Managing Chronic Pain During the Holidays
During the holiday season, any relief from your chronic pain can feel like a precious gift. This guide explores tools and treatments that can help you unwrap that relief.
What Happens During a Nutrition-Focused Assessment?
You’ve probably heard the old saying: “You are what you eat.” It speaks to an underlying truth that the dietary choices you make each day have a direct impact on your health, including how you feel and how you look.
That might be motivation enough to focus on eating what your body needs. But it can be overwhelming to try to navigate the countless food options you have each day. How do you ensure you’re making nutritious choices that support your health goals?
The answer is simple. Come in for a nutrition assessment here at Legacy Pain and Regenerative Medicine. At our offices in Plano and Addison, Texas, Trace Alexander, DC, FNP, evaluates your body and your daily habits. This allows him to identify potential areas of deficiency or excess, and then collaborate with you on a plan to correct them.
What to expect during your assessment
After asking about your health and weight history, Dr. Alexander takes a three-pronged approach to gathering data to determine what your body needs:
1. Food diary review
Before your appointment, Dr. Alexander asks you to keep a food diary for several days. All you need to do for each meal or snack is write down what foods you eat, the amount of food, and when you eat it. This gives him an idea of your starting point, allowing him to tailor dietary recommendations to you and your lifestyle.
2. Physical exam
Dr. Alexander can learn a lot by simply looking at you. Your skin, nails, gums, and more can tell him about how your body is doing. As a result, he makes a physical exam one part of your nutrition assessment.
The nutrition-focused exam is noninvasive. You don’t need to do anything to prepare except come to your appointment dressed comfortably.
3. Blood and urine tests
To identify needs he can’t see, Dr. Alexander uses testing to evaluate what’s going on inside your body. Through blood and urine tests, he can assess your blood sugar, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and other lab markers he deems necessary for evaluating your health.
Based on your results, he tailors a nutrition plan for you.
Signs you might benefit from a nutrition assessment
Anyone could benefit from this type of assessment. Once you learn you’re deficient in a certain vitamin, for example, you can adjust your diet or take a supplement to resolve this deficiency.
Still, you might be looking for specific indicators that you should schedule this kind of evaluation. Some physical signs you might have a nutrient deficiency include:
- Persistent fatigue
- Dry, brittle hair or nails
- Mouth ulcers or cracked corners of the mouth
- Itchy or bumpy skin
- Bleeding gums
- Slow healing
Do those sound familiar? If so, we can help.
If you’re curious about a nutrition-focused assessment, call our team at Legacy Pain and Regenerative Medicine at 972-899-9797 or send us a message online today.
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