Why People See a Dietitian (And What to Expect)

Transcript:

Melanie: Hello and welcome to Dishing Up Nutrition. Have you ever wondered what it's like to meet with a dietitian or a nutritionist? Maybe you have wanted to get some help with your eating habits or improve your health, but have been hesitant to make an appointment, and we understand it can be intimidating to take that first step.

Today we're going to be answering all your questions about what you can expect from meeting with a dietitian or a nutritionist like me or Britni. So let's take a moment to introduce ourselves. I'm Melanie Beasley. I'm a Licensed and Registered Dietitian, and with me today is Britni Vincent, who is also a Licensed and Registered Dietitian. Hi, Britni.

Britni: Hello. It's lovely to be here with you today, and I think you're totally right in that it is very intimidating to make that call or schedule it online because the reality is you're sharing very personal details about your health, your eating habits, and you're maybe concerned about getting judgment, shame, or leaving the appointment just feeling frustrated that you didn't get the help you needed.

Melanie: As you have felt before.

Britni: Exactly.

Melanie: You know, another thing is a lot of my clients that come to me say, it was finally my time to take care of myself. So it may not be that it's intimidating. But it's like they feel kind of guilty taking the time for themselves.

Britni: Oh, I have heard that countless times as well.

Melanie: Yeah. Well, you matter. We're here to tell you you matter. Your health matters, and you get to prioritize it.

Britni: Yeah. You should absolutely prioritize yourself. And I always tell people, if you feel better, you are a better mother, father, sister, brother, friend. You know what I mean? If you are feeling better, you're your best self for everybody.

Mel: Yes. And that's exactly it. It's like putting your oxygen mask on first so that you can attend to the people around you.

Britni: Yeah. And we are never, ever here to judge, shame at all. We are just here to be a supportive hand through whatever your health journey is.

Melanie: And also to maybe see something that you've been living with so long, you might be blind to.

Britni: Yes, yes. Yeah, I think everything's relative, right? You get used to how you feel. Mm-hmm. And you don't realize how much better you could feel until all of a sudden you have way more energy, or your aches and pains are gone,

Melanie: Or you get to sleep through the night.

Britni: Yeah. We are seeing things through a different lens. You know, having not met you before, we are really able to kind of pinpoint what might be going on with your health.

Melanie: And I see clients that will say, well, my mother had this, my father had this. This is just who I am. But you are not stuck because of your genetics. Things can change. You're not stuck with sleepless nights. You're not always going to have leg cramps. The list goes on and on. But some of these things…

Britni: It's not your destiny.

Melanie: That's not your destiny.

Lifestyle & environment can alter gene expression

Britni: Yeah. And the reality is, even if you have a genetic predisposition towards whatever it is, your lifestyle and environment have the ability to turn off or on those genes.

Melanie: Yeah. Good point. And it is, it's really only 10 to 15% of your risk is your genetics. The rest is your environment. Sometimes, like you said, you never hit that switch and turn it on if your lifestyle is changed.

Britni: Yes. Yep. And just because your parents have something doesn't necessarily mean it's genetic, right? Naturally we kind of take on some of our parents' habits too, in our…

Melanie: What we like to eat. What our lifestyle is like.

Britni: Exactly.

Fad diets are not the answer (Individualizing plans lead to success)

Melanie: Even our sleep patterns. So if you think about where you've learned about nutrition advice in the past and what you've learned, there's a lot of influence. And now that with social media, there's so much influence out there.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: I literally told a client today, stop Googling.

Britni: I have told people that too.

Melanie: Dr. Google is not accurate.

Britni: It's not helpful.

Melanie: No. So it might have been a course that you took in school or maybe a family member.

Britni: Mm-hmm.

Melanie: Is either changing for the better and you want the same thing, or you look at a family member and say, I don't want that to be my destiny. Maybe some advice on social media that it's cringey for me because that is just this plethora of information coming at us. There's so many diet advice, choices, lifestyle, ways of eating out there, and it's gotten to where there's too many choices and everybody's confused and overwhelmed. And they've usually tried on two or three keto or a carnivore or paleo or…

Britni: Whatever the buzzword is.

Melanie: Gluten-free or the cabbage diet. I mean, yeah. They've tried on several by the time they get to us. And there's so much noise in the world of nutrition these days. So many trends, and many influencers. It's easy to get lost in all of that and overwhelmed. And that's why we're here is to talk about why seeing a dietitian can be a game changer for your health. There gets to be one voice and you get to start intuitively finding what works for you and your wellbeing.

Britni: Yeah. And I think the key there is finding what works for you. I mean, we have all this information so readily available. I've heard from a lot of people that then they start to feel guilty that they're not doing all these things that social media tells you that you should be doing. And then it becomes to, becomes difficult to even take that first step forward.

Melanie: Yeah.

Britni: Whereas we are here to help you to figure out what is that first step forward for you? Like how can you make this part of your life without it feeling overwhelming?

Melanie: And what I find is, you know, you've heard, maybe you've watched an influencer who's big on keto. Or you've watched an influencer that's big on carnivore and now you have carb guilt every time you eat a carb. Well then you watch somebody who's gluten-free and you watch someone who's dairy free. Now you have guilt every time you have dairy because you have that noise in your, in your head. So we're here to shut the door on the noise to give you some direction, and then it's very fluid based on how your body responds.

Because everybody is not a template. They're an individual. And so I do love to say, when you come back, we're going to talk about what worked for you, what didn't work for you. Where are your questions? Where are your frustrations? And that's where we work together. We don't “finger wag”.

Britni: No, never. Absolutely not.

Melanie: We’re not finger waggers. We don't pull out a yardstick and give you a smack when you don't do what you thought you were going to do because it has to work for you for you to be successful.

Britni: Yeah. And if, you know, whatever plan we came up with didn't work for you, well, we help to figure out why it didn't work. And, come up with something else that might be more realistic for your life.

Melanie: I call it finding the on switch. That's when you find the on switch for your individual body and needs and lifestyle, then you're going to be successful.

Britni: Yeah. And that on switch too. I mean, that can change depending on the phase of life that you're in.

Mel: Yeah, good point.

Britni: You know what, what I'm doing now is a little bit different than what I was doing 10 years ago.

Melanie: Hands down, I'm doing things different than I did 10 years ago.

Britni: So I think our health is just this ongoing process depending on what might be happening in our life.

Melanie: Yeah, yeah.

Our dietitians & nutritionists support all aspects of health, not just weight loss

Britni: I do know a lot of people think dietitians are just for weight loss, and that is absolutely not true. Yes, of course we can help you with weight loss or a specific health condition like diabetes, but we offer so much more than that. We're about supporting all aspects of your health just through eating real food.

Melanie: Yeah. We walk alongside people shoulder to shoulder. And we work with them as both health coach, lifestyle coach, nutrition coach, educator, personal menu writer, recipe.

Britni: Yeah, we can work with all those hacks.

Melanie: All of those hacks, we're all in one. I feel like after just saying all that, we both need a race. I don't know.

What is a dietitian & how do we differ from other nutrition experts?

Britni: So, and then I think a lot of people are maybe confused, especially with all these influencers providing nutrition information. People might want to know what exactly is a dietitian? And how do we differ from other nutrition experts out there?

Melanie: Here's one I want to say. We differ in that if you've ever been to a dietitian or a physician, and you go back for your follow up and you were able to do 20%, but you didn't do all of it. And they just keep hammering you how you have to do all of it.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: And you walk away feeling shame.

Britni: Mm-hmm.

Melanie: Embarrassed. Like you got a little verbal spanking.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: That is not how we roll at Nutritional Weight & Wellness.

Britni: Absolutely not.

Melanie: That's not what we're about because all of us at our own personal walk have had our own personal struggles. So I feel like there's a great deal in the group of us, I feel like there's a great deal of understanding, empathy. We've walked the walk, we've had our own struggles. And we bring that to the table to have mercy and compassion for your journey.

Britni: That's so true. Yeah. And we're about creating habits. And realistically changing everything overnight, it's not really, it's not going to create habits. You know, so even if this whole process is just baby steps, absolutely nothing wrong with that, 'cause it's less overwhelming. You are more likely to follow through and then you're actually developing those habits. The last research I read is it takes 60, I believe, 67 days to create one habit.

Melanie: And 67.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: That's interesting.

Britni: And it used to be 21. It's a huge, huge difference. So I tell people that, just to kind of put it into perspective that this takes time.

Melanie: Yeah. I always say we're turning a cruise ship. We're not turning a sports car.

Britni: Yeah. Love it.

Melanie: So it just takes a little while and there's no shame in the game. You know, we're pendulums, right. We swing towards health and wellness, weight loss, and then our pendulum swings towards inflammation, weight gain, and poor diet.

We are always swinging back and forth and the goal is that you start swinging more towards health wellness more than when you're swinging back towards inflammation and poor habits that don't serve you well.

Britni: So let's circle back. What exactly is a dietitian? You know, what's our background? How do we become a dietitian? And then a lot of people also wonder what is the difference between a nutritionist and a dietitian?

Melanie: You know, so dietitians or registered dietitians are healthcare professionals with formal education and training in nutrition science, and we hold a degree, you and I in dietetics and we completed a clinical internship and passed a licensing exam as well as continue to obtain that certain amount of continued education credit teacher.

So we're always learning. We're trained to understand the science behind how diet impacts our bodies, and we use evidence-based practices to guide our recommendations. Right?

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: I made us sound so smart there. But you know, we are always evolving and learning because the science is always changing.

Britni: Yep.

Melanie: But the human body is the human body. That, so we had to learn a lot about the human body and how nutrition impacts it.

Britni: We sure did.

Melanie: But classes I had to learn. I don't know. I mean, I am older than you, but I also had to learn the science of food. Like how, like why it doesn't rise properly. Why you get holes in your muffins. Why, we had to learn all that. Did you had to learn all that?

Britni: It was really interesting actually.

Melanie: Well, then we got to eat, so I loved that class.

Britni: But I think you said evidence based. And that, I mean, that is spot on. We are about science. Not about trends. I mean, our message has not changed in 30 years. We have been about real food the entire time. And that is a huge part of why seeing a dietitian can make a difference, 'cause we can help sort out through all that buzz that you're hearing about and figure out what your body personally needs.

Melanie: Yes. We're not going to have anyone come and say, you have to buy this certain packaged food. We're not going to tell them that the cabbage soup diet is the way to go.

Britni: Yep.

Melanie: It's going to be real food common sense. And things you find in the grocery store.

What’s the difference between a registered dietitian & a nutritionist?

Britni: Yeah. It's nothing, nothing crazy. So then what's the difference between a registered dietitian and a nutritionist? So like Melanie said, a registered dietitian or RD has to complete an undergrad program in dietetics, then complete a clinical internship, which is usually a year long, then pass the national board exam.

A nutritionist is a less regulated term that can be used more loosely. In fact, in the United States, the term nutritionist can be applied to anyone who offers nutritional advice. Although state to state differs in what qualifies you to legally give nutrition advice. So here in Minnesota, for example, those with a master's degree in nutrition or a similar field and have a certain amount of supervised clinical hours, they can apply to become a licensed nutritionist.

Melanie: So when someone says they're a nutritionist, I want to know, are you a licensed nutritionist, because I work with licensed nutritionists who are brilliant. But I have met people who call themselves a nutritionist because they took one hour online course. So you have to be very careful in this arena.

One, to give props to the people that did the hard work, did the clinical time, did all the science-based education. Those are certified nutrition specialists that you give a great deal of weight to in what they do, 'cause they are qualified.

Britni: Absolutely. So ask the questions for sure. And you mentioned a certified nutrition specialist or a CNS. So what, what does that mean?

Mel: Well, those with a CNS title will typically have equal qualifications as a registered dietitian. So to become a certified nutrition specialist, you must have a master's degree in nutrition or a similar field in at least a thousand hours of practical experience before you are allowed to sit for the big CNS exam. So that's why I said big respect if you're a CNS. 

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: So it takes a lot of higher education and clinical hours and a big exam to pass before you get those letters next to your name. The founder of Nutritional Weight & Wellness, Dar Kvist, is a certified nutrition specialist, and she has certainly put in the work to deserve that title.

She's a cup of brilliance. Honestly, our mentor. So really it's good to ask the hard questions. Just because you are, you open a business, it does not mean you have these qualifications that have that sound background that gives you comfortability that the science is there.

Britni: Yeah. Well, it is already time for a break, so you are listening to Dishing Up Nutrition and we will be right back.

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Welcome back to Dishing Up Nutrition. We were just talking about the difference between a dietitian and a nutritionist. And I will add one more thing. If you are a registered dietitian, the technical title now is registered dietitian nutritionist, which is a mouthful versus if you are a nutritionist or a licensed nutritionist does not mean that you are also a registered dietitian.

Melanie: Yes. You know, just to piggyback on that, that registered dietitians typically are hired also, they are qualified to work in hospitals.

Britni: Yes.

Melanie: So, they have certain areas of expertise such as, I worked with dietitians that were specialized in tube feedings, central line feedings, renal dietitians. You know, they specialize in certain diagnoses that you would find that required hospitalization.

Who do we see at our company & what kinds of conditions?

Britni: Yeah, that's a good point. And here at Nutritional Weight & Wellness, we see anybody.

Melanie: We see anybody? We don't typically see tube feedings.

Britni: No, no, no.

Melanie: But we see anybody who's got a condition that requires nutritional intervention. And, we do have certain dietitians that have their favorite area of expertise. But, we all share that information with each other.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: So it is across the board.

Britni: Yep. Through the lifespan, I have had clients that are very young children. I have been working with a client that she's 94 years old, and then any age in between.

Melanie: Any age in between. And we see men.

Britni: Yes, absolutely.

Melanie: Yeah, it's a joy. I think we all enjoy it.

Britni: I love it.

Melanie: I love my job. I've loved it for 35 years, so along those lines, what we're seeing a lot of these days are people with autoimmune problems and digestive issues, cancer diagnoses. We see people who have chronic migraine celiac disease. We see people, like you mentioned children.

We see people with anxiety. We see people with cholesterol problems, cardiovascular problems. We see people who have rashes, bloating, gas, digestive problems like diarrhea and constipation. I mean, it is really stem to stern, anything in the body that is going on, we see them.

Britni: And nutrition almost always can make a very big impact.

Melanie: Yes. And that's the joy of our job.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: Is when you get to impact people's health. And I've been doing this a long time, you know, I'm kind of the old cat on board, but I love this job so much because I have helped more people in the eight years that I've worked for Nutritional Weight & Wellness than I felt like I've helped my entire career.

Britni: That's amazing.

Melanie: Yeah. So, again, what we get to learn, because we are very supported in going and getting the education for every process in the body that nutrition can impact, that has made a big difference because we are very science-based. And education, is very encouraged in this job. So yeah, that's the joy. We go to a big conference every year that where we learn a lot and, it's, it's great. We're always learning. We're never bored

Britni: Staying on top of the research, sharing information with each other. If I need just some other opinions or ideas, we have a team.

Melanie: We’re very supportive of each other.

Britni: Yeah, it's wonderful.

Melanie: And I've worked a lot of places. I've worked in prisons, I've worked in the military, I've worked in hospitals, I've worked in clinics, I've worked in outpatient. And, this is the most supportive, happy environment I've ever worked.

Britni: Love it.

Melanie: Yeah, I love it.

Britni: Yeah. That's great.

Melanie: So yeah, it, it's been a joy and I think when people walk in the door, they feel that.

Britni: I think so too.

Melanie: We're all pretty happy here.

Britni: Yep. We're passionate, passionate about what we do. We really just want to help people and see them get better, to be able to do what they want in life. And that, I think is a very big motivator. You know, I just spoke to a client this morning. Longevity she mentioned, we were talking about why is this important to her? Longevity prevention, being able to travel and be active and just do the things she wants to do, and that's what we help people.

And the prevention part, you know, we, Melanie, you listed off different health conditions that we see people for, but we also, some individuals just come in that want to prevent X, Y, Z, you know, maybe they have family members that they see that have gotten sick and their health has taken a downward turn and they don't want to end up like that.

Melanie: Yeah. So I love, love when you get people that come in that are proactively wanting to take care of their health before they get to the place that the doctor is alarming them. That's the best.

Britni: It is. Yeah.

Melanie: Yeah, that's the best because I really, really like to honor those people and applaud them when they say, I need to learn what I need to learn so that this is not going to be an issue for me down the road. Or they start, like, I saw a client today and she's already starting to see numbers change that she didn't like in her lab tests. So proactively she was like, I'm going to get on top of this before I end up like my brother. That was her story. So that's what we worked on.

Britni: Yeah. You know, I see a lot of clients who struggle with hormonal imbalances, and I don't think you think about your PMS or your perimenopausal symptoms, you may not necessarily think, oh, a dietitian could help.

Melanie: That's true.

Britni: But nutrition makes a huge impact. You know, I can think of one client who struggled with PMS so much that it affected two weeks of every single month.

Melanie: Oh my life.

Britni: And she just, she didn't feel like herself. Her, it was like an out of body experience that she could not control her mood and, and all of that. And she had children, so it was really affecting her quality of life.

Melanie: Oh my gosh.

Britni: So we tweaked up her diet. We got her on some key supplements and you know, her cycle and when she gets her period, it's a breeze. It's amazing.

Melanie: So would you not have loved that in your twenties if you would've known what you know now?

Britni: Yeah. 

Melanie: I wish I would've known a Britni when I was in my twenties because  that was me.

Britni: And also it's something that, you know, women don't necessarily talk about. So sometimes you don't realize that you are suffering more than you should be, 'cause some people just think, oh, it's normal to be doubled over in pain. So we can help balance those out. Or if I had mentioned you have a lot of perimenopausal or menopause symptoms, we can also help you with that.

Melanie: Yes. Feel like you, you, you have your life back. You're not, you're not being steered by the hormone wave that hits you. Oh yeah, I remember that.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: And I didn't love it, you know, and I saw a client who came to me and she had had a rash that covered her body for 10 years.

Britni: Oh, wow.

Melanie: And she thought she had tapped on every medical door and she was getting nowhere. And someone had suggested us. And, she came in and since she had celiac disease 10 years ago diagnosis, she's had a rash since then and the doctor told her, well, this just goes along with some people with celiac.

And so as we talked, I realized she has a histamine intolerance and so we worked out a low histamine diet for her and it was the first time in 10 years she didn't have a rash.

Britni: That is amazing.

Melanie: Food can make a big difference and so it's sometimes it just takes somebody to open a different door to say, hey, you know what, let's try this and see how your body responds. And if that doesn't work, we'll try something else. Because we have a lot of tools in our toolbox that we can pull out and use. We're just starting with the first one.

Britni: Yep.

Melanie: And for her, it worked.

Britni: Yeah. So when you meet with us, we are trying to figure out what is at the root of what is going on. Instead of putting a band aid on it, we're trying to heal your body from the inside out. And so then systemically, everything gets better.

Melanie: Mm-hmm.

Britni: And our wheels are turning, trying to figure that out. And I'm sure you asked some very key questions that was like, oh, she has a histamine intolerance.

Melanie: Yeah. And it's a lot of question asking. Because we can't, you know, we can't unzip you and look inside. So it's a lot of, and sometimes it's trial and error of what's going to help you and what's not going to help you. But we will persevere.

Britni: We will. We are here for you.

Melanie: Yes. And we're not going to give up on you. And we're not going to get frustrated with you. And I've saw a client for, she struggled with her weight, probably about 75 pounds, and she struggled, and we saw each other for three years.

And I could not find the on switch. And as we talked and talked, all of a sudden she said something that I said, let's try this. And that was her on switch, and then she lost 60 pounds. So we stuck it out. We saw each other on and off for three years. We tried various things, but it just took the right time, the right place, her to say the thing that was going to work for her for the lights bulb to go on in my head to say, let's try this. But, we're, we're going to persevere. We're here for you and not give up on you and get frustrated with you. I feel like we just gave each other like royal crowns that we were talking about each other, but we do love what we do.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: You know?

What to expect from an appointment with our dietitians & nutritionists

Britni: So what if somebody makes an appointment with you or I, or one of the other nutritionists on staff what can you expect from that?

Melanie: The first appointment is a lot of information gathering. It's a 90 minute appointment. We'll spend, it doesn't have to be 90 minutes, but that's the time allotted that we will go through pretty much your health history together. We're going to talk about everything and, if we have time, we'll dig pretty deep. And then at that first appointment, we're going to start with some of the basics, which is the food.

Britni: Yep.

Melanie: We'll start with some basics. Maybe the second or third appointment, or maybe even the first. There might be some key supplements that if we see deficiencies or we see something that might help you, it might be something that we suggest so that you can get that instant relief based on…

I know you do this. I know all the dieticians do this, nutritionists do this. You want to find out what's their why, why did you come? What is your primary goal? And that is what we're going to address at that first appointment. I might see something that I think needs addressing as well that we might talk about the second appointment.

Britni: Yep. Yeah, it's your time. And you know, I always ask my clients, and I'm sure you have a similar way, what's going to make this a successful appointment for you? What do you want to make sure you walk away with? So you are getting out of it what you want, 'cause it's, it's about you and your health. And we're just here to guide you and help you along. Meal ideas we may talk about on that first appointment, recipes, all sorts of things.

Melanie: It might be strategies so that you can plan better.

Britni: Yep. And then, you know, how frequently do you like to see your clients?

Melanie: I prefer to see a client within two weeks after that first appointment. But that again, is how my schedule, if my schedule will allow it.

Britni: Yep.

Melanie: I prefer, and sometimes if it's a really acute issue, I might want to see them in a week.

Britni: Yep. I agree.

Melanie: That's the ideal scenario for me because. I want them to be able to come back and say, what's working? What's not working? How do you feel? Do you see relief? Are you having less aches and pains? Are you less bloated? Did you stop having diarrhea three times a day? These are all things I want to know. How are you doing? And, ideally I like to see him within two weeks.

Britni: Yeah. And then we just keep tweaking depending on how your body is responding and how things are working within your lifestyle. So it's all about making this a lifestyle, right? This is not like a two month program or anything like that. This is about finding something that you can do for the long term?

Melanie: Yes. And like you said, if it's 67, you said 67 days. If it's 67 days to develop a habit, we certainly want to stand by you and help you and advocate for you and be your support. So that you can start making those changes. So I always encourage if a client's going to call in and make an appointment, always make a follow up the same time you make that initial appointment so that you can be seen.

Britni: Yep.

Melanie: Because if you wait until the appointment, it might, you might be booked out six weeks.

Britni: Yep. Advice.

Melanie: So I encourage clients if they're making an appointment online or they're calling in for an appointment, make the initial, but also right then and there make a follow up.

Britni: At least one.

Melanie: At least you've got it on the books. At least one.

Britni: And you know, I talk a lot with my clients about mindset. I think the diet culture has really taught people to be stuck in this all or nothing mindset. And that's not going to work. That food does not fall in this all or nothing category. It's very gray and you know, again, like we were talking about, creating this into a lifestyle, so it is not for most people, you know, this is ongoing support.

I've had clients meet with me for years, not because they don't know the information, but they really just want that support and accountability. And know that they're checking in with me and we can talk about things, talk through things.

Melanie: And then when you are working with people and you have that long-term relationship, it's great when they say, okay, I'm going on vacation.

Melanie: Mm-hmm.

Melanie: I'll be like, where are you going? Are you going to be eating out? Are you going to have an Airbnb? Let's talk about what you can grocery shop for the Airbnb. Let's talk about the restaurants. We will look up the restaurants and say, these are viable options. Do they taste good to you? Does that sound good for you?

So that they have a plan when they're on vacation. It's not two weeks of woo-hoo, and then you come home and you feel horrible. You feel lousy. You're five pounds up. And so we can plan that. Or if a holiday's coming up and you're going to Aunt Betty's house, what does Aunt Betty typically cook? What is a dish that you could bring that you would feel comfortable that you have something there that you can eat to meet your goals?

Britni: Mm-hmm.

Mel: And sometimes people will have a piece of cake and no one died. But if it sets you up for a trend of the holidays where I'm having cake or candy or pie every day. Now you have me to get you off that track.

Britni: Yeah. We, we are not expecting perfection from our clients.

Melanie: I like what you said about food is a very gray area.

Britni: Yeah.

Melanie: Because it's, you are going to go out to eat.

Britni: Mm-hmm. Yeah. That's life, right? And, and the way that you eat should not deter you from socializing. It just might take a little extra thought to, to figure out, you know, how are you going to do this to still feel good? So you're not waking up the next day feeling terrible.

Melanie: Let's say you, you figure out that gluten does bloat you. Well, if you're standing up at your daughter's wedding and you're giving a speech, is that the day you want to feel bloated?

Britni: Probably not.

Melanie: So we help you understand your own body. So then you can pick and choose.

Britni: Yes. It's all about choices. We're never going to tell you you can't do something. It's you deciding you are going to choose whatever food choices. And, you know, another thing I want to mention is before your first visit, check to see if meeting with one of us would be covered by insurance, because we do take…

Melanie: Oh, good point.

Britni: …several insurance companies, but then of course coverage is going to vary depending on the individual plan. So we have some very helpful information about how to check your insurance coverage on our website, weightandwellness.com. And then you click on insurance coverage, that tab, and then it's going to take you through some steps to find out the details of your coverage.

Check On Insurance Coverage for Nutrition Counseling! 

Melanie: So thanks so much for tuning in to Dishing Up Nutrition, and we hope this episode has helped clear up some hesitations you may have had about seeing a dietitian or a nutritionist. If you're ready to get started on your health journey, we are here to help. Give us a call at (651) 699-3438 or visit us online at weightandwellness.com. Britni and I wish you a great day.

Britni: Thank you.