9 Essential Benefits of Nutritional Counseling

The modern dietary spectrum — with wholesome, nutrient-dense foods on one end and highly processed junk food products on the other — is proof that what you eat has the power to shape your health for better or worse. The fact is that food has the power to heal and harm. 

When it comes to weight loss, long-term weight control, and overall wellness, the foods you choose matter. 

Whether you feel overwhelmed by your food choices, want to align your diet with your health goals, or are simply looking to clarify your specific nutritional needs, our Physicians WEIGHT LOSS Centers Pompano Beach team can help with counseling and nutritional planning.   

1. Start with a strong foundation

Every healthy eating plan requires a solid framework. Nutritional counseling teaches you about each consideration that goes into building that foundation. 

You learn how your age, gender, and activity level determine your specific nutritional needs and how these needs are further shaped by your weight loss or weight control goals, as well as your unique health issues, food sensitivities, and disease management efforts.

2. Understand your macronutrients 

With your foundation in place, we can determine the number of daily calories you need, as well as the macronutrient breakdown of those calories or how many should come from: 

• Complex carbohydrates
• Lean protein sources
• Healthy unsaturated fats 

Your recommended carb-protein-fat ratio depends on your health needs and weight goals. We also contrast healthy macronutrients with their unhealthy counterparts — refined carbs and added sugars, fatty proteins, and saturated fats — which should be limited.  

3. Discover “micronutrient power” 

We also determine your micronutrient needs (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants) as well as your dietary fiber and hydration needs. We help you understand how these power-packed “mini” nutrients and dietary essentials support optimal well-being. 

Like your calorie count and macronutrient ratios, micronutrient recommendations are tailored to your specific needs based on your stage in life, activity level, and health. 

4. Match your needs to specific foods

Once you know how many calories you need, as well as what they should deliver in the form of carbs, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, it’s time to match your needs to an array of wholesome foods that can meet your requirements, such as:

• Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
• Beans, peas, and lentils 
• Nuts and seeds
• Fatty and lean fish
• Lean fresh poultry 
• Soy foods (i.e., tofu); eggs, egg substitute 
• Low-fat dairy products (i.e., plain yogurt)
• Unsaturated fats (i.e., olive oil, avocado) 

While we provide detailed meal planning guidance to fulfill your nutritional needs, our goal is to give you the insight you need to choose and combine foods on your own with confidence. 

5. Do away with bad dietary habits 

Just as mindful “clean eating” provides optimal body fuel, impulsive “junk eating” congests your systems and promotes inflammation. Nutritional counseling covers both.

Making behavioral changes around bad food habits starts with knowing why certain foods and nutrients (i.e., saturated fats, added sugars, sodium) are unhealthy and how they can erode your wellness goals when they’re more than an occasional treat. 

6. Link healthy eating to wellness

Knowing what healthy eating patterns look like is a great first step, but making the connection between wholesome foods and improved health is even better. It’s the next-level understanding of just how easy it can be to “eat your way” toward your wellness goals. 

For example, nutritional counseling teaches you how fiber-rich foods — like berries, whole grains, and legumes — are also rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These foods keep you satiated longer for easier weight control, support digestion and gut health, and keep your cholesterol and blood pressure numbers in check. 

7. Control weight with confidence  

Your food choices have the power to help you achieve gradual, sustainable weight loss. When your weight loss plan isn’t built on restrictive dieting and deprivation, it’s much easier to reach your goals and sustain your results.

8. Feel your best and stay healthy

The right foods can help reverse nutritional deficiencies, reduce systemic inflammation, alleviate chronic pain, and improve digestion. Healthy eating also:

• Supports better sleep 
• Boosts energy and eases stress 
• Improves cognition and mood

The food on your plate even has the power to help you prevent, control, or reverse insulin resistance, hypertension, and high cholesterol levels. It can also help prevent or control type 2 diabetes and heart disease. 

9. Inform and empower yourself 

By giving you a comprehensive understanding of food science and its practical applications in your daily life, nutritional counseling empowers you to make good dietary choices on your own behalf — whether you’re meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking, or dining out.  

Ready to benefit from nutritional counseling? Schedule a visit at Physicians WEIGHT LOSS Centers Pompano Beach in Pompano Beach, Florida, today.