A healthy lifestyle always begins with nutrition and involves myriad ways to structure our lives. But how to compose the structure of healthy living presents some challenges and often requires professional guidance. That’s where Dr. Laster and her team at Gut Theory Total Digestive Care comes in. Dr. Laster—who is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology, Obesity Medicine and nutrition—sets out to help patients maintain healthier body weights through sustainable lifestyle changes, personalized nutrition education and endoscopic techniques.
Dr. Laster’s team approaches nutrition with enthusiasm and encouragement—the goal being to restructure a patient’s understanding of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. “We slowly change a patient’s relationship with food,” Dr. Laster says, “making eating stress-free and enjoyable again.” That’s a hurdle for countless people, and Dr. Laster is accomplished at finding ways to overcome the obstacle for a range of patients.
To give her patients extra support, Dr. Laster incorporates the latest techniques into her practice—all of which use objective measures to help track a patient’s success. “We use tools like the InBody bioimpedance machine to help provide an accurate starting point for daily calorie goals,” she says. Sometimes, though, moving towards a healthier lifestyle requires encouragement. Dr. Laster’s team at Gut Theory Total Digestive Care has the technology to provide that initial boost. “To help reboot a patient’s lifestyle habits,” Dr. Laster says, “some patients opt for an endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty in conjunction with a membership nutrition plan. We're all human, so seeing that weight come off sooner with the procedure often provides the boost in morale to keep going.”
But the strongest support system, Dr. Laster explains, involves the people surrounding the patient. “When a patient works with us,” Dr. Laster says, “they have an accountability team that will cheer them on and give them that extra push.” Meet Dr. Laster just once, and patients understand how she and her patients are so successful: Not only is she brimming with enthusiasm and inspiration, but she also possesses the strategic skills to help patients navigate the road to great health.
The journey to weight loss is indeed just that—a journey. “The process isn’t easy and includes so many factors, but we dig deep and uncover old wounds that a patient might not have thought had much to do with their weight,” she says. Dr. Laster and her team of professionals approach each patient with his or her own specific needs in mind; it’s very much a customized approach for overall wellness. “Our practice is a no judgment zone, and we meet patients where they are in their journey,” she says.
Photography by: Gut Theory Total Digestive Care
