Select Cognitive Disorder: Alzheimer’s Disease
There are 6 main parts to each blog post or handout. Use the following guidelines to complete your blog post or educational handout:
PART 1: Overview and Pathophysiology (about 250 words)
1) Include a brief overview of the condition. This will include:
a) a description of the condition
b) statistics/prevalence of the condition
2) Include the pathophysiology of the condition, such as what nutritional deficiencies or excesses contribute to the condition (i.e. excessive sodium intake, insufficient omega 3 fatty acids), and what biochemical imbalances contribute to the condition (i.e. absorption, metabolism, hormone control, etc.) (Pathophysiology seeks to explain the reason why a condition develops or exists.)
PART 2: Food Plan and Therapeutics Foods (about 300 words)
Choose one (1) appropriate food plan for the condition. (i.e. Mediterranean diet, Elimination diet, Ketogenic diet, Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, etc.) Chose Ketogenic diet.
1) Provide a brief overview of the dietary plan, such as what is the macronutrient make-up and/or details on what is included in this food plan (Provide highlights of some key foods and how they are beneficial for the given condition. Do not provide a full food list.)
2) Provide evidence on how this food plan will help improve the condition chosen. (i.e., Studies have shown that it decreases blood glucose by X% in 6 weeks.)
3) A brief description of 1-2 therapeutic foods included in the food plan and how this supports or benefits the given condition. (i.e., Celery can help to reduce blood pressure by X% when 4 stalks are consumed daily.)
4) Provide details on the possible negative aspects of this food plan (You might consider aspects like cost of foods, food availability, the restrictiveness of choices, lack of evidence, etc.) AND provide one (1) way you can educate the reader on how to overcome this concern.
PART 3: Dietary Supplements (about 200 words)
Choose two (2) dietary supplements (vitamin, mineral, or botanical) that can help manage the condition chosen and include:
1) A brief overview of the supplement including the name of the dietary supplement (i.e., Magnesium) and if applicable, the form/type of the supplement (i.e. Magnesium citrate is used differently than Magnesium glycinate.)
2) The specific dose that is recommended for the condition (not based on RDAs of a healthy individual). This is to be supported by evidence and applicable to the given condition. (i.e., Research has shown that X mg per day of magnesium glycinate can improve blood pressure by X% in 12 weeks.)
3) Contraindications/cautions the reader should know when taking the supplement. (This may include drug-herb, drug-nutrient, alcohol, or dietary interactions).
PART 4: Educating Clients in Self-Management (about 100 words)
Self-management helps clients increase their confidence and learn how to manage their health condition through various skills such as goal setting, planning, problem-solving support, etc. to improve clinical outcomes. Provide education to your client or potential client on how they can increase their self-management of the chosen condition.
PART 5: Collaboration with Healthcare Professionals (about 100 words)
Demonstrate your understanding of the scope of practice as a nutritionist and provide a recommendation for another healthcare provider that can be helpful for the management of the condition chosen. Include:
1) A brief description and evidence of the service and how it can help. For example, acupuncture has been shown to decrease depression by X% in X weeks.
PART 6: Conclusion (Limit to 50 words or less)
Conclude the blog post or education handout. Consider sharing a helpful resource, a motivation tip, “words of wisdom” to get started on implementing the recommendations you wrote about, a recipe, etc.
