Ask me about...Supplements
Can’t we obtain all the nutrients we need from food?
In an ideal world, we’d get all the nutrition we need from the foods we consume from day to day. Eating a ‘rainbow’ of colourful vegetables and fruits daily and ensuring that our diet is diverse and includes a variety of foodstuffs at each meal can all help towards achieving this goal. But with the busy, hectic lives we lead, this isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds. Meals can be grabbed on the go and eaten in a rush; takeaways and pre-prepared dishes can start to dominate our diets almost without us even realising.
My diet is very healthy; I am really careful about what I eat. Why would I need supplements?
That’s great and you’re well on the way to achieving those health and vitality goals. However, our body can only use the ‘fuel’ it receives in the form of food once it starts to break it down into its’ component parts. If our digestion isn’t functioning as efficiently as it could be, this may limit how much nutrition you are able to actually ‘draw out’ of the food you’re eating. In this case, it may make sense to support the digestive processby using natural supplements (also known as nutraceuticals) to enable our bodies to potentially extract more goodness out of the foods we’re eating. Other supplements which may be recommended are required in quantities that could be difficult to obtain from diet alone, or they may be available in a form that is easier for the body to absorb.
Is it true that the way food is produced affects its’ nutritional value?
Changes in the way food is grown and farmed has also led to alterations in the nutritional composition of our diet over time. Vegetables can be grown in soils which are less nutrient-rich and animals may be fed grain instead of the grass which dominated their diets in the past, all of which subsequently impacts the nutritional composition of our daily food intake.
Foods may have to travel thousands of miles to reach us or may be treated to last longer; this may affects its’ nutritional composition.
Do I have to take the supplements you suggest?
There is no absolutely no obligation to purchase any of the supplements that may be recommended to you for nutritional support; these will only be advised in addition to nutritional advice and for the reasons explained above. In certain instances, however, judicious use of nutraceuticals may help to reach your vitality goals faster and more effectively. We pass on a 10% discount off RRP.
How long would I have to take them for?
Four weeks initially, then possibly for another month after the follow – up appointment, but for no more than 12 weeks at a time for each individual nutraceutical. Care must be exercised when taking supplements. As a Nutritional Therapist (CNHC) and BANT-registered nutritionist with training from an accredited organisation, I have been specifically educated to identify how natural supplements may support client wellbeing and can check before recommending them that there are no contraindications with existing health conditions or prescriptions, in which case they would not be offered.
Can I buy something similar to what you have suggested?
The products we recommend are only available from manufacturers who meet stringent research, quality control and manufacturing criteria and they may, therefore, cost more than those purchased ‘off the shelf’ from pharmacies or supermarkets. Substituting the product suggested for a less expensive alternative cannot guarantee the same quality, effectiveness and ease of absorption by your body, as manufacturing processes and raw ingredient quality varies widely between brands. Some of the products are available in specialist health food shops so it would be no problem for you to purchase the same brand from there, albeit without the discount offered by purchasing directly from us. We only recommend 'practitioner-brand' ranges.