Woman's Dietitian First in Baton Rouge to Be LEAP Therapy Certified

June 30, 2014

Woman's Center for Wellness, operated by Woman's Hospital, is the first facility in Baton Rouge to go beyond standard food allergy testing when diagnosing and treating food reactions. Woman's dietitian Courtney Neubauer, MS, RDN, LDN, CLT, became the first dietitian in Baton Rouge to obtain certification as a LEAP Therapist. Neubauer joined Woman’s in May 2011. LEAP Therapy credentialing is only available to registered dietitian professionals.

Certified LEAP Therapists receive advanced clinical training in adverse food reactions, including food allergies, food sensitivities and food intolerance. Using specialized, training certified LEAP Therapists can identify food-sensitivity triggers that can go unnoticed through standard blood and scratch tests for food allergies. Certified LEAP Therapist use the Mediator Release Test, a blood test, to check for food sensitivities within 93-percent accuracy, far exceeding the accuracy levels of the standard blood and scratch tests. 

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, millions of Americans have allergic reactions to food each year, and more than 170 different foods are known to cause food allergies. People with food sensitivities and allergies need to avoid those foods that make them sick, and it starts by identifying those potentially harmful foods.

Neubauer earned her dietetics degree from Louisiana State University, earned her Master of Science degree in Nutrition from the University of Alabama and completed her dietetic internship at Southern University. She is a member of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Louisiana and Baton Rouge Dietetic Associations and the Weight Management Education Practice Group. She was also the Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year in 2009 by the Louisiana Dietetic Association. 

Learn more about Nutrition for Medical Conditions offered at Woman's Center for Wellness.