Prepare for the Feasting Season with a Nutritional Assessment

In America, late November is a food-heavy month.  Feasts are planned. Tables are decked. Family is gathered and food is consumed. This is a time of celebration for many, but can cause feelings of guilt, expanding waistlines, and worry for many food-conscious individuals. Schedule a nutritional assessment today so we can help prepare you for the feasting season with meal plans, eating tips, and information about what your body needs to feel its best.  According to Health.gov, about half of all American adults have one or more preventable, diet-related chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and overweight and obesity. Everything you eat and drink during your life is either building a healthier you or compromising your health.  What you choose to eat over the long-haul of your life can determine how you age and how healthy and strong your bones are for you in the future. Choosing to partner with a member of our Texas Spine and Sports Center team to improve your nutrition can help you be healthy now and into the future.

Take Dietary Action with a Nutritional Assessment

Research has shown that Americans commonly suffer from at least one nutritional deficiency that they are unaware of. We tend to have more than enough sodium and fat in our diets but not enough of the vital nutrients like: vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, and iron. The American Heart Association offers some great diet and healthy lifestyle habits that can improve your current and future health.  Our office offers our patients a nutritional assessment so that we can find out what deficiencies they may have, and to discuss with them ways to improve their lifestyle habits.  Nutritional deficiencies can lead to unwelcome symptoms and problems.  As you approach this holiday season, let us prepare you by educating you on healthy portion size, the amount of calories your body needs given your frame, exercise habits, weight goals, age and current health. Understanding what and how to eat can help you enter the holiday feasting season with a plan. Diets that need attention but don’t get it cause ripple effects leading to unwelcome symptoms and problems.

Five Dietary Guidelines

The U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and of Agriculture (USDA) jointly publish a report every five years that offers nutritional and dietary information and guidelines for the general public. The most recent report offers guidelines for the 2015-2020 year span. Through the research of these two government funded/supported nutritional agencies, they established five guidelines to support healthy eating habits:

• Follow a healthy eating pattern across the lifespan
• Focus on variety, nutrient density and amount
• Limit calories from added sugars and saturated fats and reduce sodium intake.
• Shift to healthier food and beverage choices
• Support healthy eating patterns for all

What Happens During an Nutritional Assessment

Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center staff begin your nutritional assessment with an open dialogue about your current relationship with food and what your body needs compared with what it is actually getting.  The goal of this open communication process is to work together to establish a treatment and wellness plan to improve your current and future health.  The components of our nutritional assessment are designed around the five guidelines listed above from the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and of Agriculture (USDA) along with our natural treatment methods and supplements:

• Regular chiropractic care
• Healthy eating patterns
• Taking vitamin supplements
• Food tracking and exercise for maintaining a healthy weight
• Stress management

Your professional nutritional assessment will provide you with information, tools, treatments, accountability and support to get you to your wellness goals and to keep you there.

Nutritional Assessment Tests and Analysis

When it comes to establishing your nutritional treatment plan, we don’t offer our patients a cookie-cutter approach.  Our Austin-area clinic provides you with a personalized approach to nutritional and bodily wellness with numerous testing methods.  We need a full picture of your food-related health to ensure we offer you the precise care you need.  Testing the body with electricity can help us get an accurate picture of the fat deposits of your body, which can reveal surprising details if you are overweight or obese. We also offer complete blood testing to identify deficiencies in crucial nutrients like iron, Vitamin B12, and calcium. If you are honest during the food tracking phase, we can quickly pinpoint culprits in your diet raising your weight and make recommendations to fill in nutrient gaps.

Nutritional assessments at Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center include more than just a food diary and blood tests. We also take into account any pre-existing conditions and medications  because these can both block the absorption of crucial minerals and nutrients. Patients are surprised to learn that one of their medications may be prohibiting the proper uptake of calcium from the food they are eating. If this is the case, you may need immediate supplementation to prevent serious health problems from developing. We customize our treatment and dietary plans to what your body needs using both whole food sources and supplements.

Free Consultation

Improve your relationship with food. Start this holiday season off on the right foot by knowing where you stand with your nutrition and your nutritional needs. Taking action now will help you enjoy your holiday more and get you on the path toward a lifetime of total body wellness. Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center provides specialized treatment plans in Austin and can help you understand what it will take to improve your diet and health.  Call (512) 806-0015 today to schedule your free consultation!