What does a Nutritional Consultant / Naturopath do?
Those who practice nutrition believe “you are what you eat” based on scientific evidence that diet profoundly prevents disease, helps the body to heal, and impacts overall health.

Nutritional Consultants / Naturopaths are specialists who coach and educate clients on the benefits of natural approaches to diet, nutritional supplements and other natural modalities that can prevent disease and strengthen the body, mind, and emotions.

When you visit a consultant, he or she will first interview you about your health history, reasons for the visit, and lifestyle practices (such as diet, stress, sleep, and exercise). The practitioner will then partner with you to customize a plan addressing your health concerns using natural approaches including dietary recommendations, detoxification, cleansing, supplements, herbs, exercise, lifestyle changes, etc. Nutritional Consultants / Naturopaths also teach ways of living that can contribute to health and prevent illness such as clean air, rest, exercise, proper nutrition, sunshine and more.

How do you choose a Nutrition Consultant?
You should expect to have someone listen to your individual concerns, take into account your lifestyle, tastes, and preferences. Your consultant should be experienced in working with people with similar concerns to yours. A plan should be customized for you, based on the best scientifically sound health information (not on the diet book of the month) and be realistic and sustainable.

Which types of issues are best addressed by a Nutritional Consultant / Naturopath?
Reasons for consulting a Nutritional Consultant / Naturopath range from optimizing health to addressing current health concerns. Many come with chronic conditions and symptoms for which conventional medicine did not offer a satisfactory cause or treatment. A list of routinely addressed issues would be quite lengthy; however, some examples include:

• autoimmune disorders (arthritis, cancer, etc.)
• biblical health
• candida albicans & yeast infections
• cardiovascular problems
• corporate health (in the workplace)
• diabetes and blood sugar imbalances
• digestive issues and disorders (colitis, gas, irritable bowel, etc.)
• eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia)
• environmental health (at work and home, etc.)
• fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome
• food allergies or sensitivities
• food cravings
• food processing (GMO, agricultural practices, etc.)
• healthy shopping and cooking
• headaches, migraines & chronic pain
• high blood pressure
• nutritional imbalances
• optimizing health
• parasite infections
• sports nutrition
• special diets (detox, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, etc.)
• sleep issues
• stress management
• toxicity / detoxification
• weight loss or gain

Principles of Naturopathy
The practice of naturopathy is based on six key principles:
• Promote the healing power of the body
• First do no harm. Naturopathic practitioners choose therapies with the intent of keeping harmful side effects to a minimum and suppressing symptoms.
• Treat the whole person. Practitioners believe a person's health is affected by many factors, such as physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, and social ones. Practitioners consider all these factors when choosing therapies and tailor treatment to each client.
• Treat the cause. Practitioners seek to identify and treat the causes of a disease or condition, rather than its symptoms. They believe that symptoms are signs that the body is trying to fight disease, adapt to it, or recover from it
• Prevention is the best cure. Practitioners teach ways of living that they consider most healthy and most likely to prevent illness.
• The Practitioner is a teacher. Practitioners consider it important to educate their clients in taking responsibility for their own health.

Traditional Naturopaths
Naturopaths emphasize education in naturopathic approaches to a healthy lifestyle, strengthening and cleansing the body, and noninvasive treatments. Prescription drugs,
x-rays, and surgery are several of the practices that traditional naturopaths do not use.

Qualification and Training
Nutritional Consultants / Naturopaths are qualified to address natural approaches to your health needs but are not qualified to make medical diagnoses or provide medical care. Training for nutritional consultants include the study of physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, biology, chemistry and nutrition. Holistic nutrition further includes training in areas such as digestion; nutritional approaches to diseases; biochemical individuality; food, vitamins, drugs, and herbal interactions; clinical nutrition; community nutrition; and integrated weight management approaches. Naturopaths additionally study various natural modalities such as herbology.

How does a Nutritional Consultant / Naturopath differ from a Medical Doctor?
The approach and philosophies of Nutritional Consultants / Naturopaths differ from those of medical doctors. Nutritional Consultants / Naturopaths do not “practice medicine” and therefore do not diagnose, prescribe, treat, administer, cure, heal or otherwise perform a duty that is reserved for those who are licensed to do so. Also see the article: Conventional Medicine vs. Natural Health Practitioners: What is the difference?