ABOUT NUTRITIONAL THERAPY
What is Nutritional Therapy?
Nutritional Therapy is an evidenced-based discipline that uses the latest nutrition science to promote health and peak performance.
Diet and lifestyle play a significant role in our health, and Nutritional Therapists are trained to understand how nutrients from foods and lifestyle factors influence the function of the body.
They treat each client as unique, taking into account their health history, symptoms and dietary preferences, and recommend personalised nutrition and lifestyle programmes to help them achieve their goals.
Nutritional Therapists use a wide range of tools to assess and identify biochemical and physiological imbalances in the body that lead to ill health, and they address these primarily through nutrition, lifestyle management and behavioural change.
Nutritional Therapists use a range of tools to identify the most appropriate nutritional support for their clients and frequently liaise with supplement companies, functional testing laboratories, and other healthcare providers to give the best possible programme to their clients.
This approach allows them to work with individuals to, for example, address essential nutrient deficiencies and provide the cells, tissues and organs of the body with the raw ingredients they need for optimum function.
The aim of Nutritional Therapy is to stimulate the body’s powerful healing capacity and it has been shown to be effective at reducing client symptoms and improving health and activity (1).
Nutritional Therapists recognise that each person is an individual with unique requirements and they therefore take time to define a personalised nutrition plan, rather than applying a “one size fits all” approach.
Who is it for?
Nutritional Therapy is intended for those suffering from chronic health conditions as well as those looking to improve their general health and wellbeing. See How I Work.
How to choose Nutritional Therapist
It is important to choose a fully qualified, professionally accredited nutritional therapist who is registered with the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) and is a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT).
I am a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT), and I am registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).
The British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT), is the professional body for Registered Nutrition Practitioners, and all members must follow a strict set of professional conduct and performance standards.
The Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) was set up with government support to protect the UK public by providing a voluntary register of health practitioners. The CNHC have a strict code of conduct, ethics and performance which sets out the quality of care clients are entitled to receive.
Important note
BANT practitioners do not diagnose or treat disease. They never recommend nutritional therapy as a replacement for medical advice, and always refer any client with ‘red flag’ signs or symptoms to their medical professional. Practitioners also frequently work in collaboration with other suitably qualified healthcare professionals.