What is nutritional therapy?
Nutritional Therapy follows the belief that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to health and wellbeing is wrong. Every person who sees a Nutritional Therapist will receive bespoke and personalised nutrition and lifestyle advice that is rooted in science.
Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners work to identify the root cause behind chronic health symptoms or health concerns. For example, symptoms such as fatigue, bloating, autoimmune diseases, skin conditions, and infertility may be caused or made worse by nutritional deficiencies, poor gut health, hormonal imbalances, and most likely a combination of reasons. You can think of a Nutritional Therapist as a kind of health detective – joining the dots across your medical history, symptoms, lab test results, gut health, and genetics to understand what could be contributing to your symptoms, and what is the best way forward to help you manage and improve your condition.
What does a collaboration with a nutritional therapist look like?
Nutritional Therapists often offer a free discovery consultation so that you can get to know each other and help you decide if they are the right person to help you. Every Nutritional Therapist will have their own expertise and way of working, so it’s important to find the right person for you. After confirming you are a good match, you will often be sent a comprehensive health questionnaire and diet diary to complete ahead of the initial consultation.
During your initial consultation, you may be asked questions that you feel are not relevant to your health condition. This is because each body system is interconnected, and it helps Nutritional Therapists to understand more about your overall health. Gut health often takes centre stage as it’s home to the gut microbiome, the largest collection of microbes in our body that is known to directly impact our health. They will also ask about your stress levels, environmental exposures, exercise, and sleep to gain a more complete picture of your health.
What will I receive?
You will be provided with personalised nutrition advice tailored specifically for you, considering your health goals, lifestyle, dietary preferences, and even your personality! This may also include meal plans, recipes, lifestyle advice, and referrals to other health practitioners when necessary. Nutritional Therapists may sometimes suggest functional testing to help further guide their recommendations, such as advanced blood, gut, or genetic testing.
It’s important to note that Nutritional Therapy Practitioners do not diagnose or treat disease, and recommendations are not a replacement for medical advice; but they frequently work alongside other medical professionals. ‘Nutritional Therapist’ is not a protected title by law, so it’s important to make sure that a practitioner is registered with a accredited register such as CNHC and a professional body such as BANT.
What conditions does a Nutritional Therapist often support?
Here are some examples of common conditions or symptoms:
· IBS, constipation, and bloating
· Reflux
· Eczema and allergies
· Other skin conditions such as psoriasis, hives, rosacea, and acne
· Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (previously known as PCOS)
· PMS and menstrual cycle-related symptoms
· Perimenopause and menopause
· Infertility
· Autoimmune conditions
· Anxiety
· Low energy and fatigue
· Blood sugar balance
· High blood pressure
· Joint and bone health
If you would like to find out more about Nutritional Therapy and how it can help you, book in a free online consultation with Dr Anna Sanniti here.