Client-Related Activities
The most visible part of my work is client consultations. During these meetings I get to know the client – their health, their health history, diets, lifestyles, social networks, and more. I also provide the client with explanations about how their specific diets and lifestyles may be impacting on their health, and what they can do to better support their health. This may include increasing specific nutrients and/or foods in the client’s diet, or reducing them. Of course, just making recommendations isn’t enough – clients need to agree with the recommendations and feel that they are changes they are able to make at this time. We may need to negotiate what is realistic and achievable.
Outside of the consultations, client time can include:
- Review of their Health & Lifestyle Questionnaire (prior to the first consultation), including any required research of health conditions or medications that I am not familiar with.
- Planning – what am I actually going to discuss with the client at that first consultation? Which potentially significant responses in their questionnaire do I need to find out about in more detail? What may be appropriate Healthier Habits to agree at that first meeting?
- Post-consultation research – what is the latest scientific understanding relevant to the information the client has given to me about their health concerns? How are food and nutrition linked to those concerns? I also check the potential side effects and potential interactions between medications and nutrients and/or foods. This research helps to form the approach I will recommend to the client – an approach that needs to fit the client’s lifestyle, beliefs, health needs and budget. The greatest amount of time I spend doing this work is after the first consultation.
- Consultation admin – clients receive a summary of each consultation with me as well as notes of key scientific references I have used to identify their approach. I also design visual aids and handouts for clients that help explain their health and nutrition links, and/or provide resources to help them implement changes. This is done for each consultation, based on the discussions of the previous meeting. I will also compile the documents for clients who have completed their consultation package.
- Diet analyses – clients who request my Gold and Platinum packages receive nutritional reviews. These are completed by inputting the data from the client’s 7-day diet diary into software that I subscribe to, and running reports. The client gets a copy of the report, as well as recommendations to improve their nutritional intake/balance (according to their health concerns, etc).
Education
I may have a Master of Science degree but that does by no means mean I know everything! Scientific understanding is constantly changing, and there is always more to know about subjects you are interested in.
Besides following my interests, my professional bodies require me to complete 30 hours of relevant continuous professional development (i.e. training and education) each year. It doesn’t sound much – until you have to fit it in between other commitments and activities. This professional development ensures I maintain and build-on my knowledge to better support clients.
Have you seen the video of the Time-Travelling Dietitian? I have shared it before, but it is very apt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ua-WVg1SsA (A little disclaimer: I don’t necessarily agree with the conclusions at the end re diet and lifestyle!)
Marketing
As with any business, for people to know about Alible Nutrition I need to do some marketing. The activities I undertake include:
- Website design and maintenance
- Social media updates
- Blog posts
- Email newsletters
- In-person networking
While delegating can be tempting at times, I prefer to compile my copy myself – this way it ‘sounds’ like me (after all, I am Alible Nutrition) and I am confident of the information sources. Also, I am conscious of the ASA requirements and so like to keep control of the wording used! Unfortunately, I tend to be quite wordy in my writing (you may have noticed) so I spend plenty of time editing copy to make it more succinct….
In-person networking. While this is very much a marketing opportunity, it offers other opportunities too. Opportunities that help my clients. I’ve gained contacts in law, finance and business coaching, as well as care, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, osteopathy, acupuncture and life coaching! All of these contacts I am able to refer clients to should they be appropriate to their needs.
Business Administration
When I was younger one of my career choices was to be a bi-lingual secretary. As it happened, foreign languages wasn’t a strength of mine, and inadequate rest breaks and intense computer use during my admin course resulted in RSI (I was using some of my break times for my language study instead of resting). However, the computer and typing skills I learned have come in handy.
Admin tasks include:
- Designing and updating client documentation – the forms and information pages that I use ‘in clinic’
- Emails – how do I accumulate so many?!
- Annual subscriptions: ICO registration, insurance, memberships, software, etc
- Finance records and business planning.
So there you go, a brief look into the world of nutritional therapy. I hope it helps you to understand more about what I do beyond telling people to eat healthful food. If you know of anyone who may be interested in nutritional therapy, or another therapy as a career, feel free to share the link to help them see what they are getting themselves into.
