Food provides energy for our daily activities and nutrients for health and general well-being. Every person’s body is different – depending on our age, gender, weight and a multitude of other physiological factors, our nutritional requirements differ. At Andrea’s Digestive Clinic, we believe that eating is an important part of lifestyle and culture and can be both healthy and enjoyable at the same time. It is also an integral part of the healing process for all our patients. At our clinic, our specialists provide consultations based on the assessment of the nutritional status of each individual patient.
A nutritional consultation provides holistic approach in patients’ care and management. It is based on assessment of nutritional status of each individual patient and from there, tailored personalised nutritional plan is discussed and given to patient. Nutritional consultation helps to create a detailed picture of eating habits and lifestyle relevant to medical condition in order to identify areas where changes would be beneficial.
Initial consultation: Initial consultation includes a nutritional assessment (dietary history, food diary, anthropometric measurements analysis of the body composition) followed by the dietary advice. A meal plan with food examples, charts, portions and grams will be given if the patient requires a more detailed plan.
Follow-up Consultation: Follow up consultation is scheduled after two to four weeks depending on individual conditions. Follow up consultations are very important in order to monitor progress and make any changes to the dietary plan if necessary. During this period, support and guidance is given if the patient needs more dietary suggestions, recipes or other information.
Every one of us would benefit from including healthy, nutritious food into our daily diets. However, some patients require a nutritional consultation more urgently due to certain conditions. If you have any of these following conditions, you would greatly benefit from undergoing a nutritional consultation.
Obesity and weight management: A weight-loss programme requires changes in your eating habits, lifestyle and physical activity. The goal of obesity/overweight treatment is to reach and maintain a healthy weight. We can achieve this goal, following a healthy and balanced dietary plan and losing weight gradually.
Eating disorders: An eating disorder is a condition where a patient has an unhealthy eating pattern. Long term caloric restriction, compulsive binge eating or skipping meals regularly are all examples of eating disorders. These eating habits are dangerous as they can lead to nutritional deficiencies and a variety of adverse health conditions.
Gastric reflux: Certain food has the potential to irritate the gastric lining and manifest itself as gastritis, triggering gastric reflux. Avoidance of potential food triggers and focusing on a lighter or more Mediterranean diet are important steps to take in order to avoid this.
Chronic constipation: Chronic constipation refers to infrequent and hard to pass bowel movements that persist for a long time. Changes in diet and a lifestyle modification are required in order to relieve constipation. Our dieticians will guide you in slowly introducing soluble fiber in your diet, because a sudden increase of fiber in large amount can cause bloating, gas and abdominal pain.
Food allergies and food intolerance refers to patients who might be allergic or intolerant to a certain type of food or food group. Commonly, food that trigger allergic reactions include fish, shellfish, peanuts, etc. Find out more information about your nutritional needs with our Nutritionist at Andrea's Digestive Clinic.