NutrEATion

The following is a guide to what you can expect from your Nutritional Therapist, and what responsbilities you have as a client.

Introduction

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 and is relevant for individuals with chronic conditions, as well as those looking for support to enhance their health and wellbeing.

Practitioners consider each individual to be unique and recommend personalised 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.

The nutritional therapist

•  The degree of benefit obtainable from Nutritional Therapy may vary between clients with similar health problems and following a similar Nutritional Therapy programme.
• Nutritional advice will be tailored to support health conditions and/or health concerns identified and agreed between both parties.
• Nutritional therapists are not permitted to diagnose, or claim to treat, medical conditions.
• Nutritional advice is not a substitute for professional medical advice and/or treatment.
• Your Nutritional Therapist may recommend food supplements and/or functional testing as part of your Nutritional Therapy programme and may receive a commission on these products or services.
• Standards of professional practice in Nutritional Therapy are governed by the CNHC Code of Conduct.

The client

•  You are responsible for contacting your GP about any health concerns.
• You need to give Helen permission to contact your GP regarding any agreed aspects of your case.
• If you are receiving treatment from your GP, or any other medical provider, you should tell him/her about any nutritional strategy provided by Helen (your nutritional therapist). This is necessary because of any possible reaction between medication and the nutritional programme.
• It is important that you tell your nutritional therapist about any medical diagnosis, medication, herbal medicine, or food supplements, you are taking as this may affect the nutritional programme.
• If you are unclear about the agreed nutritional therapy programme/food supplement doses/time period, you  should contact Helen (your nutritional therapist) promptly for clarification.
• You must contact my nutritional therapist should you wish to continue any specified supplement programme for longer than the original agreed period, to avoid any potential adverse reactions.
• Recording consultations using any form of electronic media is not allowed without the written permission of both you and Helen (your Nutritional Therapist).