What's integrative nutrition

An integrative nutrition consultation is much more involved...the following will give you an idea about what to expect when working with me...

Personalized nutrition consultations are my specialty.  Generalizations can only take you so far; we all know we should eat more vegetables, and that we should probably prioritize hydration but beyond that most people aren’t sure...

The upside of the nutrition profession is that it involves everyone - we all have to eat!  The downside is that there’s so much information out there it can be a little overwhelming, and confusing.

One of my clients put it perfectly:
“I was just about to start the ketogenic diet, I’d read all about it, thought I knew it all (or at least as much as I needed to know anyway), but then a friend said it could actually make me gain more weight because it could interfere with my thyroid function...is that true?  I’m so confused, how do I figure out what’s right for me?”

I’ve been in practice as a nutrition consultant for 13 years to-date, including 9 years with One Medical, and thoroughly enjoy the process of helping my clients navigate their way to better health.

How does my process of personalization work?  I start by taking the time to evaluate the big picture...

In addition to reviewing recent blood tests, I also review medical, family, and surgical history, and inquire about medications and/or supplements...they’re all essential pieces of information.  I also get my clients to complete a Medical Symptoms Questionnaire (MSQ) which is a simple tool to help me catch any additional symptoms as we start to work together.  

This process of information gathering is followed-up by a thorough face-to-face discussion about all of the above, and detailed dialog about dietary and lifestyle habits and preferences (including sleep status, energy levels, physical activity, gastrointestinal function), all of which enables me to provide personalized nutrition advice.

What are the steps involved?

Start by booking one of my complimentary 15 minute informational sessions.  
These complimentary sessions facilitate the following:
– further inquiry about my areas of expertise
– an opportunity to see how easy it is to connect via Zoom
– brief review of your goals and next steps for booking an appointment

Complete my intake forms, and share labs via my HIPAA compliant electronic medical record system.

Visit the book now section of my website, and choose the appropriate package option.  Note, we’ve likely discussed which is most fitting during your complimentary informational session.

I review everything you’ve shared before we reconnect for your 1st appointment.

The 1st appointment consists of 3 different segments:

(1) Filling-in the gaps...
You’ve shared lots of information which will likely need some clarification, e.g., maybe your labs show your HA1c is slightly elevated...I’ll need to know if is this the first time it’s been flagged, is there a family history of diabetes etc. etc.

(2) Lifestyle review 
This involves discussion about the key influences of everything in our lives...how well you sleep, how you manage stress, how’s your energy throughout the day (do you wake feeling rested), what exercise you’re doing, and how well your gastrointestinal system functions etc.

(3) Dietary review
I’ll ask you to describe what an average day looks like in terms of food, and timing of meals, and we’ll discuss dietary preferences in general.

Within 24 hours of your 1st appointment you’ll receive an email outlining your personalized game-plan, specific to your goals.

Then, you take ~14 days to work on implementing our agreed plan, and come back to discuss.  We’ll talk about what worked well, what didn’t work, what you’d like to do more of/less of…what you think you need more of/less of etc. etc.

It’s an iterative process.  
You can iterate as often as you’d like/as often as you’re willing/as much as necessary.
Nutrition is similar to yoga in that there isn’t a specific destination; it’s a journey.
My job is to ensure that the pursuit of health and wellness is an enjoyable process, and my goal is to get my clients to embrace the adventure as well as enjoy the ride.

The following visual sums up the process:

I conduct all of my appointments with my clients via Zoom’s HIPAA compliant Telehealth platform so we can meet wherever is convenient for you.
You might think connecting remotely is difficult or maybe you think it’d be too impersonal…

• It’s actually super easy, as well as incredibly convenient - you don’t have to deal with any of the hassles of travel/parking etc.

• All you need to do is download Zoom on your laptop/phone

• Then book a complimentary informational session (via the book now section on my website) so you can see how easy it is to connect from wherever suits you.
  Note, you will be asked to enter your credit card details to reserve the 15 minute appointment, but rest assured you will not be charged provided you're respectful of my cancellation policy.

I look forward to helping you move beyond relying on generalized nutrition advice.