As the healthcare climate in America continues to change, it becomes more important for the private practitioner to increase revenue streams for their office or clinic.  One very important revenue stream that every practitioner can incorporate into their practice is dietary consulting and providing nutritional products for their patients.  The manner in which the private practice healthcare provider includes nutritional advice into their practice will determine the success of expanding into the nutritional field.

The sad fact of the matter is that most medical schools, and consequently most medical doctors, place very little importance on nutrition and healthy eating.  To complicate the matter is the government’s inadequate attempt to educate private citizens on nutritional matters through the food pyramid and now the new ‘my plate’ guidelines.  I don’t intend to make this article a nutritional seminar, but the government’s guidelines only concern macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, calories, and fiber; and have no information about nutrition. Most Americans think that as long as they follow these guidelines they are eating healthy.  This is far from the truth.  This is a great opportunity for the private practitioner to become a ‘doctor’-“teacher” in Latin, and not just a physician.