Happy friday everybody, a couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting Angela Walker from Fabulous Nutrition. During the planning process many of my clients work hard to lose weight so they look their best for their wedding day,with this in mind I have developed a service with Angela and a couple of personal trainers so my clients have a team of professionals to turn to for these services if they need them.

I caught up with Angela yesterday and asked some key questions that I felt you may find interesting about nutrition and her services.

Enjoy!

What does a Nutritional Therapist do?

Our bodies need the right balance of nutrients, if these are out of balance it can be the reason why we lack energy, have poor digestion, put on weight, pick up infections, colds and so on. Nutritional therapy will look at what deficiencies might be present, work out why they have occurred and then recommend foods, ways of eating, meal ideas, lifestyle changes and possibly some supplements. The thing to remember is that we are all biochemically unique, each of us will have slightly different needs, which is why one diet or way of eating might work for one person but not another

What are the most common problems people come to see you about?

I have a busy Nutritional Therapy practice in London where people come to see me for all sorts of issues. Some of the most frequent problem areas are weight loss, digestive problems, poor skin, lack of energy & blood sugar balance. I often find that during consultations that clients have accepted health issues such as pre menstrual syndrome or as inevitable and something that they just have to live with, when in fact nutrition can help in so many ways – don’t accept, demand to be 100% healthy!

For brides fitting into their dress and looking stunning on the big day is a top priority, what would be your top nutrition tips for?

1. Drink plenty of water and be properly hydrated
2. Balancing your blood sugar helps to balance the hormones, improving skin and weight loss, so its important to
3. Cut out the refined carbohydrates such as white bread, pasta, biscuits etc and replace them with complex carbohydrates; that means whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, wholegrain bread etc), vegetables, beans and lentils
4. Eat regular meals, (definitely don’t skip breakfast), and regular healthy snacks
5. Make sure each meal contains a good quality protein (beans, lentils, peas, fish, lean meat or egg)
6. Eat at lots of vegetables they are full of great nutrients. I’d recommend at least nine portions of vegetables a day and a couple of pieces of fruit as snacks
7. Make sure you are eating the good fats – from oily fish, seeds and nuts – these will really help your skin. Seeds and nuts are great for snacks.
8. Take time to eat – don’t eat on the go. Chewing food thoroughly helps you to feel fuller from each meal or snack
9. Avoid processed foods and stimulants such as caffeine, alcohol and chocolate. The processed foods add too much salt and empty calories, while the stimulants can imbalance your hormones and are dehydrating.

Do you think detox’s are a good idea?

Yes and no. There are lots of detox products out there that are based on flaky science and really don’t have much effect. Our bodies have the tools and systems to be able to detoxify, BUT we can overload them. A nutritional detoxification programme can be really beneficial. I recently worked at a detox and fasting retreat and saw some amazing results in just a week. I undertake a detox myself at least once a year and find it is really beneficial.

Isn’t nutritional therapy really expensive, can’t clients find the answers in a book?

There are lots of books and magazine articles out there, but the information they provide is all very general. Nutritional Therapy is bespoke to you. A Nutritional Therapist has the training and expertise to identify any underlying factors and to work with you on a programme that’s perfect for you.

Prices for nutritional therapy do vary, but in general expect to pay in the region of £80 to £130 for an initial consultation in London, supplements and any testing are on top of that, follow up sessions will vary depending on the time, but expect to pay £35 upwards for 30 minutes. It’s going to help your long term and short-term health, so really a small price to pay. Always check their qualifications and members of a good professional body such as BANT (British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy) or WNMS (Wholistic Nutritional Medicine Society). The Nutritional Therapy Council also holds a register of practitioners.

What are the benefits to clients in visiting a Nutritional Therapist?

It’s going to be completely focused on helping you achieve your health goals for the big day. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the information in the media on how to lose weight, improve your skin, latest super foods and so on, but when you have a wedding to plan, it’s much easier to have someone to guide you through that and highlight what’s really important for you as an individual. I give my clients a programme that works for them, that suits their needs and fits into their lifestyle; a combination of meal plans, supplement, lifestyle changes, exercise recommendations, foods to avoid, substitutions to make. I’m also really aware that it can be difficult to make these changes, so I give my clients lots of support with shopping lists, recipe ideas, I’ll even go to the supermarket with them! It’s a very bespoke service; we’re really health and change coaches as well as nutritionists!

Finally how and why did you become a nutritional therapist?

I’ve always been interested in food and health and how what we eat affects how we feel. I used to work in advertising but eventually took the plunge, studied for a Bsc in nutritional therapy and set up a practice in London. Its one of those subjects where there is always more to learn and I’m now pursuing further studies in functional diagnostic medicine…. and thinking about a masters at some point!

About the special Health & Nutrition for Brides package to TigerLily readers:

I’ve put together a special offer for anyone who’s reading the TigerLily website. It’s a Health & Nutrition programme that’s designed specifically for brides. The package includes the initial consultation, a follow up plus the supplements I recommend and telephone & email support, it costs £170, which is brilliant value for money. And, it’s not just for brides! You want your groom to be in tip top shape too, so a double package is available for £320, please quote TigerlilyFabulous when booking.

For more information on Angela and her services visit her website Fabulous Nutrition.

This entry was posted on Friday, June 12th, 2009 at 12:31 pm and is filed under Ask the wedding experts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.