Nutritional Support
What types of nutritional support are offered?
All practitioners at IAC are trained in Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) nutritional theory. During acupuncture and herbal consultations, we will review your TCM diagnosis and make general nutritional recommendations specific to your needs. We will review your vitamin supplements and make recommendations as needed. We recommend Chinese herbal medicine alone or to support other treatments. We will consider your drug therapy and adjust recommendations as needed.
If you have been taking vitamins or herbal supplements prior to starting treatments at IAC, please bring them with you for us to review.
Am I required to take Chinese herbal medicine?
No, some clients would rather not to take Chinese medicine and choose other treatment options to achieve their goals.
What if I need help with dietary changes?
We offer nutritional assistance with custom meal planning, tips for preparation and shopping, what to do if you are eating out, basic cooking instruction and recipes best suited for your TCM diagnosis. We will find out what types of foods you and your family enjoy, where you shop, your level of culinary skills, and what types of meals or substitutions you would like help with. Based on the information gathered we will make nutritional suggestions best suited for your lifestyle and treatment goals.
What if I go out to eat or eat a meal prepared by family or friends?
We would like you to enjoy your meals and social life as much as possible. Ideally, if you can make choices to support your treatments and recommendations we encourage you to do so. If you have to eat a meal you know is not beneficial for you, we recommend enjoying the meal and doing your best at other times.
If you eat out regularly, we recommend a nutritional consultation to review menus and restaurants best suited to your needs. We will help you to choose the best meal options and teach you how to ask for omissions and substitutions to support your dietary recommendations.
During the initial phases of treatment, or if your condition is based on a digestive system imbalance, we often recommend digestive enzymes or Chinese herbs to assist with digestion.
Do I have to eat like this forever?
Since dietary choices have a significant impact on health, we hope you will embrace most of the recommendations as a way for your body to remain healthy. Once you are feeling significantly better, you will probably find you can “cheat” one day a week or a little here and there and it doesn’t negatively impact your health. Many of our clients find they enjoy their new style of eating and feel sick or have an upset stomach if they eat something they know they should be avoiding.
Who assists with the nutritional support at IAC?
The acupuncturists and Chinese herbalists will make the recommendations based on your TCM diagnosis, and help to gather the information and assist with the nutritional consultations.
We will always be thankful to Michelle for helping us conceive and carry to term our first child. A combination of acupuncture, Chinese herbs and lots of caring and support made our dream come true in only 4 months of treatment! We highly recommend considering this more natural approach before embarking in any kind of chemical or invasive fertility methods. We will definitely do it again whenever we are ready to expand the family!”
