CHRONIC DISEASES

 

Diabetes

·         Solandi van Zyl has years of experience in assisting people living with diabetes.  I encourage an individualised approach for every patient.  I equip my patient with the correct information to gain knowledge and improve their skills to manage their diabetes better.  

·         I focus on the treatment prescribed and focus on the correct eating plan and active lifestyle to ensure your blood sugars are well controlled.

·         Understanding Diabetes: The carbohydrates we eat get broken down into glucose, a type of sugar. Glucose is absorbed into your bloodstream and becomes known as blood glucose. Insulin which is produces by your pancreas, allows the glucose to pass from your bloodstream into your cells to produce energy for your body.  In this way, insulin helps to regulate your blood glucose levels and facilitates your body’s ability to use the energy from carbohydrates. In people living with diabetes, the body either produces too little or no insulin at all or is unable to use insulin properly.  This means that the the process of allowing glucose to pass from your bloodstream into your cells for energy, is hindered and as a result, glucose builds up in the blood, causing your blood glucose levels to rise.

·         You can successfully manage your diabetes allowing you to live a healthy and active lifestyle.  Consulting with a team of healthcare providers, including a doctor, a diabetes educator and a dietitian, will help you to master the four important areas for managing your health and diabetes: medication, nutrition, monitoring and exercise.

 

Hyperlipidaemia

·         Increased cholesterol levels is a known risk factor for coronary heart disease.  People with a family history of cholesterol, a diet too high in saturated fats, cholesterol and refined sugars, overweight people and being physical inactive, are the risk factors for developing high cholesterol.

·         Hyperlipidaemia refers to elevated levels of lipids (fats), including cholesterol and triglycerides, in the blood.  Cholesterol is produced in the liver from fatty foods that we eat. Hyperlipidaemia refers to thickening or hardening of the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle – which increases the risk for coronary heart disease. 

·         With the correct, healthy diet and an ideal body weight, you can significantly reduce your cholesterol levels and ensure improved cardiac health.

 

Hypertension

·         High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” as most people with the illness don’t have symptoms.  If you are overweight, seldom exercises, smoke, add lots of salt to your food or have a family history of high blood pressure, you have an increased risk to develop blood pressure problems.  

·         What is High blood pressure (Hypertension) ? : Blood is carried around the body through arteries and veins,  if there’s too much flowing through these pathways, blood pressure increases.  People who leave high blood pressure untreated are at risk of damage to their arteries and vital organs, which could lead to heart attack or stroke over time. 

·         A dietitian can assist with helping you reach a healthy body weight and attend to your healthy diet.  I believe in educating clients to sustain a low fat diet, rich in essential minerals and fibre, helping to lower blood pressure.  

 

Chronic Kidney Disease

·         Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 1 out of 10 people worldwide. CKD means your kidneys can’t filter blood the way they should.  this damage to your kidneys lead to waste accumulating in the blood.  Your kidneys balance the salts and minerals in your blood (calcium, phosphate, sodium and potassium).  your kidneys also regulates blood pressure, produce red blood cells and maintain strong bone-health.  

·         Risk factors for developing kidney failure include uncontrolled diabetes, heart disease and uncontrolled blood pressure, smoking, obesity, cancers and inflammation.

·         Solandi can assist patients with managing their kidney disease by educating the patient about the correct adjustments to their diet and lifestyle. By aiming for a health body weight, encouraging an active lifestyle and a healthy, balanced kidney-friendly diet – you can successfully manage CKD.

·         Furthermore you will receive an individualised renal-friendly eating plan taking in consideration all the nutritional concerns while protecting good kidney function.

·         CKD can be managed conservatively (diet and treatment) or in some severe cases, renal replacement therapy (dialysis) is required.  Each renal therapy patient requires specific protein and calories to protect kidney function.

 

IBS

·         Patient struggling with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) needs guidance on the correct dietary measurements to treat their specific symptoms.  You need to understand your intolerances that cause flare up of IBS symptoms, a diet that reflects a good nutritional balance.  Unfortunately avoiding certain food items for too long can lead to nutrient deficients that over time, affect your nutritional status.  Supplementation and use of probiotics to be evaluated by the guidance of a dietitian.  Individual meal plan, recipes and product recommendations is required to manage IBS successfully. 

·         If IBS is untreated, it can severely impact quality of life, health, mood and fertility. 

 

Anaemia

·         People with anaemia typically present with low levels of iron in their blood, but also certain minerals like Vitamin B12 or folic acid. Anaemia either means you have low levels of red blood cells or abnormal haemoglobin levels in blood – resulting in poor oxygen delivery to the blood causing body weakness. 

·         Signs and symptoms of Iron deficiency (Anaemia) include extreme fatigue, pale skin, weakness, shortness of breath, easy bruising, headaches, dizziness, cold hands and feet, depression, brittle nails, fast heart beat, poor appetite, unusual cravings or restless leg syndrome.

·         A dietitian can help identify the reasons for your anaemia, for example: Inadequate intake due to poor appetite or disease, increased losses due to liver disease or renal therapy (dialysis), poor absorption (drug interactions), inadequate Vitamin C, blood loss, pregnancy demands higher intake of iron, too much dairy in diet oor lacking Vitamin B12.  Your dietitian can also assits with the correct dietary plan to help increase intake of Iron, Vitamin B12, B6 and folate.  

 

Gout

1. • Gout is caused by abnormal metabolism of purines in the body.  Purines are a type of protein building block found in DNA.  Your body produces uric acid when it breaks down purines, which is a product of protein metabolism.  
   • Gout occurs when abnormal levels of uric acid accumulates in the blood.  These uric acids will deposit in joint tissues and form crystals, which is often experienced as a sharp pain in the joint. (Big toe and up the leg)
   • Medication is prescribed to lower the uric acid levels in your blood and by diet and lifestyle changes.
   • Large amounts of purine foods in your diet will cause increased levels of uric acid that leads to a gout attack.  Consult with a dietitian to help you understand your dietary changes to manage gout.

1. • Cancer patients have increased nutritional needs, however during cancer treatment, poor intake and inadequate nutrient intake is very common, which leads to severe weight loss and muscle loss in particular.  Due to the depletion of muscle stores, this causes cancer cachexia which delays the treatment journey and physical strength of patient.  In my practice I make use of the Inbody Scale to analyse and monitor skeletal muscle mass loss and adequately educate the client on how to prevent further muscle breakdown. 
   • During your journey of cancer care, your dietitian will be an important role player to evaluate your nutritional status and advise on physical activity to support muscle mass.  Your dietitian will ensure your dietary intake is sufficient tand consists of all macro-and micronutrients. If oral intake i inadequate your Dietitian will assist with nutritional supplementations and the recommendations.
   • The treatment of your cancer journey can include radiation, chemotherapy or surgery.  Your dietitian will need to advise you on the correct nourishment during your treatment journey and guide you on your individualised treatment plan to avoid malnutrition and improve quality of life. 

Diverticulitis

1. • Diverticulosis are small pouches/sacs that form in the wall of the colon. These pouches are referred to as Diverticula,  Usually patients present with no symptoms, in some cases there may be bleeding or constipation.  
   • Your Dietitian would need to manage your diverticula with the correct dietary management and give your gut time to heal. If untreated, these pouches can be come inflamed and may even burst.  This inflammation is called Diverticulosis, which requires hospitalisation.  

Constipation

1. • Your dietitian can assist with the correct dietary advice to help you understand your dietary fibre and how to modify your fibre intake to relieve constipation.  Often our diets lack sufficient dietary fibre and a poor water intake can lead to irregular bowel movements.  

Osteoporosis

1. • Osteoporosis refers to bone loss as we age, most likely over the age of 65.  As we age our bones is lost quicker than the body can reproduce them.  As the bone loss increases and bones become weaker, the risk for fractures are more common.  
   • Your Dietitian can assess your dietary intake and guide you with the correct advice to increase the intake of calcium and vitamin D to support healthy bones.  
   • Supplementation might be required to meet increased needs of Calcium and Vitamin D.

 

 

SURGERY

 

Peri-operative :

• In the peri-operative period, the nutrition goals of your dietitian are to evaluate the patient for pre-existing malnutrition, treat malnutrition to optimise surgical readiness, minimise starvation, prevent post-operative malnutrition, and support building muscle mass and recovery.

 

Post-operative :

• In the post-operative period, the nutrition goals of your dietitian are to manage symptoms, maintain and improve weight and physical strength, improve quality of life and treat the common side effects after surgery.  The post-operative diet guide normally flows from a clear fluid diet to full fluids, where the patient will be weaned onto pureed or soft foods and eventually the new light diet.

 

WOMANS HEALTH

 

PCOS

• PCOS refers to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome – the cause of PCOS is not well understood, but many things can play a role in developing PCOS, for example: 
  
  •  Genetics
  • Lifestyle, exercise & food choices
  • Gut microbiome
  • Environmental (pollution & plastics)
  • Exposure to androgens or endocrine disruptors during pregnancy
• Your dietitian can guide you on how to manage your lifestyle and improve your dietary habits, as well as improve sleep and stress whilst staying physically active.  

 

Hypothyroidism

• Hypothyroidism refers to an under active thyroid, which is a disorder of the endocrine system in which the thyroid gland does not produce enough Thyroid hormone. Deficiency of thyroid hormone can disrupts all aspects of your metabolism.  Symptoms include fatigue, constipation, dry skin and unintentional weight gain.  
• Your dietitian can guide you to the correct nutrient dense diet that is very important for the health of your thyroid, since some nutrient deficiencies can lead to thyroid disease.  
• Important nutrients to take note of for good thyroid function: Zinc, Iron, Selenium and Magnesium.  

 

 

Nutrition during Pregnancy

• Healthy eating during and before Pregnancy plays an important role on the development of your baby.  
• Your dietitian can help improve your lifestyle and assist with a diet reflecting a good variety to benefit both mom and baby.  Your dietary pattern must consist of wholegrain foods, plenty of fruit and vegetables, moderate amounts of meat, fish and/or other protein sources such as eggs and pulses, and moderate amounts of dairy products.  
• Your Dietitian can guide you about healthy weight gain during pregnancy, what foods to avoid, how to manage heartburn, constipation, and nausea or vomiting during pregnancy. 

OPTIFAST

• Solandi van Zyl is an accredited CDE Optifast Dietitian and can assist clients who wish to enter on to the Optifast weight loss journey.  
• The Optifast Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) Program is designed to totally replace your normal food intake in the dietary management of obesity.  The Optifast products contain carbohydrates, fatty acids and protein, which help preserve lean body mass (muscle) while you lose your fat stores.  They also contain vitamins and minerals to ensure that you are receiving all the nutrients you require.
• The Optifast VLCD Program is structured into four levels : Three levels for active weight loss and one level for weight maintenance.  Where appropriate, we encourage people to start on the Intensive Level, as this is where the greatest weight loss occurs.  This part of the program is the very low calorie diet component, and has been shown to be safe and effective for rapid weight loss.
• For more gradual weight loss, you can choose to either replace one or two meals each day.  The program is also flexible, so you can move between levels as your goals or lifestyle needs change over time.  Once you have achieved your weight loss goals, you can move into the Maintenance Level.
• The Optifast VLCD Program is recommended for patients with a BMI >30 or BMI>27 with weight related co-morbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol.
• The Optifast VLCD Program should always be followed under the supervision of a healthcare professional.
• Medical supervision is important and can assist you with your weight goals.
• Solandi also uses the INBODY SCALE to monitor the progress of the client and measure the amount of fat loss and how the body  preserves lean body mass.

 

METABOLIC SYNDROME

 

• Also referred to as Syndrome X, which includes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels.  This syndrome increases a person’s risk of heart attack and stroke.
• The treatment for metabolic syndrome starts with self care, but your dietitian can help you reach a healthy body weight, encourage an exercise routine, improve your diet and lifestyle and help reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke.

 

EATING DISORDERS

 

• Eating Disorders are a range of psychological conditions such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, which requires urgent medical attention by means of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Solandi has extensive experience to help patient break the cycle of food restriction, binge eating or purge cycle. By using a holistic approach, Solandi can guide you to food freedom and positive body thoughts by breaking the cycle of eating disorders.

 

INSULIN RESISTANCE

 

• The hormone insulin helps to control the amount of sugar(glucose) in the blood.  With insulin resistance, the body’s cells don’t respond normally to insulin.  Glucose can’t enter the cells as easily, so it builds up in the bloodstream.  Eventually this can lead to Type 2 Diabetes.
• Your dietitian can assist with improving your insulin resistance by helping you reach an ideal body weight and improve your lifestyle and dietary choices to assist with improved glucose levels.  With a sustainable lifestyle approach, you can break free form the insulin resistance.  

 

INBODY ASSESSMENTS

 

• The Inbody assessments are done with an Inbody120 scale to reflect a comprehensive image of the body by providing an overall picture of your health and body composition.  The Inbody provides a composition of 4 components : Fat mass, Lean body mass, Minerals and body water.  
• This scale is specialised in providing the comprehensive view of the entire body in terms of composition and not just weight alone.  The measurement method of this scale is a direct segmental multi-frequency-bioelectric analysis method (DSM-BIA), which is quantitive analysis to measure body’s composition. By sending multiple electrical voltages through the inner body, six readings can be obtained by the test, giving the dietician a good look at the health status of the body.
• With the results you are able to see what is your body fat percentage, whether you have adequate amount of skeletal muscle mass in your body, your  visceral fat level, basal metabolic rate and total body water.  These results act as a guide to help achieve your individual goals.  When Inbody scans are done periodically, it helps to monitor progress.