People increasingly choose to have an integrated form of health care that includes both conventional Western medical care and complementary therapies. A facility that offers a broad range of services is very much in demand. This type of health care center might offer services such as physical therapy, chiropractic care, mental health care and Nutrition Service in addition to family medicine and urgent care. A person who wants to learn better nutrition strategies to lose weight, have more energy, feel better or achieve other health-related goals will appreciate being able to consult with a registered dietitian and other professional staff members.
For instance, a person who has just been diagnosed with celiac disease no longer can eat anything containing gluten. Consulting with a Nutrition Service dietitian can help resolve the overwhelming confusion about what exactly is not allowed on the new diet and what the individual can still enjoy.
The patient and the dietitian create meal plans and weekly menus as the patient learns how to investigate which foods contain hidden gluten. A pizza chain may advertise a gluten-free pizza. However, if the website admits that the gluten-free crusts are made in the same room as wheat crusts are, those pizzas are not be suitable for an individual with celiac disease because they can be “contaminated” with wheat flour. The patient learns how to effectively use Google to find all the important information about various foods on the market and in restaurants.
With the help of a dietitian at a facility such as Allegheny Medical Integrated Health Services, this patient learns how to prepare meals that don’t make her feel deprived. She learns how to manage eating at restaurants, going to dinners at other people’s homes and strategies for dealing with “treat days” at work.
This individual is likely to discover that her diet is substantially healthier without all the processed food she used to consume. Now, she’s back to the healthy basics of eating a reasonable amount of meat, poultry and fish, along with plenty of vegetables and fruit. She can still enjoy gluten-free cereal, bread and cookies, and may even learn how to make gluten-free pancakes and pizza crust. Having a dietitian on her team makes this process much easier. You can also visit them on Facebook or Google+
