Butterfly Nutrition
Butterfly Nutrition
By Rob Heidrick Friday, 23 January 2009
The center offers guidance to those who want to make changes in their eating habits, beginning with the basics of selecting foods high in nutritional value.
In February 2008, registered dietician P.J. Yazdi opened Butterfly Nutrition Education and Counseling Center in Cedar Park. The center offers guidance to those who want to make changes in their eating habits, beginning with the basics of selecting foods high in nutritional value.
“I don’t think the education and the knowledge is out there as much as it should be,” Yazdi said. “People know they should eat healthy, but they don’t always know how to eat healthy.”
Butterfly Nutrition’s programs typically begin with a conversation about the goals the client hopes to achieve and the methods that would be best suited to getting the desired results.
“It has to be something they agree on,” Yazdi said. “I can’t force them to completely give up something or eat something they don’t like because they’ll quit.”
Fish and vegetables are common recommendations, but the program allows for a degree of flexibility. “People ask, ‘Can I still go to Wendy’s?’” Yazdi said. “I tell them, ‘That’s fine — I go to Wendy’s!’”
As long as people limit themselves to smaller menu items that are relatively low in calories, Yazdi said, a bit of indulgence is acceptable.
Yazdi accompanies many of her clients on grocery store trips, where she helps them evaluate the pros and cons of various items. The lesson continues at home, where the dietician sorts through foods in clients’ kitchen pantries and refrigerators, suggesting healthy substitutes and additions to the meals they regularly prepare.
Her methods take into account the need for quick meal options in the frantic evening hours of the average family household. Yazdi said she regularly assures her clients that it is possible for them to eat healthy and cheaply within a one-hour time frame. Chicken breasts, frozen vegetables and peanut sauce, for example, combine to make a simple and tasty stir-fry in about half an hour.
Yazdi deals in quick meals, but not quick fixes.
“If you want to lose 20 pounds in 20 days, I’m not going to be able to do that for you,” she said. “I believe in education. I believe in making a lifestyle change.”
Yazdi customizes her services to meet clients’ needs. Homework assignments and taste tests to encourage clients to try foods they might not otherwise seek out on their own — pomegranates, eggplant and the like. Regular support group meetings and community health talks allow people to come together to discuss nutrition-related topics and share their ideas.
Healthy conversations
Women’s support group
Butterfly Nutrition hosts three discussion sessions each month for women interested in learning more about healthy eating. Meetings cover topics ranging from weight management to recipe suggestions, and guest speakers are on hand to answer questions and offer advice to participants.
Registration costs $15 with a $5 discount for bringing a friend. Call 528-9600 or visit www.butterfly-nutrition.com.
Session schedule
First Friday of every month, 7:15-8:30 a.m.
Second Monday of every month, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Third Tuesday of every month, 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.
Community health talks
P.J. Yazdi, owner of Butterfly Nutrition, leads health talks at ChiroFit Wellness Center every other month to discuss the role of nutrition in following a balanced fitness plan. Sessions are free and open to the public. For dates and registration, call ChiroFit at 531-9100.
Butterfly Nutrition715 Discovery Blvd., Ste. 511
528-9600
www.butterfly-nutrition.com
