Simply put dietetics is the study of the effects of nutrition on the body. Working with a dietitian can be transformative for veterans. As there is often a lot of conflicting advice about nutrition and diets, having an expert in your corner can make all the difference to a veteran’s overall well-being.
When a veteran engages with a dietitian, they will work on learning about different foods, and their nutritional content, they can also look at how foods affect mood or mental health. Practically, a dietitian can help with;
A nutritional needs assessment
An eating plan – tailored to your needs
Nutritional counselling
Shopping and Healthy Eating advice
Diet-related illness advice.
Who needs to see a dietitian?
Broadly most veterans would benefit from seeing a dietitian, as would a majority of the general population. Having a deeper understanding of the value of nutrition is valuable for everyone. Where it becomes vital for veterans is where the prevalence of diet-related or diet-affected conditions.
Diet-related conditions include;
Diabetes Management
Blood Pressure and Heart Disease
Eating disorders
Food allergies and intolerances
Gastrointestinal diseases
Malnutrition
Obesity
Renal disease
Dietitians can also assist with practical nutrition support like;
Meal preparation
Menu planning
Shopping lists
How Can Veterans Access A Dietitian?
Seeing a dietitian is simple; they can be accessed via telehealth or face-to-face in a clinic, and some may even be able to come to your home. A consultation will include an intake, where the dietitian will gather information about your current diet and health concerns and they may need access to information like; blood tests, medical records and the veteran’s DVA information. Like many allied health practitioners, they work in conjunction with other practitioners to help fully understand the needs of each veteran client that they see.
Who is eligible to see a dietitian?
Veterans who hold a Gold Card are likely to be able to see a dietitian to help manage chronic health concerns.
White Card With Accepted Health Conditions may be eligible to see a dietitian if their accepted conditions are related to nutritional concerns.