Looking For a Nutritionist? Things to Know Before You Search
We are what we eat. But eating healthy is confusing. From complex carbs, glycemic index, to polyunsaturated fats, it is really puzzling to know what and how much to eat.
This is where the role of a nutritionist comes into play. A nutritionist is a trained person who helps us eat better. They are experts who know how the body processes what we eat. A good nutritionist keeps abreast with the latest research on how foods affect our health.
When do you need to see a nutritionist?
While anyone looking for better health should see a nutritionist, some people must have a nutritional consultation. Some of the reasons to meet with a nutrition expert are:
- To support digestive issues such as IBS, IBD, bloating, indigestion, etc.
- Those who are training for a sports event or trying to improve overall fitness
- Those who want general healthy eating advice
- Those looking for advice on how to support an existing health condition through nutrition
- For advice on healthy and sustainable weight loss
But this is not a complete list of reasons. The need to find a nutritionist depends on the person and the reasons can include more than one.
Before any nutritional consultation, some questions are asked about your health to provide follow-ups. This helps a nutritionist get a really good overall picture of your current health status, diet, and lifestyle.
These are some questions you will be asked:
- Your reason for seeing the nutritionist
- Your symptoms, if any
- Medical history
- Your family history
- Lifestyle
- Levels of exercise/ physical activity
- General state of health
The consultation?
The initial consultation can be 60 and 90 minutes long. During that time, your nutritionist focuses on gathering more information from you. A good homework on these questions will be useful during the consultation.
Gaining as much information from you as possible helps them to identify nutritional, diet and lifestyle-related factors that could be a bit of what contributes to your current symptoms and health conditions.
No matter what the purpose is that drives you to visit a nutritionist, after the consultation, you will come out with personalized and safe nutrition and lifestyle program specifically tailored based on your individual requirements.
A follow-up consultation after 3-4 weeks is advisable. However, there are many nutritionists in Long Beach CA that provide some level of telephone and/or e-mail support between sessions to monitor progress.
