What to Expect
& FAQ

Will my sessions be covered by insurance?

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Coverage of appointments depends on your insurance company and policy. Wholesome Nutrition LLC does its best to supply you with the necessary information to verify your benefits with your insurance company. Wholesome Nutrition LLC is not responsible for verifying coverage, but will work diligently to dispute any denied claims and advocate for your insurance coverage. It is recommended for you to verify your insurance coverage before your first appointment. Please see our insurance information page for accepted insurance plans and a script to use when talking with your insurance representative.

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Will you be accepting more insurances soon?

 

We would love to -- but likely not. Insurance coverage for nutrition counseling is company and policy dependent. In Illinois, BCBS and UHC have the best coverage for nutrition counseling, where as other insurances do not cover preventative nutrition care, or have very specific qualifications for coverage (specific diagnoses such as diabetes or CKD) which is forcing patients to pay out of pocket. Once other insurances increase coverage of care, we will be happy to expand our insurance provider list!

 

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Where will sessions be held?

 

All sessions will be held via Telehealth virtual video appointments on the HIPAA-compliant, secure Practice Better platform. You will be able to access your journals, handouts, and secure messaging through Practice Better.  Since visits are virtual, please ensure that you have a quiet, private room or area to fulfill the session. 

 

*Sessions are not allowed to be completed while in a moving or occupied vehicle. If you are not able to complete the session in a stationed room or secure area, the session will be forfeited or rescheduled.

 

How often will we meet?

 

Initially, meeting weekly provides the best results in terms of lifestyle changes. Typically, transitioning to bi-weekly sessions is necessary to allow enough time to trial changes on your own. This timeline may differ based on reintroduction plans for digestive health issues. You have the freedom to choose when your sessions are based on financial or time constraints.

 

Will we talk between sessions?

 

Feel free to message your provider using the complimentary client portal at any time between sessions. If your question or request takes more than 5 minutes to answer, we may suggest that we discuss it during your next session. We will respond to messages during available business hours.

 

Do you treat eating disorders?

 

Our specialty is focused on disordered eating behaviors (chronic dieting, unhealthy relationship/behaviors with food/body, dieting behaviors such as restricting foods or food groups, over-eating, nutrition knowledge deficits, boredom/emotional eating, etc). Disordered eating behaviors are common and normalized in today's society, also known as "diet-culture".

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Eating disorders can be characterized by obsessive/compulsive fixations related to food, nutrition, and body. These eating disorders are classified by diagnostic criteria. We do not treat CURRENT diagnosed eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia, etc). If it is suspected you may have an eating disorder, we will have you complete an ED questionnaire. Results from this screening will be shared with you, as well as the next appropriate steps and possible referral for care.

 

Will I get a meal plan?

 

We do not prescribe a diet plan (i.e. specific foods to eat at specific times with no flexibility). We do provide structured eating recommendations based on your daily nutrient needs, and offer examples of what eating could look like for you. Working together, we determine the best meal-planning approach based on your personal situation and eating preferences. These options might include timing of meals/snacks based on your needs and availability, portioning and target nutrients, grocery shopping lists of basic staples, routine meal combination ideas, recipes, how to build a plate, restaurant menu suggestions, supplement recommendations, etc. We work together to slowly build these realistic, sustainable meal-planning skills over the course of numerous sessions. We do not provide personalized lists, plans, or recipes outside of our session time. Client involvement is critical for this type of planning to be effective.

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Do I need to count calories or track macros?

 

Nope! Numbers are available and a possible option for us to use, but we often start with a method of food/lifestyle journaling that is a no-numbers approach to evaluate intake, relationship to food(s), external influences on choices, physical activity, and other aspects of health. The main focus is understanding how food affects you and how it meets your needs — hunger, fullness, satisfaction, and satiation. During our first few nutrition counseling sessions, we talk about your usual day in terms of food, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks. We analyze this information relative to your estimated nutritional needs/goals, and make feasible recommendations. We use nutrition science education to increase your confidence and empowerment of how food serves you. There are many tools to utilize in order to achieve goals and overall peace with food. Calories and macronutrients can be one of those tools, but it is baseless if your relationship/understanding of food is not solid first.

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- "But what if I want to lose weight?"

 

Weight loss is multi-factorial. We look at many different aspects that effect your nutrition and health choices, such as stress, work, physical activity, ability to cook, nutrition knowledge, level of readiness, etc. Simply tracking calories and ensuring that you are in a "calorie-deficit" is often surface level, and does not quantify the complexities of health or sustainable weight loss. We solidify behaviors and relationship with food first to pave a safe path for weight loss to be an option, not a destination. Our job as providers is to provide you the ability to reach body-autonomy sustainably.

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What are metrics of success?

 

While weight can be used as a metric of success, there are other indicators that are much more indicative of health. As you work on your relationship with food and your body, you’ll begin to view success in a whole new way. Some measures of success may include identifying and honoring hunger and fullness, feeling less stress about food, decreased guilt about eating certain foods, enjoying “trigger” foods without binging on them, and incorporating joyful movement more consistently. These metrics of success are based on you creating and maintaining healthy habits while having the flexibility to include fun foods in your life without stress or guilt. The goal is to increase quality of life and spend mental energy on things that truly matter.

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