Specialty Area: Nutrition

Description of Specialty: Medical Nutrition Therapy provides nutrition assessment, counseling and therapy by a Registered Dietitian. Patients often are referred by a physician or by self referral.

1. Diagnosis: Hyperlipidemia

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Where can I find a Registered Dietitian?
  2. How can medical nutrition therapy help change my blood lipids?
  3. What amount of fat is acceptable?
  4. Why does the type of fat consumed make a difference to blood lipids?
  5. Can I balance my food over time or must each meal be the perfect fat balance?
  6. What is the difference among saturated, polyunsaturated and very unsaturated fats?

2. Diagnosis: Diabetes

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Can you refer me to a Registered Dietitian?
  2. What role does diet and keeping my weight down play in my diabetes?
  3. Why do my meals need to be balanced throughout the day?
  4. Why is protein at meals helpful with blood sugar control?
  5. How should I change my eating if I'm exercising?
  6. If my blood sugar drops with exercise, what should I eat?
  7. Why are table sugar and other sweets now acceptable for diabetics?

3. Diagnosis: Hypertension

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Could I get help from a Registered Dietitian?
  2. How much salt should I consume?
  3. What is the difference between salt and sodium?
  4. How much difference does sodium really make to my blood pressure?
  5. Can my blood pressure be aggravated by my weight?
  6. Will exercise provide any benefit to my blood pressure?

4. Diagnosis: Herbal Products

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Can herbs provide a health benefit?
  2. How much help is safe and needed to get benefits?
  3. How do I know if the product I buy is effective?
  4. How do herbs react with other medications?

5. Diagnosis: Cholesterol

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is cholesterol?
  2. What makes cholesterol good or bad?
  3. What should my Cholesterol levels be?
  4. How can I decrease Cholesterol, increase HDL, decrease LDL and decrease triglycerides?
  5. Where can I get my Cholesterol levels checked?
  6. How often should my levels be checked if normal or if on treatment?

6. Diagnosis: Weight Control

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Can you refer me to a Registered Dietitian?
  2. What is a "healthy weight"?
  3. What is the safest way to lose body fat and keep it off?
  4. Will weight loss help with my overall health?
  5. Can I lose weight just by cutting calories?
  6. What role does exercise play?
  7. How can you judge diet products on the market and their effectiveness?

7. Diagnosis: Anorexia/Bulimia

Questions that should be asked:

  1. Where can I find a Registered Dietitian who specializes in eating disorders?
  2. What are the short and long-term health risks of eating disorders?
  3. What is the role of family and family support in this disease?
  4. What treatments are effective and how long will they take?
  5. Does exercise need to stop?
  6. Is this a lifelong illness?

8. Diagnosis: Constipation

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is constipation?
  2. Will eating fiber help?
  3. Are there different kinds of fiber?
  4. Are there certain fruits or vegetables high in fiber I should eat?
  5. Can one take too much fiber?

9. Diagnosis: Homocysteine

Questions that should be asked:

  1. What is homocysteine and how high a level is harmful?
  2. When should a level be checked or is this necessary?
  3. Can I take anything in my regular diet to alter the level without doing a test?

Connie Diekman, M.Ed. R.D., FADA Registered Dietitian Private Practice St. Louis, MO

                                                                                               

Home Page