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How Do I Find Nutrition Counseling Near Me.

What to Expect Working With a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

IBS trained Registered Dietitian Denise Barratt

How do I get started? Questions You May Have.

How to find the best nutrition counseling near me? Can they help? What is the best way to find the right one for me? What process works to schedule your appointment? How are the sessions structured? What number of visits do I to attend?

A registered dietitian nutritionist is the nutrition expert who can personally customize each client’s nutrition plan individually. This is based on their individual needs, work schedule, lifestyle and any fine tuning each person’s eating habits. Together, you and I can find solutions to your challenges so they don’t get in the way of your success.

How long does an initial nutrition session take?

An initial nutrition consultation takes 60-90 minutes depending on your health status and goals. A follow-up runs 30-60 minutes. However, health issues and your situation determine the time needed to assess and collaborate to individualize your eating plan!

How many times will we meet?

The amount of time needed depends on what you want to accomplish. The low fodmap diet for IBS clients requires at least 3 visits to successfully achieve your goals. Permanent behavior takes more than one visit. So, a pre-paid discounted package of 3 visits can be a good way to go if you pay out of pocket.

Does insurance cover for nutrition counseling near me?

Yes, some do! For example, I am a provider for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, Federal and State Employees Plan. However, Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans from other states and as well as other insurance companies often do not pay for nutrition visits.

What types of health conditions can be improved with the nutrition therapy?

Nutrition therapy from a registered dietitian nutritionist helps clients in manage chronic health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, digestive health issues and autoimmune conditions. In addition, I provide nutrition recommendations for people with cancer, osteoporosis and many other health conditions.

In fact, a registered dietitian nutritionist helps clients cooking on a budget, tips for healthy dining-out, easy meal planning options and much more!

Here are a few key steps that we may take on our journey together:

STEP ONE: Sign Up for Your First Personalized Nutrition Visit

Are ready to get started with your personalized nutrition visit?

If you need more information, you can sign up for a free 15-minute “Get to Know Each Other Phone Call”! During this quick call, we can see if I can help and if we will make a great team to work together.

If you are all ready to get started, contact me at Vine Ripe Nutrition

what foods are needed for a healthy gut

STEP TWO: Nutrition Assessment

During our journey, I will take your diet history and we will discuss the foods you like to eat. And how to include these foods in your meal plan. After that, I give additional resources and tips. If you have IBS, we will determine if the low FODMAP diet or another approach is best. Additional assessments may be needed to make sure that we are on the right track.

STEP THREE: Ongoing Support

Depending on the amount of accountability and encouragement needed will determine how many follow-ups to monitor your progress and make needed adjustments. During follow-ups, you will be provided additional information for your journey. In addition, I provide clients with ongoing online support with the Vine Ripe Nutrition blog posts and recipes.

Here Are Some Answers to a Few Questions People Have

Picture of Basket of Vegetables

What is the difference between a Nutritionist and a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist?

Do you wonder how to find a qualified nutrition therapist/counselor? How will we know if the person that we are working with provides evidenced based nutrition based on the lastest research? It can be challenging because there is confusing and conflicting information out there.

Did you know the term nutritionist is a NOT a legally defined term? Anyone can call themself a nutritionist but it may not make a person qualified to provide appropriate nutrition care.

A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDNs) is food and nutrition expert and health care provider who has earned the RDN credential has successfully completed the following criteria:

-We must graduate with a bachelor’s degree at a US regionally accredited university or college that includes additional course work accredited or approved by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

-In addition, we finish an ACEND-accredited supervised practice program at a health-care facility, community agency, foodservice corporation which may be combined with undergraduate or graduate studies. A practice program will usually run between six to 12 months.

-After that, we must pass a national board examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

-Above and beyond, we must continue our training by taking 75 hours continuing professional educational to maintain the national registration every 5 years.

-All Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN (or Registered Dietitians (RD) another preferred name) are nutritionists but not all nutritionists have had the education or training to be a nutrition expert. 10 Reasons to See an RDN (eatright.org)

State Licensure of Nutrition Providers

Therefore, to make sure nutrition providers are qualified, many states require nutrition providers pass an exam and show training in order to obtain a state license. In North Carolina to practice nutrition therapy, a person must have a license. You will see the designation LDN (which is Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist) to determine if a person is licensed.

What is health coaching?

Health coaching is another term that is not consistently regulated. Several organizations certify people to have a coaching certificate. These certificates vary in training and some are more rigorous than others. A few people don’t even have a certificate and designate themselves as a health coach. And so it is important to ask questions about their training to know what qualifications a coach has.

Health coaching is a technique where clients receiving are empowered to set their own goals and determine the direction that works best for them. Registered Dietitian Nutritionists can incorporate many these counseling techniques without obtaining a certification. That is because many of us have been required to take college courses on behavioral change and education techniques that include these.

In fact, much of my health coaching training has been on-the- job training with four major research studies. During the years with the studies, I was trained in behavior change, motivational enhancements in addition to health coaching by some of the top experts in the field of behavior change.  This work experience helps me incorporate many of the concepts in my nutrition sessions!

Here is some additional information about 5 reasons to work with an Asheville Nutritionist and Registered Dietitian.

I look forward to helping you achieve your health goals!

Schedule your appointment here!