Dietitians believe that a healthy diet acts as a preventive measure and protects you from developing any further medical condition. They mentor & want their clients to make small & steady lifestyle changes which are easier to stick to without sabotaging your efforts.

During your nutritional counseling, a dietitian will ask you about your weight, height, recent medical conditions, cultural background, dietary habits & food preferences, daily work schedule, and also about your daily physical activity.

Keeping these pointers in mind, she will then plan your diet according to your target goal and so that your body gets the required nourishment & energy to function throughout the day. A structured & customized plan every week as per your routine, which takes account of little details and your food habits just makes it easier to follow.

It’s not uncommon to feel that feeding ourselves is no biggie and we all can do it without someone’s help but it’s always good to welcome an expert’s advice, isn’t it? Here are 10 reasons how a nutritionist can help you improve your eating habits and overall health & well-being:

1. You wish to see your weight budge on the scale.

Being too overweight or too skinny is not where we want to be. Working closely with your nutritionist can help you achieve the desired weight & be successful in your weight loss or weight gain journey.

2. You’re always feeling weird in your tummy.

Erroneous eating habits can lead to various digestive problems like gas, bloating, stomach cramps, diarrhea, constipation, and acidity. Your nutritionist can guide you as to how to make small tweaks in your diet and lifestyle in order to eliminate such issues. They can also help in case you are diagnosed with digestive disorders like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)¹, Crohn’s disease², or Celiac disease³ and make your experience less daunting.

3. Your blood reports are haywire or you have been diagnosed with a chronic disease. 

Fluctuating blood parameters may indicate that you need to make changes in your diet and lifestyle. Getting your eating habits in order can help you manage your current medical condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cholesterol, etc. effectively. 

“I have been a diabetic for the past 3 years. My diabetes has mainly developed due to my recent weight gain over the past few years. Almost 6 months back, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and that’s when I decided to take charge of my health. After 6 months, of eating a healthy and balanced diet, both my blood sugars and blood pressure are under control.” — 34-year-old client from Chennai.

4. Eating certain foods gets you iffy.

Many people are unable to tolerate different kinds of foods due to being allergic or intolerant to these foods. Lactose intolerance, egg allergy, gluten intolerance or soya allergy are few such examples. A dietitian can help you figure out how to eliminate such foods in your diet and correct ways to supplement it’s nutrients in order to avoid any deficiencies.

5. You feel tired during your workouts or find it difficult to lift heavier weights.

If you’re an athlete or just want to climb up the stairs as fast as your kids, a dietitian can help plan your diet according to your workout schedule to ensure that your body gets the required nourishment to prevent any damage & maximize recovery.

6. Planning healthy meals for you & your family puts you in a fix:

Not everybody is good at everything. Meal preparation & coming up with interesting snacks for ourselves or for our kids every day can be a little nerve-wracking. Your dietitian can help you with new recipes that are not only tasty but also pack a punch of nutrition.

7. You want to know more about what’s and how’s to eating healthy:

Following a diet and starting on a journey to a healthier life can be a lot by itself but one of the most important things to remember is that you are not alone in your efforts and your dietitian is always one call away. Better than Google, she will be your trusted resource person when it comes to all the nutrition queries and will find the right foods for you that would be best for you to achieve your target goal. 

She will keep you motivated, reminding you of how far you have come because of your sole efforts so that you don’t lose sight of your goals and are constantly working towards it.

“I never believed in following a diet plan and thought that it leads to weakness due. But after starting the nutrition plan, I have never felt more energetic and after seeing the results I was motivated to follow the diet religiously. I now believe that a diet plan can be more scientific and the results can be achieved.” — 46-year-old client from Bangalore.

8. You want to build a better relationship with food & avoid stress eating:

As humans, we all have a strong emotional connection with food. We associate food with happiness, sadness, anger, etc. Emotional eating or letting our feelings drive what we choose to eat not only affects what we eat but how much we eat. During such situations of emotional turmoil, we might reach out to not-so-healthy food items. Talking out our emotions and getting assistance from your nutritionist will help you navigate through the traps of disordered eating⁴ and stay on track.

9. You need help to keep track of your daily food intake:

Writing a food diary⁵ as suggested by your nutritionist just before going to bed is a great tool that can help you self-analyze your week and keep track of your food intake. When you know that this food diary has to be sent/ shown to the nutritionist every week, writing it becomes fun. Knowing that you have to report someone every week to check on the status and your adherence to the plan makes an individual much more disciplined towards following the regime.

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