What is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner?
People often assume that a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) is another name for a nutritionist.
In reality, the focus of an NTP is broader than that of a nutritionist who typically provides general nutrition advice and abides by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines published by the federal government.
NTPs are trained and certified by the Nutritional Therapy Association to support optimal health and wellness through personalized holistic nutrition and lifestyle education and support.
As an NTP, I am not required to rely on the politically-fraught U.S. Dietary Guidelines, but rather base my work on foundational nutrition principles and emerging functional nutrition science.
Rather than following one-size-fits-all government dietary guidelines, NTPs evaluate nutrition and lifestyle needs through the lens of foundational health and use a client-centered, root cause approach that focuses not just on what you eat, but also on how your body digests food and converts it into energy and whether your habits around sleep, stress, movement and exposure to environmental toxins are supporting or harming your health.
To best accomplish my work, I was also trained and certified by the Institute of Restorative Health to use conventional blood labs and functional tests not offered by conventional health practitioners like your doctor (e.g., functional stool tests and food sensitivity tests) to uncover the root causes of symptoms and imbalances in the body that can lead to disease.
As an NTP, I support clients in making sustainable dietary and lifestyle changes to address these root causes and, thereby, improve their health and vitality.
The holistic nutrition concepts employed by NTPs stem from the fundamental principles of anatomy and physiology, the work of early nutrition researchers, such as Dr. Weston A. Price and Dr. Francis M. Pottenger, and current scientific research.
Nutritional therapy is not a quick-fix weight loss program. It is not a fad diet. Nutritional therapy does not rely on calorie counting, tiny portions, or guilt to lose weight or achieve health goals. It is not a “one size fits all” diet plan.
Throughout human history, civilizations survived on whole foods while eating different combinations, quantities, and varieties. There was never a “one size fits all” human diet.
No matter which foods our particular ancestors ate, those foods were nutrient-dense, seasonal, found locally, and minimally processed.
Nutritional therapy likewise relies on properly prepared, nutrient-dense whole foods and sustainable, intuitive eating habits to support health and wellness.
Today, many people have stopped eating real foods in favor of hyper-palatable manufactured foods that are loaded with salt, sugar, chemical additives, and unhealthy fats. These “Franken Foods” that make up the Standard American Diet (SAD) are scientifically designed, manufactured, and marketed by profit-driven companies to keep us eating more and more, without providing needed nutrition.
Our modern society is consuming too much and nourishing too little.
A proper balance of nutrients is essential for every level of the human body — cells, tissues, organs and organ systems — to grow, maintain and repair. We ignore this fact to our peril and suffer physical and mental consequences that make us feel unwell — digestive distress, fatigue, and brain fog are a few common examples — and we invite in chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
According to researchers, even short-term exposure to the Standard American Diet may cause neurocognitive impairments in memory and appetite control. The long-term prognosis is even more dire as demonstrated by the fact that six out of ten U.S. adults today have one or more diet-related chronic diseases. The SAD is destroying the health of our nation.
When you’re ready to take control of your nutrition and well-being, nutritional therapy can help you rediscover real food and harness its power to rebalance your blood chemistry. Relying on a properly prepared, nutrient-dense whole foods diet pays dividends through improved digestive health, improved energy, clearer skin, weight loss, reduced pain, improved mental clarity and reduced anxiety.
Working with an NTP, you’ll discover that eating real food is not a sacrifice, but a pleasure.
Exploring new ingredients and preparations for food will bring more nutrients to your body and add beauty, texture, variety and flavor to your plate. After you’ve mastered simple techniques for preparing delicious, nutritious meals, you’ll want to share with your loved ones so that they, too, can live their best life.
If nutritional therapy could be of help to you, schedule a free 20-minute call to discuss how we can work together.
References
Nutritional Therapy Association. (2020). Evolution of the Modern Diet Student Guide [PDF document]. https://nutritionaltherapy.instructure.com/courses/211/pages/class-resources?module_item_id=13375
Stevenson, R. J., Francis, H. M., Attuquayefio, T., Gupta, D., Yeomans, M. R., Oaten, M. J. & Davidson, T. (2020). Hippocampal-dependent appetitive control is impaired by experimental exposure to a Western-style diet. Royal Society Open Science, 7(2), 1-14. http://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.191338
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. https://dietaryguidelines.gov
