Nutrition

Nutrition is the corner stone to wellness. It is also one of the most lasting health changes necessary to make your body feel great inside and out.

Hippocrates, father of medicine, observed the natural laws of the human body and encouraged its inherent ability to heal itself. He said: "Let your food be your medicine and your medicine your food".

I treat you, the client, as an individual with your nutrition and health objectives in mind. This means identifying your specific dietary needs. This may be related to past or present health problems, high sporting demands, slow healing, poor gut function, food intolerances, specific nutritional deficiencies and/or poor absorption of nutrients. It takes 120 days to change the health of a human cell; this can be done with improved dietary habits. Yo-yo dieting and other unhealthy nutritional practices that are not sustainable, do not work.

Frequently asked questions

Why are we seeing so many health conditions related to a poor diet?

We are consuming a lot more over-processed food, high in sugar, fat and food additives with low nutritional value. It is important to read food labels so you know what you are eating.

Do you recommend using vitamin and mineral supplements?

I ask clients to eat the correct food to obtain specific nutrients. Often some individuals are very deficient in specific nutrients. Sometimes it is necessary to supplement for a period of time. I prescribe quality products from reputable suppliers that put their supplements through comprehensive clinical tests for safety and efficacy. Anyone who lives a busy lifestyle, skips meals or does not eat a balanced diet should at least take a good quality multi-vitamin. Other supplements should be prescribed based on the individual needs or what is lacking in the diet.

What are some of the common problems associated with a poor diet?

There are many health problems they are attributed to a poor diet and thus nutrient deficiency. There are minor complaints such as repetitive colds and flus, bruising, poor skin to more serious conditions such as Obesity, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease. Commonly, being nutrient deficient leads to tiredness and fatigue, it can impact depression and libido.

Can people be allergic to some food?

Most definitely. There are two types of food allergies. A true food allergy can be easy to identify as the reaction to a particular food happens almost immediately. It is the second type of food allergy or "food intolerance" that is more difficult to recognise. Symptoms can vary, but the common ones are digestive gas and bloating, irritable bowel, headaches, joint and muscle pain, sinus and hay fever, poor concentration, poor immune function, mood swings, skin rashes and eczema and chronic tiredness.

Gluten intolerance is becoming more recognized and generally a lot of people feel better when not eating it. However gluten intolerance is made worse by poor digestive and immune function. What comes first, food intolerance or poor digestion - it is the chicken / egg scenario. Also we often eat too much gluten as some bakers add extra gluten to bread to make it spongier. Too much of a good thing - becomes a bad thing.

How do you determine food that is the problem?

A hair test or blood test can be performed. I use both with success. I use a test, called EAV, which identifies individuals' intolerance to specific foods, food additives and environmental triggers.

More comprehensive tests are also available to identify toxins e.g. heavy metals such as mercury and mineral levels in the body.

Improvements are determined by how consistent a person can be in changing their diet. I also advise about what foods to eat, where to purchase them and how to reduce your risk of on-going food allergies by improving gut/immune function.