Nutrition Therapy
What is it?
Nutrition Therapy can be simply defined as the relationship of food (nutrients) to the well-being of the human body. It also encompasses the study of environmental and emotional factors on health and disease. Nutrition Therapy uses food, changes in lifestyle and individual nutrients in doses only achievable in supplement form, for medicinal and therapeutic effects.
How Does It Work?
Nutrients are involved in the creation of every molecule and the maintenance of every system in the body. The body requires more than 45 nutrients to maintain health. Many vitamins and minerals act as coenzymes in promoting essential chemical reactions. They help regulate metabolism, assist in the formation and maintenance of bones and tissues, hormones, nervous system chemicals, and genetic material. Subtle nutrient deficiencies can occur before the onset of marked, classical deficiency. Such marginal deficiencies may ultimately contribute to the development of degenerative diseases. Nutrition Therapy aims to optimise nutrition according to individual biochemical, environmental and health states.
Conditions Commonly Treated
Nutrition Therapy should be an adjunct to any treatment for any condition or imbalance but it can also be the primary treatment in conditions such as:
Digestive Complaints (bloating, indigestion, reflux, nausea, flatulence, IBS, Colitis, Chrohn’s disease, Candidiasis)
Chronic fatigue, Insomnia
Blood sugar imbalance (Diabetes, Insulin Resistance, Hypoglycaemia)
Cardiovascular disease (High cholesterol, High blood pressure)
Infertility, Pre-conceptual care, Pregnancy, Post pregnancy
Poor immune function (Frequent colds and Infections)
Weight Management (under or overweight, eating disorders)
Allergies or Food Sensitivities
What To Expect During A Treatment
A variety of methods are used to evaluate nutritional status. Some of the more common tools used in the clinical evaluation process include a thorough medical history (including family history of disease), dietary analysis (including eating habits and food intake), Lifestyle analysis (including exercise, stress, sleeping patterns). During the consultation, certain diagnostic tests may be used depending on the individual practitioner, which may include Live Blood Microscopy (see separate handout for details), urine dipstick test, blood pressure, zinc taste test, iridology and nail and tongue diagnosis etc. Additional blood, sweat, stool or saliva tests can be ordered, depending on the individual case and preference. This information is evaluated by the practitioner and used to create a diet and lifestyle plan and prescribe supplementation for the individual.
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