What do nutritional therapy consultations involve?
I would ask questions about health problems and the current diet, trying to track how a person got to where they are with their health. In a longer consultation I would use iridology and perhaps a physical assessment of the spine to try to assess the underlying blockages in a person's body. I would then suggest a programme of diet and perhaps lifestyle changes, or other therapies which I consider would make a difference, usually in willing agreement with the client, though for more serious diseases some of the suggestions will be more difficult to undertake. I would try to educate a person in what their body requires in terms of nutrition and how the body works to heal from a holistic perspective.
How much does it cost?
Most holistic therapists are working at a similar hourly rate to a tradesman (less call-out charges). For simple problems requiring just dietary adjustment the cost of undertaking the therapy could be minimal or could actually cost less than eating "normal" processed foods. For serious diseases the costs of products for building up the level of nutritional reserves and detoxification programmes could cost around £100 per month extra to the normal diet over several month for optimal results. It is sometimes possible to spend less per month and take longer. Many seriously ill people I see are really unwilling to invest that amount of money in their health and will make the error of not doing enough and so do not see any results. I have always tried to find the best products for the money and many products I am selling at less than the RRP or even at cost. There are a multitude of ways someone can be reacting to foods including true allergy (immune system response), food intolerance, chemical sensitivity, lectins... so many that one test is difficult. I commonly use an elimination diet to test for food sensitivities; this takes likely culprits out of the diet for a few days and reintroduces them, while noting reactions. Commonly many people are reacting somewhat to foods due to their health already being in a bad state, and it is possible to cleanse the body, give it the nutrients it needs and then find that after some time these reactions to foods disappear. Often people get enough information (for nutritional therapy) from one 2-hour consultation to put them on track with their health. Otherwise someone may come back every 2-3 month for a few sessions.
Do you work alongside conventional doctors?
Nutritional Therapy does not come under statutory regulation so it is against a G.P.s rules to recommend any particular nutritional therapist. Conventional medical drugs and the orthodox framework for disease are at odds with a holistic framework. G.P.s generally do not understand the process someone goes through in increasing their health and will readily give antibiotics, pain killers and the like when someone gets temporary detoxification or healing symptoms (think of these as similar to withdrawal from a drug). G.P.s treatment heads towards dependency on their treatment, whereas holistic treatment tries to give someone back the ability to be responsible for their own health issues and to be free of disease, rather than have it managed by drugs.
Do you work in hospitals?
No. Dieticians work in hospitals or alongside G.P.s. They are trained in the orthodox medical framework which is at odds with a holistic framework. They will work out diet plans for certain illnesses under the supervision of a doctor.
Do you treat migraines/IBS/cancer/gall stones/diabetes....?
Not really. Holistic medicine treats a person as a whole which helps their body deal with the symptom. If the symptom is a huge problem by itself then part of the treatment may be directed towards it using natural methods. Conventional medicine sees the body very simplistically like a car - if a part is worn out you replace it or patch it up, but in fact the body is a self-correcting organism, given the chance. For some problems it could be as short as several hours. For more serious problems it takes considerable effort in detoxification and taking in nutrients, and could take weeks or longer to notice any improvement. If the amount of effort is not put in then there could easily be no results.
How long do I have to do the diet?
This is always the food addictions asking. Most commonly after 6 months people are saying that they could not go back to eating the way they did before, because it feels wrong and doesn't even taste right. A healthy diet does not have to be boring or bland, but it does take more time to prepare than microwave ready-meals.
Would you advise that I came off the drugs?
This would be unethical if the drugs have been prescribed by a G.P.. I will inform a client as to the damage a particular drug is likely to be having; how a drug may be given due to symptoms of simple nutritional deficiencies, or dehydration and so on, but it is up to the client to make an "informed decision", hopefully telling their G.P. what they are doing. But be warned ... people are often met with uninformed information about the holistic or nutritional answer from a G.P.!