What Does A Nutritionist Actually Do?
There are some misconceptions about the role of nutritionists in health and fitness. In this article, I hope to clarify them and explain why you may wish to consider booking an appointment with one in the near future.
Living - and working - in a country that provides “free” healthcare for its citizens is certainly a privilege but it has a tendency to create skepticism for any other form of healthcare that falls outside this paradigm and charges a fee for services rendered.
Nutrition is a relatively new profession - one that exists mainly in response to the alarming and seemingly ubiquitous rise in chronic disease despite advances in modern medicine. The science on which it is based has evolved so quickly (and continues to do so) that its practitioners are often in disagreement over best practices, leaving the average layperson - at best - confused and - at worst - critical of the profession as a whole. Caring for oneself and the attainment of optimal health was once so instinctive that it is no wonder people bristle at the very idea of an “expert” presuming to know what is best for a perfect stranger, having neither lived their lives nor faced their challenges.
What follows is an outline of what I do and how it might benefit you in particular and the overburdened NHS in general.
Review. Each client is required to provide:
Their health and medical history.
Any relevant test results.
An insight into their dietary habits and lifestyle.
A list of any supplements and/or medications you may currently be taking.
Assess. Each system in the body is evaluated via a series of questionnaires.
Educate. I tell my clients that symptoms are the language our bodies use to communicate the need for different choices - choices that will bring it back into alignment. A body that is in alignment cannot help but thrive rather than merely survive. Most importantly, I explain that our genes are not our destiny. None of us needs to plod on towards seemingly inevitable decline as “decreed” by our genes. Each dietary or lifestyle choice we make impacts the expression of our genes and, therefore, our health. Keeping this in mind engenders a profound sense of control over one’s health and is also more likely to encourage proactive - rather than reactive - tendencies in the long run.
Collaborate: I liaise with clients’ doctors and recommend the services of other healthcare providers (as appropriate) so that we can work as a cohesive team. This allows each client to design their own protocol and to possibly boost the effects of each intervention. Helping clients decide which path to go down - and when - is also absolutely crucial.
Investigate: I look beneath symptoms and labels to find root causes, bearing in mind that these always differ from person to person. Viewing the body as an interconnected whole, I also use testing via the client’s GP and/or private labs to determine any imbalances or deficiencies that may be driving suboptimal function. This vital information then underpins the direction each client may wish to take and gives the best possible outcome.
Create: having done all of the above, I put together a sustainable plan including diet, supplement and lifestyle recommendations. Clients’ adherence to these is critical for a successful outcome. Relevant support materials (e.g. handouts and recipes) are provided.
Above all, I encourage an open mind, a desire to experiment and the use of any outcomes as valuable data with which to inform next steps.