Including Support from a Registered Dietitian
By Joanna Dodder Nellans • Photo by Trisha Shaffer
H
olding strong to the belief that a balanced approach is essential to a healthy lifestyle, Krupnick Healthcare, LLC in Prescott includes a dietitian and fitness trainer alongside the traditional medical staff.
With Krupnick’s unique membership model, Registered Dietitian Katy Kimball and Certified Fitness Trainer Michelle Fain offer consultation packages. Katy, for example, helps clients formulate meal plans based on their individual needs and desires.
“We love having a dietitian available to our clients, because the incorporation of healthy eating and mindful eating is so important to one’s health,” said Certified Nurse Practitioner Debbie Krupnick, co-owner with her husband Dr. Kurt Krupnick, a board-certified internist. “The treatment is not just medication; it is diet, exercise, and last resort, medication.”
Two of the risk factors for most diseases are poor nutrition and obesity, Katy explained. She helps clients reduce risk factors and begin to take charge of their own health.
“We don’t expect people to change overnight,” Katy related. “However, there are small changes people can make, and once they see the results of those small changes, they’re willing to make larger changes.”
With a bachelor’s in Nutrition from the University of Arizona and regular continuing education, Katy is up to date on the latest nutritional discoveries but doesn’t believe in fads.
During her new patient assessments, Katy asks clients about their typical daily eating and sleeping habits. She tailors her advice to any specific health issues. But she doesn’t make people fill out long questionnaires, and she doesn’t tell them their favorite foods should be off limits.
“Every individual is unique,” Katy noted. “And almost every food can fit into a healthy diet. It really is about balance and healthy portions.”
Katy incorporates healthy tips with a wide variety of concise printed materials and visual aids, such as a plate containing healthy portions of each food type.
“The thing most of us need is help with portion control and making healthy choices,” Katy observed. Half the plate should consist of vegetables, for example.
Clients who want to change their eating habits often choose Krupnick’s 12-week program because it’s long enough to establish a new routine and habits. Along with each weekly hour-long workout in Krupnick’s private gym, clients spend a half-hour each week with Katy to discuss their progress over the past week and plan meals for the coming week. Katy loves the synergism that develops: as clients eat healthier foods, their desire for exercise increases, and vice versa. Krupnick’s relaxed setting enhances the experience.
Katy even joins clients at the grocery store during her 12-week program, to develop the habit of reading food labels and implementing healthy meal planning. Her food labeling rule of thumb: don’t buy anything containing mystery ingredients or more than five ingredients.
Katy knew she wanted to be a nutritionist as soon as she consulted one during her teen years.
“She sparked a huge interest in me,” Katy recalled. “I love watching people implement change, take control, and recognize that they can feel so much better by improved eating habits.”
For more information about Krupnick Healthcare, LLC visit 3181 Clearwater Dr #B, Prescott, AZ 86305; call(928) 515-1755; or visit www.drkrupnick.com.