Reasons to See a Nutritionist

You might be wondering why you should see a nutritionist or what areas of health a nutritionist can help you with. Everything from knowing what to eat for your specific requirements, optimising your health to prevent chronic diet related conditions, working on your gut, to navigating changes to your diet are all things you can talk to your nutritionist about. Here’s a few of the reasons why you might need to see a nutritionist.

Fine tuning your diet

With so much information out there on the internet about what to eat and what not to eat, it can be tricky to work out what’s important and what you should feed yourself. In Australia, we have a set of Australian Dietary Guidelines for health promotion, but these can still be unclear, especially if you have any allergies/intolerances, or follow a different dietary pattern (vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, etc.). The guidelines make recommendations for the general public, but aren’t a substitute for individualised nutritional advice, and don’t take into account different activity levels, food preferences, or cultural differences. They’re a good place to start, but if you need help making sense of these guidelines and finding what works best for you, working with a nutrition professional is the next step.

Preventative health care

If you have a family history or your blood tests indicate you might be at risk of developing a chronic health condition, now is the time to be working towards optimal health to reduce the risk and prevent certain disease states from developing. When we look at blood test results, energy levels, and diet quality, we’re not just looking for standard or “normal” results, we’re looking for optimal. Optimal markers of health on your bloods, optimal energy levels, and optimal level of nutritional intake. As the famous saying goes, “genes load the gun, but diet pulls the trigger”. While you may not have the best family health history, this doesn’t mean you have to sit idly by waiting for the same outcomes to happen to you – you can start working on your health now and break the cycle.

Gut health

One of nutritionists’ favourite topics is gut health! Our digestive system is how we eat and digest foods, absorb nutrients, and excrete what is no longer needed from our bodies. Because it has so many roles within the body, having good digestive/gut health is so important. The gut also houses the biggest microbiome in the body. The diverse range of bacteria (the good, the bad, and the opportunistic) influence our digestion of food and absorption of nutrients, but can also cause unpleasant gut symptoms. Bloating, indigestion, cramping, constipation/diarrhoea, food intolerances, acne, are just a few of the ways issues with the gut can show up in the body. By identifying markers of gut health, the levels of the different bacteria, and the presence of any parasites or infections allow us to work out where things are going wrong and address them to resolve your symptoms.

Changes to your dietary habits

Maybe you’ve recently gone vegan, or found out you have coeliac disease and need to cut out gluten, or you are on a temporary low FODMAP diet. Making a big change to your diet can feel overwhelming trying to figure out what to eat and how to continue meeting your nutritional needs. But the good news is, you don’t need to work it out all on your own. Clinical nutritionists are well versed in different dietary patterns and can help you to enjoy a diet that aligns with your belief system or current health circumstances without feeling restricted.

Think of it like how you would hire a plumber if you had issues with your plumbing; if you need advice on your diet and your nutrition, see a qualified nutritionist. Nutritionists are the experts on food and nutrition, and there’s so many ways seeing a nutritionist can improve your health and your quality of life.

To find out if seeing a nutritionist is right for you, you can book a FREE 15 minute discovery call here, and we’ll have a chat about your current health concerns and whether I’m the right practitioner for you.