Nutritional Therapy uses a functional medicine approach making it a science based complementary therapy that treats each person individually, looking for underlying factors that may be contributing to their symptoms. Nutritional Therapy aims to empower the client to make dietary and lifestyle changes in order to help alleviate or prevent ailments and promote optimal health and vitality.
Far from being a punishment, it can be an exciting opportunity to rediscover the pleasure of food in order to look after the most precious thing we have – our bodies and our health.
In order for our bodies to work efficiently, we need to obtain the right balance of nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats, water, vitamins and minerals. In this country we are very lucky to have an abundance of food, however not so fortunately much of this food is lacking in nutrients.
Because we are all individuals with different requirements we can also sometimes be eating what we think is a healthy diet, however it’s not the right one for us or we may be using up nutrients more rapidly than we are taking them in due to factors such as how much we work, sleep, where we live i.e. pollution, our age, metabolism, health issues, what we eat and drink etc.,
With over 20 years experience as a Registered Nutritional Therapist , Fiona has worked with several thousand clients during this time helping them to feel better, improve their health and reach their full potential.
The reason Fiona has named herself 'The Nutrition Detective' is because being a Nutritional Therapist is like being a health detective. Fiona keeps up to date with the latest scientific research which she applies daily in her clinic. At the appointment Fiona will ask you questions about your past and present health as well as carry out testing where necessary in order to build a comprehensive picture about you, your body and your current health status. After the appointment Fiona will create a personalised programme which includes nutritional, lifestyle and stress management advice plus supplement recommendations where necessary.
Fiona also calls herself a 'nutritional therapist for the moderate' because she feels that a more gradual approach to dietary change often reaps longer term benefits, so instead of removing many foods from the diet or putting you on a radical “detox” and running the risk of failure, she will emphasise the foods to eat and work at changing your diet gradually so that several months later your diet is completely different and you will hopefully feel this has been achieved painlessly! If a person is very unwell then it may be necessary to implement a “stricter” regimen, however this will often not be forever.
There are a wide range of biochemical tests available including food intolerance, full blood chemistry, stool, saliva urine and hair that can be used to investigate underlying reasons for symptoms that you may be experiencing. Please see her page on Biochemical Testing.
Progression not perfection can be a useful mantra!
Please have a look at my other pages to find out more about the nutritional process/consultations, courses, tests and clinics.