Nutrition Education Strategies for Improving Client Compliance By Laura Kopec, ND, MHNE, CNC © copyright, 2014. All rights reserved.

Nutrition Education Strategies for Improving Client Compliance

By Laura Kopec, ND, MHNE, CNC© copyright, 2014. All rights reserved

Laura Holistic Nutritionist, Traditional Naturopath, Health

and Nutritional Educator, Author, Speaker, Business Owner, Wife and Mother of Three

Background in Presentation/Speech/Communications (10+ yrs), Education (10+ yrs), Educational Psychology, Nutrition/Alternative Health (10+ yrs)

In practice for 7 years – Word of mouth referrals– Reputation built on an individualized plan that is

comfortable for the client– High success rate

Part I

The Challenge

One of the greatest challenges we face as holistic practitioners is non-compliance

Obstacles to compliance

Most clients are too overwhelmed before they even begin

Some of the most frequented obstacles:– Nutrition is too confusing– Nutrition is too overwhelming– Eating right is too expensive – I am not ready to give up foods I love– I don’t know how to do it– I don’t want to give up eating out

Real obstacles Individuals will give up on eating healthy if there

is no flexibility Individuals will adapt the plan to fit their lives, not

their lives to fit the plan Many will lose their commitment after two weeks

of leaving your office, no matter the initial motivation

Cultural acceptance of lack of accountability Individuals need real strategies to provide them

with flexibility and choices in multiple scenarios

Paradigm shift

Everyone is in sales All relationships are sales You can professionally use the title

associated with your degree, but at the end of the day you are in sales

Successful selling is not only about motivation but also about overcoming the obstacles

Motivation and obstacles To Do Something (motivation)

– Fear– Pain – Pleasure– Tried everything else

To Fail to Do Something (obstacles)– Money (lack of)– Time– Energy– Lack of support

Success depends on…

Biochemical individuality Social and psychological individuality

– Research states that what we eat is greatly influenced by family traditions and social customs

– The surrounding support system will greatly impact the success of the client

– Bottom Line: If your client perceives the nutritional plan or health recommendations do not fit into their lifestyle, the motivation (no matter how great) will wane

Case studies

Special Needs Parents who refused to change the diet of Chick Fil A lunch and Dairy Queen dinner

Multiple Sclerosis Client Chronic Fatigue Client Depressed Client Sinus Surgery Candidate

Part II

The First Appointment

The intake form Biochemical individuality

– Health history Social and psychological assessment

– Goals (The expectation of your client/patient)– Obstacles (What you need to overcome as the

practitioner)– What the client/patient spends a week on groceries– What is the food they cannot live without– Lifestyle questions

• How much sunshine do they get• What is the biggest stressor in their lives• How much sleep they get

The discussion Sympathetic listening

– Research in health care states the single greatest reason Americans are disappointed with healthcare is the practitioner does not listen

Time based practitioner Education and counseling

– Compliment them on the first step of coming in– Find out who their support is– Use empowering statements

• I am here to help you take charge of your health• My job is to educate you on the knowledge to help you take

charge of your health

The plan

If you have been listening– Speak the language of the client

• Use the obstacles in sentences “budget friendly”

• Use their motivation in sentences “this will address the pain”

Starting place (realistic and realizable)– Phase I

– Do not give Phase II until they are successful with Phase I

Create strategies and options– Ideas to help ebb and flow with their lifestyle

Tips for your success Phase I strengths

– Client knows this is a journey– Client knows there is more to be done– Client knows they can start slowly– Brings client back for followups

Options – Client feels freedom in different life scenarios– Client feels he or she has “cheating” options

Realistic and realizable expectations– Client does not “throw baby out with the bathwater”– Client does not feel ashamed if cannot follow through and

plan needs to be modified

Case studies/examples

Client with hypothyroidism, chronic Candida overgrowth, adrenal fatigue

Client overweight, chronic fatigue, high cholesterol and depression

Food sensitivities, bacterial dysbiosis, eczema, H-pylori

Consider “Nutritional Guidelines” as a syllabus for their course in their own eating for health

Part III

The Strategies

Real food At the end of the day this is the greatest change you can

expect from anyone coming into your office Teach your client how to read a label Don’t make any assumptions (ham, tortilla chips, butter) New to real eating

– Prioritize for them – Next step – Keep steps minimal until next follow up

Example strategies– Elimination of food dyes– Elimination of high fructose corn syrup

Pesticides

Biggest misnomer, “Just so you know, I am not buying everything organic”

Important education on pesticides and choosing organic to fit client budget– Real food is more important over organic

• Organic cookies• Local apples

– EWG Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen– Imported produce

GMO

The most controversial and confusing of the changes someone needs to make in their health

Simplify– GMO food irritates digestive health

Non GMO Project Verified label/website Buy organic in the following: sugar, soy,

canola and corn

Gluten How many times I’ve heard, “I gave up gluten and

it did not work for me.” Most people do not understand gluten (celiac vs) Those with the most problem will have the harder

time giving it up Strategies/Phases

– Avoid bleached flour products– Avoid white flour– Avoid gluten in combination with animal protein– Avoid GMO ingredients in gluten products– Reduce by one meal per week

Dairy Make sure this is a necessary step, especially if you have

just asked a monumental step of asking them to give up gluten

Raw milk if recommended, needs to fit their budget (be careful of recommending raw milk to immune compromised)

Significant cheating area Strategies

– Safer dairy• Fermented and plain (yogurt)• Butter • Importance of organic• Safer cheeses such as mozzarella, provolone, Colby, Gouda

Alkaline increase

Foundational Food diary submitted with intake form Most people are eating 20% alkaline, 80% acidic Cannot begin by asking them to jump immediately

to the reverse Strategies/Phase

– Add alkaline to every meal

– Change one of your snacks to alkaline only

– Increase to 50/50

Because one of the biggest obstacles is feeling overwhelmed Let’s Get Real about Eating Chapters include:

– Real food, pesticides, GMO, etc– Animal proteins– Fish– Corn– Sugar– Fats– Fruits and veggies– Increasing raw food– Water– Meal planning/budget

Q&A