NUTRITION
What does the word ‘nutrition’ mean to you?
Diet? Self-deprivation? Calorie-counting? yo-yo weight…
Maybe you’re thinking about dieting.
The word nutrition is about none of these things. Neither is it about chewing a chip butty, eating a pizza in front of the PC, or a hamburger on the hoof.
The body functions best when provided with suitably nourishing foods, which are absorbed and used physiologically and bio-chemically by the body systems. If good nutrition is absent, certain health problems may arise. For example:
Arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, candida, cystitis, depression, eczema, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome, PMT, problems with weight, digestion, menopause, thyroid and other hormonal imbalances.
Good nutritional advice may help all of these.
THE NUTRITIONAL CONSULTATION
What does it involve?
The first consultation takes one and a half hours. Prior to it you will have completed a questionnaire about your medical history, current symptoms and dietary habits. This is assessed in advance and forms the basis of detailed discussion during the session.
In light of the dialogue you gain understanding of how your body functions. The advice given is geared to your individual food intolerances (if you have any), likes, dislikes and lifestyle.
Natural supplements may also be prescribed to rebalance the body and encourage it to work more efficiently.
In some cases simple tests for Candida, food intolerances, female hormone levels and adrenal stress may be recommended.
FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENTS
These last 45 minutes and are usually arranged at four to six-weekly intervals, from between one, to a maximum of four, consultations in most cases.
GILLIAN’S APPROACH
The essential ingredient of the treatment will always be Gillian’s supportive approach. Her style is friendly and relaxed, always flexible and never rigid or dogmatic.
Changing the habits of a lifetime is always a challenge. Gillian understands this, and encourages a light-hearted approach to the more serious underlying issues.
Clients are relieved to discover that they are listened to, and that sometimes it is all right to indulge and occasionally ‘break the rules.’
You, the client, in your situation and lifestyle, are of paramount importance.
The outcome of a consultation is always by the team effort: yours with Gillian’s support.
Click here to read more about our nutritionist; Gillian Hamer.
Latest News
- Integrative Medicine: Antioxidants and chemotherapy June 20, 2012
Many oncologists have been fearful of having their patients take any antioxidants during chemotherapy for fear that antioxidants might reduce the effectiveness of the chemo.
In a recent article in the journal Alternative and Complementary Therapies, Dr. Keith Block, a renowned integrative cancer specialist affiliated with the University of Illinois, discussed his review of more than 2,300 studies on the use of antioxidants during chemotherapy, and his report is very reassuring.
In summary, antioxidants often help to reduce side effects from chemotherapy, and this may allow patients to complete their full course of medication without interruption, which itself leads to better outcomes. Certain antioxidants also enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy, reduce long-term toxicity and improve survival.
- Complementary Medicine Improves Type 2 Diabetes Care April 30, 2012
Diet, exercise, and stress management counseling may be the key to managing diabetes and helping patients feel optimistic about their disease, confirms a new study at Bastyr Center for Natural Health in Kenmore, Wash.
Researchers compared two groups: One group of 369 adults with type 2 diabetes received conventional treatment of stress management, dietary supplements, and prescription medication. The second group of 40 adults received complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) on top of the standard care provided by their doctors.
The CAM included exercise and diet counseling, and regular glucose monitoring from naturopathic physicians. Most of the patients in the study received stress-management counseling, dietary supplements, and other measures as part of the conventional care prescribed to them by their regular doctors.
After six months, researchers compared the two groups and their treatments. Those who bundled CAM with conventional care had lower blood-sugar levels, better eating and exercise habits, improved mood, and a stronger sense of control over their condition.
- New Study Points to Blood Testing for Food Intolerance as Important Tool in Obesity Fight March 26, 2012
The study, led by John E. Lewis, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Associate Director of the Medical Wellness Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and co-authored by Judi M. Woolger, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, and Janet Konefal, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Assistant Dean for Complementary and Integrative Medicine assessed the impact of a food sensitivity test “in combination with a food elimination diet – on weight, body mass index, and quality of life in people who wanted to lose weight and/or were overweight,” according to published reports.
Significantly, the study suggests that a person’s food intolerances can be identified by a simple blood test.
Read more:
- Soy may improve cancer treatment March 12, 2012
Dr. Victor Marchione has reported for the Doctors Health Press, “Healing Food Could Boost Cancer Treatment.” A new study has discovered that compounds in soy could improve the effects of cancer radiotherapy. The target was lung cancer, which is the most difficult of all cancers to cure. These researchers found that soybeans can help the therapy to be more effective, while preserving more healthy tissue.
There have been heated public debates and court battles over the years regarding the benefits of natural health care to orthodox treatments for cancer. Complementary medicine, which refers to use of alternative medicine together with conventional medicine, is often seen as offering the best hope for many cancer patients. People suffering from cancer in Syracuse who are being treated with orthodox interventions and who are seeking a better prognosis should therefore welcome news that soy may enhance the effects of cancer radiotherapy.Read more:
- Alternative Therapies Offer Arthritis Pain Relief February 23, 2012
There have been few clinical trials looking at the effectiveness of ginger and tumeric on inflammation, but there are some laboratory data that suggest both can be helpful.
“Studies have been done on ginger and tumeric and have shown some anti-inflammatory effects, so there is at least some basic science to suggest these might be helpful,” said Dr. Joanne Jordan, director of the Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill.
Other food additives are considered to have anti-inflammatory properties, such as garlic, cinnamon and soy.
Cutting back on refined sugars can also reduce inflammation, Mehta added. That dietary tip will help with all types of arthritis.
