts cash and check only.  Earth and Water Wellness, LLC does not currently accept insurance.  However, we will provide you with the proper documentation to assist you in being reimbursed by your insurance company directly.  Please check with your insurance company to see if nutrition counseling and/or fitness training is covered.

Nutrition and fitness counseling may be tax-deductible if expenses exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income (for more information and current details, inquire with tax consultant).