A holistic nutritionist works together with you to find ways to optimise the nourishment that you receive through food – all the way from the food you choose to buy, how you prepare it and the way that you perceive and take in that food.

The holistic aspect refers to the notion that each person is a product of the innumerable factors that affect them. The biochemistry of our food and our bodies, the environmental influences we are exposed to, our emotional responses to our world … and on it goes. This means that a holistic nutritionist is going to be interested in much more than just what you eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They will ask you about your daily schedule, sleep patterns, exercise habits, dental hygiene practices, the environment you live in, the work that you do, your satisfaction with your job and relationships, and much more.

Some of this may seem irrelevant, and perhaps you may not want to discuss all of these things – that is okay too. A holistic nutritionist asks lots of questions in order to gain the clearest picture of you that they can, so that they can identify factors that may be helping and hindering you in progressing towards the state of health that you would like for yourself. Then, they can advise you on simple and relevant changes you can make to improve how you are feeling, incorporating dietary modifications and nutritional supplements if needed. The better they can get to know you, the more precisely they can help you.

Within nutrition, the holistic approach also encompasses the understanding that there is no 'best' way of eating. Everyone has different needs, and a holistic nutritionist seeks to provide you with the most ideal way of eating for YOU. There is no one label that can describe what that diet is for you – an ideal way of eating is one that incorporates your current health status, life experiences, taste preferences, relationship to food, values, location, schedule and health priorities. Most importantly, the food you eat should be a source of nourishment and joy.