What is medical nutrition therapy?
Medical nutrition therapy is a type of medical care in which a doctor combines their medical expertise with nutrition training to develop a personalized plan designed to improve each patient’s health and quality of life while lowering their risk of disease.
Medical nutrition plans are ordered and approved by a primary care physician.
This form of treatment has developed because research continues to conclude overwhelmingly that what we eat plays a massive role in every aspect of our health. The physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual aspects of our wellbeing are influenced by the food we choose to put into our bodies.
Every medical nutrition therapy session starts with an assessment and then moves into education and planning.
During the assessment, your doctor evaluates your physical state and assesses your overall nutritional needs. They will likely perform blood tests so they can check your electrolytes, hormonal levels, and other measurements.
Once the doctor has analyzed your individual health data, they will plan for you based on your results and the latest in nutritional research. They will sit down with you to share their knowledge and go over their recommendations. Then, you will work together to figure out how to start making small changes in your daily routine that, over time, will lead to considerable improvements in your energy, mood, and overall wellbeing.
Eating habits
If you are struggling to lose weight, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or other risk factors for disease, it is a great idea to seek the care of a doctor who has training in nutrition therapy.
The doctor will talk with you about your eating and exercise habits and work with you to develop a nutrition plan that works for your lifestyle and preferences.
If you love certain vegetables over others or have certain foods you just can’t stand, there is no problem at all - your doctor will work with you to personalize your meal plans.
Through nutrition therapy, patients often discover just how many options there are for eating healthy. This means that diet plans can be easily tailored to your tastes so that your food is not only good for you but tastes delicious, too.
As patients begin to eat healthier, studies show that their preferences will actually start to change. They begin to enjoy and even crave the taste of more nutritious foods, while junk foods strike them as too sweet or too artificial.
In fact, you can start to retrain your palate in just three days of clean, healthy eating!
It may take more time for you to get used to your new diet, however, so stick with it. Like any new habit, it requires about two months of consistent, diligent efforts to transform a new diet into an effortless part of your routine. Regular visits to your doctor will help you stay accountable, get support, and keep working towards your goals.
Recommendations of an Internal Medicine Doctor
Dr. Borisiak is an Internal Medicine doctor who began practicing medical nutrition therapy when she saw remarkable changes in her patients after following a few simple recommendations she made for diet and lifestyle changes.
When she began offering full nutrition therapy sessions, she was amazed by the results.
“I’ve had patients take the initial assessments and be in the red for all kinds of health measurements,” said Dr. Borisiak. “We start to slowly introduce daily changes in their habits, and some patients do amazingly well--a year later, their results change from mostly red to mostly green. Their blood work is better, energy levels higher, the mood is more positive. That is not something a pill can do alone; it’s a change in lifestyle that starts from the inside out.”
Active Habits Get Incredible Results
Dr. Borisiak helps her patients find a way to get active every that works for their particular health conditions and preferences.
“We work together to choose the right exercise for them. It always goes back to an individualized approach--some people have a bad knee, some a bad back, some love to swim, some don’t… it’s about finding a way to stay active that works for each person and to encourage them to try new things,” explained Dr. Borisiak.
“I’ve worked with patients who discover a love for bicycling or dancing or even weight lifting. There are so many ways to get active, and patients surprise themselves with what they can learn to love to do.”
Psychological Health Matters
Dr. Borisiak makes sure to find out more about the psychological side of her patients’ health and wellness. She asks them if there’s anything that might be bothering them or anything that might get in the way of making progress with lifestyle changes.
As Dr. Borisiak says, “sometimes people feel stuck in their routine and feel like they can’t change because there’s an underlying issue at play. Overeating Lasix medicine can be a coping mechanism for patients struggling with depression or difficult situations. A major life event like a divorce or a death might be involved. I talk with patients about their mood and what they often worry about so that we can get to that underlying issue.”
Final Words from Dr. Borisiak
“To be fit, happy, and healthy, you don’t need to focus on a particular number on the scale or always consume a certain number of calories a day. Being healthy means feeling good in your body, and how you get there is different for every person. Working one-on-one with a doctor will help you get that individual attention and care so you can make amazing changes happen.”
Tatiana Borisiak
8251 W Broward Blvd Suite 103, Plantation, FL
(954) 255-7310
If you’d like to make an appointment with Dr. Borisiak or another one of our excellent doctors at CCG, give us a call at (954) 255-7310 or maybe you would like to make an appointment with our online doctors. Same-day appointments are available, and walk-ins are also welcome. Our Internal Medicine Plantation office is open on Saturdays if you can’t make it during the week.