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Nutrition Department · Protea Medical Center

Physician-integrated nutrition counseling in Tempe, AZ

Protea's Nutrition Department is led by Dr. Daniel Berzins, Senior Physician and Director of Nutrition. Nutrition care is coordinated with your medical care at Protea Medical Center, with a focus on hormone health, thyroid conditions, weight management and metabolic health.

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Dr. Daniel Berzins, Senior Physician and Director of Nutrition at Protea Medical Center

How nutrition fits your care

What makes nutrition physician-integrated?

The Nutrition Department is part of Protea Medical Center, so your nutrition plan can take your medical history, lab results and any current treatment into account. Your nutrition team and your physicians can coordinate directly.

Hormone health

Food choices that take your hormones into account, coordinated with any hormone therapy your physician recommends.

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Thyroid

Thyroid dysfunction is one of the conditions the nutrition program addresses, in coordination with your physician.

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Weight & metabolism

Weight management, blood sugar and metabolic health, with attention to the physiology behind cravings and weight change.

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Body composition & metabolic testing

Plans can be supported by the InBody scale and metabolic testing, reviewed alongside any labs from your Medical Center care.

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Your nutrition team

Who leads nutrition care at Protea?

Dr. Daniel Berzins directs the Nutrition Department. He works alongside Celeste McCarthy, a nutritionist certified by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition who builds personalized nutrition plans.

Dr. Daniel Berzins, Senior Physician, Director of Nutrition

Dr. Daniel Berzins

Senior Physician, Director of Nutrition, Protea Medical Center

Dr. Daniel Berzins completed his undergraduate studies in Biology and Chemistry at Northern Arizona University and earned his medical degree from Sonoran University.

He focuses on identifying the root causes of chronic disease and values patient education. His specialties include hormone therapy, metabolism, diabetes, thyroid health, peptides, men's health, and nutrition.

Additionally, Dr. Berzins offers IVs, regenerative therapies, and hormone replacement care.

View Dr. Daniel Berzins's profile
Celeste McCarthy, Nutritionist, Founder

Celeste McCarthy

Nutritionist, Founder

Celeste McCarthy founded Protea to offer integrative, patient-centered care. With an M.A. in Literary Studies and a certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, she specializes in personalized nutrition plans supported by advanced diagnostics, including the InBody scale and metabolic testing.

Celeste is also a certified yoga teacher focusing on Yoga Nidra. She enjoys hiking, running, practicing yoga, and spending time with her family.

Meet the nutrition team

How it works

What to expect from nutrition care

This is how nutrition care generally works at Protea, though the details depend on your needs and goals.

  1. Health and diet history

    A conversation about what you eat now, what you have tried before, your health history and what you would like to change.

  2. Testing when useful

    Body composition and metabolic testing when it would help, reviewed alongside any labs from your Medical Center care.

  3. A practical plan

    A personalized nutrition plan built around your medical needs and your daily routine.

  4. Follow-up visits

    Check-ins to review how the plan is working and adjust it as your health and goals change.

Cravings, stress and ultra-processed food

Are food cravings a willpower problem?

Willpower is often only part of the story. Dr. Brendan McCarthy's podcast series on ultra-processed food looks at how stress, cravings and the modern food environment shape what people eat, and at practical ways to change those habits.

Start with these episodes, then bring your questions to your first visit.

From the Protea Library

Nutrition videos and podcasts from our team

Short videos from our nutrition team on carbohydrates, grocery choices, detoxes and family-friendly recipes, plus podcast episodes from Dr. McCarthy.

Video · Apr 1, 2026Healing Starts With Food: Meet GinaProtea NutritionNutritionVideo · Mar 17, 2026Sustainable Exercise & Nutrition: Small Habits That Make a Big DifferenceProtea NutritionNutritionMovementVideo · Mar 17, 2026Food is Medicine: High-Fiber Mexican Beans Recipe 🍲Protea NutritionNutritionVideo · Mar 17, 2026Carbs: The Truth About Good vs. BadProtea NutritionNutritionWeight & MetabolismVideo · Mar 5, 2026How to Choose Healthy Carbs at the Grocery StoreProtea NutritionNutritionWeight & MetabolismVideo · Mar 5, 2026Do You Really Need a Detox? A Nutritionist Explains the TruthProtea NutritionNutritionPodcast · 27 min · Jun 3, 2026The 6-Week Nutrition Reset I Use With PatientsDr. Brendan McCarthyNutritionPodcast · 20 min · Mar 18, 2026The Missing Piece in Weight LossDr. Brendan McCarthyWeight & MetabolismPodcast · 15 min · Apr 15, 2026The Truth About GLP-1sDr. Brendan McCarthyWeight & Metabolism
More by topic:NutritionWeight & MetabolismMood, Sleep & Stress

Questions

Nutrition questions

Who leads the Nutrition Department at Protea?

Dr. Daniel Berzins, Senior Physician and Director of Nutrition. He completed his undergraduate studies in Biology and Chemistry at Northern Arizona University and earned his medical degree from Sonoran University. His specialties include hormone therapy, metabolism, diabetes, thyroid health and nutrition. He works alongside Celeste McCarthy, a nutritionist certified by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

What does "physician-integrated" nutrition mean?

Your nutrition plan is developed with your medical history in view, including relevant lab results, any hormone or thyroid treatment, and your metabolic health. Because the Nutrition Department is part of Protea Medical Center, the people planning your nutrition can coordinate directly with the physicians treating you.

What concerns does the nutrition program address?

The program focuses on nutrition related to chronic health concerns, including hormone health, thyroid dysfunction, weight management, blood sugar and metabolic health. Nutrition is one part of care for these conditions, and results vary from person to person.

What testing is used in nutrition planning?

Our nutrition team uses the InBody scale and metabolic testing, and can review the results alongside labs from your Medical Center care. Your team will recommend testing when it is likely to be useful for your plan.

Are cravings a willpower problem?

Often, willpower is only part of it. Dr. McCarthy has a podcast series on ultra-processed food, stress and cravings that explains why, and discusses practical approaches that may help people change those habits.

How do I get started with nutrition care?

Request a consultation and choose Nutrition, or call or text (480) 557-9095. A care coordinator will help you find the right first appointment.

Ready to learn more about becoming a patient?

Our team can answer questions about nutrition care, explain what to expect, and help you determine the appropriate next step.

Schedule a ConsultationCall or Text (480) 557-9095

Still exploring? Visit our educational library.