Nutrition & Diet Services
Supporting your nutrition goals.
At Novant Health, our registered dietitians and nutritionists will support you on your journey to a healthier lifestyle. We'll help you balance nutrition and exercise to achieve your weight loss goals.
How a registered dietitian can help you.
When you meet with one of our registered dietitians, they'll help you set realistic nutrition goals that work with your lifestyle and budget. You'll also get access to delicious recipes, healthy meal plans and other valuable nutrition resources. Our dedicated and compassionate team will check in regularly to ensure you have the tools you need for success, including:
- Setting realistic goals for losing weight and maintaining weight loss
- Lifestyle consultations to evaluate your nutrition and exercise habits
- Exercise routines that produce the results you want
- Nutrition advice to understand your diet and the nutrients you may be lacking
- Sleep education to help you identify ways to get a better night's rest
- Access to support groups where you'll be encouraged by peers and medical professionals
Helping you make smart food decisions
More people are making smart food choices these days, which has prompted fast-food chains to offer healthier options on their menus. Discover other ways to eat more nutritiously at home and when dining out.
Reap the benefits of healthy eating.
Making smart food choices can help you maintain a healthy weight — but the benefits don't stop there. Besides potentially extending your life, healthy eating can:
- Reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, osteoporosis and cancer
- Lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels
- Improve your mental health
- Strengthen the ability to fight off disease
- Speed recovery from an illness or injury
- Boost your energy level
Start your weight loss journey today.
Begin your health and fitness goals with the tools and advice you need to succeed — backed by a team of highly trained specialists and counselors who will guide and support you every step of the way, like establishing healthy eating habits and coping mechanisms.
Set up an appointment at one of our weight loss clinics and start living the healthy life you deserve.
Healthy recipes from registered dietitians
Eating healthy doesn't have to be hard, and you don't have to give up enjoying the foods you love. Check out our nutritionist-approved recipes for simple, tasty ways to stick to your diet.
10 steps to a remarkable you
The first step in eating healthy is learning to enjoy all your favorite foods in moderation. You don’t have to forego favorite treats all together. Healthy eating is about balance and giving your body the nutrients it needs to function while also pleasing your taste buds.
Make your meals like the rainbow — full of an array of natural color. You should eat double the amount of fruits and vegetables as you do proteins and carbohydrates. Reach for your favorite fruits and veggies, but try some outside of your comfort zone as well, and find ways to incorporate them into your favorite meals.
Eating at regular intervals is important to eating healthy for the longer term. You should eat all three meals every day, especially breakfast. Sticking to a regular schedule helps to control your hunger and minimizes your chances of overeating or binging on unhealthy snacks to make up for a skipped meal. If you know you get hungry around certain times, make sure to pack a healthy snack to help control your hunger until your next meal.
Water is essential for your body. Water aids digestion and other bodily functions. The benefits of drinking water include less fatigue, younger looking skin and feeling full longer, which keeps you from eating when your body isn’t hungry.
Whole grains contain healthy fibers, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are removed from processed grains, such as white bread or white rice. Eating a well-balanced meal that includes whole grains has been shown to decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
When in doubt, always reach for the natural or organic foods. Processed foods have been stripped of their nutrients and then preserved with extra salt, fat or other chemicals. These chemicals affect your body and behavior, and can be linked to weight gain, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and more.
Eliminating sugar altogether is impractical and unhealthy, and it will usually lead to binging on sweets. Try to cut back on desserts. Swap sugary treats for berries or fiber-filled fruit. Resist the temptation to add sugar to beverages. Be mindful of what and how much you are eating, and aim for balance.
You can’t always plan when a snack attack will hit, but you can be prepared. Always keep a well-balanced, nutritional snack, such as fruit or unsalted nuts, nearby to keep you from reaching for a candy bar or bag of chips when your stomach starts to grumble.
The increase in the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks directly parallels the rise in obesity in the U.S. Studies show that cutting liquid calories, particularly anything sugar-sweetened, results in greater weight loss. Beverages to beware of include soft drinks, fruit and vegetable drinks and juices, milk, alcoholic beverages, and sweetened coffee and tea. Artificial sweeteners also have been linked to an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, so drink diet sodas and beverages sweetened artificially in moderation.
Slowing down to actually enjoy what you are eating can result in eating less. Most people don’t take the time to sit and enjoy their food. Drink water between bites to help you feel full quicker. Also, listen to your stomach and stop eating when you’re full, even if there is food left on your plate.