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 Nutritional Therapy takes into account many factors that may have influenced your current state of health. These include your diet, activity levels, medical history, stress levels, environment and family history. A suitable dietary programme is then recommended that may result in improvements to your health.The nutritional therapy approach looks at you as a 'whole person' and aims to discover how the various aspects of your past and current lifestyle may have contributed to your current state of health. To facilitate this, you are asked to complete an in-depth health check and lifestyle questionnaire and return it prior to the consultation. This includes a three day 'food diary'.Jo will use your responses as the basis for making further enquiries about your health and life experiences during the first part of the consultation. For example, she may ask when you first experienced a particular health problem or how you respond to stressful situations. Your typical diet and eating patterns will also be explored in detail.It will then be explained how your health history, diet and lifestyle may be contributing to your current state of health. This is considered from a functional perspective, eg your digestive ability, your detoxification capacity, your hormonal function, your immune system, your ability to heal.The next step is to discuss and agree dietary changes which may help to improve your health and, importantly, which you feel that you will be able to implement. Nutritional supplements may also be suggested for use on a short term basis if appropriate, although priority is given to establishing a healthy diet. Jo Scott-Dalgleish operates within the guidance provided by the FSA regarding EU Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation.Functional tests may also be recommended in some cases to provide further information on potential metabolic imbalances, such as deficiency in a particular nutrient. These may be affecting the way your body works and thus contributing to the health problems you experience. The results are used to establish a more individually tailored programme of nutritional therapy for you. The majority of such tests involve taking a urine, stool or saliva sample at home, then sending it to a laboratory for analysis. Occasionally a blood sample may be required; this can be obtained at your GP's surgery or at a specialist clinic.It is suggested that you return for a follow up consultation after 4-8 weeks. At this point, your progress is reviewed, your ability to make the recommended changes is discussed, and some adjustments to the programme may be made. |