Has anyone seen a nutritionist?

[RockinD]

Background is that over the last two years I have gained nearly 3 stone and am now almost obese. The fundamental reason for this is an ongoing health condition that the NHS have not treated properly and are not treating at all at the moment, as a result of which my metabolism is running extremely slowly (basal body temperature somewhere in the hypothermic range, very constipated etc).

I have refined my diet and upped my exercise without any success at all and am wondering now whether a private nutritionist could help where the NHS dietitian has failed (said she couldn't help me at all).

Does anybody have any thoughts or experiences on this?

[chocoluvva]

Definitely worth doing IME. There's a world of difference between dietitians and nutritionists.

[Finallygotaroundtoit]

Yes the difference being that Dietitians are trained professionals,

nutritionists can be anyone claiming anything - some good some bad

but most looking for an angle to make as much money as possible.

[chocoluvva]

Look for a nutritional therapist who has a degree from the Institute of Optimum Nutrition.

[RockinD]

So I contacted a nutritionist with the following qualifications and experience:

PhD - Food and Emotions

MSc - Human Nutrition

Diabetes Care Certificate

Psychotherapy in Thought Freedom Therapy
Neuro Linguistic Programming
Register of Exercise Professionals

She said she had worked as a Public Health Nutritionist for 15 years for and jointly with dieticians (National Health Service).

All this sounded all right to me.

We spoke on the phone for 45 minutes. I explained my situation but her view was that I had suffered a trauma some time in the six months before my original symptoms started. I was insistent that I had not! In the end, she said she would consider whether she felt able to take me on. Three days later she rang back to say she could not and referred me to a life coach!

I shall follow up on the Institute of Optimum Nutrition. Thank you.

[chocoluvva]

Hmmm .

The nutritionist I went to sent a long questionnaire to be filled in and sent back before the first consultation. She also requested a food diary be done for a week.

I phoned asking if she could do some testing. She initially said she could, but tried to avoid it - expensive - but after the consultation she recommended that I do a saliva test (for adrenal gland hormones), a hair test (reveals all sorts of things) and a food intolerance test.

She wrote out a detailed plan of food to eat in abundance, food to restrict, and food to avoid altogether, as well as giving me her own notes on my 'condition'. She also recommended a plan of supplements.

[teaandthorazine]

You might want to check out holfordwatch.wordpress.com or Ben Goldacre's chapter on Patrick Holford and his Institute for Optimum Nutrition in 'Bad Science' before you hand over any money though...just sayin'

[nosleeptilever]

I went to see a Holford trained nutritionist about 7 years ago for a host of things, mainly adrenal fatigue and Candida. She did a hair strand test, gave me a whack of supplements (working to my budget) and gave me a list of foods to avoid. It was very hard to stick to it but after about 4 months I felt so much better. My weight stabilised and my energy levels were back to normal.
I've gone back to see her a few times since to get motivation and to tweak my diet.
Holford is controversial but I'm convinced his basic message of eating good wholesome low GI food is sound. I don't have a lot of faith in conventional medicine unless I need a finger reattached or open heart surgery. My experiences with conditions that conventional medicine don't seem to recognize or do anything about have pushed me to seek alternatives which I've had a lot if success with(and I work for the NHS!).
Best of luck OP. I hope you find the solution that works for you.

[chocoluvva]

My situation was similar to nosleeptilever's. The nutritionist was very knowledgeable.