DIET THERAPY REVIEWER PART 1 - TERMS, DEFINITIONS & KEY CONCEPTS

DIET THERAPY REVIEWER

PART ONE - TERMS, DEFINITIONS AND KEY CONCEPTS

A. Basic Terminology

Diet Therapy: modification of a person's usual food intake to help prevent, manage, or treat a disease or medical condition.

Nutrition Therapy: the broader concept of improving health by adjusting the quantity, quality, and method of nutrient intake.

Therapeutic Diet: a diet that has been modified from a person's usual diet to meet specific medical or nutritional needs.

Medical Nutrition Therapy: individualized nutrition care used to help manage a disease or medical condition.

Diet Prescription: the specific diet ordered or recommended for a patient according to the patient's medical and nutritional needs.

Regular or Normal Diet: a normal, balanced diet without a specific therapeutic restriction, provided the patient has no condition requiring dietary modification.

Indication: the reason a particular diet is recommended for example, the indication for a low-sodium diet may be hypertension; the indication for a clear liquid diet may be preparation for a procedure.

A diet may involve modifying: calories, protein, carbohydrates, fats and fiber, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, fluids, texture and consistency, and meal timing.