What is Nutrition?
Nutrition is a form of therapy that uses food and nutrients
to heal. The therapist analyzes your dietary habits and
then relates these to any health problems you may be
having. Often, health problems are a result of poor dietary
choices, lack of specific nutrients in the diet or even the
body’s inability to absorb these nutrients. Nutrients are
the fuel of the body; all the biochemical processes that
occur in the body rely on the presence of specific
nutrients. The aim of nutritional therapy is to ensure that
your body has all the ingredients it needs to carry out its
normal workings in an efficient manner.
Nutritional therapy is not about taking all the fun out of
your diet! The therapist will work with you to develop a
treatment plan that is realistic and suits your lifestyle.
What sort of conditions can Nutrition treat?
Nutrition can be useful for many conditions
– whether it has been there for just a short while (such as
a cold) or a long time (such as irritable bowel syndrome).
You can even see a Nutritionist for a general diet screen,
to check that you are eating all the right things! If you
are unsure whether Nutrition is suitable for you, come in
and speak to one of our staff, who will be happy to advise
you.
Nutritional therapy is safe to use for anyone who eats,
including babies, children, pregnant women and the elderly.
Keep in mind however that some nutrients can interact with
prescribed medication or are unsuitable in certain
circumstances (particularly pregnancy and breast-feeding).
For this reason, it is always good to see a qualified
therapist for a suitable prescription.
What should I expect in a consultation?
You will need to arrive 10 minutes early for
your first appointment to fill in a form (basic information
about yourself). The first consultation will last for about
an hour. During this time, the Nutritionist will ask lots
of questions about the foods you eat and about your general
lifestyle. Your therapist will also ask about all the
systems of the body – not just those that may be troubling
you. Some of these questions may not seem relevant to your
problem however the idea is to get a picture of your
overall health and how your eating habits may contribute to
this. Your therapist will also use various diagnostic
techniques which may include blood pressure and tongue and
nail diagnosis.
At the end of the consultation, you will be given a
prescription. This may include any of the following:
dietary advice, nutritional supplements and/or lifestyle
advice.
The practitioner will then tell you when she wants to see
you for your follow-up consult. Follow-up consultations
take about 30 minutes.
NB: If you would like a combined nutrition and
herbal medicine consultation, please see the section under
“Naturopathy”