Resolution: “I want to be healthier”
An important aspect of nutritional therapy is that it does not focus solely on symptoms, but looks into causes and what is happening in your body contributing to those symptoms. This means that the recommendations I make will have the intention of addressing those causes to help you feel better. The goal of nutritional therapy is to optimise your health.
As part of consultations we discuss how you are feeling and monitor this session to session. One of the things we will look at is what you want to achieve and how close you are to achieving it. For example, your digestive discomfort may have affected you socially, and so you may want to be able to enjoy eating out with friends again. This helps us to focus on what you want our of your nutritional journey, and not just want you to stop.
Clarity: “I don’t know where to start!”
First, think about what you want to change, why you want to make changes, then think about how you’ll make them. The what and why discussion is a part of non-obligatory introduction (discovery) chats with me and your initial consultation. At the end of each consultation we will agree the steps (‘Healthier Habits’) you can take towards your goal, appropriate to where you are starting from and your lifestyle. While I can make recommendations, it is you who needs to implement them and that is why we discuss what is realistic for you. After all, an unachievable goal, or ‘running before you can walk’ would not help you and could reduce your motivation to achieve.
A good first step to optimising your health with Alible Nutrition would be to request a call so that we can have that non-obligatory chat to address any queries you may have. Alternatively, take a look at my nutritional therapy page where I provide more information and you have the opportunity to commit to one of my packages.
Resolution Thoughts:
“I need to take supplements to be healthy”
“I need to take supplements to be healthy”
Not always! I have a food-first approach which means that I will review your dietary needs and identify foods that you can increase (or reduce) to support those needs. This review will consider your preferences and beliefs, as well as lifestyle influences. Only if your nutritional needs can’t be met through diet, or if you would benefit from therapeutic doses to address your health needs, would I recommend nutritional supplements.
Another type of supplement that I may suggest is a functional supplement. These are supplements that would have a specific purpose to support your health beyond vitamins and minerals.
It is important to consider any medications you may be taking, or other medical treatments, before taking supplements to reduce the risk of interactions. This forms a part of my nutritional therapy approach. If you do not wish to commit to nutritional therapy with me, you can ask your local pharmacist for advice about medicine interactions.
Resolution Resolve:
“I still want to be doing this after January 10th”
“I still want to be doing this after January 10th”
One of the biggest problems with New Year Resolutions is that they tend to be time-limited. I don’t want to sound defeatist here, but invariably this happens as life begins to return to normal and our good intentions become a lower priority until next new year.
With my approach it does not have to be this way. For nutritional therapy to be successful you need to commit to making changes. I effectively provide the advice like a tool, you have to do the work! At each consultation we will discuss your successes and any obstacles you encountered when implementing the previous recommendations. Not achieving something does not need to be the end of your nutritional journey, you may simply need to take a bit of a detour to get to your destination. I will help you identify the best route for you based on your dietary and lifestyle needs throughout your chosen support period and beyond.
My nutritional therapy approach is to help you optimise your health on a long-term basis.
Resolution Challenge:
“It’s hard to break habits and make new ones”
“It’s hard to break habits and make new ones”
Habits can take a long time to form, and to break. That is one reason why I refer to a need to commit to nutritional therapy. It is also important to know why you want to form the new habits – you need to know what the purpose is. As I mentioned above, understanding the what and why forms a part of our initial consultation and will be referred to at the start of your other consultations. I also recognise that breaking habits can be harder than forming new ones, especially if you have hormone imbalances triggering food cravings. Telling yourself that you have to stop eating something can make you want it even more! Therefore, when we discuss adopting the Healthier Habits the emphasis is on the positive – what you can add to your diet – wherever possible. In theory this will mean that you will eat less of the unhelpful foods simply because you are adding more of the nutrients that you need. Also, if we do need to remove foods, I will help you identify alternative foods that could help to ‘fill the gap’.
While there is no set timescale for forming habits (21 days is a myth!), I have based the length of each support package on consultations being 6-8 weeks apart. I believe this gives you chance to implement the Healthier Habits consistently, even if they are still a conscious effort, and begin to see improvements as a result. When we agree these habits it is important that we consider what is manageable for you and what will fit into your lifestyle; where possible we will try to help you form new routines which can make habit-building easier.
If you opt for a Gold or Platinum package with me, you will need to complete a food and symptom diary. You will be asked to do this after around 6 weeks of implementing the latest agreed Healthier Habits to allow you time to adopt them before assessing your diet in detail. With the Platinum package you will also receive interim calls to remind you of your goals and the steps you need to be taking to help you to keep making those conscious efforts at forming new habits.
References/Further Reading
- Cravings. The Nutrition Source, Harvard T.H.Chan – https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/cravings/
- How long does it take to form a new habit? Brian King Ph.D – https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/taking-it-easy/202001/how-long-does-it-take-form-new-habit