Nutritional

What is Nutritional Therapy?

Nutritional Therapy’s ultimate aim is to create a state of optimum health – that is a sense of energy and well being free from pain, discomfort and disease.

Nutritional Therapy is a form of complementary and functional medicine, considering physiology, biochemistry, pathology, and nutrition, and using diagnostic procedures to determine an individual’s unique needs. As a holistic therapy, it also considers lifestyle, and environmental and genetic factors – such as stress, chemical exposure and family history – and how these may affect an individual’s health.

When the balance of nutritional, lifestyle and environmental factors is right then the body is enabled to help itself heal, detoxify (if relevant), recover and energise to attain optimum health.

 

Who can benefit from Nutritional Therapy?

Almost everyone can benefit from Nutritional Therapy, at any stage of life.

For example….

  • Couples needing pre-conceptual care – the right balance of nutrients and a beneficial diet and lifestyle can help increase fertility, ease morning sickness and produce a healthier baby.
  • Children – hyperactivity, learning difficulties, allergies & poor immunity can be addressed by Nutritional Therapy.
  • People with mental health issues – individuals who are depressed, anxious, stressed or who have more serious mental health problems such as schizophrenia have been shown to benefit from Nutritional Therapy.
  • Athletes – with correct nutritional and lifestyle advice, performance can be optimised.
  • Anyone whose energy levels are low – tiredness and fatigue are common symptoms of nutritional deficiencies
  • Mature individuals – age-related macular degeneration, age-related memory decline, lowered immunity and energy are some of the conditions that benefit from nutritional intervention.

What conditions can be addressed with Nutritional Therapy?

The list is exhaustive, as illness and disease arise from an imbalance in one or more body systems, and it is these body systems that a nutritional therapist strives to get back into balance. So conditions associated with the hormonal, neurological, musculo-skeletal, cardiovascular, circulatory, digestive and detoxification systems of the body can all be addressed with nutritional therapy.

For example:

  • Acne
  • Asthma
  • Allergies
  • Arthritis
  • Cancer
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Depression
  • Digestive system disorders: e.g. diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, IBS, ulcers…
  • Heart problems: e.g. high blood pressure, heart disease
  • Hormonal problems: e.g. PMS, endometriosis, PCOS, menopause, fibroids…
  • Immune system problems: autoimmune disease, frequent colds/infections…
  • Infertility
  • Learning difficulties: e.g. autism, Aspergers syndrome, hyperactivity, ADD
  • Memory & concentration problems
  • Migraine
  • Nervous disorders
  • Skin conditions: eczema, psoriasis, rosacea….
  • Stress
  • Weight issues: under/over weight, eating disorders

Please note that nutritional therapists are not licensed to TREAT such conditions as cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and diabetes, though optimum nutrition, together with exercise and stress reduction where relevant, can provide a state of health in which the body has the best chance to fight disease, heal itself and recover.

What happens in a Nutritional Therapy session?

You will have completed a nutrition therapy questionnaire and any other questionnaires that are relevant to your treatment before the consultation. During your visit we shall discuss, in confidence, your answers and agree on a strategy for improving your health and preventing future problems.

Every strategy is specific to the individual, so no two strategies are the same, but it will generally cover dietary adjustment, lifestyle factors such as advice on stress management and exercise, and sometimes the use of supplements to enhance the treatment protocol.

Tests?

A number of functional tests can be arranged as necessary to assist with your health assessment. Again, the list is not exhaustive but includes:

  • Allergy and intolerance testing – for food and environmental allergies
  • Digestive & stool testing – to identify parasites, fungal & bacterial infections, check gut bacteria balance, and analyse digestive system function
  • Hormone testing – e.g. adrenal & thyroid function, sex hormone balance.
  • Metabolic screening – e.g. osteoporosis risk, homocysteine.
  • Hair Mineral analysis – to identify toxic metals and check nutrition status