Nutrition

What conditions can be addressed by optimizing nutrient intake?

Proper nutrition is preventive and curative. You can reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers just by optimizing your diet. If you already suffer from a chronic conditions, the right nutritional plan can reduce the severity of your symptoms and even decrease your need for certain medications.

What makes up a healthy diet?

A healthy diet includes a balance of nutrients to support good health. Food is your body’s source of energy, vitamins, minerals, essential fats, and protein. These elements support your stamina, growth, brain health, and organ function.

Good nutrition also supports a healthy weight. In general, a healthy diet is rich in:

• Green vegetables and fresh fruits
• Lean sources of protein — such as fish, white-meat poultry, and beans
• Whole grains, including oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa
• Healthy, unsaturated fats from foods like avocados, olive oil, and seeds

How does nutrition affect health?

A food high in processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and sugars leads to body inflammation. Inflammation is the precursor to disease. A poor diet can also cause weight gain, poor energy, and nutrient imbalances.

Some health conditions benefit from increasing your intake of specific nutrients; for example, someone with iron-deficient anemia benefits from an iron supplement. Dr. Steslow evaluates your condition and makes customized recommendations as to how you can tailor your eating and supplement plan to assist in healing conditions. He has extensive experience in treating the whole body and optimizing diets to be more nutritious.

How do I know what to eat?

Dr. Steslow teaches you how to recognize essential foods for a good diet in your treatment plan. He can help you learn about portion control and the types of foods to choose to support whole body health. You’ll understand what foods have hidden sugars and how to navigate confusing, misleading food labels.

If dieting on your own is not enough to get you to your ideal weight, you may also be a candidate for a medically-supervised weight-loss program. This involves monitoring your diet and nutritional intake via the MyFitnessPal app. Even if you don’t have any outward symptoms of disease, a better diet plan can help you feel better than you ever imagined.