FAQ

What is a nutritional therapist?

Nutritional therapy is the application of nutrition and lifestyle medicine sciences in the promotion of health, peak performance and individual care.

Registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioners assess and identify potential nutritional imbalances and understand how these may contribute to an individual’s symptoms and health concerns. So, as a registered NT, I work collaboratively with you to come up with diet and lifestyle interventions that may support your health and wellness. 

Personalised nutrition consultations are relevant for individuals with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis; anyone with persistent digestive issues or those wishing to support an autoimmune condition, as well as those looking to enhance their health and well being. Recommendations are not a replacement for medical advice; practitioners frequently work alongside medical professionals to support individuals’ well being.

I do not diagnose or treat disease, and recommendations are not a replacement for medical advice; I will work alongside your medical professionals to support your well being.

Why see a nutritional therapist? 

Most people only get referred to a dietitian when they already have a serious health issue. This means so many peoples health could benefit from improved nutrition and lifestyle.

As a registered nutritional therapy practitioner, I am more accessible than a dietitian with the knowledge and skills to help you improve your diet, encouraging better food choices and lifestyle changes to achieve your goals whether this is to lose weight, improve specific symptoms, support longevity or just to maintain a better level of overall heath.

Personalised nutrition is tailored specifically for you, taking into account your health journey, your health goals and dietary preferences. I may also use functional tests to inform the recommendations I make so that they are based on your unique biological individuality.

What qualifications do you have? 

I hold a Personalised Nutrition Practice Diploma (PNPD) Awarded by the Centre for Nutrition Education and Lifestyle Management (CNELM) and accredited by the UK’s Nutritional Therapy Education Commission (NTEC) in conjunction with the degree awarded by Middlesex University. The PNPD is a Qualifi Endorsed Programme. This is a degree Awarded by Middlesex University (London) in collaboration with the Centre for Nutrition Education and Lifestyle Management (CNELM).

I am a member of BANT and registered with the CNHC. By registering with the CNHC, practitioners demonstrate to the general public and to other healthcare providers that they meet national standards of practice in their work. They have also been formally recognised as making a valuable contribution to the health and wellbeing of the nation.

I also have an advanced diploma in nutrition and weight management that is certified by the Association for Nutrition. It is also recognised by CIMSPA and the Register of Exercise Professionals.

I also have my Masters of science by dissertation (MSD) in Biochemistry (in cancer research specifically) as well as my Bachelors of Science (BSc) also in  Biochemistry.

Who can I help? 

If you are an adult (18+) who needs help to improve your diet, or are looking to lose weight in a sustainable way, I can offer you safe & effective nutritional advice without fad diets or calorie tracking. Using safe & effective nutritional advice. I can also help with other health concerns such as those struggling with digestive disturbances, hormone issues, if you want to improve athletic performance or if you’re looking to optimise your health for the future. If you have any questions about whether or not I can help with your specific situation you can send me an email or we can arrange a quick call to discuss. 

Will you make me eat salads all day?

People often worry that seeing a nutrition professional will mean being told to eat leaves and “rabbit food” all day every day. Although salads can be super yum, filling and nourishing, they wont need to make up your entire diet. I work with you to help you achieve your goals in a way that’s sustainable and enjoyable for you. If you don’t like a particular food, I wont be asking you to eat that.

p.s. a salad that’s just leaves is super boring, I promise salads can actually be really yummy, satisfying AND healthful! 

Do you work with vegans or will you make me eat animal products? 

I absolutely would love to work with you regardless of your current diet and I am always respectful of whatever your current food values!

I have followed a plant based diet myself since 2016 and so am the ideal practitioner for you if you’re following a vegan diet!

If you’ve been on a vegan diet for a while and have some health concerns, but you want to make sure you address these in line with your ethical choices, I promise to always be understanding and supportive. Alternatively if you’re environmentally conscious or wanting to transition to a more (but not 100%) plant based diet for whatever reason, I can guide you through the process, while keeping your health goals in focus! 

I pride myself in creating a non-judgmental, open minded space for everyone and I work with many non-vegans with total understanding. No matter who you are or the values you eat by, I believe everyone deserves really good health and the evidenced based information to make their choices! 

Are you Plant-based? 

I have been vegan since 2016. There are so many reasons for this (which you can find if you check out my Instagram). However I hope that anyone can enjoy the recipes and information I share here at Naturally Gina. I know all the non-vegans around me still really love the food I cook, even though its completely made from plants. I also of course am always evidenced based. This is super important to me, and the evidence does show time and time again that a more plant focused diet is best for health. So I encourage you to welcome any any changes you can make (however big or small) to include more plants in your diet!

*I am really proud that I am able to create meal plans for my clients made entirely from my own curated recipes. Because of this I can not provide step-by-step for cooking animal proteins. However I add notes to plans as to where you could substitute in animal products should you desire.