Nutritional therapy is a system of healing based on the belief that food provides
the medicine we need to obtain and maintain a state of health; our food is
our medicine and our medicine is our food. Many disorders, ranging from chronic
fatigue, energy loss, insomnia and depression, to backache, skin complaints,
asthma, and headaches can be relieved effectively with nutritional therapy.
A nutritional therapy practitioner will look for nutritional deficiencies,
allergies and intolerances, as well as circumstances that can cause poor digestion
or absorption in the stomach and intestine. Nutritional therapy is useful in
treating chronic conditions that are not responding well to conventional medicine
such as allergies, bowel and digestive disorders, depression, migraine and
some skin disorders.
The therapist will take a medical history, and usually the patient will complete
a questionnaire on diet and lifestyle. If the therapist needs detailed information
on the patient's eating habits, the patient may need to keep a food diary.
Diagnostic tests may be required to check for food allergies or nutritional
deficiencies. The practitioner will recommend dietary changes and advise about
any vitamin or mineral supplements that are needed. Treatment usually consists
of an initial appointment lasting up to one hour, and a series of follow up
consultations of shorter duration, so that the therapist can monitor progress
and changes, and tweak the therapeutic diet as necessary.