Well… I am a 50-something, London-based, CNHC Registered Nutritional Therapist and BANT member working with private clients at several clinics across London as well as online, via Zoom & Skype.
My first career was in IT, providing software development and project management services to corporate clients in the UK, mainland Europe and the USA.
I have always had an interest in health and wellbeing. And, like most people, I was very confused by all the conflicting information I was bombarded with online and in the press. I was also becoming more aware and somewhat concerned at the number of family members, friends and work colleagues who developed chronic diseases. This, despite not having particularly unreasonable lifestyles.
So, I decided that the time had come for me to call it a day in the IT industry and dedicate the next 3 years of my life studying to become a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist.
My first year was in Biomedicine. It was then followed by 2 years in Nutrition with a focus on pathologies in order to understand the pathways and mechanisms that lead to chronic disease.
I graduated with Distinction and am a member of professional associations and registered with accredited organisations that allow me to work with private clients as well as patients referred to me by their General Practitioner or Healthcare Provider.
In the first instance, my work essentially consists of investigating and identifying the root cause(s) that result(s) in an individual’s presenting symptoms. This is the crucial part of my work. It includes a thorough analysis of the individual medical history, a discussion on the medical history of the immediate family, a comprehensive review of nutrition and lifestyle, a detailed review of current and past medication and supplementation, as well as laboratory testing and genetic testing, when applicable.
The second part of my work then consists of addressing these root causes. This is achieved through specific and targeted nutrition and lifestyle interventions, in order to directly act on the imbalances identified.
No, definitely not. My work as a Nutritional Therapist is not meant to be an alternative to the service provided by a General Practitioner (GP). Although there are numerous situations where Nutritional Therapy and Traditional Medicine can be used alone, Nutritional Therapy and Traditional Medicine are complementary and are found to be most beneficial to the patient when combined in an Integrative Medicine model.
Hippocrates, known as the āfather of modern medicineā, believed that āall diseases originate in our gutā, and indeed, many metabolic chronic diseases do. As a Nutritional Therapist, I focus on all aspects of Digestive Health with my clients, whilst specialising in Metabolic Health and Menās Health, with a view of promoting Healthy Ageing.
Digestive issues not only manifest in the gut but can cause symptoms in virtually every other system besides the digestive system. So it is not only bloating, constipation/diarrhoea or IBS/IBD, but also skin issues, fatigue, joint pains, brain fog, stress/anxiety, headaches, etc. which can all originate from the digestive system, and it is precisely there that these issues must be addressed.
In terms of Metabolic Health, I work with clients generally presenting with obesity, cholesterol / triglycerides imbalances, high blood sugar levels (pre-diabetes / type 2 diabetes), high blood pressure, etcā¦ Nutrition and Lifestyle Therapy should always be the very first steps not only to address but also to aim at preventing Metabolic Syndrome.
Menās Health became a particular interest to me, first of all because I am a man, and I am very interested in my own health. Secondly because male nutritional therapists are definitely a minority, which creates an imbalance in access to Nutritional and Lifestyle advice for men who may prefer to be seen by a male practitioner.
Simply because I see Nutritional Therapy as an application of Practical Wisdom as defined by Aristotle when his observations led him to conclude that every particular circumstance requires a particular, often tailor-made solution. And this is exactly what we do in Nutritional Therapy. We are all unique through our genes, our environment, etc… and therefore we need Practical Wisdom to obtain the very best results.
