What is a Dietitian?

A Dietitian has completed at least a Bachelor’s degree in science, specializing in foods and nutrition and an accredited internship. Passage of a national certification exam is then required, with ongoing continuing education courses necessary each year to maintain the Dietitian status. Only qualified practitioners who have met education and testing requirements can use the title Dietitian, Registered Dietitian or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Advice given is current, credible and scientifically based.

 How can I benefit from seeing a Dietitian?

With guidance and coaching from a Nutrition Connection Dietitian, you will learn how to make simple and realistic changes to your diet and eating patterns that you can maintain for a lifetime. At Nutrition Connection, your Dietitian works with you to make nutrition part of your lifestyle rather than a “quick-fix” or a fad diet. We cut the gimmicks and offer a tailored plan fit to you.

Your Dietitian serves as an integral part of your healthcare team and integrates a healthy eating plan that doesn’t compromise taste or convenience. Small, manageable lifestyle changes can have a big impact on managing such conditions as diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, chronic reflux and diverticular disease.

Nutrition visits can help you with taking control of your health and can result in decreased pharmaceutical costs when medications can be reduced. Side effects associated with specific medical conditions can be decreased, such as those that can occur with cancer treatment. Greater control of eating behaviors can be implemented to gain or lose weight as appropriate.

If you want to eat smarter, your Nutrition Connection Dietitian can help you sort through nutrition misinformation, learn how to read food labels, navigate the supermarket, discover that healthy cooking is inexpensive, delicious and convenient, learn how to eat out without ruining your eating plan and how to resist workplace temptations.

 What does my tailored nutrition plan include?

Your Nutrition Connection Dietitian will design a healthy eating pattern to meet your wellness goals, based upon your caloric requirements, medical history, activity and exercise levels and lifestyle. You may be looking to alter your eating habits to help lower your cholesterol, to manage your weight, control glucose levels or gain a competitive edge in your personal and professional life. Or, perhaps you want the whole family to benefit from healthy eating. Nutrition Connection is here to help. Your tailored nutrition plan is flexible and provides guidance on what, how much, and when to eat – essential tools to help you plan your meals and snacks. It incorporates various areas of your life that involve food choices; travel, business, socializing, relaxing …

 Why do you offer body composition testing?

Standard bathroom scales only measure the total weight of your body. They do not tell you how much of your weight is body fat and how much is lean tissue like organs, bones and muscles.

Your body composition can affect your health, metabolism, well-being and everyday performance. Testing can help you track what is happening to the amount of body fat and lean tissue when you make changes to your diet and exercise patterns.

Knowing your body composition can help:

•Explain why you lost two pant sizes exercising regularly but your weight has stayed the same. Your Body composition test results can help you see the positive changes that have occurred inside your body as a result of your eating and exercise routine.

•Track your progress towards achieving your personal goals.

•Calm your frustration with a stagnant weight when you are eating healthfully and exercising regularly.

•Explain why you are not losing weight when you are heavily restricting calories.

 How many sessions should I expect to attend?

Sessions are completely tailored to your needs. Three to four sessions are oftentimes sufficient to see you on a permanent path to good health with your tailored nutrition plan, while many opt for and benefit from ongoing sessions that ensure the nutrition tools and long term behavior change is in place to ensure success.  Some have a nutrition review when labs have been drawn, while others follow up every few months just to make sure they’re still on track.  The most common session frequency is monthly, but can vary from weekly when just getting started, to annually once the personalized nutrition plan is successful and we want to ensure accountability.

 Are Nutrition Connection services covered by my health benefits?

Almost all private medical insurance plans and health/flex spending accounts cover nutrition counseling by a Registered Dietitian. Every insurance company and health spending account has its own policy. Call your plan at the number on the back of your insurance card to find out what is covered for you – including dietitian coverage, if your specific condition or reason for seeing a dietitian is covered, the number of visits covered per calendar year, the percentage of the visit that is covered, whether your deductible has been met, and whether a referral from a physician is needed. If nutrition services are covered and Nutrition Connection is an in-network provider, we will bill your insurance for you.

If Nutrition Connection is not an in-network provider with your insurance plan, most plans will still cover over 50% of the visit. We will provide you with detailed receipts to submit to your health benefit provider for reimbursement of your visits.

Please note that any session fees rejected by the insurance company or deductibles not yet meet will be the responsibility of the client.

If your goals include weight loss, Dietitian visits may be deductible on your income taxes. Save your receipts and discuss them with your accountant when you are doing your yearly taxes.

A self-pay discount is offered if you are uninsured, your insurance plan does not cover nutrition visits, or your deductible has not been met. Nutrition Connection accepts cash, checks and credit/debit cards.