When are you open?

We are open Monday through Saturday, by appointment only.  We often have “off-site” speaking engagements, training sessions, or volunteer activities, therefore we are not always “in” the office and therefore do not take walk-in clients.  Typical appointment times are between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Do you accept insurance?

At the present time, no, we do not accept insurance for nutrition or fitness appointments. However, for people who are getting the mediator release test (MRT), an outside lab (Signet Diagnostic) does the testing, so as a courtesy to our clients we will verify insurance coverage of MRT.

What do you charge?

This depends on the client and what type of appointment they are seeking.  Most clients (weight loss, sports nutrition, celiac, etc.) will need multiple appointments, therefore after the initial appointment, we will decide what is most cost effective (purchasing a package of 3 or 5, which includes the initial appointment.  Clients who have food sensitivities and plan to use MRT will pay for the MRT in addition to purchasing a package of appointments for the individualized LEAP Immuncalm Dietary Management Program.

Do you offer payment plans?

No.  Payment in full is expected at the time of service.  For people who are unable to purchase packages, they may pay for their appointments one at a time.

Do you offer discounts?

Yes.  We are proud sponsors of Austin Fit and Tri Zones Training and offer their members a 15% discount on initial appointments and 10% discount on packages.  We also offer this same discount to members of Southwest Hills Community Church and employees of non-profit organizations such as the Capital Area Food Bank.

Do you work with children?

The majority of our clients are adults, however we will work with children on a case-by-case basis.  We do not work with children younger than 8 years of age.

Do you work with families?

Yes, we work with families.  The charge for this depends on the size of the family. “Packages” can often be used to cover the costs of family appointments.

What kind of fitness assessments do you offer?

This is an area that will be expanded in the future.  Right now, we offer measurement of weight, percentage body fat, and provide instruction for determining resting heart rate and submaximal heart rate.

What kind of fitness counseling do you offer?

This is another are that will be expanded in the future.  Right now, we utilize resting heart rate and sub maximal heart rate data to work with endurance athletes to develop a training schedule.  We also suggest various strength-training workouts.  For clients who are “beginners” and will not necessarily be running/cycling/swimming long distances, we offer instruction on other types of exercise such as low impact cardiovascular activities and core strength training.  Most clients do workouts on their own time, off site and bring “data” from their workouts (e.g. heart rates, time, distance, etc.) to follow up appointments for evaluation.

What kind of seminars do you offer?

We give seminars on general nutrition and wellness (e.g. how to eat healthy, how to survive holiday eating, etc.), as well as on our specialty areas (celiac, polycystic ovary syndrome, vegetarian eating, and sports nutrition).  The length of time varies depending on the need of the organization requesting the seminar.

Do you check metabolic rate?

No, at the present time we do not measure metabolic rate.  This is something that we are looking into offering in the future.

How do you measure body fat?

Through both the use of bioelectrical impedance via a scale and skin calipers.

Do you provide food/meals to your clients?

For newly diagnosed celiac clients, we offer a “starter kit” that includes gluten free items such as rice, rice cakes, chips, cookies, baking mixes, crackers, and sports bars.  We do not provide food or meals to our other clients.

Do you offer meal plans?

Yes, we can offer personalized example meal plans for our clients.

What is “Intrinsic Coaching®”?

Intrinsic Coaching® is a methodology that increases a person’s capacity to think better about choices and achieve better results, more quickly.  Intrinsic coaching can be used to serve individuals and groups in a variety of areas: health care facilities, corporations, universities, etc.  Here is some additional information on Intrinsic Coaching®.

What is MRT?

MRT stands for “mediator release test.” It is actually 150 separate tests using a blood sample and “challenging” that blood sample with 123 different types of foods and 27 different chemicals.  Two different pathways in the immune system are involved in food sensitivities: type 3 and type 4.  Depending on which pathway is used, the immune system will release different types of “mediators” to fight what ever it perceives as a threat.  MRT is an end-point test, meaning it measures the release of mediators such as cytokines, histamine, prostaglandins, etc. at the end of the reaction (so it does not care which pathway is used, it just measures the immune system’s reaction to a perceived threat).  Here is an animation of how the MRT works.

Who needs MRT?

MRT primarily benefits people with conditions affected by food sensitivities (not true food allergy), such as irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune conditions, eczema, psoriasis, etc.  Many athletes who suffer from gastrointestinal distress during training and competition also often benefit from MRT, as it allows them to identify foods that are more likely to cause them a problem.

What is LEAP?

LEAP stands for “Lifestyle, Eating, and Performance.”  It is a 6-phased dietary management program that utilizes the MRT to develop an individualized eating plan.  The first phase allows the person to eat only their “safest” foods (usually limited to no more than 25 different items), and this phase typically lasts one week to 10 days.  Some people with very severe symptoms may need up to 2 full weeks to have their immune system “calm down.”  Phases 2-5 are where 1 new food is added each day, so the length of time will vary depending on each person.  Phase 6 is where a 3-day food rotation diet is implemented, and clients begin adding foods that may not have been tested.  This is usually the time that people can also start “testing” the moderately reactive foods to see if their immune system has sufficiently healed to where they can tolerate small amounts of a previously reactive food.

What will you use my email address for?

When you enter your email address on our contact form, or to download one of our free resources, we promise to only use it for the purpose for which it was intended.  We will only use this information to communicate with you, or send you the information which you requested.  We will never sell or share your information with anyone outside of Marquette Nutrition and Fitness.  Your information is safe with us.