HOW A DIETITIAN CAN HELP YOU?

We were lucky enough to have Larissa from Fuel Your Life Dieticians recently provide us a with an interesting presentation on how a dietician can help us live healthier and happier lives. Below are some takeaways that Larissa supplied us for further contemplation….

Listed below are the main (but not exhaustive) conditions that you may benefit from seeing a Dietitian for to improve your health & management:

Unintentional weight loss of more than 5kg

- Reason: after injury, sickness or generalised low appetite.

 Recent hospital admission

- Reason: nutrition would have been compromised & needs higher.

 Recent or progressive loss of appetite

- Reason: this limits their nutrition intake & is a risk factor for illness & injury.

 Loss of a partner or spouse

- Reason: often disengages with cooking or lacks skills necessary to take over cooking duties.

Current weight <55kg (particularly in women)

- Reason: high risk of falls &/or Osteoporosis.

Current weight over 90kg

- Reason: May affect mobility & the medical team may be recommending weight loss.

Limited mobility due to arthritis, injury or weight

- Reason: weight loss may be beneficial & a focus on diet quality.

Dementia &/or Alzheimer’s Disease

- Reason: often forgetting if, how & when to eat.

Change in bowel habits (going more or less often)

- Reason: diet, medication or fluid intake may be of note & this can influence comfort & appetite.

Diagnosis of a new condition (such as Diabetes)

- Reason: dietary modifications may be necessary to help manage the condition.

Polypharmacy (taking a large number of medications)

- Reason: can affect the absorption of nutrients & not all may be necessary if the diet is managed.

Heart disease (Atrial Fibrillation, Valve replacements, Stents)

- Reason: fat quality, carbohydrate & protein intake all affect progression & stability of heart disease.

Recent fall

- Reason: may be a consequence of poor nutrition & indicate malnutrition or overnutrition (weight).

 A wound that will not heal

- Reason: may indicate underlying malnutrition or hyperglycaemia.

 Anaemia & other nutritional deficiencies

- Reason: maybe a result of dietary inadequacies.

 Osteopaenia or Osteoporosis

- Reasons: the increasing need for dietary nutrients such as calcium, protein & vitamin D.

 Obvious signs of muscle wastage

- Reason: calorie intake may not be sufficient for ageing &/or activity.

Information Provided By Larissa Maggs - Dietitian Canberra - Fuel Your Life