What is Nutritional Therapy & Who can it benefit?
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
– World Health Organisation.
Nutritional Therapy is a complementary therapy that can be used independently or in conjunction with orthodox medical treatment. It is the use of nutritional science and lifestyle advice to enable people to achieve optimum health.
A nutritional therapist will attend to each person’s individual dietary and nutritional requirements and work with the client to establish methods to support the improvement & management of chronic health conditions, mental health and general health and well-being.
We are all a product of our genetic strengths and weaknesses, our environment and our own dietary journey, and no two people are the same. Everyone is an individual and should be treated as such.
Who can it benefit?
Nutritional Therapy can benefit anyone who wants to change their existing diet and lifestyle or those wanting help with the management of existing health issues. Such as:
- Allergies and food intolerance
- Stress and fatigue
- Weight loss
- Skin problems
- Immune issues such recurrent infections or colds
- Digestive complaints
- Hormonal issues
- Depression and anxiety
- Joint pain
- Sports Nutrition
Nutritional therapy is suitable for people of all ages.
I offer all prospective clients a free, no-obligation 20 minute discovery call, in which I will explain how I work and how I can envisage helping you going forwards, and you can decide if I am the right practitioner for you to work with. There is no obligation to work with me after the discovery call if you choose not to, so why not book yours now and start your journey to better health today!
The microbiome
‘It’s all about the gut’ is the nutritional therapist’s mantra. Put simply if your gut isn’t functioning on all cylinders then neither are you. It is where we digest our food and absorb our nutrients, so any malfunction can be the start of a multitude of illnesses and nutritional deficiencies. It is where 80% of our immune system resides, from allergic responses to antiseptic mucus, it keeps the bad things out of our blood. It is where we make the vast majority of our serotonin – that’s right, if our gut isn’t working properly then we will often feel miserable not just bloated after meals, but actually a biochemical cause of low mood!
The microbiome and gut microflora refers to the bacteriological inhabitants of your gut and often the cause of many digestive issues is a dysbiotic microbiome, i.e. an imbalance between seemingly good and bad bacteria. This imbalance can be brought about by a number of factors or, as is usually the case, a combination of factors such as poor diet and lifestyle, previous antibiotic use and stress. It can take many years for the microflora to become imbalanced or the gut to become damaged, hence why many people develop food intolerances and digestive issues as they get older, and consequently a quick fix is very rare. However, all is not lost. With the right diet and lifestyle interventions most conditions can be managed and symptoms alleviated.
Following your initial consultation I may recommend a stool test – there will be an additional fee, paid directly to the laboratory by yourself, the price varies but the benefit of knowing what is in your gut to start with could reduce the number of consultations that you require. Where multiple consultations are required I will tailor a discounted package and providing you work with me I won’t give up until your gut is functioning as well as possible.
Weight management
Too light, too heavy, big bum, beer belly – no one is perfect and very few of us wouldn’t change a thing, but the endless cycle of dieting and weight gain can be exhausting, demoralising and have a serious impact on our mental and physical wellbeing.
With weight loss programmes ten a penny and a new fad diet appearing seemingly every week it is difficult to know where to start. The fact is that every person is an individual and needs to be treated as such, there are a myriad of reasons as to why we gain and retain weight and the idea that one method will work for everyone is laughable.
The most common story I hear is the “I lost xlbs on the plan, but then put more back on again!” and so the cycle begins. Of course if you starve yourself you will lose weight, but you are also shocking your mind and body and the moment you stop starving yourself, your brain will tell your body to store more fat to protect you from being in that starving state again!
For me, there are two main factors to successful weight management.
1. You have to understand why you gain and retain weight.
2. You have to change your mindset, lifestyle and dietary habits.
In my opinion weight gain is a personal journey and weight loss should be personalised too, a one size fits all approach doesn’t make sense.
Stress and Fatigue
Fatigue is easily the most common symptom that clients mention, whether it is their primary focus or a by-product of another issue and stress and fatigue often go hand in hand. It is often depressing and debilitating, but the good news is that there are so many small changes that can help a person to regain their vitality and enjoyment of life. The importance of good stress management, sleep and exercise cannot be underestimated and if you are struggling in any one of those areas then any dietary changes you make will be far less effective.
Whether it is impeding your digestion by eating while under stress e.g. at your desk, depleting your essential mineral stores such as magnesium, triggering you to store excess fat or actually reducing the production of secretory IGA – a protective mucus in the gut, the impact that stress has on your nutritional status is immense. When we are stressed we are controlled by our sympathetic nervous system also known as ‘fight or flight’ mechanism – and if you are going to run or fight, the last thing your brain wants to do is switch off and let you digest your food. I could write 10,000 words on this and not even come close to covering it in the detail it requires.
As a Nutritional Therapist I have been trained to work holistically – supporting the person as a whole and not just attending to one symptom. It is for this reason that the plan that I design for you will not just be what you should eat, but will contain practical lifestyle advice especially in reference to the ‘big three’ – Stress, Sleep and Exercise.
Nutrigenomics
Trying everything to for weight loss, but having no success? Concerned about inherited family illnesses? Suffering unexplained energy slumps or reactions to certain foods? Your genes could hold the clues.
Nutrigenomics is the study of the relationship between the human genome, nutrition and health. As accessing information about our DNA is becoming easier and more affordable it only makes sense to make use of it and tailor our diet and lifestyle accordingly.
Finding out if you are particularly sensitive to fat, carbohydrate or caffeine or whether you are at high risk of diabetes, cardiac events or cancer can be a useful tool, but too much information in the wrong hands can be interpreted incorrectly and lead to unnecessary worry.
If I think the testing can benefit you I will suggest working with external laboratories. The test is usually a simple saliva swab and when you receive the data, I will analyse your results, design a plan accordingly and hopefully set you on a focused path to optimum health.
Prices vary on the type of test requested.
FREE DISCOVERY CALL!
Book your no obligation 20-minute FREE discovery call now and start your journey to better health today!