Did you know that we have a Registered Dietitian on site at Functionize? Our amazing dietitian, Allyson Balzuweit RDN, sees clients at our office. She offers an integrated Functional Medicine approach to nutrition counseling. This comprehensive method meets you at your diet level and provides a plan for success with follow up meetings and coaching. To celebrate National Nutrition Month, she is offering 10% off your Initial Assessment. Read below to see if a Nutrition Consult may be right for you.
Nutrition Services at Functionize
Why do I need a nutrition consultation?
Nutrition and diet play a vital role in your overall health. Chronic health problems such as autoimmune disease, diabetes, hypertension, irritable bowel syndrome and gastrointestinal inflammation are impacted by what you eat. If you are dealing with hormonal imbalances or you are experiencing post-menopausal changes, or even if you have an acute problem like a sports injury, assessing and adjusting your dietary habits is critical. Not only does what you eat have a major impact on your healing process, but it is also important to consider how your diet and eating habits may be contributing to your symptoms in the first place.
Incorporating evidence-based dietary changes that are relevant to your particular health and lifestyle is part of a holistic approach to healing and disease prevention. A detailed analysis of your unique circumstances including health history, lab results, lifestyle, and food preferences combined with a personalized plan from an experienced clinician will ultimately yield results that will improve your health.
What if I don’t have any major health problems but just want to lose weight?
Carrying extra weight is a precursor to many health problems. Losing weight in conjunction with a healthy eating plan cannot only reverse problems, but is often a preventive measure for many chronic diseases. Even if you are relatively healthy but are having difficulty achieving a healthy weight, a nutrition consult will help you set a realistic goal that takes your unique situation into consideration.
What’s included in an Initial Nutrition Assessment?
An initial nutrition consult at Functionize goes above and beyond a traditional nutrition assessment that you might find in a more conventional clinic (which typically begins and ends after a 1 hour session with no follow-up support).
Before committing to your appointment, you will have the opportunity to speak with Allyson on the phone for a complimentary introduction to your individual case and gain an understanding of the approach that will be taken during your partnership. You will also be given instructions for how to prepare for your first appointment, which will maximize the time during your visit.
Prior to your visit, Allyson will prepare information that is tailored to your specific nutrition needs based on your initial phone call and a food diary that will be completed before your visit.
Initial assessments take a minimum of 90 minutes, and include:
In-depth assessment of your current diagnoses, relevant labs, lifestyle, history, and dietary patterns.
Discussion of any triggers that may be exacerbating symptoms or preventing progress and/or healing.
Identification and prioritization of specific areas to target, and education on strategies that will lead to success.
Establishment of realistic, measurable goals.
Unlimited email support, which allows for answers to those random questions that pop up as well as helping you navigate and troubleshoot through the process of meeting your goals.
***After completing your initial visit, you will receive a personalized action plan via email (within 24-72 hours) that will be prepared based on your assessment. It will include any resources that are relevant to your specific needs (links to articles, recipes, etc.).
Do I need to plan for a follow-up Session?
While an initial assessment includes an extensive plan and unlimited email support, meeting again to evaluate progress, discuss setbacks and set new goals can be helpful in achieving long-term success. It’s important to have a realistic approach in establishing eating habits that will last, thus it is often necessary to work on a few things at a time and build on goals as needed.
Follow Up sessions are typically 45-60 minutes and are recommended to take place 6 weeks after an initial consult (these can be in person or virtual sessions).
The need for a follow-up will be evaluated on and individual basis.
What’s a Grocery Store / Farmer’s Market Tour?
Often the best way to incorporate dietary changes is through a practical, hands-on approach. The average grocery store has more than 45,000 different foods to choose from (the majority of them being unhealthy!). This can be confusing and overwhelming even when you have the best of intentions. Walking through the grocery store you frequent with me will help equip you with knowledge and strategies for choosing foods that are compatible with your personalized plan. Grocery store tours are priced according to location.
Allyson Balzuweit has 20 years of experience as a Registered Dietitian, working in a variety of settings providing nutrition counseling and education to individuals and groups with a multitude of nutrition needs. She enjoys helping others embrace a healthy and realistic approach to eating through a positive and solution-based approach.
Allyson received a BS in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Connecticut in 1996. After completing her dietetic internship at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, she relocated to the Washington DC area, where she began working as a clinical dietitian, and eventually transitioned to outpatient counseling for several years. She is certified in Adult, Child and Adolescent weight management. After moving to Atlanta in 2005, Allyson has worked with private clients with a variety of nutrition related health issues, consulted for local fitness clubs, and has spent the last 5 years in public health, specifically focusing on patients with HIV and compromised immune status. Allyson’s email is allysonbalzuweith@aol.com. More information can be found at www.functionizehealth.com.
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