Health Related Conditions

Is your condition health related?
My experience goes beyond that of just a nutritionist.  As a registered dietitian, I have extensive experience treating medical disorders that benefit from medical nutrition therapy and exercise.  Typically, my patients find me through their physicians, but it isn’t always appropriate to wait for a problem before scheduling a consultation.  If given the choice, wouldn’t you choose prevention over treatment?

My practice accepts many insurance plans.
A complete list is available at in the Insurance Section.

As your doctor may have already advised, consider a consultation with me if you have been diagnosed with such conditions as:

Anemia
Celiac Disease
Colitis
Chronic Renal Failure
Constipation
Coronary Vascular Disease (CVD)
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
Diabetes Type 1
Diabetes Type 2
Diverticulosis
Eating Disorders
Food allergies/ Food Sensitivities
Gastric Reflux
Gestational Diabetes
Heart Disease
High Blood Pressure
High Cholesterol
High LDL Cholesterol
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Inflammatory Bowel Disease/Crohn’s Disease and Ulseritive Colitis
Obesity
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Obesity
The leading nutritional concern in the United States and Canada is obesity.  More prevalent among women than men, obesity is seen most often in non-Hispanic black women, with more than half African American women being obese.

Being overweight and/or being obese are associated with heart disease, strokes, type 2 diabetes, and cancers of the gallbladder, breast (postmenopausal), and colon.  In addition, gallstones or gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, gout, sleep apnea, hypertension, pregnancy complications, and irregular menstrual cycles are more common in overweight individuals.

Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are complex illnesses characterized by atypical eating patterns, distorted body image and preoccupation with body weight and shape.  85% of eating disorders occur when girls are still growing, particularly at the onset of adolescence.  While typically associated with teenage girls, teenage boys are also at risk for eating disorders.  Unhealthy dietary habits, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, usually occur when one feels they have lost control of their life.  Visits with a registered dietitian can help achieve optimal weight through responsible eating and regular exercise.

Prevention through education and awareness is the best approach to help reduce the possibility of eating disorders.  This includes educating women and men on the importance of accepting their bodies and promoting healthy self-esteem.  I work with women and men to create goals in their weight counseling strategies that support body size acceptance and attainment of a healthy weight.

Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis and low bone mass (osteopenia) currently affect over 45 million North American adults aged 50 years and older.  The disease is a complex condition characterized by reduced bone mass and deterioration of the body’s frame.  It is the most common bone disease in humans, affecting all ethnicities but mostly women.  One in two women will suffer an osteoporotic-related fracture once in her lifetime. These can be particularly devastating to older women and men, frequently confining them to long-term care.

The good news is that for most people, osteoporosis is largely preventable.  Moreover, since there is no cure for the disease, prevention is crucial.  Osteoporosis prevention is best accomplished by maximizing peak bone mass during early adulthood and by maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout life to keep bones strong.

Nutrition is an important adjustable factor in the maintenance of bone structure, as well as the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.  Of all the nutrients or food components that affect bones, calcium and vitamin D are the most important.  Individuals who do not consume enough calcium-rich foods should include calcium supplements in their diet.

Cardioartery Disease and Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death among men and women over age 70, representing 42.5% of all deaths in females in the United States.

Based on a large body of evidence, the optimal diet to reduce the risk of CVD/CAD contains less saturated fat and minimal amounts of trans-fatty acids from processed foods.  The revised Dietary Guidelines of the American Heart Association (AHA) represent a major shift from limiting total dietary fats to a greater emphasis on protective foods.  Prevention is key and I can decipher the fine print on the foods you eat as we tailor a diet that works best for you.

Cancer
Cancer is an umbrella term used to describe over 100 different conditions characterized by uncontrolled cell growth.  There are some commonalities; namely, that cancer tends to be slightly more common among males than females and that it is a disease associated with aging.  

Although single gene mutations in familial cancers are responsible for up to 15% of all cases, a recent study suggests that the other causes of cancer are due to external factors, such as diet, tobacco, environmental and occupational exposures, and alcohol use.  It is estimated that roughly one-third of cancer-related deaths are attributed to dietary or nutritional factors.  Finding the right diet for your particular condition is paramount to optimizing your health.