MATTER Profile: Real Dietitian

I’m a person who grabs a $2 fast-food burger on the go and eats cereal for dinner. Why?

Well, my hectic schedule prevents me from sitting down and enjoying a home-cooked meal, and I’m also trying to save up for a vacation in New Zealand.

Like me, many others consider healthy eating a luxury, and are oblivious to the importance of nutrition’s impact on an individual’s wellbeing.

34 million Americans are eligible to consult with a registered dietitian for free with their current insurance coverage, yet a measly 4 percent exercise this option, according to Real Dietician statistics.

The importance of nutrition has been conventionally absent, explained Sidonia Swarm, CEO and founder of Real Dietitian. “It really is not a focal point when it comes to health care.”

Frustrated by its discounted status, Swarm established a platform that promotes an appreciation for eating healthy.

Real Dietitian, a new member at MATTER, connects patients and dietitians, and provides medical nutrition therapy through a mobile app and web enabled platform. The company ensures 24-hour instantaneous access to a registered dietitian.

“You don’t need a dietitian in an office or in a clinic the most,” Swarm said. “You need them at the grocery store, at the restaurant, or when you’re cooking a meal at your home.”

Real Dietitian opens a channel of communication with a personal dietician through a mobile phone appointment or on-demand text messaging. The service-central company leverages human relationships through technology to enable the best health outcome.

Medical Nutrition Therapy is an evidence-based therapy that can cure people from cancer, diabetes and different diseases, Swarm explained. These chronic diseases are preventable through a diet, she continued.

Dietitians at Real Dietician work closely with the patient, specifically catering to each individual’s diagnosis and health.

“At the end of the day, health care is an interaction between two humans,” Swarm said.

Real Dietitian goes beyond simply providing a list of dos and don’ts and delivering packaged lunch boxes to your front door.

“We’re teaching people how to understand their condition,” Swarm said regarding equipping people with knowledge about healthy eating habits, to “sustainably live the rest of their lives through eating.”

You are what you eat. The food you consume is extremely vital to one’s health, she explained. “One day in the near future, we would love to see that everyone has their own doctor, but has their own dietician as well.”