How a CLINICAL NUTRITIONIST can support your health?
A ‘Clinical Nutritionist’ is a qualified healthcare professional who can provide personalised advice on diet, lifestyle, and nutritional supplementation, including the use of specific medicinal nutrient forms and doses to support amelioration of various health conditions and support personal health goals, within a clinical practice setting.
Clinical Nutritionists may specialise in various areas of clinical expertise such as gut health, immunity and allergy, reproduction and hormones, weight loss and management, healthy ageing and longevity, etc.
What Are Some Health Benefits of Good Nutrition?
Eating good food is one of the best things you can do for your health. It has an immense number of benefits, including:
• Weight loss and improved metabolic health
• Improved mood
• More energy
• Reduced risk of common diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis
• Better immune system
• Lower cholesterol
• Improved memory and brain function
• Improved digestive function and gut health
• Reduced inflammation
• Stronger bones and teeth
What does a Clinical Nutritionist do?
With individuals being unique in age, gender, lifestyle, family history, health and genetics, life history and diet, a Clinical Nutritionist will provide an in-depth assessment of individual personal needs, through extensive case history analysis, physical assessments and biochemical laboratory testing.
Based on these assessments, a Clinical Nutritionist can develop personalised recommendations to improve health and assist with reducing the symptoms of various health conditions, as well as certain risks that may be associated with those conditions. Such recommendations may include specific diet and lifestyle modifications, personalised supplement prescriptions, and potentially even custom medicines tailored to your specific needs. Through this process a Clinical Nutritionist can help educate people more about themselves and how their body works. The insights gained can help build a broadened understanding of not just what might be beneficial, but why.
Clinical Nutritionist Vs Dietitian
The term ‘Dietitian’ and ‘Nutritionist’ are often used interchangeably by the general public, however this is often a source of confusion since not every Nutritionist can be considered to be a Dietitian, and yet a Dietitian can still be considered to be a type of Nutritionist.
This is further complicated by the fact that Dietitians, being qualified to treat patients, can be considered clinical (and therefore could be considered to be a form of Clinical Nutritionist). However, the term ‘Clinical Nutritionist’ tends to primarily be used to refer to nutritionists with clinical qualifications that are not Dietitians, such as Nutritional Medicine Practitioners. Dietitians practice a specific type of nutrition called ‘Dietetics’, which is focused on addressing a patient’s dietary needs, especially when they are undergoing medical treatment, such as in a hospital. Nutritional Medicine Practitioners by contrast are more likely to work in their own private practice, and treat patients through diet and lifestyle modifications, as well as specific nutrient prescriptions, with the purpose of assisting the management of chronic health conditions and risks directly. Dietitians and Nutritional Medicine Practitioners are both bachelor degree trained clinical healthcare professionals, and each constitute some of the highest qualified clinical nutrition professionals available.
What techniques does a Clinical Nutritionist use?
Nutritionists use a number of different techniques to provide health advice, including:
Goal Setting
Many people visit nutritionists with particular goals they want to achieve. They may have gained weight and want to get into better shape. They may be aware of certain family or genetic health risks and want to take steps to reduce those risks. They may have existing chronic health conditions and symptoms and would like to reduce those symptoms and feel better. They may simply be looking to look and feel their best. A qualified Clinical Nutritionist will be able to offer sound advice to help individuals achieve these goals.
Diet & Lifestyle Analysis
In order to provide valuable advice, a Clinical Nutritionist must understand a patient’s existing diet – which foods they typically eat, and how often they eat them.As well as exploring the local environment and any lifestyle habits that may provide a better understanding of what is needed, and which adjustments may be most feasible.
Physical Analysis
A Clinical Nutritionist may also observe physical signs and symptoms for further indications into the body’s needs.
Laboratory Analysis
A Clinical Nutritionist may recommend certain laboratory tests to gain detailed insights into a patient’s personal biochemistry (such as blood tests, urine tests, saliva tests, hair tests, stool tests, etc.). The level of detail provided by such tests may assist with developing highly personalised and targeted treatment strategies (that would not otherwise be possible from external examinations alone).
Meal Plans & Food Diaries
After understanding the patient’s current diet and needs, certain customised diet and lifestyle plans may be used to provide tangible structure for individuals to follow, that target certain goals established during any assessment stages. This plan can then be used to track changes over time and monitor for further progress and evolution of treatment.
Supplement Prescriptions
After comprehensive assessment of individual personal needs, a Clinical Nutritionist may recommend supplementation with various specialised forms and doses of nutraceutical compounds that may assist with modulating biochemical processes within the body to help achieve any targeted health goals. Sometimes this may extend to the development of custom compounded medicines (tailored nutrient formulations) dispensed for addressing any especially unique needs, or yielding particularly powerful effects.
How to choose a Nutritionist
Here are some guidelines to follow when choosing a nutritionist:
Qualifications: Ensure you select a degree-qualified nutritionist with appropriate clinical qualifications, if seeking specific personal health advice.
Association Membership: Ensure you select a qualified nutritionist who has attained recognition and accreditation as a member of a reputable professional association such as ANTA or ATMS.
Current Knowledge: Scientific understanding and therapeutic techniques are constantly evolving. It is therefore recommended that you choose healthcare professionals who are well versed in the key areas of expertise relevant to your health goals.
Professionalism: Ensure you choose a healthcare practitioner who will carry out your care with the highest standards of diligence and professionalism.
Ensure they are fully insured.