Nutrition… where do I start?
Every cell in the body relies upon vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates to function correctly, thus our nutrition is crucial to optimise how well these cells function.
“Food precisely in the form nature gives it to us is always best for the digestion.”
Louis Kuhne
Eating a balanced diet to supply the body with effective and adequate levels of these nutrients, will enable the cells, tissues, organs to function optimally.
A simple nutrition philosophy to start with is:
- Always drink a large glass of filtered or still mineral water approx. ½ hr before each meal.
- Aim to drink 2L of filtered or still mineral water per day
- Enjoy food
- Eat a rainbow of plants, and plenty of them
- Choose wholefoods as close to their natural state as possible
- Avoid sugar and processed food
- Eat seasonal, organic, local foods when possible
- Eat when you are hungry
- Eat mindfully – Chew your food well – do not eat while sitting in front of the computer or television or when feeling stressed.
Improvements were noticed from the beginning. After 3 weeks there have been dramatic improvements in my mobility, pains have decreased and I have lost a stone in weight.
Plate Proportions
A Visual Guide
I noticed improvements in my digestive system within a week of starting the protocol.
The basis of nutritional therapy.
Nutritional therapy is the application of nutrition science in the promotion of health, peak performance and individual care. Nutritional therapy practitioners use a wide range of tools to assess and identify potential nutritional imbalances and understand how these may contribute to an individual’s symptoms and health concerns. This approach allows them to work with individuals to address nutritional balance and help support the body towards maintaining health. Nutritional therapy is recognised as a complementary medicine. It is relevant both for individuals looking to enhance their health and wellbeing and for those with chronic conditions wishing to work with or ‘consult’ a nutritional therapist in collaboration with other suitably qualified healthcare professionals.
Practitioners consider each individual to be unique and recommend personalized nutrition and lifestyle programmes rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Practitioners 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. They will also frequently work alongside a medical professional and will communicate with other healthcare professionals involved in the client’s care to explain any nutritional therapy programme that has been provided.
What a nutritional therapy session typically involves?
Before the first consultation, the practitioner usually provides a health and nutrition questionnaire for the client to complete. An initial consultation typically lasts 60 to 90 minutes, and in this time the practitioner asks detailed questions about current health concerns, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, medical history, family history, lifestyle, levels of physical activity, use of medication and supplements and diet. The practitioner then evaluates individual needs and uses the extensive evidence base for nutritional science to develop a personalised, safe and effective nutrition and lifestyle programme.
Follow up consultations are generally after four weeks in order to monitor progress and make any necessary adjustments. Further follow-ups may be required depending on each individual situation.