What is nutritional therapy?
Nutritional therapy is a holistic approach to health that can support the body’s natural healing processes through food and lifestyle interventions.
Our current healthcare system is not designed to truly address the root causes of chronic disease and lifestyle medicine is often segregated from clinical care. Nutritional therapy offers a powerful way to shift healthcare towards prevention and restoration. By focusing on the individual rather than the disease alone, it aims to uncover and correct the imbalances that often drive chronic illness. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach, it provides highly personalised strategies that consider each individual’s unique biochemistry, lifestyle, and environment and gives people practical tools to improve their diet, lifestyle, and overall wellbeing.
Ultimately, nutritional therapy goes beyond symptom relief, aiming to restore vitality, build resilience, and help individuals function at their best.
Is there a difference between a dietitian, a nutritionist and a nutritional therapist?
A dietitian would have a degree in dietetics, regulated by law in most countries. They work within a medical or public setting like hospitals and schools, often with pre-diagnosed conditions such as diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, and have to adhere to standardised guidelines. In the UK, only those registered with the Health and Care Professions Council can call themselves dietitians.
A nutritionist can have an advanced degree or very little training like a short course. Their focus is typically on general health and population-level guidance and they can work in public health, research, or within the food industry. Some can also work in private practice. In the UK, the Association of Nutrition has a voluntary register for nutritionists, but the title is not protected.
A nutritional therapist is trained in nutritional therapy in a specialised academic setting that emphasises functional medicine principles. They often work in private practice, holistic health or wellbeing clinics and their approach is personalised and root-cause focused – looking at the interplay between nutrition, genetics, lifestyle, and environment. In the UK, nutritional therapy is not statutorily regulated, but practitioners with recognised training can register with professional bodies like the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) or the Federation of Nutritional Therapy Practitioners (FNTP).
What can I expect during the first session with a nutritional therapist?
You will often receive a detailed questionnaire prior to the first session, to formally capture details of your health and medical history, current symptoms, the medications you are taking, and your dietary habits and lifestyle. In a first session with a nutritional therapist, the focus is on building a complete picture of the client’s health and the therapist will take time to explore the information provided in the questionnaire in more depth as well as the client’s goals and priorities for working together. From there, you will receive initial personalised recommendations, which may include dietary adjustments, lifestyle strategies, or supplement support – all designed to fit into your daily life. The session is usually relaxed and collaborative, lasting around an hour, and sets the stage for a plan you can build on in future visits.
What’s next?
Ongoing sessions with a nutritional therapist build on the foundation set in your first appointment, providing guidance, support, and adjustments as your health evolves. These sessions typically involve reviewing your progress, discussing any challenges or changes in symptoms, and refining your personalised plan to ensure it continues to meet your goals. The nutritional therapist may also suggest functional testing to evaluate your digestive health, hormone levels, nutrient status, detoxification and metabolism, or inflammation and immune function. The results from these tests can provide a detailed picture of how your body is functioning and help the nutritional therapist to address the root causes of imbalances with precision.
I am on medication and/or under medical care. Can I still work with a nutritional therapist?
Yes, you can. Nutritional therapy can compliment and even enhance any medical treatment you are receiving. Nutritional therapists are trained to check the action of any medications you are taking and may focus on optimising nutrient intake, since some medications can affect how the body absorbs or uses certain vitamins and minerals. Best results are achieved when the healthcare provider is accepting and supportive of the holistic approach, but this may not always be the case. A nutritional therapist will never advise you to stop any medications or treatment, but once imbalances are addressed, you may be referred back to your healthcare provider to discuss changes to your medication.
How long does it take to see results?
Everyone’s health journey is unique, so the time it takes to see results can vary. Some people notice improvements in areas like energy, digestion, or sleep within a few weeks, while deeper changes, such as balancing hormones or supporting long-term health, may take months or even years. Because the aim is to get to the root of issues and create a lasting change to dietary habits and lifestyle, nutritional therapy works best as a gradual process, not a quick fix. Also, healing from chronic dis-ease is not linear, so some setbacks can be expected along the way.
Ultimately, nutritional therapy is not about issuing one-size-fits-all protocols, but about offering guidance, tools, and support to help YOU make informed choices that are right for YOU. The therapist walks alongside you, but you set the pace and shape the direction of your journey. This sense of ownership can be empowering — it helps you stay motivated, build confidence, and create long-lasting results that truly fit into your life.