Nutrition

At Total Health Care, we believe nutrition plays a vital role in your overall well‑being. Our Nutrition Services are here to help you make realistic, research‑based changes that fit your life and your culture—so you can feel your best every day. Whether you want to improve your eating habits, manage a chronic condition, or simply feel more confident about your food choices, we’re here to help.

What Is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN)?

A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) is a licensed expert in food and nutrition. To earn this credential, RDNs complete:

A bachelor’s and master’s degree (or PhD) in nutrition or a related field
At least 1,200 hours of supervised clinical practice
A national licensure exam
Ongoing professional education every year

RDNs work in many settings and focus on helping you apply science‑backed information to make sustainable, healthy changes. Your RDN will get to know you as an individual, guide you with nutrition education, and act as your coach—helping you set realistic goals, troubleshoot challenges, and celebrate your progress.

Isn’t that the same as a “nutritionist”?
Not exactly. The title “nutritionist” isn’t legally regulated—anyone can use it, regardless of training.
RDN is a protected, credentialed title, meaning you can trust they have the education, clinical training, and expertise to give you safe and effective nutrition advice.

What Is a Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES)?

A Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) is a healthcare professional with advanced training in diabetes care. They work with people who have prediabetes, Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes.

To become a CDCES, a provider must:

Complete at least 1,000 hours of direct diabetes education and care over two years
Pass a certification exam
Stay current with ongoing professional education

A CDCES can help you:

Understand causes and symptoms of diabetes
Learn how food and activity affect blood sugar
Monitor blood sugar and use diabetes technology (such as insulin pumps or CGMs)
Manage high and low blood sugar
Understand medications and treatments
Prevent complications and stay on track with your care plan

They also coordinate with your broader health team, making sure everyone is informed about your needs.

What to Expect When Working With a Dietitian

Your RDN/CDCES will partner with you in a supportive, judgment‑free environment. Here’s what you can expect:

Regular Appointments: Usually every 2–4 weeks, with at least 3–5 visits recommended for lasting change.
First Appointment: A 45-60 minute conversation to understand your health history, goals, lifestyle, and challenges.
Ongoing Support: Clear, practical nutrition education and resources you can use right away—recipes, product recommendations, culturally diverse meal ideas, and tips that fit your budget.
Goal Setting: At the end of each visit, you’ll set 1–2 small, realistic goals to work on between appointments.

What You Won’t Get:
We won’t hand you a rigid meal plan, push fad diets, judge your food choices, or pressure you into quick fixes or expensive supplements. Instead, we empower you with knowledge, flexibility, and confidence.

How to Schedule an Appointment with a Total Health Care Dietitian

At Total Health Care, all nutrition appointments require a referral from your Primary Care Provider (PCP). Patients cannot self-schedule for dietitian services.

You will be eligible to see our dietitian if you have at least one of the following diagnoses:

Chronic Kidney Disease
HIV
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Type 2 Diabetes

If you do not have one of these conditions, your PCP will provide a referral to a dietitian outside of Total Health Care.

About Jessica Ziesel, MSPH, RDN, LDN, CDCES

Jessica Ziesel is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist licensed to practice in Maryland. Jessica completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont and holds a Master of Science degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins. Jessica is originally from the Philadelphia area, but has been living in Baltimore city since 2018. With over 5 years of patient care experience, she feels extremely passionate about helping people to improve their relationship with food, making healthy eating fun/easy/stress-free, and “meeting people where they’re at” to make gradual changes that feel good!

Jessica’s nutrition practice utilizes the HAES or ‘Health At Every Size’ approach, which recognizes that ‘healthy bodies’ come in all different shapes & sizes, and weight alone is not a particularly good indicator of health. Instead, her practice focuses on the
wholistic picture of health and helping people of ALL sizes to increase healthy habits like regular movement, hydration, stress management, adequate sleep, and balanced eating.

In her free time, Jessica has a passion for cooking and loves to try new recipes and ethnic foods. She also loves to spend time outdoors – whether in the ocean, the forest, or the snow. Jessica loves a good scary movie or documentary and takes pride in her
varied music taste.