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 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! 

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.

The planet and the animals will always benefit from you eating more plant based foods so give the recipes a try I promise you’ll be surprised.

Do you work with non-vegans/will you make me vegan? 

I absolutely would love to work with you even if you’re not at all veggie or plant based. I have worked with non-vegans in the past and would love to help you achieve your goals with total understanding (and no judgement).

I do personally follow a plant-based diet but I work with people of all diets and can provide vegetarian (as well as vegan) meal plans with suggestions of where you could make alterations to suit your preferences*. I create a non-judgmental and open minded space for everyone, however I have a special interest in those wanting to move towards a more plant-focused diet, or long term vegans who want to see an NT but are concerned their ethics wont be respected. If this sounds like you, I would be an ideal practitioner for you.

*This means I would not provide a meal plan containing meat or fish products in the recipe section. I am really proud that I am able to create meal plans for my clients made entirely from my own curated recipes. This is why I can not provide step-by-step for cooking animal proteins. However I may add some notes to your plans as to where you could substitute in some of these foods should you desire. But every plan will be based upon vegetarian ingredients (so may include eggs or diary), unless you require a vegan plan.