Date with a Nutritionist

As part of my lifeshift (aka my healthy mid-life crisis), I set the intention that I would strive for a healthier living. So, I made an appointment with a nutritionist. On the phone, she indicated that she would email me a form to fill out, which shouldn't take more than 30 minutes, and asked that I also keep a food log over a 3-day period.  When the form arrived in my inbox, I promptly forgot about it.

My memory was jogged while looking at my iPhone calendar the day before the appointment.  So, I frantically tried to remember what I had eaten for the past 3 days. And then I had to remind myself to be honest about it! Lying to your nutritionist about your eating habits before the first meeting is like lying to a first date about your height or weight. It's not going to get you what you want in the end!

And then, I came to the form -- you know the one that should take only 30 minutes to fill out. So, 2 hours later, I had laid myself bare in my responses. And when I say bare, think "naked on a busy street" bare.  There was not an intrusive question about my body habits that she didn't ask. We're talking how many times a day, week, month, year I have sex! Not even my doctor knows the shape of my poop, and I promise not to share it here!  But the nutritionist wanted to know!

During our session, I set goals to be healthier overall, to reduce stress, and to lose weight. The nutritionist asked me to think of her as a lifestyle coach who will help me get to the root cause of my issues surrounding food and do it in a functional manner. So, now I have my own food therapist!

I was pleasantly surprised at our meeting not to be attached to a torture rack in order to spill more secrets. However, she did weigh me and take my blood pressure. She also gave me a zinc test to see if I was zinc deficient.  It consisted of swishing liquid zinc in my mouth for 30 seconds and then describing the taste. Of course, I broke out in hives because I had forgotten that I have a zinc sensitivity! 

Until our next meeting, we agreed that I would focus on eating a healthier breakfast.  I've been testing out different smoothies.  Believe me when I say that not every combination is tasty! But I think of it as a science experiment! She also suggested that I drink a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (the kind with the mother) with water before each meal to reduce acid reflux. That actually seems to have helped.

The verdict: I'm going to see her again.  She had a positive but realistic attitude, and I think that she'll help me eat all my veggies!