Delaware Nutrition Counselor: What is Nutritional Counseling?

Our Claymont DE Chiropractor, Dr. Francis is a licensed nutritionist. Nutrition counseling is a type of assessment or counseling that analyzes various health needs in regards to diet and exercise. A nutritional counseling session is a great way to help you set achievable health goals and will teach you various ways of maintaining these goals throughout your lifetime. This type of assessment is beneficial to a wide variety of people and can help those with diseases and disorders. During this assessment, the counselor evaluates the patient and provides their professional assessment based on a person's current status, helping to improve overall health. 

How does Nutritional Counseling Work?

The course of treatment with a nutritional counselor usually consists of, but is not limited to, an in depth assessment of one's overall health, a trial of supplements and personalized whole food meal planning, coaching and counseling to maintain the recommended diet and supplements, adjustments to the plan until physical and emotional symptoms subside and the optimal health goals have been reached. Follow up session are also highly recommended. 

Nutritional counseling provides many benefits, including:

• Weight loss 
• Increase in energy
• Healthier lifestyle and overall diet
• Improved mood and happiness
• Better quality sleep
• Reduced symptoms of disease and health issues
• Less drastic range of emotions
• An increase in longevity
• Strengthened immune system
• Lesser chance of disorders and disease appearing
• Better ability to concentrate

Why is Nutritional Counseling Important? 

 Nutritional Counseling can be the push you need to lead a healthier lifestyle. When you invest in nutritional counseling services, you'll benefit from: 

A personalized plan. You'll work with a nutrition counselor to come up with a plan that fits your needs and is manageable from the start. Your needs will be thoroughly assessed and analyzed to develop a plan and pace that's right for you. 

A healthier you. Proper nutrition and an exercise routine will provide you enough energy to make it through each day. Without a proper diet and exercise level, you're at risk for health issues and diseases.

Knowledge of healthy foods that actually taste good! Healthy eating habits aren't limited to bland, boring veggies. When you work with a nutrition counselor, you'll discover foods that are not only good for you, but also taste good. 

Will Nutritional Counseling Help Me Lose Weight?

Absolutely! Maintaining good nutrition can help you maintain a healthy weight, which in turn can reduce strain on your back and joints. Consuming processed foods, excess amounts of sugar and junk food can also lead to decreased energy and daily fatigue. With nutritional counseling, we can help you make positive food choices with easy and simple dietary changes and develop an exercise routine that will improve your overall health and lead to weight loss.

However, it is important to keep in mind that losing weight may take time and will not happen overnight. Patience is key! Our nutritional counseling will provide you the tools to help you lose and maintain your final goal weight. Nutritional counseling, however, is not only for people wanting to lose weight. Improving nutrition will improve your day to day life in many different ways. From better quality of sleep, increased athletic performance, and improved mood, energy levels, and overall well being.

Who Can Benefit from a Nutritional Consultation? 

Most people can benefit from a Nutritional Consultation. This type of counseling can be beneficial to all ages and walks of life, including athletes, pregnant women, the elderly and people with medical complications. Commonly, people with the following conditions and/or concerns are optimal candidates for a consult: 

• Poor nutrition and eating habits
• Diabetes
• Persistent back or neck strain
• Poor posture
• Osteoporosis
• Eating disorders (some of which may require eating disorder treatment)
• Digestive complications
• HIV
• Cancer
• Hypertension
• Nausea
• Nutritional questions
• Fitness goals 
• Allergies
• Organ problems
• Obesity
• Hypoglycemia
• Menopause
• Heart diseases

How Are Nutritional Counseling and Chiropractic Care Related? 

Chiropractic care helps patients achieve optimal wellness and holistic health. Having a good nutritional plan in place is a key component in achieving this. At Francis Optimal Performance Chiropractic, we provide nutritional recommendations to achieve complete health and wellness. We offer specialized nutritional programs that are carefully structured to meet our patients’ individual needs and goals. 

Your diet can significantly impact your entire body, including your muscular, skeletal, and nervous system. That is why it is important to have a healthy diet and fitness level because you may be indirectly contradicting the work that is performed by your experienced chiropractor.

Chiropractic Care and Nutrition Affect the Nervous System

Your nervous system plays an important role in your body. The brain and spinal cord tell your body what to do and how to do it. They also help your body to process food and what nutrients the body needs. However, if you aren't providing your body with the nourishment it needs, your nervous system can be disrupted. 

Everything in chiropractic care revolves around spinal and nervous system health. If you are causing major disruptions in the nervous system and are not providing the proper nourishment, you may not receive the full benefit of chiropractic care. Good nutrition allows both the nervous system and the skeletal system to work together toward healing and positive health. 

Good Nutrition Can Reduce Inflammation

One of the most common issues seen in chiropractic care is inflammation of the muscles surrounding the spine. This can be caused by major injuries or even twisting the wrong way while getting into the car. Inflammation can also be caused by major diseases like cancer, heart disease, or diabetes. The possible causes for inflammation throughout the body are nearly endless. An easy way to fight unnecessary inflammation is to adopt a diet that incorporates anti-inflammatory foods such as, leafy greens, olive oil, fish, fruits, and nuts. 

Not only do these foods greatly reduce the risk of inflammation, they also offer protective factors. They contain antioxidants that can neutralize free radicals in the body and promote healthy cells. Free radicals form when food is digested and the body is unable to process it. The end result is known as oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can cause diseases like heart disease, cancer, stroke and arthritis.