What you eat has a great impact on your overall health. While this is a common fact, it’s not necessarily the easiest thing to follow a strict dietary regimen that will optimize one’s physical and mental well-being.

In fact, even those who are following a plan could possibly be following something that doesn’t fit their statistics or condition, and so are less likely to work. Especially since there are many self-proclaimed experts on the internet about dieting and other lifestyle hacks, the information so easily accessible online can become a dangerous tool instead of a helpful resource.

If you want to have the proper guidance for starting and maintaining a healthy diet, then you should look into nutrition counseling.

What is Nutrition Counseling

Essentially, this is a type of program that aims to improve the patient’s overall health and wellness by coming up with a viable dietary plan focused on nutrition. With the right nutritional intake, a person can experience improvements in their health, including a stronger immunity.

On a more immediate note, changes in energy levels, sleep quality, focus and concentration, and improvement in mood are also results you can expect. That’s because the body is getting the right kind of fuel to nourish it, right when it needs it.

Nutrition counselingtherefore not only takes into account the best kinds of food you should have but also when it’s best to have them.

Why You Need Nutritional Counseling

If you’re looking forward to losing weight the right and healthy way, whether it’s to fit back into your old jeans, or so you can get off maintenance medications, it would be ideal to have the proper guidance of going about it. Working with a nutritional counselor can set you on the right path to wellness, with long-term results to enjoy, instead of a quick flash in the pan only to revert back to your bad dietary habits.

The treatment plan you will receive from your counselor will be tailor-fit according to your profile. They will take into consideration your goals, steps you’ve previously taken in an attempt to achieve them, blind spots, and other weaknesses that may be making it difficult for you to achieve your goals, and more.

A nutritional counselor is also a great resource for athletes. You don’t need to be a professional athlete to require the services of a nutritional counselor. If you’re a serious runner or triathlete who enjoys joining tournaments often, staying on top of your nutritional needs is going to be crucial to have your best performance.

A nutritional counselor can give you advice as to which supplements—and their combinations if needed—are going to be the safest and most effective for your needs.

Meanwhile, another important role of a nutritional counselor is helping with the recovery of an eating disorder patient. Because the issues are deep-seated and go beyond mere eating habits, it’s going to require a careful and deliberate approach to tackle this very sensitive matter.

A nutritional counselor can lay down a program that would supplement the treatment plan of the patient in a rehabilitation facility, such as Ocean Recovery (http://oceansrecovery.com/). Most importantly, it’s going to be something viable and sustainable, enough for the patient to continue applying it even after they’ve graduated from the program.

We all want to lead healthy lives and we all know that proper diet and exercise will help get us to where we want to be. Most people can find at least one form of exercise that they enjoy doing. Adding more wholesome foods into our diet, on the other hand, can prove to be a lot more difficult. Rather than fad diets or “magic” fixes, superfoods can help us maintain weight, fight disease, and live longer. Here’s what you need to know about superfoods and your health.

What is a Superfood?

Superfoods are foods that contain at least two or more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, or polyphenols. Some superfoods can be more difficult to find than others. In this case, you can still find these nutrient powerhouses in the form of concentrates or extracts to add to foods you already enjoy.

Here are just a few superfoods to consider adding to your diet.

Acai Berries:

These berries are found naturally in the Amazon rain forest and have been eaten by indigenous people since they first arrived. They are safe to eat and are heavily concentrated with vitamins A, C and E, but it is the anti-oxidants that produce the greatest benefit to your health. Acai berries are known to help keep your heart healthy by reducing your cholesterol levels. These same anti-oxidants are known to create healthy skin. In fact, there are some cosmetics that can be found on the market that contain the pulp from these berries to aid in the health of your skin.

The one problem with acai berries is that they are hard to find. Also, the seed inside the berries is about four-fifths of the volume of the berry. In short, they are hard to find and not easy to eat. The good news is the there are many supplements that are easily found. For instance, organic acai powders can be obtained and added to beverages.

Blueberries:

These berries also have anti-oxidants, but they are also rich in phytoflavinoids, a natural occurring chemical in plants that is known to prevent disease in people, including reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. They are also very high in potassium and vitamin C. What makes these berries so attractive is simply how concentrated the nutritional elements are. This is why they are recommended by doctors everywhere, and of course, you local supermarket is likely to carry them.

Green Tea:

Not to be confused with the common black tea, this tea comes from Asia and is known for its anti-oxidants. It also helps to increase your metabolism, so it helps you lose weight by burning off calories more easily. It’s not necessary to drink the tea if you don’t like the flavor, there are many products that can be found that are a green tea extract. You can add it to your food without noticing the flavor.

Sardines:

Sardines are one of the highest sources of omega-3 fatty acids. This is an essential part of a healthy diet, but unfortunately too many people have no source of it in their diet. It is mostly found in cold-water fish, and it is sardines that are small and readily available. You only need two or three servings a week to reap the omega-3 fatty acid benefit.

Of course, the foods above are only a partial list of superfoods. There are many more! Keep in mind that there are supplements available in powder and liquid form if the superfood cannot be found in your local supermarket.