Therapeutic Nutrition

Study therapeutic nutrition online. Learn how to use diet to restore and maintain health.

Course Code: BRE211
Fee Code: S3
Duration (approx) Duration (approx) 100 hours
Qualification
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Learn how to use diet to support health

Therapeutic nutrition is the provision of nutrients to maintain and/or restore optimal nutrition and health. Therapeutic diets may be required as therapy for a disease e.g. coeliac disease or to treat malnutrition arising from low energy and nutrient intakes or due to increased energy and nutrient needs.

 

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." ~ Hippocrates
 

 

 

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Lesson Structure

There are 9 lessons in this course:

  1. Introduction to Therapeutic Nutrition
    • What is Therapeutic Nutrition
    • Where is it Applied
    • Oral Nutrition
    • Nausea and Vomiting
    • Swallowing Problems
    • Weight Loss & Reduced Appetite
    • Nutritional Supplement
    • Artificial Nutrition
    • Enteral Nutrition
    • Parenteral Nutrition (Hyperalimentation)
  2. Allergies and Intolerances
    • Food Allergy
    • Foot Intolerance
    • Diagnosis of Food Allergy or Intolerance
    • Dietary Management of Food Allergy and Intolerance
    • Peanut Allergy
    • Cow's Milk Allergy
    • Coeliac Disease
  3. Diabetes
    • What is Diabetes?
    • Types of Diabetes
    • Complications Associated with Diabetes
    • Prevention and Treatment
    • Monitoring of Diabetes
    • Therapeutic Nutrition & Diabetes
  4. Heart Disease, Hyperlipidemia and Arteriosclerosis
    • Introduction
    • Modifiable Risk Factors
    • Dietary Fat & Cholesterol
    • Other Dietary Factors
  5. Renal/Kidney Conditions
    • Glomerulonephritis, Acute & Chronic
    • Nephrotic Syndrome
    • Nephrosclerosis
    • Acute Renal Failure (ARF)
    • Chronic Renal Failure (CRF)
    • Eating the right amount of Energy
    • Fluid Restrictions
    • Sodium Restrictions
    • Diet & Kidney Stones
  6. Cancer
    • Dietary Factors associated with Cancer
    • Cancer Therapy
    • Nutritional Side-Effects and Suggested Dietary Management
  7. Digestive Disorders & Diet - Oesophagus, Small Intestine, Colon
    • Introduction
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
    • Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD): Crohn's Disease, Diverticulitis & Ulcerative Colitis
  8. Other Metabolic Conditions (eg. Liver, Gall bladder, Pancreas, etc)
    • The Liver
    • Hepatitis
    • Cirrhosis
    • The Gallbladder
    • Gall Stones
    • The Pancreas
    • Acute Pancreatitis
    • Chronic Pancreatitis
  9. Strategic Diet planning for a medical condition
    • Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.1. Introduction to Therapeutic Nutrition

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

  • Discuss the nature and scope of Therapeutic Nutrition; and identify circumstances where diet may need modification
  • Explain different types of food allergy and intolerance and provide information on diagnosis, clinical symptoms and appropriate dietary modifications.
  • Explain what diabetes is and describe appropriate dietary adjustments that for people with Diabetes.
  • Explain appropriate dietary adjustments that should be made for people with Cardiovascular Disease
  • Explain appropriate dietary adjustments that should be made for people with Heart Disease, Hyperlipidemia or Arteriosclerosis
  • Explain appropriate dietary adjustments that should be made for people with Kidney conditions
  • Explain appropriate dietary adjustments that should be made for people with different types of cancer
  • Explain appropriate dietary adjustments that should be made for people with a variety of digestive disorders
  • Explain appropriate dietary adjustments that should be made for people with diseases of the liver, gall bladder and pancreas
  • To evaluate the dietary requirements of a client or patient who has a medical condition; giving appropriate consideration to that condition, and to identify responsible options for diet planning in response to the situation.

Learn about Therapeutic Nutrition and Diabetes

The overall aims of diet and lifestyle advice in diabetes is:

  • To improve blood sugar (glycaemic) control
  • To decrease in the risk of heart disease
  • To help reduce blood pressure
  • To lower lipid levels (cholesterol and triglycerides)
  • To help delay long term complications
  • To tackle obesity through diet education and weight management (5-10% weight loss if overweight) through slow steady weight loss (0.5-1.0 kg/wk)
  • To increase exercise

Current Diet Recommendations for Diabetes

Current recommendations suggest that people with diabetes should follow a diet where 50% of energy they consume comes from carbohydrate (starches and sugars) with only 10% of total being simple sugars (sucrose). 35% of total energy should come from fats, particularly from monounsaturated fats and 15% of total energy should come from protein. We shall now look at some specifics of these recommendations:

 

Salt Intake

It is recommended that salt intake should be limited especially in individuals with Hypertension (raised blood pressure). Salt makes the body retain water and if we eat too much salt, the extra water stored in your body raises your blood pressure. It has been suggested that salt intake should be limited to 6g/day. This can be difficult because 80% of the salt we consume comes from processed foods like bread, biscuits and breakfast cereals, and prepared ready meals or takeaways. Only 20% comes from the salt we add while cooking or at the table. People will therefore need assistance to help them to read labels and identify foods that are high in added salt. As a general rule foods are low in salt if they contain 0.25g salt or less per 100g of food. They contain a medium amount of salt if they have 0.25-1.25g salt per 100g of food and are high in salt if they have 1.25g salt or more per 100g of food.

 

Fibre

Intakes of fibre rich foods should be increased especially those that are high in soluble fibre such as oats, legumes (peas, kidney beans, and lentils), barley, oats, fruits (such as apples), some green vegetables (such as broccoli) and potatoes. Soluble fibre may help control blood sugar by delaying gastric (stomach) emptying, retarding the entry of glucose into the bloodstream and lessening the rise in blood sugar levels that occurs after eating. The cholesterol-lowering effect of soluble fibres may also help those with diabetes by reducing heart disease risks. According to current guidelines, healthy adults should consume at least 18g of fibre a day.

 

Exercise

Exercise should be encouraged. Exercise is an important way to manage diabetes as it helps promote beneficial weight loss and also lowers blood sugar levels and helps insulin work more efficiently. Patients treated with insulin will need advice to prevent their blood sugars from dropping too low when they exercise. Emphasis should be placed on the benefits of regular exercise 20-30 minutes 5 times a week.

 

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrate (from starches and sugars) raises post meal blood sugar levels more than any other nutrient. This observation led to the use of very low carbohydrate diets before insulin and other medication therapies were available. With the advent of these therapies, the avoidance of carbohydrates is no longer recommended. Instead, people with diabetes should receive accurate information on which foods contain carbohydrates and how to balance medication with the times when carbohydrates are eaten and the amounts that are eaten.

Note New research is continually coming to light; and being added to our course as our nutritional scientists become aware. The information above may as such, not be the most up to date.

There are lots of different reasons why a person might undertake this course.
  • Eat more appropriately yourself
  • Understand more about what family members should be eating
  • Deal better with disease
  • Learn as professional development in your job
  • Expand your expertise as  a professional in the health, fitness or food  industries.
  • Discover business opportunities as a food produce/supplier, life coach, health professional, etc 
ACS is a Member of the Complementary Medicine Association.
ACS is a Member of the Complementary Medicine Association.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.

How can I start this course?

You can enrol at anytime and start the course when you are ready. Enrolments are accepted all year - students can commence study at any time. All study is self paced and ACS does not set assignment deadlines.

Please note that if a student is being assisted by someone else (e.g. an employer or government subsidy), the body offering the assistance may set deadlines. Students in such situations are advised to check with their sponsor prior to enrolling. The nominal duration of a course is approximately how long a course takes to complete. A course with a nominal duration of 100 hours is expected to take roughly 100 hours of study time to complete. However, this will vary from student to student. Short courses (eg. 100 hrs duration) should be completed within 12 months of enrolment. Certificates, Advanced Certificates and Awards (eg. over 500 hours duration) would normally be completed within 3 -5 years of enrolment. Additional fees may apply if a student requires an extended period to complete.
If a student cannot submit their assignments for 6 months to ACS, they should advise the school to avoid cancellation of their student
registration. Recommencement fees may apply.

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What do I need to know before I enrol?

There are no entry requirements that you need to meet to enrol in our courses, our courses are for everyone.
If you are under 18, we need written permission from your parent/ guardian for your enrolment to continue, we can arrange that after you have enrolled.

You don’t need to purchase any additional resources to complete our courses.

We aim to teach you the essentials without you having to purchase any specific computer program.
We recommend that you have access to a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, so that you can easily complete and submit your assignments.

You sure can. We are here to help you learn whatever your abilities.

Yes, if you are enrolling in a Certificate or Advanced Certificate, you might be eligible for credits if you have evidence of your previous studies or relevant experience. More information is here.

We recommend that you are able to browse websites, send emails and conduct online research. You will need to be able to type and submit your assignments.
If you have limited computer skills, we can make special arrangements for you.

This is possible, it depends on the institution. We recommend that if you would like to use our courses that you contact the institution first. Our Course Handbook is a good resource for this.

Our courses are written in English and we only have English speaking academic staff. If you can read and complete your assignments in English, our courses are ideal for you.

Our courses are designed to build knowledge, hands on skills and industry connections to help prepare you to work in the area, running your own business, professional development or as a base for further study.

This course has been designed to cover the fundamentals of the topic. It will take around 100 hours to complete, which includes your course reading, assignment work, research, practical tasks, watching videos and anything else that is contained in the course. Our short courses are a great way to do some professional development or to learn a new skill.

It’s up to you. The study hours listed in the course are a rough guide, however if you were to study a short course (100 hours) at 10 hours per week, you could finish the course in 10 weeks (just an example). Our courses are self-paced, so you can work through the courses in your own time. We recommend that you wait for your tutor to mark and return your assignment before your start your next one, so you get the benefits of their feedback.

The course consists of course notes, videos, set tasks for your practical work, online quizzes, an assignment for each lesson (that you receive feedback from your tutor from) and ends in an exam (which is optional, if would like to receive the formal award at the end), using our custom built Learning Management System - Login.Training.

Our courses are designed for adults to gain professional development and skills to further their careers and start businesses.

Our custom online learning portal allows you to conduct your learning online. There may be practical tasks that you can do offline. You have the option of downloading your course notes or print them to read later.

There is also the option to pay an additional fee for printed course notes and or USB (availability limited to location and deliverability).

Yes, if you don’t have access to the internet, you can receive the course as paper notes or on a USB stick for an additional fee. We can also make alternative arrangements for you to send your assignments to us.

We offer printed notes for an additional fee. Also, you can request your course notes on a USB stick for an additional fee.

Yes, your tutor is here to help you. Simply post any questions you have in your login.training portal or contact the office and we can pass on a message to your tutor.

We are more learning focussed, rather than assessment focussed. You have online quizzes to test your learning, written assignments and can complete an exam at the end of the course (if you want to receive your certificate). You will not receive a pass/ fail on your course work. If you need to add more details on your assignment, we will ask you to resubmit and direct you where you need to focus. If you need help, you can ask your tutor for advice in the student room.

Each module (short course) is completed with one exam.

Exams are optional, however you must sit an exam if you would like to receive a formal award. You will need to find someone who can supervise that you are sitting the exams under exams conditions. There is an additional cost of $60 incl. GST for each exam.
More information is here

There are practical components built into the course that have been designed to be achieved by anyone, anywhere. If you are unable to complete a task for any reason, you can ask your tutor for an alternative.

When you complete the course work and the exam and you will be able receive your course certificate- a Statement of Attainment. Otherwise, you can receive a Letter of Completion.

You can bundle the short courses to create your own customised learning bundle, Certificates or Advanced Certificates. More information is on this page.

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Who are ACS Distance Education?

ACS Distance Education have been educating people for over 40 years.

We are established and safe- we have been in education for over 40 years.
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Our courses are not accredited by the Australian Government. However many of our courses are recognised and held in high regard by many industry bodies.

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How do I enrol my staff/ sponsored students?

Yes, you can do a request for a bulk enrolment and request an invoice on our Invoice Request Form

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We can arrange bulk discounts for your course enrolment, please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.

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Course Contributors

The following academics were involved in the development and/or updating of this course.

Jade Sciascia

Biologist, Business Coordinator, Government Environmental Dept, Secondary School teacher (Biology); Recruitment Consultant, Senior Supervisor in Youth Welfare, Horse Riding Instructor (part-completed) and Boarding Kennel Manager.
Jade has a B.Sc.Biol, Dip.Professional Education, Cert IV TESOL, Cert Food Hygiene.

Karen Lee

Nutritional Scientist, Dietician, Teacher and Author.
BSc. Hons. (Biological Sciences), Postgraduate Diploma Nutrition and Dietetics.
Registered dietitian in the UK, with over 15 years working in the NHS. Karen has undertaken a number of research projects and has lectured to undergraduate university students. Has co authored two books on nutrition and several other books in health sciences.

Lyn Quirk

M.Prof.Ed.; Adv.Dip.Compl.Med (Naturopathy); Adv.Dip.Sports Therapy
Over 30 years as Health Club Manager, Fitness Professional, Teacher, Coach and Business manager in health, fitness and leisure industries. As business owner and former department head for TAFE, she brings a wealth of skills and experience to her role as a tutor for ACS.

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