Nutritional Counseling

Nutritional counseling is a wide subject that takes into account the various nutritional aspects of a diet, the eating habits and various other facets of a diet important for good health. Nutritional counseling can be used for maintaining the general well being of a healthy human being as well as to aid the remedial effects of medicines in case of patients.

Goals of Nutritional Counseling

It is a common misconception that nutritional counseling is required only if you are suffering or recovering from a particular ailment. Nutritional counseling can also be used to analyze and improve one’s diet for general well being. Here some of the basic goals of nutritional counseling.

• Spreading awareness about the importance of a healthy diet
• Enhancing the body efficiency by boosting energy levels
• Improving the immune system
• Detoxification and re-vitalizing the entire body
• Reducing risks of diseases and ailments

Types of Nutritional Counseling

There exist various therapies and philosophies of nutritional counseling. Here is some information about the popular nutritional counseling philosophies:

Ayurvedic Nutrition

The Ayurveda philosophy considers food as an essential form of medicine and hence recommends highly specific food choices, and cooking methods, complete with fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, herbs and spiced nutrition as per the individual requirements. According to Ayurveda there are three basics doshasor elements in the body which are Kapha, Pitta and Vata. According to Ayurveda, Vata symbolizes dry, cold and light qualities, Pitta corresponds to the fire and water elements and symbolizes hot sharp and oily qualities, whereas Kapha symbolizes heavy, cold, damp qualities. Ayurvedic nutrition emphasizes on the importance of inclusion of shad rasa or six tastes in the diet, which are salty, sour, pungent, bitter, sweet and astringent. Ayurveda believes that a balanced diet can help to counteract the imbalance of the doshas or any other ailments and to restore health. People who have a dominance of Vata often have a tendency towards gas and constipation and hence are advised to eat warm, and primarily cooked foods, and should avoid frozen foods, excess intake of raw food and other foodstuff which is difficult to digest and tends to increase intestinal gas. People who have predominant Pitta element have tendency towards hyperacidity and inflammatory disorders and hence should avoid greasy, spicy and fermented foods as well as acidic fruits. And lastly people who have kapha as the dominant element, are advised to have a light, reducing diet low in carbohydrates. They are also advised to avoiding dairy products, alcohol, poor quality oils and excessive sweets.

Clinical Nutrition

Clinical Nutrition emphasizes on the nutritional value of every edible item and suggests nutritional supplements for maintaining regular health and treating deficiencies. People who believe in naturopathy believe that food influences physical as well as emotional aspects of your body. There also exists food allergy counseling in which the diet of a patient is analyzed to find out which substances he/she is allergic to and then a diet is specifically designed to avoid the allergic reactions.

Oriental Nutrition and Macrobiotic Nutrition

Oriental Nutrition is a concept based on ancient Chinese medicinal practices. This philosophy is based on the basic principles of yin and yang which means cooler and warmer respectively. The Oriental philosophy emphasizes on the balance of both yin and yang and recommendation of a diet based on health, personality and surroundings of every individual. The Macrobiotic nutritional counseling just like the oriental philosophy follows the basic principles of yin and yang but also suggest selection and cooking methods on the lines of macrobiotic principles. It emphasizes the importance of healthy nutrition, exercising and an overall healthy lifestyle.

Western Nutrition

The Western nutritional counseling goes into the analysis of chemical components of food and evaluates its nutritional breakdown accordingly. It recommends standard minimum nutritional requirements and encourages people to make better food choices to fulfill the daily energy requirements. Western nutritional counseling will warm about the risks of chemically treated, refined and preserved food and will recommend changes in eating habits for a better lifestyle.

Also read about Careers in Nutrition