Denise King is a naturopathic nutritional therapist who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in December 2003. None of the Doctors she saw could really help, so she decided to take full responsibility for her health. This led her to the College of Naturopathic Medicine where she studied for 3 years. Denise is now a fully qualified nutritional therapist who is also a member of BANT and has been practising for over 2 and a half years.
Cost
£140 for a Nutritional Consultation which lasts approximately 1hr 30 minutes. This is for people who feel they need guidance in making healthy choices about food. Learn about what to shop for and where to buy it. Learn how to make mayonnaise that is actually good for you, how to make delicious tasting nut milks, about the real superfoods, the equipment you will need to make being healthier much easier and much, much more. You will be given a general guide to a healthier lifestyle, complete with handouts.
£200 for a Nutritional Consultation which includes a hair test and lasts approximately 1hr 30 minutes. This is for people who need to address health challenges. The Hair Mineral Analysis test is a useful tool which takes the guess work out of both the consultation and the tailored protocol by providing sound, clinical evidence about the individual. For further information on the explanation of Hair Mineral Analysis, please see below.
Why I Use Hair Mineral Analysis
I have been practising nutrition for a a few years now and experience has shown me that a hair test makes it much easier to identify nutritional deficiencies and underlying toxicity, rather than relying on case-taking alone. A hair test takes the guess work out of the consultation by providing sound, clinical evidence which can actually be seen by the client and is also a great motivational tool. Once the first hair test has been taken and interpreted, a tailored supplementation and diet protocol should make the client feel much better and another test taken in a few months time can show the differences the protocol has made. Who performs the test is also important, I use American Research Laboratories, (a laboratory in America) because they provide an excellent and comprehensive report. Hair testing is a complex subject and the mistake made by many practitioners is that they look at each element of the test separately, when it is actually the ratios of the minerals and metals that have to be taken into consideration, especially the calcium to magnesium and sodium to potassium ratios. Bioavailability (how your body uses something) must also be taken into account, for eg high hair calcium can indicate (depending on the symptoms exhibited) that the body is dumping the calcium rather than using it, inversely indicating a low body inventory which can occur for many reasons.
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What is Nutritional Therapy and how can it help you?
Nutritional therapy is based on the belief that good nutrition is able to provide the medicine we need to obtain and maintain a state of health. Unfortunately some of the substances we eat nowadays are so far removed from nature that they are more likely to resemble pharmaceutical products than food. Even our crops contain fewer vitamins and minerals than they used to because of soil depletion and farming methods, so of course this means less nutrients for us. How come, that as a nation, we are one of the worlds biggest milk drinkers yet osteoporosis is still on the rise; is it due to calcium deficiency or-over consumption of acidic food (calcium is used by the body as an alkaliser)? Fruit seems so much sweeter than before and personally, I think we eat far too much of it - I cut out fruit for 3 months when recovering from Multiple Sclerosis and felt much better for it. Gluten is now a problem with many of us as demonstrated by the number of people with Celiac disease. and dermatitis herpetiformis. We also consume foods that could be considered anti-nutrients, sugar and alcohol being the biggest offenders. Even the benefits of the antioxidants in alcohol, for example, may be outweighed by the fact that it leaches our bodies of many vitamins and minerals, as do many drugs, the contraceptive pill being a major culprit. Is it any wonder, that before we know it, we are totally toxic! You probably have nutritional deficiencies that you are not even unaware of and nutritional therapy can help pinpoint these and redress the balance.
You may just want to feel less tired or have a specific condition that needs addressing, either way, nutritional therapy is a useful tool. Nutritional therapy may help with a multitude of ailments. I have Multiple Sclerosis and I know that my supplementation protocol and dietary changes were instrumental in helping me walk again.
The Real Superfoods
Nutritional therapy helps guide you into making the right choices about food and when combined with a tailored cleansing and supplement program, becomes a powerful force in the maintenance of health and the fight against disease. Don’t be conned by the next ‘new superfood’ which is just supermarket hype, learn about the real superfoods such as barleygrass and wheatgrass juice, chlorella and spirulina, maca and mesquite powder and most importantly, vegetable juices! Sprout your own seeds at home in a matter of days for foods that are packed full of nutrients, make your own almond milk and cook gluten-free flat breads in 15 minutes – healthy food doesn’t have to be time-consuming or expensive.
At The Hering Clinic we take a naturopathic approach to health, therefore we are not just looking at the presenting symptoms of a disease, but at the whole body so as to get to the root of the cause. Whatever the problem, from serious disease to general fatigue, everything can be helped with a nutritionally sound diet, tailored supplement protocol and of course, exercise.
The Initial Consultation
Nutritional therapy is team work. Prior to your consultation you will be asked to complete a food diary and be consistent in washing your hair in the same shampoo with no conditioner for at least a week, prior to the consultation. You will also be required to complete a questionnaire that gathers information about you and your health. The information given will reveal important clues as to your current state of wellbeing. During your initial visit which will last 75 minutes, you will be asked questions concerning your history of health. You will be educated on foods to eat and foods to avoid (you are in for a few surprises) and given ideas for useful kitchen equipment and good recipe books. Once your hair test has been processed (usually a couple of weeks) you will receive a tailored protocol which will include boosting specific foods aimed at addressing your particular nutrient deficiencies and a supplement programme that is unique to you.
Feedback and Follow-up
As you begin your new regime you need to provide feedback as to how you are feeling. Feedback is of the utmost importance as it ensures that both the therapist and the client are on the right track. It is sometimes difficult for a client to implement changes and can be become very disheartening when everyone around you is eating chocolate and you are on vegetable sticks and hummus! After a month or so on the new protocol (how long a gap will depend on how you respond to the programme) you should attend a follow-up session where diet and supplements may be altered. High dose supplements are useful as a temporary support until the body heals but the aim is to minimise these as much as possible as you start to feel better. To emphasise, once your body is in a state of dis-ease, there is no quick fix and taking control of your own health and helping your body to heal itself requires discipline and patience on your part.