NUTRITION,LIFESTYLE & SPORT PERFORMANCE
Nutritional, Lifestyle & Performance by Amanda Heading
"In food, excellent medicine can be found, in food bad medicine can be found; good and bad are relative"
Hippocrates, Father of Medicine
What is Nutritional Therapy?
Diet is one of the main drivers of health but food isn’t just fuel. It’s the nutrients within our foods which help us to function at our best. And rather like the different makes and models of a car, if you put the wrong fuel or oil in, the engine doesn’t work very well. But what are the ‘right’ foods?
All foods (and drinks) can influence how our body functions. They can help protect against disease, restore health and optimise performance. But as everyone is an individual, each one of us may respond differently to the foods we eat. So, what might work for one person, may not for another. Some foods may heal, some may harm us. We’re all different, so we need an individual approach.
"The natural healing force within each of us is the greatest force in getting well" - Hippocrates
And that’s why generalised dietary programmes don’t tend to work long-term; they may seem to help initially, but because they’re symptom-led rather than person-centred, they don’t address the root causes of why your symptoms occur. Rather like a sticking plaster, they cover them up for a while but the effects don’t tend to last…
Nutritional therapy addresses your diet within the context of your lifestyle, life-stage and physical activity levels, as well as family and genetic history. This integrative approach is combined with functional medicine by considering the health of all your body systems, including neurological, endocrine (hormones), detoxification & elimination, cardiovascular, musculo-skeletal, gastro-intestinal (gut) function and immune status.
It combines the application of scientific, evidence-based research along with detailed health questionnaires to identify the imbalances which may be causing or contributing to your specific symptoms. Personalised dietary intervention, based on the knowledge of your specific nutritional status and requirements, as well as your overall health needs within your life context, can be used to address root causes of symptoms, optimise your health or sporting performance and help mitigate the onset of disease.
Being disease-free is one thing, optimising your health is altogether another.
How Nutritional Therapy can help you?
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Regulate blood sugar levels for sustained energy release, brain clarity and weight loss or maintenance. Addressing Type 2 Diabetes can reduce your risk of developing other co-morbidities.
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Maximise cardio-vascular capacity, regulate blood pressure and balance lipid cholesterol levels.
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Support female sex hormone balance for peri/menopausal transition, weight gain and associated symptoms.
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Address male health issues regarding prostate, sex hormone imbalance and stress response.
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Support gut health and regulate motility by reducing systemic inflammation and ‘leaky gut’ to address bloating, flatulence, wind, nausea and abdominal pain.
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Improve digestion and absorption of the foods you’re eating, and use of these nutrients to maximise health.
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Strengthen your immune system to help your body respond to and overcome repeated viral and bacterial infections, urinary infections, histamine intolerance and ongoing immune dysregulation.
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Identify intolerances and sensitivities to aggravating foods, environmental toxins and moulds.
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Reduce musculo-skeletal pain and joint stiffness.
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Promote healthy, active ageing.
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Maximise sports performance and competition.
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Identify aggravating foods by elimination diet or using functional laboratory tests; utilising nutritional supplements to support your health.
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Use of genetic testing for a truly personalised approach with regards to specific nutrients needed, efficacy of medications or performance training effects.
My therapeutic approach
My therapeutic approach is to listen to and understand your unique needs and then guide you through the opportunities you have and choices you feel able to make, in order to help achieve your health and fitness goals. Three- and six-month consultation programmes are available, depending on the complexity of your current health and what your goals are. Multi-consultations identify and then progressively address the root causes of your symptoms. Each consultation builds on the last session to support habit-forming changes and help achieve long-term success.