As patients with chronic diseases, we all know that making good eating choices can help us feel better overall. But for those of us with conditions like diabetes or hypertension, managing our diets is often key to keeping our conditions under control. For example, frequent blood sugar swings may be prevented by controlling carb intake and maintaining a healthy weight. Likewise, controlling hypertension often requires Monitoring blood pressure levels and reducing sodium intake; without these steps, high blood pressure can become permanent. Chronic disease experts say that if we want to keep our conditions under control – whether they’re related to our weight or not – fixing our diets is one important step!
A lack of professional nutrition guidance can lead to chronic disease, which affects millions of people in the U.S. According to the CDC, six in 10 adults have some kind of chronic disease, and many could benefit from professional guidance but don’t always have access to it. Many people with chronic diseases could be helped by eating a balanced diet and getting regular physical activity, but they may not know where to turn for help or how to make healthy choices on their own. Professional nutrition guidance can help people with chronic diseases make personalized changes that will improve their health overall.
Nourish connects Americans with registered dietitians via telehealth in order to have their consultations covered by health insurance. This enables Nourish to provide affordable access to expert guidance for those who need it most, while also reducing the barriers that prevent people from seeking necessary care.
Telehealth has a number of attractions for patients and nutritionists alike, but the RD qualification is an important point too. Many telemedicine platforms now offer RD support, so that clinicians have the expertise to provide the best possible care to their patients.
As a consumer, it’s important to be aware of the qualifications required for those seeking to be classified as a “nutritionist.” A registered dietitian (RD) typically has an undergraduate degree in nutrition and dietetics, as well as experience working in the field. However, not all nutritionists are RDs – some may have only an undergrad degree in another area such as biology or health science. Even if you don’t see this credentials listed on a Nutritionist’s resume or website, make sure they have received formal education and training in nutrition and dietetics. This is important because many states require that any professional who provides nutritional advice or counseling receive formal certification from an accredited body like the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Finally, always ask your Nutritionist whether they are registered with appropriate agencies such as Medicare or Medicaid since insurance may cover some portion of their services.
Nourish is a health care startup that merges natural remedies with modern technology to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for consumers. Their insurance coverage is a big part of their value proposition, as 94% of their patients are fully covered by insurance and pay nothing out of pocket. Most of the rest just have a small co-pay.
Medicare’s decision to limit the coverage of medical nutrition therapy has led to a decrease in patient access to this essential form of care, which is now most commonly provided by doctors outside of Medicare. This change has prompted many private insurers to follow suit and abandon reimbursements for this service, ultimately limiting the number of patients who can afford it.
Many individuals who are seeking relief from their food allergies have had success working with a registered dietitian (RD) in an outpatient setting. While insurance often does not cover these services, there are ways for patients to receive reimbursement. First and foremost, information about the benefits of seeing an RD should be shared with patients. This can help those who may be unaware take advantage of the resources available to them. Additionally, professional organizations such as the American Dietetic Association can provide resources on getting reimbursed for services rendered by a qualified RD. Whether online or face-to-face meetings, finding an accredited practitioner is key to getting the most effective care possible for food allergy sufferers
Nourish’s RDs are employed by the company, which took care of closing partnerships with Medicare and major U.S. healthcare companies Aetna, BCBS, Cigna, Humana and United Healthcare in exchange for a fee – setting it apart from other RD providers. This allows Nourish to provide patients with a higher level of care than traditional RD providers.
Dewar said that one of the big challenges for Nourish is staffing up in order to support its rapid growth. The startup has a waitlist of more than 400 RDs interested in joining its team, but as it scales it plans to employ 200 RDs and grow its non-RD team from 18 to around 30. Dewar attributes much of Nourish’s success so far to the team’s focus on providing quality care and guidance for patients.
Nourish is an innovative food tech company that has been growing rapidly over the past few years. Their recent $9.3 million seed round will be used to continue their growth, and they are currently in the process of graduating from Y Combinator’s accelerator program in 2021. Nourish is dedicated to creating delicious, healthy and affordable food for everyone, and their goal is to help make it easier for people to get the nutrients they need without spending a lot of time or money on groceries. They believe that this can have a large impact on overall population health, which is why they are determined to continue growing and impacting society in powerful ways!
Nourish is a platform that helps small businesses start and grow their health businesses. The company was founded by Jamie Karraker, Andrew Adams, Jordan Feldman and April Koh in November of 2016. They have raised $4.5 million in total from investors such as Altos Pharmacy (Jamie Karraker), Headway (Andrew Adams), Rightway Healthcare (Jordan Feldman) and Spring Health (April Koh).
Nourish has emerged as a leading provider of nutrition-related services and tools for insurance companies, registered dietitians, and consumers. By bringing these groups together, Nourish is working to create a more affordable and complete nutrition program that will benefit everyone involved.
Expanding nutrition therapy
Nourish believes that by helping people to eat well, they will be able to solve the American healthcare crisis. By providing easy access to healthy, affordable food, Nourish is working towards improving the quality of life for all Americans.
Looking to create a more positive and sustainable life for themselves and their loved ones, Dewar and Perkins founded Nourish in 2016 with the goal of empowering individuals through whole-food, plant-based nutrition. With Stephanie Liu as their CTO, they have since developed an intuitive app that makes tracking nutrition easier than ever. Their simple approach has already seen great success among those seeking to improve their health – Dewar herself suffered from chronic conditions such as migraines and irritable bowel syndrome prior to partnering with Nourish – but they aim to go even further by providing education and resources on sustainable living along with nutritional guidance.
The founders of My Fitness Pal knew that working with a dietitian was a long-term process, but this vision is also reinforced by the startup’s chief clinical officer, Adrien Paczosa. “We focus on a long-term, sustainable approach — truly a lifestyle change,” she said. “We will never put you on a fad diet that is impossible to maintain, tell you to only eat salad for every meal, make you track everything you eat, or give you some generic, one-size-fits-all meal plan.” This personalized approach is what sets My Fitness Pal apart from other diets and weight loss programs; it allows people to see results over time and keep their bodies healthy and fit for the long term.
The app the startup plans to launch is called Lose It! and it is designed to help people lose weight in a more sustainable way. Instead of relying on quick fixes or heavy calorie counting, the app utilizes interactive challenges and personal support to help people make real change.
Considering that dietitians are healthcare professionals who specialize in advising their patients on a healthy and balanced diet, it makes sense that they would have an app designed to augment their core experience. The mobile app will include high-quality nutrition content and resources, clinical outcome tracking, and features that help users acquire the food they need such as integrated grocery delivery. This way, the user can have all of their dietary needs fully covered in one place – perfect for people who are busy or don’t have time to cook every day!
Dewar and his team defined success for Nourish in 2023 as both growth and outcomes. In order to grow, the app wants to reach as many patients as possible with its services. They also want to help these patients achieve their desired outcomes, whether that means improving their health or achieving a specific goal. Dewar and his team are committed to helping as many people as possible in the years ahead, which is why they have created this road map detailing their goals for the year.
As highlighted by the app’s impressive growth thus far, there’s still a lot of room for Nourish to grow and make a positive impact on both the chronic illness landscape and the overall eating habits of its users. Whether this will be through aiding patients in finding their local RD or simply providing them with easy-to-access resources and recipes, there’s no doubt that this app has great potential.
