BOONAH DIETITIAN
" Boonanahs for Nutrition "
15 REASONS TO SEE
BOONAH DIETITIAN
1. Optimise Everyday Wellbeing and
GENERAL HEALTH
Our dietary requirements change from day to day with times of stress, activity level, differing sleep patterns, menstruation or illnesses like the common cold. We give our cars good quality fuel to maximise performance and prevent breakdowns, therefore why not fuel our bodies with the best. Whether it may be to meal plan for the family, learn to cook, food shop on a budget or receive personalised dietary advice to enhance immunity, slow down premature ageing or reduce fatigue and enhance concentration, seeing a dietitian will enhance your health and wellbeing in the short term and help prevent lifestyle-related diseases in the long run.
2. Lose, Gain or Maintain
WEIGHT
Carrying excess weight can negatively affect your everyday functioning and puts you at an increased risk of other diseases like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, bone disease, some cancers and mental health disorders such as depression and reduces quality of life as well as life expectancy. Being underweight is just as risky. Weight imbalances commonly result from eating too much or too little energy for a long period of time, therefore getting the balance back in your diet is important. A dietitian can offer you safe, scientifically proven methods for weight loss or gain and offer the support and techniques for you to happily reach your goal weight, and stay there.
3. Prevent or Manage
DIABETES
Diabetes is when the body cannot properly use the fuel you eat to carry out the everyday activities that keep us alive. There is no cure for Type 1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune disease requiring multiple daily injections. However, Type 2 diabetes can, in most cases, be prevented and reversed with dietary changes to prevent the need of injections. Dietary behaviours are very important in controlling both types of diabetes therefore a dietitian can help you to avoid complications such as blindness, kidney disease, limb amputations, heart disease and associated low quality of life and even premature death.
4. Diagnose or Manage
ALLERGIES AND INTOLERANCES
Some individuals have issues with foods and beverages like dairy, wheat, eggs, nuts, lactose or additives, which can cause a life-threatening allergic reaction or life-diminishing symptoms such as pain, discomfort, irritability, hives or itching. Together with a dietitian, trigger foods can be identified and eliminated, without the risk of missing out on vital nutrients for everyday functioning, to reduce the pain, discomfort and distress associated with allergies and intolerances.
5. Prevent or Manage
HEART DISEASE
Heart disease is the biggest killer in Australia and is hugely related to diet. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are warning signs that can damage the heart and vessels that carry blood around the body, leading to heart attack, stroke and even death if uncontrolled. Minor dietary alterations can minimise risk factors and prevent, manage and even reverse some heart-related conditions to help you live a long, happy and healthy life.
6. Prevent or Manage
GUT ISSUES
Everything we eat passes through our gut, so it makes sense that food can have a huge impact on gut health. Whether it’s occasional or persistent reflux, indigestion, constipation, diarrhoea, bloating or discomfort that’s giving you grief, or a condition like coeliac, Chron’s or diverticular disease, a dietitian can help. Being able to identify and replace trigger foods that exasperate your condition and improve overall digestion and therefore nutrition will assist you in becoming symptom free and at reduced risk of associated complications.
7. Prevent or Manage
BONE DISEASE
No matter what our life stage, healthy, strong bones are vital to avoid bone fractures, aches and pains. In people under around 25 years old, building up our bones is extremely important as from then onwards, our bones naturally degrade. With adequate nutrition, we can reduce the rate at which bone degradation occurs to prevent conditions like osteoporosis, osteomalacia and associated complications like weakness, fractures and ill-health.
8. Prevent or Manage
CANCER
Nutrition plays a big role in cancer, whether it’s a healthy balanced diet to help reduce the risk of development or reoccurrence, or assisting with improvements in health and quality of life during its management. Maximal nutrition during cancer treatment assists the healing processes going on in the body, therefore can assist in optimising treatment effects and reducing complications. Dietary strategies can also be important for managing symptoms or providing comfort during treatment or as part of end of life care.
9. Prevent or Manage
KIDNEY DISEASE
Without our kidneys, life is not possible. They clean our blood and remove harmful waste products from our body via urine, however, with kidney disease they cannot work properly. Managing what you eat and drink, to take the stress off your already damaged kidneys, can have a huge positive impact on how you feel and slow the progression of the disease. Your dietary needs can be complex and will also vary for different stages of the disease and any underlying conditions, therefore, its best to seek help from a dietitian to take the guess work out of it for you or to help prevent the condition in the first place.
10. Optimise Mum and Bub's Health in
PREGNANCY
A growing baby feeds off mum, therefore what mum feeds off is extremely important in the development of your baby, even more so if you have any underlying health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure or gut issues. Everyone wants a healthy, happy baby and a glowing mum, so a balanced healthy diet should be placed at highest importance to achieve this. Dietary alterations can also help alleviate symptoms that can have a negative effect on eating and quality of life, such as reflux, indigestion or nausea.
11. Optimise Growth and Development in
TODDLERS, CHILDREN AND TEENS
In a world where our children are now developing diet-related obesity and type 2 diabetes, previously thought to be adult-only diseases, promoting healthy eating for our next generation has never been so important. Kids have varying nutritional needs during different stages of childhood, that are essential to be met, but not over-catered for, to optomise growth and development and to prevent health conditions and complications later in life. Gain the knowledge and skills from a dietitian to establish healthy eating habits in your child to assist them in flourishing into a superstar.
12. Prevent Deficiencies and Poor Health Related to
SPECIAL DIETS
Endless, extensive research has been done to determine the major food groups which are essential for the body to live. If you are cutting out a major food group from your diet, such as animal meat or all animal products, then it’s important to ensure you compensate with other foods as they have nutrients that are not obtained as well from any other foods. You can’t cut out a major food group and expect your body to remain healthy, so get professional advice from a dietitian about how you can meet your individualised requirements on your special diet, whatever that might be.
13. Optimise Performance and Fitness with
SPORTS NUTRITION
What you put into your body has a huge impact on what you get out of it. You don’t necessarily need sports supplements to enhance your fitness, performance or muscle stores either. This can be achieved with alterations around the timing, frequency, quantity and/or type of foods and drinks you consume. Whether you want advice for eating to enhance your performance or muscle gains, nutrition regimes for sporting events, or to reduce gut upsets while exercising, a dietitian can greatly help you achieve your goals.
14. Prevent and Cure
LOW IRON LEVELS
You need enough iron to carry oxygen around the body to assist in the process of giving your body the energy it needs to carry out everyday functions. Without enough of it, you can feel tired, irritable, have trouble concentrating or be more prone to illness and when levels become dangerously low, you develop the condition called anaemia. As our iron stores are replenished by what we eat, then you can prevent or restore low iron levels through simple dietary alterations.
15. Prevent, Manage and Cure
DISORDERED EATING
Becoming too fixated on food can be dangerous to health and worsen with time. Whether you or someone you know is a fussy eater or is suspected as having an eating disorder such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa, a dietitian’s help can make a world of difference in preventing associated damage to health and wellbeing. Or maybe you eat and can’t stop or can’t tell when you’re hungry or full. Ongoing support can be given to develop and maintain positive relationships with food and reconnect the gut to the mind to prevent, manage and irradiate your concerns with food and eating.
