Medical Nutrition Therapy

What is Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT)?

Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is defined as a nutrition-based treatment provided by a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) can include:

A nutrition diagnosis as well as therapeutic
Nutrition assessment and screening
Dietary/nutritional evaluation
Food and nutritional supplements and or in collaboration with medical providers recommendation
Nutrition education and or counseling services

Nutrition Services

Tailored nutrition solutions for your well-being.

Define Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT)

Medical Nutrition Therapy is a nutrition-focused treatment that uses individualized dietary plans and behavioral counseling to manage or prevent medical conditions. Unlike general nutrition education, MNT is evidence-based and tailored to a person’s specific health needs. It can involve simple dietary adjustments, structured meal plans, or advanced interventions like tube feeding or intravenous nutrition for patients unable to consume food normally.

RICH Nutrition For Life conducts comprehensive assessments to understand your unique needs, health goals, and dietary preferences. Based on this evaluation, we create personalized nutrition plans to support your well-being and optimize your nutrition.

Eating as a Form of Medicine

Eating as a form of medicine is a concept that emphasizes the role of food in promoting health and preventing disease. It involves using diet to manage and treat chronic conditions, integrating nutrition interventions into healthcare delivery, and recognizing the therapeutic potential of food.

● Medically Tailored Meals: These are prepared meals designed based on individual assessments to address specific health needs.

● Medically Tailored Groceries: These are grocery items selected as part of a treatment plan.

How is Food a Form of Medicine?

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Board of Directors approved the definition “Food as Medicine” in February 2021; defined by the NFRPD Fellow and the Advisory Group. “Food as Medicine” was described as a philosophy where food and nutrition aids individuals through interventions that support health and wellness. The focus areas were described as:

● Food as preventative medicine to encourage health and well-being.

● Food as medicine in disease management and treatment.

● Food as medicine to improve nutrition security.

● Food as medicine to promote food safety.

Vegetables

There’s a reason your parents told you to finish your greens at every meal. Vegetables contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, dietary fiber, folate, and potassium which are vital nutrients our body needs. Several vegetables are low in fat, low in calories and are a great food to add additional portions of when you are still hungry.

Protein

Eat a mixture of protein foods such as: lean or low-fat meat and poultry choices; seafood options higher in omega 3’s and low in methylmercury; beans; peas; lentils; nuts; seeds; and soy products. Proteins provide nutrients which are used as building blocks for blood, bones, cartilage, enzymes, hormones, muscles, and skin.

Fruits

Fruits contain Vitamin C, fiber, folate, and potassium which are vital nutrients our body needs. Fruits are low in calories, fat, and sodium. Fruits do not contain cholesterol. If you are craving something sweet, fruit contains natural sugar and is an ideal choice.

Lifelong Diseases Require Special Diets

We all encounter life-altering events in our lives. Sometimes this event is a medical condition which we must learn how to manage. Thankfully, some of these conditions can be managed through medicine and diet, allowing you to live your best life.

A medical condition such as diabetes, we will teach you how different food groups affect your blood sugars resulting in how you feel. The more you understand, the better choices you can make resulting in feeling your best. There are different causes for high cholesterol. One reason can be the foods you are eating every day. Our team can teach you how all foods fit by adjusting the food amounts which are contributing to your levels of cholesterol.

At RICH Nutrition For Life, we believe in providing one-on-one nutrition counseling and coaching through medical nutrition therapy. Multiple medical conditions require nutrition manipulations for medical restrictions or allergies/intolerances. Our registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN’s) understands food and the role it plays in our body. Our team can tailor a nutrition plan specifically for you.

Cardiovascular

Disease

Cardiovascular

Disease

Incorporating healthy nutrition changes can reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease. Our team can teach you what is healthy eating and how to incorporate it into your daily diet.

Gastrointestinal

Diseases

Gastrointestinal

Diseases

An individual’s nutrition and diet play a key role in many chronic gastrointestinal diseases. Diet therapies have been shown to have positive outcomes. An example is Crohn’s disease which is defined by irritation of the entire digestive tract and chronic inflammation. Specific foods can cause flare-ups as Crohn’s disease symptoms but is not the cause of Crohn’s disease. Our team can teach the foods to avoid causing flares.

Enteral Nutrition Management

Enteral Nutrition

Management

Individuals who are not able to eat by mouth or swallow food safely require all nutrition supplementation through a gastrointestinal tract (G-tube). Our team can adjust nutrition supplementation to maintain a healthy weight and or growth plus meet daily vitamin and mineral requirements for age.