Our Specialties

Body Composition
Whether you are overweight or of normal weight you should be aware of the impact body composition has on your health. Even if your weight is within a normal range, you can still have unhealthy or altered body composition.

An unhealthy body composition refers to carrying too much fat in comparison to lean tissue (muscle). This is often referred to as having a high fat-to-lean ratio. As your body’s fat-to-lean ratio increases, so do your health risks. In fact, unhealthy body composition often leads to obesity, a condition associated with many critical health concerns, including:

• Heart Disease• Back Pain
• Stroke • Gallbladder Disease & Gallstones
• High Blood Pressure • Kidney Disorders
• High Cholesterol • Osteoarthritis
• Metabolic Syndrome • Respiratory Problems
• Insulin Resistance • Sleep Apnea
• Type 2 Diabetes • Excess Fatigue
• Urinary Incontinence • Estrogen-Related Problems
• Depression • Certain Forms of Cancer

Are you entitled to a tax deduction?
On April 2, 2002, the IRS announced a new policy (IRS Ruling 202-19) that stated “obesity is medically accepted to be a disease in its own right.” For taxpayers, this means that treatment specifically for obesity can now be claimed as a medical deduction. According to the IRS:

"Uncompensated amounts paid by individuals for participation in a weight-loss program as treatment for a specific disease or diseases (including obesity) diagnosed by a physician are expenses for medical care that are deductible under § 213, subject to the limitations of that section."

For more information visit www.obesity.org/subs/tax/taxbreak.shtml

Are you overweight and undernourished? Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help with weight loss/fat loss and cravings or contact us today to schedule an appointment for a body composition test and learn more about what you can do to reduce your health risks.

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Bone Health
The National Osteoporosis Foundation states that, one in two women and one in four men age 50 and older will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture.

Despite the many advances in osteoporosis - screening, diet, and lifestyle changes are still your first line of defense. You need to be tested to know where you stand – get a bone mineral density test. It’s a quick, painless measurement of the hip, arm, and other skeletal sites.

It's also important to be aware of the side effects of certain medications that can leach calcium from bones, as well as a history of dieting or excessive protein intake. Let Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists design a program for you and help you choose the appropriate calcium supplement for your bones.

Take our bone health quiz to see if you are at risk for brittle bones and potential fractures.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help keep your bones strong or contact us today to schedule an appointment to design a program that will delay further progression of bone loss.

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Brain Power

The brain is perhaps the most important organ affected by aging, since it consumes more energy than any other organ of the body. An energy deficit in the brain and central nervous system affects the activities of organs throughout the body as well as memory, attention and focus, and mood.

The brain is highly sensitive to oxidative, free radical damage, which is the most common reason for brain decline. Foods high in antioxidants counter that damage and protect the brain. "Brain starvation" is another common cause of mental decline. The brain’s dietary requirements are extremely high – feeding it with the protective nutrients it needs will cause it to perform better.

Memory
Memory loss and brain aging are a natural part of getting older. No matter how "normal" memory lapses may be, that doesn't make them any less frustrating. Experts agree that the best way to keep your brain fit is to keep using it. Four things to keep your brain sharp include: mental activity, physical fitness, stress reduction, and a healthy diet.

Take our memory quiz to see if you are starting to lose it.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help keep your memory intact or contact us today to schedule an appointment to design a program that will delay further progression of memory loss.

Attention and Focus
Today more and more adults are becoming concerned with their lack of attention and focus. Setting priorities, including physical activity, a healthy diet, and specific supplements can greatly improve many facets of and adult's life, including relationships, parenting skills, job performance and even sex lives.

Check out the brain power section in our wellness store to learn more about natural products that could improve attention and focus or contact us today to schedule an appointment to design a program that will delay further progression of memory loss.

Mood
How consistent is your energy and how happy are you? How sharp is your mind and how balanced is your mood? – and what if anything, do these qualities have to do with what you put in your mouth?

Feel-good substances surround us. Many of us eat chocolate, drink coffee, tea, energy drinks, or chug caffeinated, sugary soft drinks. Then there are those who smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, or take recreational drugs. On top of this, millions of people take antidepressants and sleep aids on a daily basis.

Do these substances work? Obviously they do, or they wouldn’t be so popular. They boost energy, relieve anxiety, and help us recover from a hard days work. The highs that many of these substances give us can disappear all too quickly, and leave us coping with a nasty aftermath. Mood swings, depletion, exhaustion and even addiction can result from all that popping, pouring and puffing.

Your dietitian at Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists can help you get off this mood swing rollercoaster and teach you how to regain a healthy, balanced mood and life. You can change how you think and feel with lifestyle modifications and by changing the substances you put into your mouth.

Everyone can, at any age, balance and boost their state of mind with the right nutrition and the best dietary supplements to improve mood. Check out the brain power section in our wellness store to learn more about natural products that can improve mood and well-being or contact us today to schedule an appointment to design a program that will restore balance in your life.

Check out the brain power section in our wellness store to learn more about natural products that can improve mood and well-being or contact us today to schedule an appointment to design a program that will restore balance in your life.

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Cancer
Many of us have been touched in some way by cancer. Maybe we've lost a relative, a friend or an acquaintance; maybe we’ve had a personal scare as a result of an annual physical.

A dizzying amount of information exists on cancer-preventive foods and supplements. The easiest steps you can take are to modify your diet and to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Talking with a dietitian can help clarify the overabundance of information, such as eating a rainbow of food colors, emphasizing certain food groups, antioxidants and phytochemicals, and more.

For those undergoing treatment related to cancer, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation, and alternative therapies there are oftentimes side effects of these treatments that impact your nutrition, energy level, and immune system. What may affect one person may not affect another. Your dietitian at Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists is here to help you get through your treatments with fewer side effects along the way.

Once treatment is complete you will learn to eat in the most nutritious way possible to reduce your chances of recurrence and enjoy your life to the fullest.

Whether you are looking for information about prevention, nutrition support during cancer treatment, or supplement suggestions, Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists will guide you through the research and information that is applicable to you.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help boost your immune system or contact us today to schedule an appointment to get started on a plan that will improve your quality of life.

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Detoxification/Immune Support
Every day people are exposed to multiple toxins that exceed the body’s ability to detoxify, causing a buildup of toxins and a compromised immune system. A detoxification program may be a simple first approach for those suffering from symptoms and conditions associated with metabolic toxicity or inflammation. Organs such as the intestines, liver and kidneys are affected when there is a build up of toxins.

Detoxification is an energy-requiring process that puts a metabolic burden on the body. Therefore, water or juice fasts are not beneficial because they deplete the body of the essential nutrients required for healthy detoxification. These fasts can have many adverse health effects, including decreased energy production, breakdown of lean tissue instead of fat, increased oxidative stress, and unbalanced detoxification.

A better approach to detoxification is to nourish the body thoroughly, fueling its natural detoxification mechanism with the nutrients needed to achieve optimal detoxification activity.

Our program provides high quality protein, complex carbohydrates and essential fats, so the body gets what it needs to prevent muscle and organ breakdown and depleted energy resources.

Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists will assist you in the detoxification process. We provide you with meal plans, grocery lists, and support throughout the detoxification process.

Are you feeling the effects of toxic overload? Take our detoxification/immune support quiz to see if a detox program is right for you.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help boost your immune system while detoxifying your body or contact us today to schedule an appointment for a healthy approach to detoxification

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Diabetes/Insulin Resistance
Blood sugar is the basic fuel that all cells in the body use to make energy. Glucose can only be put to work and transformed into energy once it is in the cells, not when it is circulating in the bloodstream. In an optimal state, the body maintains the blood glucose level in a fairly narrow range through the secretion of the hormone insulin, which allows glucose to be transported from the bloodstream into the cells. However, in many individuals the cells don't respond to the insulin "signal" – the body's response to this is to secrete more insulin. This is called insulin resistance.

Chronically elevated blood glucose levels result in the development of diabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to severe complications such as:
· Cataracts
· Blindness
· Impotence
· Kidney failure
· Amputations
· Heart disease

A significant amount of research suggests certain vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients in foods can improve the sensitivity of the body to insulin.

If you are not feeling your best and diabetes runs in your family, take our Diabetes/Insulin Resistance quiz.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help with blood sugar control or contact us today to schedule an appointment so that we can design a program that fits your needs and wards off the potential damage of uncontrolled blood glucose.

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Digestion
Gastrointestinal disorders can often be self-managed if you choose the right foods to eat. Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists will analyze your diet to identify the negative and positive impact certain food choices can have on your digestive condition. We will show you how to make the best, most comfortable food choices in order to embark on the road to digestive health.

Common gastrointestinal problems include:
· Gas
· Constipation/Diarrhea
· Heartburn/Reflux
· Celiac disease
· Colitis
· Crohn’s disease
· Diverticulitis/Diverticulosis
· Gastritis
· Gluten intolerance
· Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
· Lactose Intolerance
· Food allergies/sensitivities

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract often lead to the development of malnutrition.

Do you have the guts to be healthy? Take our digestion quiz to see if everything is in working order or you need GI support.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help with digestion and GI disturbances or contact us today to schedule an appointment to determine which foods are causing distress and ways to overcome discomfort and pain related to these disorders.

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Energy/Fatigue
Fatigue can be a normal and important response to physical exertion, emotional stress, boredom, or lack of sleep. However, it can also be a nonspecific sign of a more serious psychological or physical disorder. When fatigue is not relieved by enough sleep, good nutrition, exercise, or a low-stress environment, it should be looked at more closely by your physician.

There are many possible physical and psychological causes of fatigue. Some of the more common causes are:
· Anemia
· Hypothyroid
· Sleep disorders
· Allergies
· Depression
· Alcohol
· Lack of exercise
· Poor eating habits
· Stress
· Medications
· Dehydration

Are you feeling energized or going through the motions? Take our energy/fatigue quiz to see if you have enough energy to accomplish your daily activities in stride or if your current plan is zapping you of precious energy.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help boost your energy level or contact us today to revitalize your being through diet and lifestyle adjustments.

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FirstLine Therapy (FLT)
FirstLine Therapy (FLT) is a 12-week program designed to address the underlying cause of most chronic illnesses. FLT is based on extensive research demonstrating that many of the chronic diseases associated with aging are largely caused by lifestyle choices.

FLT is recommended for health problems, such as:
· Heart disease
· Stroke
· Hypertension
· Arthritis
· Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance
· Diabetes
· Inflammatory Bowel Disease
· Irritable Bowel Syndrome
· Cancer
· Skin diseases
· Autoimmune diseases
· Stress-related disorders
· Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
· PMS/Menopause
· Asthma
· Unhealthy Body Composition

Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists and/or your physician will determine if this program is right for you. Your dietitian will assist and motivate you on the path to better health.

Would you rather take multiple medications with a plethora of side effects or follow a nutrition and lifestyle program to improve your health? Take our FLT quiz to see if you may be a candidate for a Therapeutic Lifestyle Change program.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help control your blood sugar, reduce cholesterol and inflammation and help bring you back to wellness, or contact us today to schedule an appointment for the program that can return you to good health.

If you are interested in the FirstLine Therapy Program, please go to the FLT page to learn more and print out forms prior to our first appointment.

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Healthy Aging/Wellness
Getting older brings with it an abundance of new physical, emotional and mental challenges. Later life can be a time of rest, relaxation and retirement and it can also be a time to embark on a new adventure. Aging can also bring with it a lot of anxiety, often because of issues related to health and well-being, but also because of significant social and emotional changes.

Healthy eating and being physically active are keys to a healthy lifestyle. You may reduce your risk of many chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and certain cancers, and increase your chances of living longer. Eating nutritious foods increases energy, improves the way your body functions, strengthens your immune system and thwarts weight gain.

Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists will help you navigate the maze of nutrition information and how it relates to you. We create a healthy meal plan and will make supplement recommendations that are best for your needs.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help with healthy aging/wellness or contact us today to schedule an appointment – aging healthfully takes reflection and commitment, it’s never too late to get started.

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Heart Health
Even if you are already at risk for heart disease, you can improve your heart health and reduce your risk factors. Because these factors are often related, a change in just one area can positively impact others. Losing weight, for example, makes it easier to keep blood pressure down and diabetes in check.

Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists will help you with:
· Cholesterol
· Blood Pressure
· Weight Loss
· Stress Reduction
· Diabetes/Insulin Resistance
· Congestive Heart Failure

Having a healthy heart takes some effort, but its well within your reach. Take the heart health quiz and begin taking an active role in keeping your heart beating at a healthy pace.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to reduce cholesterol and improve cardiovascular health or contact us today to schedule an appointment to create a heart-healthy plan that fits your lifestyle.

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Hormone Balance – Female/Male
Hormone imbalance occurs when the body has inadequate building blocks to create both stress hormones and sex hormones. When under stress, hormones are extracted from the hormone reserves. When stress is overwhelming and a woman is nutritionally deprived, hormone imbalance occurs and symptoms appear.

Female symptoms of hormone imbalance include:
· Water retention and bloating
· Weight gain
· Hot flashes
· Low sex drive
· Memory loss or confusion
· Night sweats
· Dry skin
· Hair loss
· Anxiety
· Depression
· Irritability
· Breast tenderness
· Poor concentration
· Pre-menstrual syndrome
· Fibroids
· Vaginal dryness
· Fibrocystic breasts
· Endometriosis
Are you not feeling yourself? Take our female hormone balance quiz to see if you have any hormone related symptoms.

As men change, they begin to experience changes in their bodies, such as increasing abdominal fat and decreasing muscle mass. They also experience a distressing decline in their sex drive. At the same time, the risk of serious health conditions such as depression and heart disease rises. While many people, including doctors, dismiss these conditions as signs of “natural aging,” there is often an underlying and identifiable cause of these symptoms—the gradual decline of important sex hormones, especially testosterone.

Oftentimes, men who have problems related to unbalanced hormone levels are advised to treat only the symptoms of their conditions (such as taking antidepressant and/or cholesterol-lowering drugs); whereas, more progressive healthcare providers now recognize the connection between hormones and the diseases of aging. Restoration of youthful hormone levels is associated with optimal sexual function, energy, and vitality, while declining hormone levels correlate with many age-related conditions, including high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, diabetes, loss of muscle and bone mass, and fatigue.

Male symptoms of hormone imbalance include:
· Increased abdominal fat
· Decreased muscle mass
· Decreased strength
· Decreased sexual desire, pleasure and performance
· Depression
· Decreased cognition and alertness
· Decreased energy

Nutrition knowledge is a necessary step in the healing process and essential for the
long-term maintenance of well being. Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists will
educate you about the foods and supplements that will help restore hormonal balance
and which ones will not.

Are you not feeling yourself? Take our male hormone balance quiz to see if you have any hormone related symptoms.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help with hormone balance or contact us today to schedule an appointment to design a plan that will fit your needs.

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Inflammation
Inflammation can be a good thing; it's your body's response to injury and illness. The increased circulation, swelling, heat, and even pain it causes can actually help your body to heal. But prolonged inflammation can stimulate the disease process.

Chronic inflammation can wear away the cushioning that protects joints, causing arthritis. Now researchers are finding that chronic inflammation is linked to many life-shortening diseases, including coronary heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. A key to healthy aging and wellness is to eat foods that help reduce inflammation.

Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists is here to help you learn more about boosting your body's ability to fight off inflammation-related chronic diseases.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help put out the fire or contact us today to schedule an appointment to formulate an anti-inflammatory lifestyle plan.

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Relaxation/Sleep
The importance of sleep for overall health and well-being is critical. In fact, when people get less than 6 or 7 hours of sleep each night, their risk for developing diseases begins to increase.

Adequate sleep helps:
• Reduce risk for heart attacks and strokes – lack of sleep has been associated with worsening of blood pressure and cholesterol – leading to heart disease.
• Reduce risk for cancer – working the late shift increases risk for breast and colon cancer. Researchers believe this link is caused by differing levels of melatonin in people who are exposed to light at night. Light exposure reduces the level of melatonin, a hormone that appears to suppress the growth of tumors. Be sure that your bedroom is dark to help your body produce the melatonin it needs.
• Decrease Stress – When your body is sleep deficient, it goes into a state of stress, which causes an increase in blood pressure and production of stress hormones. The stress hormones also, unfortunately, make it harder for you to sleep.
• Decrease Inflammation – The increase in stress hormones, from lack of sleep, increases the inflammation in your body - creating more risk for heart-related conditions, as well as cancer and diabetes.
• Brain Power – When your body may be resting during sleep, your brain is busy processing your day. Your dreams and deep sleep are an important time for your brain to make memories and links. Getting more quality sleep will help you process things better and improve memory recall.
• You Lose Weight – The hormones ghrelin and leptin, important for the regulation of appetite, are disrupted by lack of sleep. People who sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to be overweight or obese.
• Reduce Your Risk for Depression – Sleep impacts many of the chemicals in your body, including serotonin. People with a deficiency in serotonin are more likely to suffer from depression.
• Immune Support – Sleep is a time for your body to repair damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays, medications, and other harmful exposures.

Need a good night sleep? Take our relaxation/sleep quiz to see if your body is getting the rest and repair it needs.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help with relaxation and getting your zzzs or contact us today to schedule an appointment. Your dietitian at Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists can develop a nutrition and lifestyle plan to help you get the rest your body craves.

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Stress
Letting stress get the best of you may be doing more harm than you think. Physical and psychological threats such as the stress associated with work, interpersonal relationships, major life changes, illness or the death of a loved one can trigger the stress response. Even the typical day-to-day demands of living can contribute to your body's stress response.

The long-term activation of the stress-response system and the subsequent overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can disrupt almost all your body's processes, increasing your risk of:
· Obesity
· Digestive problems
· Depression
· Anxiety
· Insomnia
· Heart disease
· Memory problems
· Decreased libido
· Worsening symptoms of autoimmune diseases

Stressful events are a fact of life, but you can take steps to manage the impact these events have on your health. Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists will help you identify what stresses you out, how to take control of some stress-inducing circumstances, and how to take care of yourself physically and emotionally when you face events you can't control. The payoff of managing stress is peace of mind and perhaps, a longer, healthier life.

Is stress making you sick and tired? Take our stress quiz to see if you are managing your stress well or need to unwind.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help reduce symptoms related to stress or contact us today to schedule an appointment in our relaxing atmosphere, where we will advise you of how to maintain calm in a stressful world and give you a sense of balance.

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Weight/Metabolism
Your metabolism is your personal fat burning machine that is fueled by calories. As you age, your body becomes less effective at burning calories, mostly because of poor eating habits and a gradual decrease in activity, which results in loss of muscle. Experts estimate that your metabolism can dip as much as 25-30% over your adult life. As a result, your body tends to store excess calories in the form of body fat, and that extra weight only slows you down more.

Are you entitled to a tax deduction?
On April 2, 2002, the IRS announced a new policy (IRS Ruling 202-19) that stated “obesity is medically accepted to be a disease in its own right.” For taxpayers, this means that treatment specifically for obesity can now be claimed as a medical deduction. According to the IRS:

"Uncompensated amounts paid by individuals for participation in a weight-loss program as treatment for a specific disease or diseases (including obesity) diagnosed by a physician are expenses for medical care that are deductible under § 213, subject to the limitations of that section."

For more information visit www.obesity.org/subs/tax/taxbreak.shtml

Do you feel your best at your current weight or do you feel out of shape? Take our weight/metabolism quiz to see if you are in the fat burning zone.

Visit our wellness store to learn more about natural products to help keep your metabolism running and your weight in check or contact us today to schedule an appointment at Healthy by Design Nutrition Specialists, where your dietitian will guide you through what to eat, how to move, and adjust your lifestyle so that your metabolism keeps humming all day long.

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