Nutrition month is celebrated each March and is sponsored by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The month is set aside to highlight the importance of proper nutrition to maintaining one’s overall health. Given that nutrition is an integral part of Independent Living Systems’ (“ILS”) business, we enthusiastically embrace the opportunity to promote nutritional education and communicate the outstanding work performed by our team of Registered, Licensed Dietitians.
“I am privileged to work with an exceptional team of professionals dedicated to positively impacting the lives of our members on a daily basis,” says Dalila (Lily) Suazo, ILS’ Senior Director of Nutrition Operations. In delivering more than 300,000 meals per month to the homes of members throughout the country, Lily and her team are responsible for designing menus that not only taste good but meet federal nutritional standards by providing one-third of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) as regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Developing meal types – regular, diabetic, renal, vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. – that are appropriate for various nutritional needs is a challenge that Lily and her team embrace. “We enjoy the process of creating updated menus in response to the changing needs and tastes of our members” states Denise Li, ILS’ Nutrition Manager.
Aside from overseeing the menu designs, ILS’ Dietitians provide one-on-one telephonic and in-person nutritional counseling for individuals that require support in altering their nutritional habits and setting new nutritional goals. The nutritional counseling sessions help individuals establish and reinforce healthy dietary objectives and reduce symptoms associated with chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Lily and her team encourage everyone to enjoy National Nutrition Month – eat well and live healthy not only in March but commit to doing so for a lifetime!