What is a Nutritional Therapist?
What is a Nutritional Therapist?
It can be confusing when you know your diet and lifestyle may be affecting your health, or you have health problems and you suspect that a change to your diet may help. Realising this is a good starting point, but then where do you go and who do you see?
So, what’s the difference between nutritional therapy and other people who support with diet and lifestyle?
Dietitians
Dietitians will guide people with specific medical conditions by putting them on a specific diet for the specific condition. Whilst this approach can be helpful for some, ‘it is a one size fits all’ and isn’t tailored to the individual but to the condition they are suffering from.
Dietitians are regulated by law in the UK. They are registered with the Health & Care Professionals Council (HCPC) and they will have all gone through very similar training. They offer dietary advice and support, they often work for the NHS, Public Health or in Education. Sometimes GPs will refer people with conditions such as eating disorders, weight problems or diabetics to a dietitian.
Nutritionist
Nutritionists are often also Nutritional Therapists. They may work for a supplement company either writing nutritional information or advising customers. Often larger food producers will employ a nutritionist. If you are considering seeing someone who calls themselves a Nutritionist, make sure they belong to the same professional bodies as a Nutritional Therapist.
Nutritional Therapist
Nutritional Therapists work holistically using food, supplements, and lifestyle to optimise health. It’s important to ensure that the Nutritional Therapist you choose is registered with a professional body such as BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) and have membership of the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). In order to be a member of these professional bodies it is necessary to be trained to degree level in science based nutrition, to abide by their professional standards and complete continuous professional development. You may also see some nutritional therapists registered with other professional bodies such as ANP, either way it’s important to check out their credentials before working with a nutritional therapist. A reputable Nutritional Therapist will communicate with your GP or consultant as necessary as part of your package of support.
You may notice some Nutritional Therapists also refer to themselves as Functional Medicine Practitioners, this is because most Nutritional Therapists are also trained to use functional testing (private testing) to assist with the support they are able to offer.
Other therapists
Other therapists may include some nutritional advice as part of their therapies, such as herbalists, acupuncturists, homeopaths, and lifestyle coaches. Nutritional Therapists may refer to some of these other therapies if they feel you would benefit, and likewise some of these therapists will also refer to a Nutritional Therapist.
If you still have questions or would like to check out whether nutritional therapy is right for you, book a discovery call today