Nutritional Therapy
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.
Choosing a practitioner
It is important to choose a qualified nutritional therapist who has undertaken all the necessary
training to understand the theory and practice of nutritional therapy.
You can check whether a nutritional therapist is registered with the Complementary & Natural
Healthcare Council (CNHC) by searching the register at www.cnhc.org.uk. By choosing
nutritional therapists registered with the CNHC you can be confident that they are properly
trained, qualified and insured.