FEEL BETTER. HEAL BETTER.
How can a dietitian help you to reach your health and wellbeing goals?
We all know the food we eat affects our physical and mental health, but when it comes to medical conditions and symptoms, many of us only seek medical treatment. However, nutrition and lifestyle changes can be powerful adjuncts to medication, especially for patients with chronic health conditions such as diabetes, gastrointestinal symptoms or conditions with symptoms that may be either exacerbated or alleviated by dietary choices, including food allergies and intolerances. Strategic nutrition can also help to alleviate unexplained symptoms such as persistent fatigue and headaches and may improve symptoms that haven’t responded to medical treatment. Whether you have a medical diagnosis or just wish to feel better, a dietitian may be the missing piece of the puzzle.
Weight management
From ending a frustrating cycle of yo-yo dieting and rebound weight gain to working around barriers to weight loss such as medication side-effects and certain health conditions, a dietitian can partner you in your weight management journey by identifying personal factors that contribute to body weight and combining these findings with evidence-based nutrition strategies to achieve and maintain your weight goals long term without dieting. Using a person-centred approach, a dietitian will also support you to make these changes by providing tools to address eating behaviour challenges (e.g. education in mindful eating to overcome emotional eating).
Food allergies & intolerances
Food intolerances may produce a range of symptoms that aren’t explained by standard medical testing or diagnoses or don’t respond to regular treatments, from bloating and stomach pain to skin conditions including hives and eczema and headaches and fatigue. A dietitian can identify intolerances through a carefully-staged elimination diet that continues to meet your nutrition needs and recommend foods to consume and avoid to resolve symptoms and prevent further episodes. A dietitian can also work with sufferers of food allergies and coeliac disease to prevent symptoms and long-term intestinal damage.
Gastrointestinal health
Many gastrointestinal symptoms can be markedly improved or alleviated with dietary interventions. Based on factors identified by your medical practitioner(s), taking into account health history, medical treatments, biochemistry and diet and lifestyle, a dietitian will recommend food inclusions/exclusions targeting specific complaints. A dietitian can also educate you in self-managing diagnosed GI conditions such as Crohn’s disease, diverticular disease and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). If applicable, they may help to identify and address food allergies and intolerances that may be causing or exacerbating symptoms.
Heart health
For patients with a diagnosis of coronary heart disease or cardiovascular disease (CVD) or those who have had a heart event, dietary modifications can work in tandem with medication and lifestyle measures to optimise recovery and heart health and help to prevent deterioration, further events or onset of related conditions. Based on a thorough appraisal of your health history and status and medical treatments obtained through consultation with your medical practitioner(s), these modifications may be targeted to various goals including weight loss and cholesterol reduction.
Diabetes
For sufferers of type 2 diabetes particularly, a modified diet is often a critical component in managing blood glucose and/or body weight, which in turn can help to prevent short- and long-term complications such as stroke, eye problems, circulation problems, heart disease and kidney disease. Tailored meal plans and food recommendations combined with targeted, evidence-based education in how food types and meal timings affect blood glucose and insulin can enable you to better self-manage your diabetes in the long term. A dietitian can also help sufferers of type 1 and gestational diabetes.
- Review test results and address identified medical priorities (e.g. cholesterol reduction)
- Devise nutrition strategies that target health conditions from hypothyroidism to PCOS, diabetes, coronary disease and liver and renal disease
- Devise targeted nutrition strategies to correct nutrient deficiencies (e.g. anaemia, iodine deficiency)
- Identify and provide dietary recommendations for food intolerances and allergies and coeliac disease
- Create realistic, easy-to-follow, sustainable meal plans and organisational/planning strategies
- Educate in better food choices (e.g. wholegrain carbohydrates), label reading and portion control
- Educate in strategies to manage emotional overeating or boredom eating (e.g. mindful eating)
- Educate and reassure eating disordered patients who fear weight gain and work at a rate they can tolerate
- Refer to/collaborate with a psychologist to manage disordered or disturbed eating thoughts and behaviours
- Collaborate with medical practitioners and provide clear, succinct reports
How it works
An initial dietetics consultation generally includes a diet and lifestyle assessment, assessment of medical status (including review of medical notes or discussion and review of biochemistry and relevant test results), assessment of your dietary and family history, lifestyle and home environment, and education, counselling and support towards desired behaviours and health outcomes. Follow-up appointments assess progress and provide further education and support to help you to maintain changes and manage your health long term.
Why see an APD?
When it comes to nutrition credentials, accredited practising dietitian (APD) is the gold standard. An APD is qualified to provide nutrition advice in the context of medical management and complex health settings. Along with a minimum completion of a four-year accredited university course, an APD’s registration requires that they undertake ongoing education and training to enable provision of the most credible, evidence-based dietary interventions.
Simple bookings and referrals
For private dietetics clients, a formal referral is usually not required. You can simply book a consultation by phone on (03) 9013 5987 book instantly on our website. For CDM (Medicare) patients, NDIS participants and those eligible for community programs including TAC, WorkCover, My Aged Care and DVA, your doctor can complete your referral or enrolment during your consultation here.
Melinda
- Dietitian
“Dietetics is most effective when it’s harmonious with each person’s goals and motivation, lifestyle, capacities and preferences and broader healthcare management. I am committed to person-centred care and providing tailored advice to best support individuals to achieve their health and nutrition goals,” says Soaring Health dietitian Melinda. This collaborative approach extends to consulting with clients’ other medical and allied health providers. “I believe strongly in a multidisciplinary team approach to best support clients in achieving their health and wellbeing goals.” -Melinda, Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD)
Online consulting
If you can’t get to our clinics or feel more comfortable in your own home, our dietitians can provide online consulting. All you need is an internet connection to receive full clinical dietetics consultations via video at your convenience.
2 convenient clinic locations
Our two clinics are conveniently located and offer appointments to fit in with your busy schedule. We’re open 6 days with 8am-8pm weekday opening hours. Choose a clinic to suit you.
Thomastown Clinic
Located in: Thomastown Recreation & Aquatic Centre
Address: 54 Main Street, Thomastown VIC 3074
Open Hours:
Weekdays: 8am-8pm
Saturdays: 8am-2pm
Craigieburn Clinic
Located in: Splash Aqua Park and Leisure Centre
Address: 60 Central Park Ave, Craigieburn VIC 3064
Open Hours:
Weekdays: 8am-8pm
Saturdays: 8am-6pm
Fees, subsidies and rebates
The fees for private clients for standard 60-minute and 30-minute dietetics consultations are $194 and $80. Eligible private insurance policies may offer rebates on dietetics. Clients with a Chronic Disease Management (CDM) plan may be eligible for Medicare-subsidised consultations. NDIS participants and patients eligible for My Aged Care, TAC, WorkCover and DVA may be eligible for no-gap dietetics consultations.