What is the S.T.E.P.S. Program®?
S.T.E.P.S. is an evidence-based nutrition therapy protocol designed by licensed dietitian-nutritionist Miriam Wiener, MS, MPH, to help women and girls transition from the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) in order to manage — or even reverse — weight-loss resistance and other chronic health conditions.
S.T.E.P.S. is an acronym for the five central components of the program: superfoods, testing, energy, planning, and supplements. Participants learn exactly what each component is, why each is so critical for long-term success, and how to use each component to get the quickest, most effective results.
Do you accept insurance?
Our S.T.E.P.S. to Nourishment program is covered by most health insurance providers. The program includes an initial assessment with Miriam and a series of follow-up visits in our secure, HIPAA compliant online portal. We will be happy to verify your benefits for you.
In cases where your insurance company does not cover our Medical Nutrition Therapy services, payment will be required in full prior to your appointment. However, you may still be eligible for partial or full reimbursement as an out-of-network service. Upon request, we will provide you with a detailed statement to submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement.
We encourage you to understand the specifics of your coverage and to be prepared for any portion of the fees that your insurance may not cover, including co-pays, coinsurances, and deductibles as per your specific insurance plan.
Do you work with other medical providers?
Yes, we collaborate with physician partners who are available to provide referrals and prescriptions when needed. Additionally, our private clients are required to maintain an active relationship with a local primary care provider to oversee routine health monitoring throughout our work together.
What is your perspective on the use of weight-loss medications?
Our perspective is nuanced. In some cases medication may be appropriate — on a short-term basis under the supervision of one of our prescribing providers. But you deserve full informed consent. You need to know the risks and side effects; and you need to have a plan of action for when the hunger and cravings return.
Do you make meal plans?
Yes, we provide a customized meal plan for every Jump-Start client using the gold standard Mediator Release Test (MRT®) and a monthly meal plan membership for the general public.
How do I work with S.T.E.P.S. Nutrition Group?
For our S.T.E.P.S. to Nourishment program go here. To order a monthly meal plan membership go here. To order self-serve labs go here. To get started with Jump-Start go here.
What are your out-of-pocket fees?
Our monthly meal plan membership fee is listed here. Fees for self-serve lab tests are listed here. Jump-Start fees are customized — once we’ve completed your S.T.E.P.S. Strategy Call we will provide a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) to outline the exact details we suggest to help achieve your goals.
What types of payment do you take?
We accept all major credit cards and health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible savings accounts (FSA). We also offer payment plans.
Where are you located?
S.T.E.P.S. Nutrition Group is a Telehealth nutrition practice. Our licensed dietitians live in the United States and work virtually with women and girls in the United States. Miriam Wiener, MS, MPH, lives in Los Angeles and facilitates private and online group programs with women from around the world.
I live in a different state. Can we still work together?
We are licensed to practice in most U.S. states. If there are any licensing restrictions in your state, we will let you know prior to our initial meeting.
I live outside of the United States. How can I work with you?
Due to licensure laws, we only work with residents of the United States. However, you can be a part of our series, Nourishment of the Soul®. We encourage you to get on the Priority Notification List.
What is a S.T.E.P.S. Strategy Call?
Prior to working with new S.T.E.P.S. to Nourishment or Jump-Start clients, Miriam provides a brief Zoom call where she has an opportunity to meet you and go over your goals and challenges. She’ll explain how her programs work and provide her recommendations for moving forward.
Do you offer professional-grade supplements?
Yes, our online dispensary offers 20,000+ professional-grade supplements that have been third-party tested and verified. Unlike supplements purchased through an online reseller, our dispensary works with the brands directly.
Do you provide reduced-fee services?
If there are special circumstances that require reduced-fee or pro bono care, we offer a number of services through the nonprofit arm of our practice. Please fill out an Inquiry Form and let us know your specific needs.
You use evidence-based practice methods, what does this mean?
We live in the age of information — for better or worse — and most of the advice trending online is either misleading or false. Have you heard that a certain supplement or homeopathic sugar pill will take away your cravings? This is false. Cravings are deeply rooted and cannot be cured with a pill. Or that a specific diet will put you into so-called fat burning mode? False. There has never been “one” right diet for everyone at every stage of life. These are little more than gimmicky sales pitches from people with little real clinical experience.
It’s more important than ever to choose a healthcare provider who utilizes an evidence-based approach. Evidence-based providers give advice and treatment plans based on the most rigorous and reliable scientific data paired with clinical evidence and years of professional expertise. This approach ensures that treatments and advice are reliable and tailored to your individual needs.
What is the difference between a licensed dietitian-nutritionist and a nutritionist?
There is a big difference between a licensed dietitian-nutritionist and a nutritionist.
Nutritionist
Anyone can be called a nutritionist. There is no board or governing body that regulates the term. This means that your neighbor, personal trainer, or influencer with no formal training in nutritional biochemistry can do some research online and say they are a nutritionist. Their advice sounds generic because they lack any foundational scientific knowledge — and their AI sources are not human.
Licensed Dietitian-Nutritionist
A licensed dietitian-nutritionist is a credentialed healthcare professional – either a registered dietitian (RD) or a certified nutrition specialist (CNS) – who is qualified to utilize an evidence-based nutritional approach to healthcare.
To become licensed, the CNS credential requires a master’s degree in nutrition science to qualify to sit for the CNS board exam. The RD credential requires a bachelor’s degree in dietetics.
Core academic requirements for both the RD and CNS credential are the same and include food and nutrition science, anatomy and physiology, lifespan nutrition, organic chemistry, nutritional biochemistry, and pathophysiology.
The CNS credential requires additional training in functional lab assessment, nutritional genomics, evidence-based botanical therapies, drug-induced nutrient deficiencies, supplementation, and detoxification.
RD graduates receive additional training in food services management for hospitals and nursing homes, with a focus on USDA Dietary Guidelines such as My Plate and The Food Pyramid.
RD graduates are trained to prescribe specific diets for specific conditions, such as The DASH Diet for hypertension or the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) Diet for lowering cholesterol using a low-fat approach.
CNS graduates are trained to take an individualized approach when addressing complex chronic health conditions — with a focus on the reduction of systemic inflammation and the regulation of immunological response.
All licensed dietitian-nutritionists must complete a nationally recognized internship program. Internships are highly competitive and provide a minimum of 1,000 hours of supervised clinical hours. CNS internships provide experience in functional nutrition with 50-90% of the internship hours in client-based clinical settings. RD internships are primarily in hospital settings.
Upon completion of the internship, the candidate is qualified to sit for the national board exam. Passing the exam earns them the title of either “Registered Dietitian” or “Certified Nutrition Specialist” and the candidate can then apply for licensure on a state-by-state basis.
Why is licensing so important?
Increasingly, we see individuals promoting themselves as nutritionists while having little to no formal training. For example, unscientific modalities such as “applied kinesiology” and “homeopathy” are repeatedly debunked in double-blind, placebo-controlled studies as being no more effective than placebo. Yet, despite overwhelming evidence that these modalities are neither effective nor rational, they persist.
Professional licensing laws help identify who is a qualified practitioner and who is not. Individuals who lack the objective accredited education, clinical experience, examination, and ongoing continuing education demonstrating their competency are not qualified for licensure.
Didn’t see your question?
If you have a question that wasn’t answered here, please fill out an Inquiry Form and we will do our best to respond within 2-3 business days — usually sooner.