Nutritional Therapy Definition
Nutritional Therapy (NT) is the application of nutrition science in the promotion of health, peak performance and individual care. Nutritional Therapy practitioners use a wide range of tools to assess and identify potential nutritional imbalances and understand how these may contribute to an individual’s symptoms and health concerns. This approach allows them to work with individuals to address nutritional balance and help support the body towards maintaining health. NT is recognised as a complementary medicine and is relevant for individuals with chronic conditions, as well as those looking for support to enhance their health and wellbeing. Practitioners consider each individual to be unique and recommend personalised nutrition and lifestyle programmes rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Practitioners never recommend NT as a replacement for medical advice and always refer any client with ‘red flag’ signs or symptoms to their medical professional. They will also frequently work alongside a medical professional and will communicate with other healthcare professionals involved in the client’s care to explain relevant NT interventions.
- Nutritional Therapy works alongside conventional forms of care. NT is not intended to replace medical advice, diagnose or treat medical conditions. It is your responsibility to inform your doctor of all medical concerns. You are also advised to keep your doctor informed of the recommendations you receive from Gut Geek because of possible interactions between medications and your nutritional programme.
- The suitability of the advice you are given depends considerably on the accuracy of the information you provide in the questionnaires and during consultation. No responsibility can be accepted in the case of omitted or inaccurate information. You are expected to provide complete details of diagnosed medical conditions as well as any medication(s) being taken. Changes in diagnosis and/or medication in the course of your therapeutic programme with Gut Geek should be informed as soon as possible. You are also expected to provide full details of other nutritional supplements, herbal remedies and other therapeutic agents you may use during the course of your therapeutic programme with Gut Geek.
- Cancellations and re-scheduling of sessions should be done 24 hours or more in advance. Failure to cancel or reschedule an session in due time will incur a 100% charge of the full consultation price to cover practitioner time involved in preparation.
- You will be provided with a Preliminary Assessment Questionnaire and a Three-Day Food Diary. They should be completed and submitted at least 3 days prior to the initial consultation. These documents are essential tools used in the build-up of your case and analysis of your symptoms and conditions. They save valuable time in your personal consultation and provide information on which the practitioner starts working even before your first session. It is important that all information provided is as accurate as possible.
- Communication between sessions aims to address unexpected reactions that require urgent attention. You may book another session for further support whenever needed, subject to the credit remaining in the coaching package or top-ups you purchased. Please note your practitioner will not provide advice via e-mail. You are welcome to e-mail your queries, but please book a session in the normal way to discuss them.
- When necessary, laboratory tests may be suggested as tools to clarify possible underlying imbalances. These tests incur additional costs. Your practitioner will explain the applicability of possible tests giving you the choice to take them or not. You will be involved in the decision-making process of your programme at all times. Test results require professional interpretation and for that reason are sent directly to your practitioner. Results are disclosed and explained to you in a follow up session.
- If supplements are prescribed by Gut Geek, they should be taken in the correct amount, at the correct time and for the duration of time specified in your programme. You are strongly advised to comply with the specific supplements detailed in your programme as quality and effectiveness can vary greatly between manufacturers. This advice aims to provide you with the most effective supplements for your individual needs and circumstances. Your practitioner may suggest retailers where you can source all supplements though you are free to source them yourself (as long as you buy the same supplements specified in your prescription). Please note your practitioner may receive commission from supplement and laboratory tests prescribed.
- The outcomes of NT vary amongst individuals and the success of the therapy will depend on your compliance. No responsibility can be accepted in the case of non-compliance, alterations to the original programme by third parties or alterations to the supplement suggestions. If you are unclear about the agreed Nutritional Therapy programme/food supplement doses/time period, you should contact your Nutritional Therapist promptly for clarification.
- A written consent of a parent or guardian is required for NT services offered to children under the age of 16. Children must be accompanied by their parent or guardian for the duration of any sessions.
- All individual information gathered and analysed in the process of a case is strictly confidential. The information you provide will be safely processed and stored for the purposes of the development of your therapeutic programme, administration and future reference. Gut Geek complies with the Data Protection Act 1998 and your details will not be passed on to third parties without written consent.
- Recording consultations using any form of electronic media is not allowed without the written permission of both client and Nutritional Therapist.
BY PURCHASING A COACHING PACKAGE AND/OR TOP-UP COACHING SESSIONS YOU AGREE WITH THE ITEMS SPECIFIED ABOVE AND ACCEPT THAT OUR PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP WILL BE BASED ON THE CONTENT OF THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
