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 — without cravings. Thousands of women have benefited from The S.T.E.P.S. Program® since its inception in 2010.
Do you make meal plans?
We provide an individualized meal plan for every private client and a monthly meal plan subscription for the general public. If you’d like to get an idea of what our meal plans look like you can download a free meal plan here.
Do you accept insurance?
Most health insurers will cover medical nutrition therapy services provided by a licensed dietitian. In some cases you may be eligible for unlimited benefits with no co-pay or deductible, while other plans may limit the number of visits you can have on an annual basis. We will be happy to verify your insurance benefits for you.
If your insurance plan covers medical nutrition therapy but we are out-of-network, we will assist you in the reimbursement process by providing a “superbill” to submit to your insurance provider. However, full payment will be due at the time of service.
Where are your fees listed?
Our fees are customized to each individual and not everyone will require the same services or support. Once we’ve completed your initial assessment, we will provide a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) to outline the exact details we suggest to help achieve your goals.
Fees for labs are listed on the order page for each lab here.
Where are you located?
S.T.E.P.S. Nutrition Group is a virtual nutrition practice. Our licensed healthcare providers 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 an online group program with women from around the world.
I live in a different state. Can we still work together?
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 in a one-to-one model with clients in the United States. However, you can be a part of our online group program, and we encourage you to get on the Priority Notification List.
What types of payment do you take?
We accept all major credit cards and HSA/FSA cards. We also offer payment plans.
Do you offer professional-grade supplements?
Our online dispensary offers 20,000+ professional-grade supplements at 15% off plus an additional 5% with auto-ship — that’s 20% off all professional-grade supplements purchased in our online dispensary.
Do you provide reduced-fee services?
If there are special circumstances that require reduced-fee or pro bono care, we offer a number of private and community-based services through the nonprofit arm of our practice. Please fill out an Inquiry Form and let us know your specific 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 call themselves a nutritionist. There is no board or governing body that regulates the term. This means that your personal trainer or your neighbor with no formal training in nutritional biochemistry can do some research online and call themselves a nutritionist.
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. Only an RD or CNS can order therapeutic diets for patients in a hospital setting.
To become licensed, a person must complete a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college. In addition, 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 in nutritional biochemistry.
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.