Top Benefits of Nutrition to Improve Your Health

What is Nutrition Therapy?

Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) or nutritional therapy involves using personalised diets, supplements, and healthy eating practices to achieve health goals. It is an evidence-based approach tailored to treat specific medical conditions. Instead of providing a one-size-fits-all solution for a particular diagnosis, MNT considers the entire individual and not just a set of isolated symptoms.

Nutrition counselling offers personalised advice and guidance to individuals at risk due to factors like health conditions, dietary habits, medication usage, or chronic illnesses.

How Nutrition Therapy Works

According to nutrition therapy, for food to have therapeutic benefits, it should be nutrient-dense. This assessment involves examining the nutrients and anti-nutrients present in the foods you consume. Nutrients include macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat), micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, probiotics), and fibre from whole, unprocessed sources like vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and raw nuts/seeds.

Benefits of Nutrition Therapy

Achieving a Healthy Weight

A diet plan for achieving a healthy weight is not a one-size-fits-all journey, but good nutrition plays a crucial role. Nutrition therapy raises awareness about the proper calorie intake for your activity level and teaches you to achieve an appropriate nutrient balance.

Manage and Prevent Chronic Conditions

Making positive changes in your eating habits, alongside lifestyle adjustments, reduces the risk of developing hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other chronic conditions. If you already have a chronic disease, nutrition therapy can alleviate some physical symptoms and potentially reverse the condition. For instance, if you have PCOS, adopting dietary changes that lead to weight loss may help normalise your insulin resistivity.

Improves Overall Well-being

Enhancing the quality of your diet not only lowers disease risk but also improves energy levels, improves sleep, enhances digestion, uplifts mood, and sharpens thinking. Combining a nutrient-rich diet with healthy lifestyle habits like regular exercise, social connections, and avoiding smoking enables optimal bodily function.

Who Should Take Nutrition Therapy?

People turn to nutritional therapy for various reasons and health conditions. Here are a few examples, along with details on how it can assist each condition.

Allergies and Intolerances

Nutritional therapy can help you adjust your diet to manage allergies or intolerances. With guidance from a HealthifyMe nutritionist, you can make dietary changes that allow you to enjoy food without discomfort or reactions.

Supporting Women’s Health

Women’s nutritional requirements differ from men’s due to hormonal variations. During life stages like pregnancy or menopause, nutritional therapy proves invaluable for fertility, managing menopausal symptoms, and maintaining a healthy hormone balance.