One thing that is universally common in all of us is that we all need food for survival. Food and beverages that we eat provide the nutrients as well as the energy needed for the overall function of the body, managing diseases, improving health, and reducing the risk of diseases. Nutrition and nutrients do not just involve eating a 'good' diet; it is about providing nourishment to the body at all levels. In addition, it involves having a relationship with our own body, family, friends, community, and surroundings.
The understanding of nutrition is very much essential for optimum health. Nutrition is defined as the science of food, the substances, and nutrients therein, their mechanism of action, interaction with each other, and balance with respect to disease and health. It is the process by which a living body undergo ingestion, digestion, absorption, transportation, utilization, and excretion of the food material.
The critical role of the diet is to eat foods that give us six necessary nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. The correct variety of food with the correct amount provides all the essential nutrients insufficient for optimum health and weight management.
The department of Diet and Nutrition at Sprint Medical offers a comprehensive range of services for people of all age groups. The Diet and Nutrition department has qualified personnel's experience and expertise to perform a wide range of treatments through diet. As every individual is unique, they require special diet plans, specifically designed for each individual while keeping their disease, food preferences, allergies, medications, etc., in mind. The diet plans are tailor-made to meet the need of each individual. It offers a caring and therapeutic environment focusing on recovery from the disease (if any), quality of life, and the overall health of an individual.
A dietician is a health professional, ideally trained to implement and change the dietary habits of an individual or population. In other words, we can say that a dietician is a person with legally recognized qualifications in nutrition and diet who applies the science of nutrition to the feeding and education of the population and individuals in health and disease.
Following are the responsibilities of a dietician with respect to their client and profession:
The Dietician is responsible for recognizing and exercising professional judgment within the limits of their qualifications and collaborates with others, seeks counsel, or makes referrals as appropriate.
The Dietician treats clients and patients with respect and consideration.
The Dietician protects confidential information and makes full disclosure about any limitations on their ability to guarantee complete confidentiality.
The dietician practices dietetics based on evidence-based principles and current information.
The Dietician presents reliable and substantiated information and interprets controversial information without personal bias, recognizing that legitimate differences of opinion exist.
The Dietician provides professional services with objectivity and respect for the individuals' unique needs and values.
Since dietary habits vary widely in any population, prescribing an appropriate diet for an individual patient for a particular disease becomes challenging. The dietary prescriptions are made based on the patient's age, sex, activity, body weight, and the type of treatment they are undergoing. Income, education level, marital status, and ethnicity are also considered before prescribing the diet.
The daily record of the intake of calories and other nutrients is very important. The convenient way is to administer a detailed questionnaire regarding the type of food item and quantities consumed, throughout the day, in terms of cooked volumes. That is converted to raw ingredients, and nutritional value is calculated using the standard food tables. Diet prescription should meet all the nutrient requirements of the patient.
Diet counseling is a combination of nutrition expertise and psychological skills delivered by a trained dietician. A diet counselor's role is no longer seen as a mere information dispenser but rather as an agent for changing food and eating behavior for better health. The process of diet counseling requires three basic skills, namely, interviewing, counseling, and consulting. Interviewing is the gathering of information and data. Counseling is listening, accepting, clarifying, and helping clients form their conclusions, identify problems and develop their plan of action. Finally, consulting involves developing plans or proposals for and with the client based on observations and evaluations, adding and enhancing knowledge and understanding of the individual seeking help.
You can consult with Sprint Medical's Allahabad dietitian.