What does a nutritionist do?
A nutritionist is a health professional who works with you, to analyse the impact your diet, lifestyle, physiology and environment are having on your overall health as well as specific conditions and disease states. Together with your nutritionist you will delve deep into your health history to uncover the underlying nutrient deficiencies and microbiome imbalances that may be triggering your symptoms and exacerbating your current health presentation.
Simply put, a nutritionist looks at the WHY of your symptom presentation rather than focusing only on stopping them. A holistic nutritionist will consider you as the whole-person, connecting patterns and connections in symptoms and factoring in:
- digestive function
- hormones
- blood glucose balance
- metabolic health
- energy levels
- sleep
- stress
- brain function
- family and personal history
- medication and supplement regime
- dietary preferences and intolerances
- lifestyle
By identifying the underlying factors, causes and triggers of your current health presentation, together we are able to target longer term health improvements.
Using Food as Medicine
Food is something to be enjoyed. Throughout time food has connected us culturally. However, the busyness of society has meant we have largely lost our cultural relationship with food and the social connections it provided us. We now eat or don’t eat to deal with emotions, rather than for fuel and connection.
A nutritionist will aim to support healthy food relationships without strict and unsustainable diets focusing on foods that target:
- nutrient balance
- wholefoods
- antioxidants
- hormone balance
- energy balance
- blood glucose management
- digestive support
- anti-inflammatory
All nutrition plans are tailored and designed to suit your individual needs, are realistic and sustainable. No starving, no complex plans or recipes, no expensive fad diets. Just good, honest food that target your goals and fit within your preferences.
Preparing for a Nutrition Visit
When preparing for a nutrition visit, you should aim to gather up as much of your personal and family health history as possible. If you have any recent pathology or test results bringing them along or emailing them to the clinic prior to your consultation can help to streamline your appointment. A food and symptom diary returned prior to the appointment will allow your nutritionist to pre-review and make notes for points of discussion during the consultation. You will be sent intake forms that are required to be completed electronically at least 24 hours before your visit.
The more information your nutritionist has, the more targeted your nutrition plan will be. Otherwise, sit back and take comfort in engaging in a session that is all about you and improving your health.
Your First Consultation Checklist
Sometimes knowing exactly what to plan for and expect can make the unknown more comfortable.
- What to Complete (48 hours prior to scheduled appointment)
- Intake form
- Consent forms
- Food and Symptoms Diary
- What to Bring
- Pathology and any other test results
- Yourself
- What to Consider
- Your primary motivation for booking the appointment
- When did it first start?
- What are your main goals?
- What is your ideal timeline to achieve those goals?
- What are your expectations of your nutritionist and the consultation?
- What to Gather
- Your health history information (as far back as birth if possible)
- Current and past medical conditions
- Medications (with dosages, brands and length of time used)
- Supplements (with dosages and brands)
- What to Think About
- Your symptom picture (e.g. constipation, diarrohea, reflux, hunger times, fatigue etc.)
- Possible causes
- Cravings
- Strategies trialled (e.g. other diets, medications, exercise etc.)
- Your sleep patterns and pre-bed rituals
- Stress levels and management strategies
- Changes to appetite (e.g. around menstruation, after work, with increased exercise)
- Your lifestyle (work patterns, family, travel, cooking ability/interest, exercise)
- Food and supplement budgets
- Food preferences, sensitivities, allergies or sensory concerns.
Please keep in mind, you may not have answers to all sections or points of this checklist. That is completely fine. Any information you can provide paints a picture and informs your treatment plan. Further, the information can be built upon over sessions and plans can be adapted to suit new information that comes to light.
What You Shouldn’t Do
You should not pressure on yourself to have all of the answers or know everything already. The knowledge part is my role and as the saying goes, ‘You don’t know what you don’t know’. That is why there are entire degrees focused on nutrition and clinical nutritional practices.
Your Nutrition Consultation is Focused on YOU
When you question, what does a nutritionist do? Think, genuine care that is centred around you as an individual with unique nutrition, dietary, lifestyle and health needs driven by tailored evidence-based practices.
Remember, consultations are strictly non-judgmental, and your information is confidential. You can feel confident in open and honest communication and support. Your open, honesty provides the clues on what is needed to support you and your health goals.
When you are preparing for a nutrition visit, take a deep breath, give yourself a pat on the back for taking the first steps and prepare to focus on yourself. Set clear goals for yourself and prepare to focus your attention on achieving those goals around your current lifestyle and circumstances. Identify any potential barriers or challenges that you may face or that are keeping you where you are and allow me to help you to overcome them. All possible concerns are ironed out with both you and your practitioner in agreement.
Nutritionist’s Promise
My promise to my client’s is to be there every step of the way in a supportive, empathetic and understanding manner that empowers and arms you with knowledge that you can walk away feeling confident in implementing strategies on your own and well into the future. All strategies are guided towards non-restrictive lifestyle change while allowing you to continue to enjoy life, food and social occasions.
Ready to get started straight away? The simple act of booking can set your motivation in place and put your mindset into action mode. Holding off only gives you permission to resist change. Nothing changes if you don’t.
Call, email or complete the contact form to book your Nutrition Consultation.